Pruning And Training Muscadine Grapes

The Muscadine grapes of the South are so distinct in characters of

growth and fruit-bearing that their requirements as to pruning and

training are quite different from the methods so far given. Until

recent years when these grapes have become of commercial importance,

it was thought by southern vineyardists that the Muscadines needed

little or no pruning and some held that pruning injured the vines. Now

it is found tha Muscadines respond quite as readily as other types of

grapes to pruning and training. Husmann and Dearing[15] give following

directions for pruning Muscadines:



"Two systems of training are employed with Muscadine grapes: (1) The

horizontal or overhead system, by which the growth is spread as an

overhead canopy about 7 feet above the ground and supported by posts;

and (2) the upright or vertical system, in which the growth is spread

over a trellis.



"In the overhead system a single trunk is caused to grow erect from

the ground alongside a permanent post. When the vine has reached the

top of the post it is pinched in or cut back, so as to make it throw

out shoots to grow and spread out from the head of the vine as the

spokes of a wheel radiate from the hub. (The overhead training of

Muscadines is shown in Fig. 21; upright training, in Fig. 22.)




method.]



"In the upright systems the fruiting arms are either radiated from a

low vine head, like the ribs of a fan, or they are taken off as

horizontal arms from a central vertical trunk.



"Where the vineyard is not given close personal attention and pruning

and other vineyard practices are neglected the best results will be

obtained with the overhead trellis. Moreover, such a trellis permits

cross-plowing and cultivation and is better adapted for grazing hogs,

sheep, or cattle on cover crops grown in the vineyard. On the other

hand, the careful vineyardist can expect the best and earliest results

from vines on the upright or vertical supports. The upright trellis

facilitates pruning, harvesting, spraying, and intercropping

throughout the life of the vineyard; it is also easier to repair and

can be erected from $10 to $20 an acre cheaper than the overhead

trellis. The use of both the upright system and the overhead trellis

has netted the growers profitable returns. Each has its advantages and

disadvantages. The prospective grower, knowing his own conditions,

must determine which training system is best suited to his conditions.




renewal method.]



"During the first year after planting, a strong stake reaching 4 feet

above the ground at each vine is sufficient support. A trellis should

be erected the second season, though the upper wires of an upright

trellis and the secondary wires of an overhead trellis may be added

later, as the vines need them. In erecting an upright trellis the

posts should be set midway between the vines, the distances apart

varying with the distances between the plants. The end posts of the

rows should be firmly braced. Three wires are generally used, placed

24, 42, and from 56 to 60 inches from the ground.



"In erecting an overhead trellis, the usual method is to place a

substantial, durable post reaching 7 feet above the ground at each of

the permanent vines. Rows of extra heavy, well-braced posts, running

parallel with and also at the ends of the rows of vines, are set at

the boundaries of the vineyard. There are a number of different ways

of arranging the wires. Usually No. 10 galvanized wires are securely

fastened to the tops of the boundary posts on the four sides of a

vineyard and then are run along and securely fastened on the tops of

the inside post down each row in both directions as governor wires. As

needed, No. 14 wires 2 feet apart are run parallel with the governor

wires until in this manner the entire area has been covered.



"A cheaper but less durable overhead trellis is made by running No. 9

governor wires in only one direction and the secondary wires only at

right angles to the governor wires, the secondary wires being fastened

to the governor wires wherever they cross.



"Some growers construct arbors entirely of wood, using slats or poles

instead of wires.



"The pruning of Muscadine grapes during the first three years is

mainly for the purpose of establishing the permanent parts and

adjusting the other parts of the vine to the desired training system

for future usefulness. After that the pruning is primarily a matter of

renewing the bearing surface and keeping the vines healthy, vigorous,

and productive.



"During the first season the trunk of the vine should be established.

From this the main fruiting branches are started the second season.

These, under favorable circumstances, will bear a small crop of fruit

the third season. After that the purpose of pruning should be to renew

growth, to increase or decrease the bearing surface, and to maintain

the shape of the vine.



"Severe pruning usually removes most of the fruit-bearing wood and

throws the vine into vigorous wood growth. No pruning, on the other

hand, causes a growth which is too much distributed, weak, and

incapable of bearing good crops. Therefore, the grape grower should

study the vines sufficiently to enable him to judge each year the

proper severity of pruning for the best results. This will depend on

the variety, the age of the vines, the fertility of the soil, etc.

Muscadine grapes bear their fruit in small clusters. It is therefore

necessary to maintain a large fruiting surface in order to secure a

proper tonnage of fruit. This is accomplished by developing a series

of fruiting arms, spurring along these, and lengthening them as the

vines become stronger. Such fruiting arms can be maintained for a

number of years, but after a time it is desirable to renew them. This

is done by cutting out the arm and starting a new one from a cane that

has been previously grown for such purposes. It is preferable to renew

systematically only one or, at most, two arms on a vine each year.

This gradual renewal does not disturb the vigor of the vine, but keeps

it productive, healthy, and strong. The pruning can be quickly and

easily done if systematically practiced from the time the vines are

started."