Mike:
I'm not trimming them yet, I'll wait til spring. I'm going to contact
some vastly more experienced growers as well to see if I'm on track.
I intend to treat them much like 1 or 2 year transplants and cut them
back quite severely as I've removed nearly all their roots. I'm sure
they will re-grow since grapes are VERY hardy, but they will be
suffering from very severe transplant shock. I'm moving them now for
that reason, the vines will have considerable resources to grow new
roots over winter and that should help. Transplanting first year
vines is much easier, as the entire root cluster can be kept intact.
Those are cut back to two buds and two canes are trained up to the
trellis.
I've been told that if they grow a new shoot from near the base the
best thing for mature vines like this is to cut the rest of the old
vine off and train up the new one as a one-year vine, and I plan to do
that when possible.
Several points to consider when training grapes:
Strong trellis -- there's going to be a hundred pounds or so hanging
on that wire per vine when the grapes are ripe, it's fairly important
to keep them up off the ground. Grapes normally grow in treetops,
after all.
They will very often grow from some point you don't want them to, and
many varieties will grow the most from the furthest point from the
trunk of the vine if you don't stop them. Again, they normally grow
in trees and want to go up as far and fast as possible. They will
climb trees if they reach them, too! Cut these "bull canes" back when
you catch them.
Vines will almost always outgrow their space if you don't cut them
back hard EXCEPT for native Vitis Rotundifolia types (muscadine
grapes). Typical wine or table grapes with vinifera or lambrusca
(Concord) heritage will need to be cut back to around 40 viable buds
each year. Don't be afraid to chop them back really hard, they will
sprout new grow off the trunk if you do and you will lose a year's
grapes, but have a managable vine next year. Muscadines require
different pruning, but I'd be surprised if you have them in Michigan,
their typical range is south of here.
Ron Lombah of bunchgrapes.com and Double A vineyards both have
extensive on-line information and nice pictures so you may be able to
identify your grapes.
Peter
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