Transcript Low Cordon Trellising - Seaway Coldhardy Grapes

Multiple Trunk ( Low Cordon)
Trellising System
•Yield, Quality, Cost are important in that order. If you don’t have a
minimum yield you are not in business because you have no product for
sale.
•Average “Cold” area, i.e. Watertown, could be 3-4 tons of grapes per
acre, 6-8 pounds per vine, or 20-30 bunches per vine for Frontenac.
•8 ½ foot cedar end posts, set 2 ½ feet deep
In the Beginning…….
•8 foot Metal “Manworks” stakes set 2 feet in ground
•48 inch earth anchors
•Low wire 11.5 gauge crimped, 18 inches above ground
•Two more sets of catch wires, 12.5 gauge set at 18
inches above first wire
•Small gripple and gripple tool to secure
low wire
•Thick cable with larger gripple to
secure to earth anchor
•Nails for securing catch wire to end of
posts
•Wire crimpers and tool to connect
chain links to catch wires
•15 inch Blue Vine Shelters ( come in 30 inch, can
cut in two)
•36 inch Bamboo or Metal stakes to secure to trellis
•Biodegradable ties to connect to trellis (optional)
•Spacing range, 5-9 feet apart
First Year Growth
•Let them grow, fertilize lightly with
Miracle Grow
Second Year
•Prune back after extreme cold portion
of our winter (March)
•To first wire (18 inch)
Why Multiple Trunks?
•Train multiple trunks of different ages to allow
renewals to replace trunks potentially killed by
cold temperatures or Crown Gall
•This does not eliminate Crown Gall, but it helps
insure crop and allows management at a
tolerable level.
•Begin process of training multiple
trunks on low wire with ties to
form and grow horizontally.
•Quick daily walks to remove
suckers sprouting from base
keeps labor at a minimum (can be
mechanized)
Vine Symmetry is the name of the game.
•Makes spraying, pruning, cultivation etc. easier,
thus less labor that is more effective.
•Begin directing shoots vertically into catch wires
•Again keep suckers removed through daily walks
•If you need a new trunk, look for a sucker
positioned directly under the wire and connect to
low wire, remove all others.
Third Year
Leaf ratio and Hedging to optimize ripening in cold hardy variety
•Four mature leaves wide
•Fourteen leaves high
(Hedge after this)
•For larger operations, can
be mechanized
•Removal maintenance of
suckers will slow since now
established canopy will
shade their vigor.
•20-30 bunches per vine
(remove excess)
•Leave dormant vines
untouched until after the
coldest phase of our North
Country Winter.
•Late February through March
is time to begin pre-pruning
Two-Stage Winter Pruning
•Begin process by removing all
wood over the 4th bud.
•Wait until May when winter
damage can be evaluated and
threat of late Spring frost has past.
•On pre-pruned vines buds
exhibit Apical Dominance
•Upper buds open first and
inhibit buds from opening lower
on the pruned area
•Also shoots near base of vine
will begin to open and grow
May 29th A Major Frost Hits Jefferson County
•Shoots over 7 inches long are
leveled along with flower
clusters
•Suckers at Base also fried
•On pre-pruned vines there
is extra bud count
•New buds and flower buds
open further down and crop
is not destroyed for the year
•Suckers at base also start
to reemerge at base of vine
•Remove suckers unless
needed for a replacement
trunk
•In event late spring frost does not
occur there will be no loss on these
upper buds.
•However a situation of the vines
being over-cropped can occur
•A stressed vine, even if cold hardy
may not harden correctly and can
lead to damage the next winter.
•Pre-pruned vines need to be evaluated and
finish pruning to balance crop level desired.
•Remember 20-30 bunches per vine for
varieties like Frontenac
•Also constant attention to suckers at base
need to be removed while small and tender.
•Failure to remove either
manually or mechanically will
result in more labor since they
lignify and become more difficult
to remove.
•Continue to keep vine canes
pushed into catch wires and
use ratio of 4 mature leaves
wide by 14 high as a visual
guide for symmetry
•Keep hedged on top and
removal of suckers at base.
•Less work to remove
suckers later in season since
canopy shad and vine
energies are directed
elsewhere
•Finger Lake Trellis Supply system for protecting
grapes from fruit predators.
•Easy to apply on VSP system since symmetrical
layout of foliage does not catch on fine netting.
•Observations by local growers suggest at
least some protection from fruit and leaf
damaging insects.
•Minimizes labor installation since can be
rolled up and suspended off hooks on top
wire. (last 15 years in the field)
Mini-J
•Applicable to tender varieties like Reliance, Candice etc.
•Use push pins to force young vine to grow in a horizontal position
•Gradually it will sweep up onto trellis
•At this point, train to two cordon arms
•In fall the elongated trunk is easy to
cut off trellis and pin to ground
•Snow will insulate it
Arbors- First year
•Functional, adds dappled shade
effect to a gathering area
•Provides fruit in the fall
•Same training just takes longer for
trunk to reach top of arbor
•Use stake and wire to train to top of
arbor
Second or Third Year (depending on growth)
•Prune back to spurs