Training grape vines up to top wire 

I am a first time grower, all of the other videos I have watched on you tube had me totally confused, this is the only one that I could understand completly. Thank you for explaining the pruning process so well. I will continue to follow your channel!!

Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks for posting. Excellent explanation of what to trim and what to leave.

Thanks, that was Great Explanation. It was very much needed, knowing how to handle the Vine tree in the first year is extremely important..

Thank you so much what perfect timing. If you could see my grapes, he would just shake your head. We’ve never grown them before. Had no idea what we were doing and they’re a hot mess. We’re gonna wait till all the grapes ripe in and then try to train these guys correctly, but your video was so informative and I’m gonna go back and look at the prior one on how to set them up

BEST one so far if you know how to grow tomatoes you can grow grapes made it simple.

Nice and informative video, very helpful, thank you

Great explanation. I have listened to oodles of grape training videos and was soooo confused. Thanks for this!!

Thank you so much. You did a good explanation with grapes growing

This is a good way to learn looking forward the next stage thanks

Thank you, I also have 1 grape plant right now and watching videos to have more information on how to grow grape and what to do while they are growing.

Goodday sir. When the video started I was totally confused but as it move on I seemed to catch up. Just to make sure, the following assumptions. 1.The leaves stay leaves you don't cut them off because they provide the energy for the plant to grow. 2.The "suckers" ! they form basically the plant from where the grapes will come. But you choose the ones that have to grow alongside the wire. 3.Suckers and leaves will also grow from them but you only cut the suckers off you don't want and the leaves stay. If you want a different structure you choose accordingly the suckers to remove and the leaves stay behind. So you can form you're grapevine as you like. Cobus🐳

Thank you for a well explained and easy to follow instructional video!

Thanks for the information and the excellent showing in closeups, I could learn a lot from you.

Excellent video. My vines are still dormant, but I'm ready to go out and start attacking suckers. Thank you.

So helpful for starting a grape plant! Thank you!

Thanks! Very easy to understand, and very informative!

Great video. Tks

Wow, I’ve learned a lot from today.

Thanks. This was nice and clear video.

This was so helpful! I finally get it. Thanks

Thank you

Have a sip of wine every time he says sucker.

VERY helpful. I've watched many videos trying to find this exact information.

2 main questions. How much room in feet/inches do i need to grow laterally? And at what height do prune to go laterally?

Thank you Pete I have 2 grape plants so I will go out and prune those suckers to just have them where I want them.

Thank You!! Its the best pruning and explanatory video ive seen! Explained so easy. Thank you!

I can only repeat what has been said by many who follow this U Tube Tuitional. Clear instructions repeated, to guide the Newcomer every step of the way to producing great Vines. Excellent video.

Thank you so much for a very clear explanation of training grape vines. I just finished guiding and topping off our three grape vines using your example.

Exactly what I was looking for. Thank you for a clear video.

Thank you Pete!

Thank you for sharing good

I'm wondering what your grapes look like this year. This was interesting. 👍🏼

Thank you very much. I've been pulling my hair out watching other videos on growing grapes and almost gave up. Then I saw your video...THANK YOU ! You explained more in 15 minutes then the hours of videos I watched combined. I have 2 new grape Vines I bought that are already 5 feet tall in the bucket and I'm going to plant them this weekend. It is aug 5th so I don't know if I should trim like you did now. There are 4 branches other than the main and all are 5 feet long but I'll figure that out. Again thank you

Thank u this was informative :) was wondering what the difference is between a leaf and a sucker tho

Pete I want to thank you. I have loved your videos and you have really helped me with my chickens. I built the cooler water system and I got the auto door. I have 6 grapes that I started about the same time you did...so I'm following you and your adventure. What are you fertilizing your grapes with?

I like how tidy and professional your work is. I have some 2 year old vines I haven't pruned yet ( Except what the chickens took care of)

I knew about tomato suckers, but not with grapes. Thank you so much. This info will help me so much on creating a grape arbor. God bless you.

Are there any disadvantages to bending the central leader to the right or left and allowing one sucker to grow in the opposite direction to make the "T" instead of topping off the central leader and allowing two suckers to grow in opposite directions?

Best training video for newly planted grape I've seen! Thank you so much!

Could you try to root those other cuttings you threw away?

How do you know what a sucker is

How far apart are they spaced? 16-20 ft? And how come the rightmost is closer to the pole?

I have a different perspective based upon my own experience. When you start a grapevine plant indoors, that is the time to make a single trunk vine. You want that vine to have only one trunk and it needs to be about one foot tall at planting. Your grapevine was too wild already when you planted it. That was the real issue. By pruning when you did (at planting time) you removed leaves that would have grown roots. You want the grapevine to grow as much as it can after being planted. That means you let everything grow without pruning that first year. Had you trained the vine to only one leader indoors, it would have continued to grow upward quickly, while growing a few side limbs along the way. That is fine. They cane be pruned off the in the late winter before bud-break or used for one or more of the cordons. If done correctly, a newly planted started grapevine should reach 5 to 6 feet the first year. And that is if the soil is only mediocre. (like mine) At one point I had vines growing up to 25 linear feet the first year, but it made them too fragile through the winter. There is a point where a newly planted vine can grow too fast for its own good. Be careful. Another point I will make is the cordon system you are using. A two-wire system is used commercially because of the way they grow the vines (short, tight, and densely) and harvest them using machines. For one, you have your vines spaced too far apart for such a system. Secondly, the top will shade the bottom, causing ripening at two different times for each level unless you do a LOT of work during the growing season. Furthermore, unless you now grow them like a commercial vineyard (which you can't because you have too few plants), the bottom will have problems with moisture buildup, causing disease. A backyard gardener does not need to grow vines like a commercial operation. You can use only a few vines and have great harvests. However, with longer the cordons, you will need to manage the vines differently. One of the most important things to consider with your vines is ventilation. That is going to be difficult with this system. Not impossible, but it will be challenging. My pet peeve with all grapevine growing videos is that everyone has read books about how to grow and prune grapevines. Most of these books are instructions for commercially grown vines. Again, backyard gardeners should not be following these instructions. The entire game is different. I learned what I am saying the hard way. I fought these vines for years, trying to follow instructions from at least 5 different books. I finally threw the towel in and tried my own methods. That is when things began to work. I now have two different growing systems, with the latest in use for only one year. Because it isn't tried and tested for several years, I will refrain from describing it. In a nutshell, get your vines wide at the top and at only one level. The air will get under the vines to keep them healthier and all the grapes will ripen at the same time. And don't be afraid of having long cordons with this system. I had one grapevine that was 64 linear feet. I cut it back a few years ago because I didn't need that many grapes. (bushels) It is now only 32 linear feet and it still gives me too many grapes. It has one enormous bull trunk. All the best with your grapevines!

thanks for the great video! I'm very much a beginner gardener so don't really have a clue but determined to give things a good go. clearest video I have found to explain how to do this properly.

Very well presented information to a person like me, who knows nothing about grapes. Thank you

Nice clear explanations. Comparing it to the tomato plant really helped me. Thanks.

Is it possible to propagate the vines that you cut out, if so, how would you go about it? Thanks

Thank you Pete. This was very helpful. I now know what I need to do. 😊

This video is too helpful to maintain my newly planted grape vine. Thank you so much.

Good

I think this is the best instructional video on this I have found so far! Great job.

Thanks! Excellent presentation and video.

Thank you! This was the easiest video to understand of all that I watched. Quick question for you. Is there a required height for each wire and why does it the main stem support have to be bamboo? Why not let it climb the metal fence posts that support the wire? Thanks again!!

I live in Canadá where winter is really bad .. I try to plant to vines and I put the best soil but the grapes are so small

Hi , Loved your video , very easy to understand . Can you tell me please what kind of medium you have at the base of your vine and what type of soil it is planted in ? Thanks ...Deb

Good info--Thanks!!

That was great. Im glad you zoomed in, it was a good lesson.

But im confused, dont most American grapes prefer the high cordon system? Why this instead?

Thank you. This was nice and clear. Now I know what to do. Cheers!

Thank you! VERY informative, clear, and to the point!

excellent conduction, mainly due to the size of the vine.

I put my grape plants in the ground last year..this year its doing great and is showing clusters..do i want to pick those off so the plant is able to focus on growth this year? Thank you

This was very helpful. Thank you.

What certifications / training do I need to operate / run a winery?

Why such a large plant planting spacing. I think there would be at least two or three others between those planted.

Please give me one plant ...i am plantless

Super helpful. Thank youi!

So if i have a Y on a nee grape plant i cut 1 off.. leave the longer one. Is that what im getting?

Finally someone explained this in simple terms. I've been struggling with grapes for a few years now. Quick question, can you plant those suckers for more plants, like a tomato?

Great video. I've been growing a vine cutting wrong. When it reached the horizontal pole that I had set up, I simply guided the vine onto the pole and removed all suckers. So there's only one main vine without any branch and it's gonna just keep on growing one way. What should I do? The vine is 2 metres long growing horizontally, suckers all removed. It's a few months old.

Awesome stuff now I understand it all thank you

Very good informative video thank you! What variety of grape was that, what gardening zone are you in.

If you learn to train one plant, you can train almost all of them!

Dude thank you. I have 6 vines and 6 vines I need to fix 😭

I am just starting with Somerset grapes, planted one year ago. I am having the hardest time visualizing how to train them. I do not have the horizontal supports, but more vertical trellis. I can see to figure out which are the canes, cordons or main trunk. Can you recommend a training guide?

Thanks for this!!! Excellent.

I think you are confusing suckers and sideshoots - suckers are shoots from the roots whereas sideshoots are from the main stem.

I am reading and seeing that you want pencil thickness so sometimes you are starting over by cutting back again and letting it grow back up. Also seeing the removal of tendrils because they take away energy of plant.

Thank you for this video. I entered, "how to train grape vines" in the search bar, and this video came up. Exactly what I needed. I will definitely like and subscribe.

Thanks for simplifying a topic that can be very confusing.

Thank you very very much for such a nice video. Do you have follow up videos of pruning , training ، care and harvesting as it is 1 year down the line. Thanks

Thanks for the very basic info about grapes. From philippines here.

just a tip to reach up quick take off leafsall that from gd up leave about two sets at top of vine watch it climb you dont need those leafs anyway all that energy can then go to the vine

Thanks for the great guide. Very nice and clear. ....My single, solitary vine is about the same size as those in your video. Is it a bad thing to keep two main leaders rather than just one? (I think they call this 'double Guillot' rather than 'single Guillot'.) I'm just thinking that if I have only one leader and it gets broken, I'll be back to square one. I was also thinking that two leaders means more leaves, which might be better for the vine at this young stage of its life (more photosynthesis going on)... But what do I know? Many thanks...

thank you for a well explained and easy to follow instructional video. 💓🌱🍇

best one ive seen yet

Interesting video. It will help me manage my 16 vines I just planted.

Subs..!! Thx you sir..this education very important for me.

Thanks for explaining it. I have a similar setup but with three wires going across. Just planted the vine a month or so ago.

can I use weed barrier cloth ?

Will pruning also help the roots grow better? More energy to the one vine and the roots.

new Subscriber here from Philippines 🇵🇭

Why do you place vine on two trellis? Do you plane to have two cordons with two lines of grapes? Thanks

Thanks for the video. I have been wondering how to take care of the grape vine and train it like that. Good info

I wasn't sure if I wanted to start a 4-arm Kniffen system or not, but after watching this, I feel more confident about it. I planted two Himrod grapevines. The only thing I'm worried about now, is if it can survive the winters here in the upper third part of Illinois (Quad Cities, IL). I'm on the border of zone 5a and 5b. I've read, the Himrod is good for Zone 6, and then most of what I read is that it's good for Zone 5. It might be a battle to keep it alive.

Please tell the procedure to grow wine from seeds . Thanks.

Some varieties like to bush out, Cab Sav is one of them and you have to prune constantly. Your method is sound however I would keep a few suckers near the top of the vine at all times in case the main shoot tip is damaged by wind, hail, or japanese beetles. The Japanese beetles are a real problem here, they love to feed on the shoot tips, which is new growth so even if you sprayed 3 days ago, the shoot tips are not protected. Take suckers off the bottom for sure, but keep them in the top 12-15" inches as you are training up the wire as a safety net and pluck them off later. A lot of people cringe when they see someone cutting off a bunch of shoots/suckers - like you are going to kill or damage the plant, and they want to keep everything and 3 years later their vine still hasn't grown up to the wire yet. It seems brutal, but you've got to force the plant to do what you want it to do and grow one thick trunk up the wire. Multiple little shoots don't get thick enough in the first year, second, and even third sometimes.

Great and easy to understand. When will we see the next video Pete?

Can I start a new grapevine where an old grapevine has died.?

What wire and post are you using? I’m about to plant my Niagara variety in my back yard and looking for different ways to trellis it