Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
The objective in the fifth and following years is to have well-balanced plants, each with
the correct number of spurs to produce healthy fruit that is evenly distributed along the cor-
dons.
Training
Continue to manage the canopy and yield. On weaker plants, pinch off the top bunch of
grapes when they are flowering. Tie and position shoots that will become this year's canes.
Trim top shoots and pull leaves as in prior years. If you are growing the Bordeaux varietals
mentioned earlier—Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, and Mal-
bec—this is the year you will consider removing some spurs to get them down to seven or
eight maximum.
Pruning
A mature plant allows you to perfect your pruning process, year after year. One mistake
I see is to allow the spurs to get too large, one on top of the other. When pruning, try to pick
the canes that are closest to the cordon.
MANAGING EXCESS VIGOR
The primary reason you may want to modify your trellis system is that your vines are
growing too well. That is, they are too vigorous. This is usually because of choosing an
overly vigorous rootstock or variety, or because you have very rich soil. It can also be a
consequence of overwatering or fertilizing. You can either try to reduce the vigor of the
vines or create additional space for those extra leaf surfaces.
There are four basic methods to manage vigor for optimum photosynthesis:
→ Pull more leaves, trim lateral shoots more, and trim the tops of the shoots more of-
ten—this is an ongoing need that will mean more labor, so permanent fixes may be
better.
→ Pinch off the top cluster of grapes before flowering.
 
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