The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Growing => Fruit => Topic started by: Rainyplace on January 26, 2009, 01:59:04 pm
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ummm. Am sitting here wondering whether to go for it! Many people fret over this pruning thing and I am afraid are one of them.
We are fortunate to have a cutting of The Kippen Vine. This vine - Gros Colman was planted here in the village of Kippen (Stirlingshire) in 1891. By 1960 it was recognised as the largest vine in the world grown under glass, producing 2000 bunches.It covered 5000 square feet. In 1964 it got the chop and now houses stand in its place. The road aptly named The Vinery. Well long before we moved to our home a cutting was taken and planted in the greenhouse, there are a few around the village but I think ours is probably one of the biggest now. Unfortunately it has been neglected and no pruning has taken place for some ( a lot) of years. I always seem to miss the window between all the leaves falling and the end of Jan/beginning of Feb before the sap starts to rise again. Today is Jan 26th Do I go for it? This thing looks like a triffid. Can you believe I once had the Beechgrove Garden team here to show me how to do it. That was about 6 years ago, we had a great fun day with all the Beechgrove team (involved a barrel of Organic Beer from Bridge of Allan Brewery) I think we drunk too much beer cos I cant remember any of the pruning instructions. Unfortunately we had missed the pruning window so they couldn't do it for me. There is a recording of the episode on video somewhere. So I am terrified of killing this thing. Should I just attack it with the secateurs and hope for the best. Have read a little, but still seems too complicated for my simple mind, its all leaders and shoots, buds and stuff... this thing is twisted round and round and round its hard to see the main trunk ,thoughts please
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Heaven's, Jo, what a dilemma and what a responsibility! Did that make you feel worse? Sorry.
Two things I've heard about pruning - 1) always cut back to something and 2) no-one ever died from a bad haircut but they do die of having their head removed.
I'm a fretter too than I go mad with the loppers but I've never killed anything but then I've never had anything that really mattered that much.
Hope someone can give you some useful advice!
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Might be worth having a look on you tube- I know yours is more of a one of a kind, but I was suprised how many pruning advice videos there are there. I'm just screwing myself up to give a little prune to our apple trees for the first time since we moved here 4 years ago!
Beth
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Basically with apple trees you try to make sure there is air in the middle - in fact all trees benefit from that. If you make mistakes all it might mean is less or no crop for a year or so. You really can only kill something if you prune far too hard.
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Hey managed to find an elderly resident in the village who worked on the original Kippen Vine all those years ago, she has offered to come down next week and give me pruning lessons! Anyone for a glass of Scottish wine?
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I'm up for that. Graham and Carol have a vine, I think - not sure what they do with the grapes though.
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Eat them? ;) ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Well had my pruning lesson on Tuesday then spent 5 hours yesterday cutting back. What a great feeling. I will have to get one of my kids to show me how to get photo's on here so you can see my handy work. Lets hope its survived the haircut and it starts to bud in a few weeks.