Clear-cut advice
I HAVE followed the highly respected Bob Flowerdew’s advice in Amateur Gardening faithfully, and some years ago he told us to prune our vines in the dead of winter in January. However, Lucy Chamberlain is now telling us (AG, 24 Nov) that vines will bleed if pruned after Christmas? Maybe I have misunderstood Bob?
Gill Houghton, by email Bob replied:
Pruning time varies, depending on indoor or outdoor vines and local conditions. The old boys reckoned earlier was better than later and I agree, even before all the leaves have fallen and especially so when under cover. Pruning too late does risk cut ends bleeding – this may be by January under cover! Outdoor vines do not often move that early and so can be pruned as late as February. However, once sap is swelling the buds, do not prune and wait until some shoots are 1ft (30cm) long, then break off surplus growth as other shoots take up excess sap.
Lucy says: I always reference Christmas as the time I’d like my grapevine pruning completed by. This isn’t a deadline set in stone, as grapes can bleed sap from their wounds if pruned as (or just before) they start into growth. With outdoor grapes this growth may not occur until March, but indoor grapes can often come into growth during January/February. So pruning before the beginning of January guarantees that sap bleeding won’t be a problem.