We went to the plot yesterday to prune the outdoor grapevine, the one we use for grape juice. Winter is the appropriate time of year to prune vines because they are dormant and the sap will not 'bleed' from the cut.
Before we set out I made sure that I consulted the book. When I taught ESOL my tutors used to say, always make sure that you understand the grammar point before you teach it. It is the same in gardening. As I read the book I learned that grapevines bear fruit on new wood and that they should be cut back to the first bud on that new wood. This sounds, and is indeed, pretty drastic. Nevertheless, in the spring, from that first bud a strong shoot emerges bearing flowers and then fruit.
M and I arrived in bright sunshine and looked at our sprawling vines which had shed all their leaves. First lesson - differentiate old wood which supports the new growth from new. The old is knarled and thick, the new is light brown and breaks easily. I demonstrated the correct angle of pruning to M, but yesterday she was happier to cut up stuff small for the brown bin. (When we have sharpened her secateurs maybe she will have another go.)
I worked my way methodically over the whole vine while M chopped. It did indeed look much tidier.
I casually mentioned to M (who has Continental ancestry) that they do things differently there. M looked at our eating grapes and said she saw no reason not to try. I think we will soon be doing viticulture 'for real', training our young vines .
I have given M the reference book.
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