

Do not prune them while the sap is running in spring, as they will “bleed” for several days, wasting sap full of sugar, carbohydrates and other nutrients that should be going into the formation of fruit, leaves and shoots.įirst year: Allow the vines to grow with no pruning to encourage maximum root establishment. Article contentĪbout 90 per cent of a grape’s total biomass can be removed annually. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. With such a system, zone 4 grapes might survive in zone 3. New growth is initiated each year from two arms on the bottom wire and grows up to the top two wires.

This system has wires at one, three and five feet. The vine has a single trunk with four arms.Īn alternative system better suited for the prairies has permanent arms on a low wire that is easily insulated in winter with natural snow accumulation or by covering it with loose straw just after freeze-up. Worldwide, the “Four Arm Kniffin System” is the most popular method, with parallel wires at three and five feet above the ground. Using a few wires makes pruning easier than growing vines on a chain link or deer fence or other more complicated structure.

Place the posts a metre or two apart with the grapes planted between the posts. To build the trellis, use heavy gauge wire with metal or wood fence posts. To shade a low deck or a patio, using a trellis-like structure, use ‘Valiant.’ Highly ornamental, it will provide shade, but may not produce the highest quality grapes as many will be shaded.
