PRUNING CLASS


PRUNING CLASS 2012

 Saturday April 7, 11:00 – 12: 30 PM.

Mitchell Vineyard, Oregon, WI

 

or 

Sunday, April 15, 11:00 - 12:30 PM. *

Mitchell Vineyard, Oregon, WI

 

Learn how to prune your grapevines so they produce a good crop of ripe grapes, perfect for wine, eating, or juice.  Bring your questions so you can get answers to your most pressing problems.

 

Where:            Mitchell Vineyard                    When: Saturday, April, 7

                       4252 Sunnyridge Rd 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM Rain or shine!

                       Oregon, WI                             Fee: $20

                                                                                   

 

The class will focus on the pruning of vines, including new vines, 1, 2, year and older vines. We will discuss different pruning techniques emphasizing balanced pruning, trellis systems for different vines, and later season cultural practices.

Attendees will do hands-on pruning, with a walk around the vineyard to see how different vines need different pruning techniques.

 

We will again emphasize how important it is to double prune in our climate. While this year has been pleasant for walking about and easy on the vines in that they haven't suffered from very cold winter lows, they face 2 hazards because of the warm winter. Grape vines lose some of their winter hardiness when temperatures don't stay cold over long periods of time. This winter they are gradually losing their ability to withstand these low temps. A vine that may have been hardy to

- 25F may now only be bud hardy to -3F, or warmer. Also, if temperatures stay warm we may have early bud-break.  If buds were to open 2 or 3 weeks earlier than normal, and we have a normal early or mid-May freeze, damage may occur to the buds.  

Double pruning means leaving more buds than the final goal in the first round of pruning. This can result in less winter kill from freezing temps and more buds to choose from if a freeze event occurs. Later, when most likely freezing temps have passed, those extra buds may be pruned off, or if freezing has occurred there may be enough good buds remaining to choose from that a near normal crop may be had. We do what we can and then hope for the best. 


Note: Always choose the best vineyard location you can - though we realize backyards do not always provide the greatest range of choices.

 

Instructor: Dave Mitchell, owner of Mitchell Vineyard, with a whopping 34 years of pruning experience.

Please bring your own pruners if you would like to participate for an hour or so helping to prune vines on several different trellis systems.

*  Those taking both classes will be charged a total of $30. The 2nd class will enable those encountering pruning problems at home to ask specific questions.