Cutting grape vine after last grape bunch .. (yes..no...) ?

[Billy]

Where are you that you would be harvesting a North American grape species, Vitis labrusca, in May?

Question aside, the answer is no.

The vine continues to store starches in its roots, made from photosynthesis, to be used during the following budding season. If you want to reduce next year's crop, cutting off the vines while they are still in photosynthesis is an effective measure.

If you want larger fruit, give them more water.

If you want better quality, drop (cut off) a third of the clusters.

How many buds are you leaving when you prune?

[Billy]

Giving the vine more water will give larger fruit and less distinctive wine. The flavor of the grape is in the skin. The smaller the grape, the greater the skin to juice ratio, and the more concentrated the flavor. If you want more juice, water your vine. If you want more varietal flavor, dry farm it, and consider cluster thinning.

[MrMe]

My Niagra grape vine is doing very well this year and has put out a decent quantity of bunches. The fruit are already 1/4 to 1/2 inch diameter. A friend told me that I should cut all fruiting vines immediatey after their last bunch. That I would get larger fruit. Is there any merit in what I've been told ?

advTHANKSance

Paul

[MrMe]

Not harvesting yet. That'll happen end of July to early August. We live in the Sandhills of NC. Temps started out high early on but have cooled off a bit lately bringing much needed rains. Grapes are thriving.

This vine just barely produces 5 gallons of wine. I need each and every cluster.

Will do so ...

I cut each cane back to two buds.

Thanks for the reply

Paul

[MrMe]

Good enough. I won't bother doing any cutting and will let mother nature tend to the watering.

Thanks again

Paul