One Acre in Napa Valley - Episode #3, Shoot Growth 5/2/08

[pedrobnt]

I really like this video about Shoot Growth. Very educative (Thank You)

[oneacrewine]

Hi pedrobnt

Thanks very much, happy to hear you liked the video.

Dave

[carsanookdotcom]

Every wine lover should watch these videos. Put then on cable TV

and National Geography. Excellent stuff.

BangkokJohnny/CarSanook

Royaume de Thailande 

[oneacrewine]

Hello carsanookdotcom

Thanks very much for your message, the videos have been fun to do.

Dave

[sr74eagle]

Dave,

Is the vineyard your primary job? If not, what kind of work do you do? You are a very good teacher of the material.

Terry - Vineyard Dreams

[shirleybluesky]

Your videos are so educational. The details are very clear and full of information. I have 4 different varieties of table grapes and have often wondered why I don't get that many clusters of fruit. Are table grapes pruned differently? I have seen unpruned vines in old farmsteads that are laden with fruit.

[BadFeat]

Dave,

I love this video series. I live on the east coast, and is looking at starting my own vineyard. Instructional videos are better than the book stuff.

So, that I can get more in dept information on vineyard setup, trellis designs, etc, what is your mailing address?

[oneacrewine]

Hi BadFeat

I am glad to hear you like the videos. I am sure you will enjoy very much working in your own vineyard. When you get things underway, if you like send me a video response so I can see what things look like where you are.

If it would be of some help, I would be happy to share some more information. When you can, why don't you send me an e-mail to my website .

Just Google "One Acre Wine" and then go to the contact us tab.

Thanks again for watching,

Dave

[ytleslie8]

thanks for the white background - yes, it really does help!

[sagebrooke]

Hey Dave, these videos are top notch. Why did you choose to cane prune? Most of the vineyards I see have permanent cordons and are spur prunned. I talked to Fogarty winemaker where they also cane prune and he said they had trouble getting the first couple buds to be fruitful when they tried spur pruning. That is why they switched over to cane. But they have really cool weather up on the ridge of the SC Mountains. Are many of the Napa Cab vineyards cane pruned?

[oneacrewine]

Hi sagebrooke Thanks very much for watching There are several advantages to cane pruning. But the underlying basis for the type of pruning is the inherent cluster size of the variety. A variety like Cabernet, with small clusters requires more total buds (that cane pruning can provide)to balance the vines vegetative growth allowing greater crop load Plus if the weather was bad when the 1st 2 buds of the spur were laid down,unlike 8 -10 buds on a cane the crop load of the vineyard will be affected

[byyu123]

I think you videos are AWESOME. I have six vines in my yard. As an amateur I have searched for this type of detailed info. Your videos are perfect. I have 2 Perlette and 2 Thompson seedless which had a big "powdery mildew" problem last year (not pruned enough, fruit too shaded - problem solved for this year by much more aggressive pruning per your 1st video). What compound would you recommend I apply now for the mildew??? (from Home Depot/Lowes? or Specialty nursery?). I live in San Diego.

[oneacrewine]

Hello byyu123

I am happy to hear you like the videos. Your right "PM" can be a big problem. Thompson can have a little higher susceptibility then Perlette, but both can be badly affected.There are a number of compounds that work, but I do 2 or 3 applications of wettable sulfur called Thiolux at 2" & 8" of growth.(Check with nursery)Wettable sulfur can eradicate early infections.Then a dry dusting sulfur for grapes will prevent new infections. Be sure to follow suggested timing & amounts to use.

[fastcapp]

Dave,

Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

Love your vides

Question

Why do you leave 2 spurs with 2 buds each on each side of the vine? if I follow your pruning method this would leave 2 extra shoots, one on each side that would not be needed next year. 8 buds would turn to 8 new shoots; I would use 2 of the shoots for next year's canes and 4 of the shoots for next years 2 bud spurs.

Also, could you tell me if you let fruit grow on the shoots that grow from the spurs you left?

[oneacrewine]

Hi Fastcapp,

It's a Good question.

There are several reasons I do this:

1st, I have a greater choice of fruiting canes for the following year.

2nd, if the plant exhibits a little more vigor I always have the option of laying out a third cane.

3rd, Because these cabernet clones tend to have a problem with mid-cane bud failure,the shoots from the extra spur on each side can fill in the gaps on the cane above.

Yes I do leave the fruit on the spurs.

Hope this helps,

Thanks again for watching

Dave