Tips for securing grapevine canes this spring

Madeline Wimmer- Fruit Production educator

Introduction

Whether you’re working on a new vineyard block, elongating cordons for further established vines, or replacing winter-injured or declining cordons, tying down canes to fruiting wire is something all vineyards end up doing annually. Tying new grapevine canes is a critical step across many training systems and vine situations. This process is fairly simple, and below are a few tips and answers to common questions to ensure your success!

Images: A Vertical Shoot Position (VSP) trained grapevine with a permanent cordon on one side, and a cane tied down on the other to replace a cordon (left). A grapevine cane with newly swelling buds (primary and secondary) developing (upper right). A grapevine cane that is being tied down to elongate the short, already-established cordon (lower right).

Why is it necessary to secure canes to the fruiting wire?

Without any support, the cordons (i.e., the arms of the grapevine) would collapse from the weight of the fruit. This is true even if cordons seem to be propped up by the fruiting wire on its own. In order to maintain its form, each cordon must be well secured to the fruiting wire.

Can I wrap canes around the wire to secure them?

While canes can temporarily be wrapped, rather than tied, to secure them to the wire, they should never be permanently wrapped around a wire as this will cause girdling in the future.

Image: When grapevine canes are initially wrapped around a wire, it may seem harmless, but over time, as the wood grows larger, it can fuse around the wire and cause girdling, which can be difficult to remove later on (left). Girdling can also happen when supplies are not eventually removed. The start of girdling can be seen here on this grapevine trunk that had been secured with AgTye (right).

What should I do if I'm securing canes after bud swell?

When grapevines are fully dormant, the buds are small, compact, and can tolerate rubbing against a wire, hand, or another grapevine cane. Grape buds become sensitive to rubbing off as they begin to develop. Losing a single bud may not seem like a big deal, but for canes that will become new cordons, losing a single bud means losing a spur and creating a larger space with blind wood between spurs.

Tying down canes is best done before bud swell begins, but if there are no other options, just be mindful of the tender buds when handling canes.




Images: There are a number of different supplies that can be used to secure canes to the fruiting wire. Finding something that can expand as the vine grows is important. 

Supplies: does it matter what you use?

There are a number of different options for tying down new canes. The goal should be to look for something that can be easily removed and expands with the growth of the grapevine. Something like twine, for example, is cheap and can cut to any length, but it cannot expand as the canes mature and can lead to girdling.

Tapener™ : Tapener™  is a multi-purpose tool that uses tie tape—a lightweight plastic ribbon bound by a staple. It can be used to secure grapevine shoots to trellis wires, as well as to train canes that will become trunks or cordons. While it will not greatly expand as the vine grows, it will usually break and fall off when a vine is too big, rather than cause issues with girdling.

Rubber ties: Sometimes referred to as “T-bands,” rubber ties are like a rubber band with a T-hook that can be wrapped around a cane and the wire, and hooked on the T for securing. These ties come in different sizes, and can easily be removed and reused. They grow with the vines as they stretch, but still may need to be replaced on large, older wood after a number of years.

Stretchable tube ties: This supply is similar to a ball of twine because it can be cut to length, but it can also stretch with grapevines as they grow. Tube ties tend to degrade over time and may need to eventually be replaced.

Ag-Tye™ : Not to be confused with the more-rigid “Ag-Lock,” Ag-Tye™  can be used to secure new canes to the fruiting wire with careful consideration. It’s advantageous to use because it lasts a long time, is reusable, but it can still cause issues if not removed before the wood gets too large and causes girdling.

How should I tie down a grapevine cane?

1. Once you have your cane selected to become your cordon, start by “cleaning up” the cane by removing any lateral shoots and tendrils.
2. If the cane is very long, cut it back so it meets its neighboring vine’s cordon at the halfway point between the two vines. If the tip of a cane is very weak, cut it back until the wood is a little larger than pencil-sized.
3. Lay the cane onto the fruiting wire, adjusting it to follow its natural form.
4. Secure the cane in three spots: 1) close the trunk, 2) in the middle, and 3) close to the cane tip.

More tips for success:

• Monitor ties on grapevines as they continue to grow in girth to see if any older supplies need to be replaced or removed.
• Leave some space when securing new canes with tube ties or Ag-Tye. Do not secure them too tightly. Since canes will continue to thicken each year, leave a little extra space. This is less important for using Tapener™  and rubber ties.
• Similarly, avoid double wrapping a grapevine cane as this is unnecessary and more likely to cause girdling problems.
• If you need to pull a cane through a set of catch wires to position it to the fruiting wire, take extra care if buds are swelling, as rubbing during threading can easily knock them off.

Vocabulary for this article:

Cane – A one-year-old shoot that has matured after one growing season. Canes are the building blocks of grapevines used to create spurs, cordons, and trunks.

Cordon – A permanent, or semi-permanent, horizontal “arm” trained along the fruiting wire. Cordons support spurs where fruit is produced each year on spur-pruned grapevine systems.

Fruiting wire – The horizontal wire on a trellis where cordons or canes are secured. This is the main support for fruit-bearing parts of the vine, and is usually a thicker gauge than training wires or catchwires, for example.

Spur – A short section of a cane that remains after pruning, usually with 1–4 buds.

Bud swell – The stage in early spring when grapevine buds begin to develop. Buds in this stage are more vulnerable to damage from rubbing or breakage.

Girdling – A condition where a grapevine’s trunk or other anatomy becomes constricted by an object like a tie, or wire, which impacts nutrient and water flow throughout the vine. This can lead to damage overtime. Blind wood – Sections of a cane or cordon without buds or growth points, often resulting from damaged or missing buds.