Grape broken training shoot

[Mike]

Hi All,

I am new to grapes and was following suggestions on how to train a grape vine and like a moron I broke off the end of the shoot I had selected and was training as the trunk. I pulled it too taught and the tip broke off just above the first wire on a four-arm Kniffen system.

How is it possible to recover from this error? Do I now need to select a new vine to train as the trunk? Since the grape should theoretically be around for years I want to do this correctly.

Thanks a ton for any suggestions,

Mike

[Steve]

1. The broken tip will soon be replaced by a new growing tip that starts in the axil of one of the remaining leaves. (It's not near the end of the growing season yet.)
2. You could select a different vine to train if there is another good one to choose from.

There's nothing wrong with training more than one when the vine is still very young. You can later keep the best one and cut down the others. After the leaves fall is a good time to select.

Steve

[Mike]

Hi Steve,

Thanks much for the solace and suggestions. I feel better now. My garden gets personal and it felt like I just injured my best friend when I pulled the end of the shoot off.

Regards,

Mike

[OmManiPadmeOmelet]

It's not uncommon for plants to sprout _2_ new growing tips if you break one off. :-) I get my catnip plants to get really bushy by doing it on purpose. I pinch the terminal shoot off right at a pair of leaf nodes.

I have more than one cat that gets to enjoy fresh organic catnip, so bushy plants are good.

I know that has nada to do with grape vines, but I'm betting that you will get two shoots......

[Mike]

Hi There,

This time I just got one shoot. Can't be right all the time :-)

[OmManiPadmeOmelet]

Most plants I "top" deliberately to get them to bush out. :-)

Glad your baby is doing ok!