PLANTING AND PRUNING GRAPEVINES
       
PLANTING   Grapevines grow best in soil that has a loose texture such as sandy loam or light clay loam topsoil. It is essential to provide good drainage. IOpen space and sunlight are beneficial because they stimulate the air movement that helps control grape disease. Dig the planting hole at least 18 inches deep and wide. Mix the soil with peat moss, 50/50. Use this mix for planting the vine. Set it to the same depth as before. Water it well weekly the first summer.
 
         
WATERING   Established grapevines are deep rooted and consequently are not affected by minor droughs. In prolonged dry spells, soak the ground every 2 weeks with 6-8 hour sprinkling (3-4 inches of water); try to keep the foliage dry.
       
FERTILIZING   Feed each vine 1/4 lb. Fertilome Fruit Tree Fertilizer in late May the first season. Spread it evenly on the surface of a circle with a 2 foot radius around the vine, and work it in. The second year use 1/4 lb. in a circle with a 3 foot radius in March. The third year use 1 lb. in a circle with a 4 foot radius. From the fourth year onward, use 2 lbs each March. Instead of chemical fertilizer, you can use manure at the rate of 20-30 lbs per vine annually in march. The fruit will be less acid and tastier.
     
SPRAYING   Insect pests and fungus diseases can easily be kept under control by spraying grapevines 4 times a season according to the following schedule, starting in the spring:
 
 
  1. Spray when the new shoots are 6-10" long. Use Fertilome Fruit Tree Spray or mix your own spray using Captan and Diazinon. If you garden organically, use Sulphur and Rotonone.
  2. Two weeks after #1, just before the bines bloom.  
  3. Two weeks after #2, after the blooming is done.
  4. Two weeks after #3.
   
PRUNING   The best time for pruning grapes is January through February. Several pruning systems are now in use, each designed to writing maximum production of quality fruit from the vines. Four Arm Kniffin and Umbrella Kniffin are the most popular of these systems. The Kniffin systems are used for the American grapes.
 
 
 
       
 
THE FOUR ARM KNIFFIN SYSTEM
       
  In the Four Arm Kniffin system, the vines are planted 8-10' apart in the row. Set sturdy 7' long untreated cedar or redwood posts 2-1/2' into the ground between every other vine. Fasten a wire to the post 30" above ground and another one to the top. Stretch them tightly.
 
 
   
  The First Spring: Right after planting, cut the vine down to two or three buds. Tie the strongest of the new canes (shoots) straight uup to the top wire. This will be the trunk. Clip off all the other canes at the source.
 
     
   
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
These are the major parts of a dormant vine. It has been pruned to the four-arm Kniffin system.
     
The Second Spring - Choose 4 well placed laterals (side branches) and tie them down along the wires, one in eacch direction. These laterals are this season's fruiting arms. Cut these arms back to 6 buds each. Next choose another lateral close by each wire, close to the trunk, and cut it back to 2 buds to form the renewal spur. It is these sprus that will produce the following yyear's fruiting arms.
The Third Spring and From Then On: Replace last year's fruiting arms with new canes from the renewal spurs. Select 4 new renewal spurs. cut off all other wood. If the prunings weigh less than 1 lb., cut the new fruiting arms back to 30 buds or less. For 2 lbs. of prunings leave 40 buds, for 3 lbs. leave 50 buds, etc. Add 10 buds for each lb. of prunings. This is called "balanced pruning." There are several advantages to suing this method:
---Vines bear heavier crops, up to 5 lbs. more each.
---Vines produce better quality fruit with higher sugar content.
---Vines produce balanced crops, the same size each year.
Caution! The most productive canes are those which are of pencil thickness between the 5th and 6th bud. Canes that are thicker than this are called "bull canes." They will not produce fruit, so cut them off, and use more suitable canes as fruiting arms. If bull canes are the only ones available, use them as arms, but do not remove the little side branches as these will produce some fruit. If vines consistently produce bull canes, it is best to switch over the to the Umbrella Kniffin System.
       
THE UMBRELLA KNIFFIN SYSTEM
This system is used for vines that are too productive to be restricted to only 4 arms. The arms and the renewal spurs are allowed to form near the top of the trunk just below the top wire. Then they are looped over this wire and bent down to the lower one and tied down. It is possible to leave as many as 6 or 7 arms if needed.
     
     
       
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
A mature vine pruned to the Umbrella Kniffin system.
       
       
       
       
       

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