Pacific Northwest Gardening: Grape Pruners?, 0 by bonehead

bonehead wrote:
My grapes are grown on an overhead trellis, 5 varieties. I first cut off anything smaller than a pencil diameter, then trim back to 2 nubs from the main vine. I also try to prune out vines that are making a big mess (criss-crossing, sprouting 3-4 from same spot, etc.). I don't allow any side vines on the uprights. Throughout the growing season, I walk along the sides of the trellis and snip anything that is lower than my head - otherwise the vines would grow down to the ground (could be a cool look). I get a fair amount of grapes, more from the Concord than the others, although my arbor is more of a garden feature than a food source, so I don't worry if I have a poor grape year. Sometimes the birds eat most of them. I have no clue if this is the correct way to prune or not. Perhaps a vinyard person will respond. They certainly are an exhuberant plant, and I am guessing any pruning error can be easily corrected. Good luck.