Pruning the cayuga grapes in the vineyard
Yesterday I spent the day pruning the cayuga grapes in the vineyard. It was rainy and overcast all day but I had a rainsuit on so I kept warm and dry.
Cayuga grapes are a Cornell hybrid that grow really well in the finger lakes. We have over 2 acres planted that now need to be pruned ap they grow correctly next year and give us a good harvest. Here is what the vines looked like before I started.
To prune them I do a mixture of 2 things. The first is to count the nodes and cut each whip so there is only 8 to 12 nodes left. Nodes are where it can bud next year. The little bulge next to my pruners is a node.
The second thing I do is try to tuck as much of the plant in between the 1 wires we use as trellises. This differs from what I will be doing on the other types if graps in the vineyard.
Here is a picture of the end result.