How long have I got left to get this done before it is too late for this year?
Umm...I haven't done mine neither...thanks for reminding it. Usually I try to get my grape done by end of January...but it all depends of weather too. If you have cold freezing weather going on February, you should be ok with it. Later than that you need to do 'test cut'...chop some bigger 'bit' off and see if the cut surface start 'filling up' with moisture which would indicate that growing has started...'juices' are on move.
Cheers Goodlife, I'm way behind on jobs and just wondering what I can do when. It's freezing now but it has been fairly mild up to now here, glad to hear there is still time (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/smile.gif) (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php)
I always do mine in december but an allotment holder at our site always does hers at the end of march. So there is plenty of time yet - perhaps a sunny february day would make the job easier to achieve.
Here's looking forward to a good grape growing year! :happy7:
(We do have good years for grapes sometimes......)
My watchword is "cold and getting colder" so now seems a good time - but ASAP- I pruned mine in the last freeze before Xmas because I thought it was just possible we might get a mild winter for once, but as long as a big thaw doesn't arrive in the next few days you should be fine - if you leave it to mid-Feb you are really taking chances...
If you are in any doubt about the cold lasting that precious few days after you prune (presumably the end dries out and seals the cut?) then I'd recommend snapping the branches rather than cutting - this is what the vines have evolved to cope with (big deer, possibly elephants trundling through the forests of Georgia or Greece - we are talking millions of years here). I definitely think the sharp blade is the real problem.
If you've ever compared a paper cut to a razor cut - one hurts like hell and clots immediately, the other is painless but bleeds forever!
The same applies to taking spring scions from cherries and plums - some German authorities recommend breaking them off the tree and trimming them afterwards - makes sense to me.
Chhers.
QuoteThe same applies to taking spring scions from cherries and plums - some German authorities recommend breaking them off the tree and trimming them afterwards - makes sense to me.
Hmm....I'm liking what I'm reading...and as I'm just about to do some peach grafting I might try some with breaking and some with trimming and waxing the cuts.
I like experimenting different methods... :icon_cheers:...best way to learn. :icon_thumleft:
Have done mine two weeks ago, no sap leaking, so ok. This was more structural pruning (the fat branches). The new growth gets pruned - finger and thumbnail style - during summer after the flowers have developed. I summer prune more in the greenhouse to get grapes but prevent shading to other plants. The outside grapevine (nice grapes one year in 8 or so :-( ) get summer pruned a lot less.
We should be safe for as long as this cold snap lasts. Once you see buds, it is too late for winter pruning.