Hello, after checking out several chat rooms for wine makers, I have decided to join this group. This seems like a good group of vintners at all levels, willing to help and share info. I have 12 Concord grape vines that were planted by the previous owner many years ago. For years I did nothing with the vines, but four years ago I decided to give wine making a try. Not knowing anyone who made wine I started to get some books and read up. My first batch turned out ok, but as I continued to read and learn, I’m now hooked. I wish I would have started many years ago. This past winter I read up on pruning. Well, I must have done it right because I’m going to have a bumper crop this fall. This brings me to my first call for help. I have read some articles on “canopy management” but at what time should you start. My grapes have just finished with the bloom. Is it too early to start?

"Somebody left the cork out of my lunch" ~W.C. Fields

Sorry that I have absolutely no advice to give on grape growing, but... Let me be the first to say Welcome to our forums!

onon

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Kilo

Welcome to the forum, If you did a good job of winter pruning you will not need to do as much in season pruning or cluster thinning.  With concord grapes you can use the rule of 30 +10, for first pound of pruned vines keep 30 buds and for every pound after leave 10 bud.  Canopy management will depend on the trellis system you are using.  Here is a good page about pruning. viticulture.hort.iastate.edu/info/pdf/prunecanopy.pdf  

Concords can take a pretty good fruit load so good luck.

M_farmall

m_farmall

Thanks for that link, it had alot of good information on pruning and vine managment.

"Somebody left the cork out of my lunch" ~W.C. Fields

I know nothing about this subject, but I have read some articles (and the link above). I have about 4-5 vines that were planted to provide a canopy on a pergola. I too just began to make wine from the fruits.

I have only trimmed the vines that fall down and interfer with normal activity on the patio, otherwise they are growing unchecked (which was a the original idea).

After budding each year, I see tons of clusters, but many fail to grow at all and only some of the grapes on others do. Ocassionally, I will get a full cluster. I average about 18 lbs of harvest.

Can you give some pointers on pruning/thinning? Or how to enchance my harvest/cluster size?

Shawn