Recovering overgrown grape vines

[DigitalVinyl]

Last year I planted (what were marketed) as two year old grape vines. However I was clueless and the vines grew tremendously. They leafed out beautifully but not flowers or grapes--i wasn't expecting any.

However I always hate pruning things back and I left the vines as they grew. So I've got at two 10-12 foot runs, plus one or two 6-8 foot runs on each plant. they are sending out vines at almost every knot/junction and I'm seeing lots of little florets, which I'm assuming are going to be grapes. While they are growing quickly and vigorously (yeah!), I'm assuming that this is just too many--even for a 3rd year plant. Any advice on how to get this more under control?

- Can I cut the (10-12') wood shorter now or will it shock the vine too much? The vines are sending out laterals throughout the 12' length--no dead wood.

- Will it help to pinch some of the florets? Or should I wait to see which pollinate? (I'm assuming there is some type of pollination--although I don't recall it ever mentioned)

- Should I allow so many lateral vines to form? Won't that take a lot of energy from grape producing?

I'm reading more and more about the pruing methods, but I'm looking for best action to take now to work towards having a decent year. If this was a tomato plant I'd just pinch it down, but I've got no experience yet with these things.

DiGiTAL ViNYL (no email) Zone 6b/7, Westchester Co, NY,

[simy1]

do your best to leave the vine alone now. They don't like any pruning except fall pruning. You can take out 60-70% of the branches in october, and train it as you please. Other plants mind less when you prune them, but not grape.

Leave it alone. You could strip the plant of the smallest bunches, once they are formed but not ripened. The birds will take the rest.

No, you should not. But right now they are making food for the roots. Next year, and the years after, you will have a strong vine.

[simy1]

do your best to leave the vine alone now. They don't like any pruning except fall pruning. You can take out 60-70% of the branches in october, and train it as you please. Other plants mind less when you prune them, but not grape.

Leave it alone. You could strip the plant of the smallest bunches, once they are formed but not ripened. The birds will take the rest.

No, you should not. But right now they are making food for the roots. Next year, and the years after, you will have a strong vine.

[DigitalVinyl]

Thanks for the advice.

I wondered how healthy they were last year because I had so much growth. I sometimes wonder if excessive growth with means a weaker/overfertilized/unbalanced/spent plant that's more susceptible to disease. I read books that talked about the stems not reaching high/far enough in the first year and mine were way past expectations.

This year I'll get to see better what a years growth's is like on older wood. I'm kind of wondering how full and leafy this is gonna get.

"simy1" wrote:

Zone 6b/7, Westchester Co, NY,