Yard and Garden: Caring for Grapevines
By Richard Jauron, Kendall Evans
AMES, Iowa – Standing in front of a mass of tangled grapevines and wondering what to do can be a scary experience for the novice or even the more experienced gardener. Pruning grapes becomes easier after understanding the growth and fruiting characteristics of the grapevine. Horticulturists at Iowa State University Extension and Outreach answer questions and give tips about grapevine care.
To have additional questions answered, contact the ISU Hortline at 515-294-3108 or at hortline@iastate.edu.
When should I prune grapevines?
The most desirable time to prune grapevines is late winter or early spring. In Iowa, pruning can begin in late February and should be completed by early April. Grapevines pruned at this time of year may “bleed” heavily. However, the loss of sap does not harm the vines.
What is the proper way to prune grapevines?
Grapevines produce fruit clusters on the previous season’s growth. Before pruning, a grapevine may have 200 to 300 buds capable of producing fruit. If the vine is not pruned, the number of grape clusters would be excessive and the grapevine would be unable to ripen the large crop or produce adequate vegetative growth. The purpose of pruning is to obtain maximum yields of high quality grapes and to allow adequate vegetative growth for the following season.
Grapevines are trained to a specific system to facilitate cultivation, harvesting and pest control. The most common training system used by home gardeners is the four-cane Kniffin system. In a four-cane Kniffin system, the canes of the grapevine grow on two wires, one located three feet above the ground and the second six feet high.
If utilizing the four-cane Kniffin system, select four canes on the upper wire, two going in each direction. Also, select four canes on the lower wire. To aid identification, some gardeners tie brightly colored ribbons or strips of cloth on those canes they wish to retain. All remaining one-year-old canes should be completely removed.
Going back to the upper wire, select two of the remaining four canes, one going in each direction. Prune these canes back to one or two buds. These short one or two bud canes are referred to as renewal spurs. The renewal spurs provide the shoots or canes that will produce
next year’s crop. Prune the remaining two canes on the upper wire back to eight to 13 buds. The number of buds left on the fruiting canes is determined by plant vigor. If the grapevine is vigorous, leave 13 buds per cane. Leave only eight buds per cane if the grapevine possesses poor vigor.
Prune the four canes on the lower wire the same as those on the upper wire. When pruning is complete, no more than 60 buds should remain on the grapevine. When counting the number of buds on the grapevine, include both the buds on the fruiting canes and those on the renewal spurs.
The six-cane Kniffin system is another training system occasionally used by home gardeners. In the six-cane Kniffin system, the canes of the grapevine are grown on three wires. The wires are positioned two, four and six feet above the ground. After pruning, a grapevine trained to a six-cane Kniffin system consists of six fruiting canes and six one or two bud renewal spurs. As with other training systems, the maximum number of retained buds is 60.
Tools required to prune grapevines include a hand shears, lopping shears and saw.
Apply Now to Become an Iowa Master Gardener
AMES, Iowa – Become an Iowa Master Gardener by completing the core training course this fall through an Iowa State University Extension and Outreach County office. Gardeners will learn best practices for choosing plants, designing gardens and managing pests. Classes start at all locations in September 2016.
Those interested in the course can apply at http://mastergardenerhours.hort.iastate.edu/application-form.php. Apply now, as space is limited for each location. Accepted participants will be notified by Sept. 11, 2016. The three-month course fee is designated by each training location.
“Starting this fall, people can begin their journey to become a master gardener volunteer,” said Susan DeBlieck, program assistant in the Master Gardener program at ISU Extension and Outreach. “The training course includes lectures on gardening subjects, from growing vegetables and fruits to designing gardens with native plants.”
After completing the course, master gardener trainees start their work as volunteers within the community. Upon completion of 40 hours of volunteer service, the master gardener title becomes official and they join thousands of other Iowa volunteers.
“Master gardeners provide information and education to Iowans," DeBlieck said. "They are a community resource for establishing community gardens, helping people identify plant diseases and growing nectar plants for pollinators." In 2015, over 120,000 volunteer hours were logged by Iowa Master Gardeners.
DeBlieck notes a second enrollment option for those not interested in volunteering. Registering as a professional horticulture trainee ($550 fee) offers the same educational course and materials, but participants earn a certificate upon completion without having to provide the 40 hours of community service.
Master Gardener core training courses are provided by local ISU Extension and Outreach county offices on Tuesdays evenings from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., starting in September and one Saturday daytime class on Oct. 8 or 22 at Iowa State University in Ames. Three face to face lectures covering vegetables, herbs, plant propagation, houseplants and herbaceous ornamentals will also be part of the training.
The core training courses will be hosted by ISU Extension and Outreach offices throughout the state at these locations:
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- Adel, Dallas County
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Altoona, Polk County
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Ames, Story County
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Audubon, Audubon County
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Bettendorf, Scott County
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Cherokee, Cherokee County
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Council Bluffs, West Pottawattamie County
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Denison, Crawford County
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DeWitt, Clinton County
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Eldora, Hardin County
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Fort Dodge, Webster County
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Iowa City, Johnson County
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Muscatine, Muscatine County
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Osceola, Clarke County
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Oskaloosa, Mahaska County
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Sibley, Osceola County
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Storm Lake, Buena Vista County
- Vinton, Benton County
Monarch Numbers Encouraging, But Sustained Conservation Efforts Must Continue
By Sue Blodgett, Dana Schweitzer, Ed Adcock
AMES, Iowa — Although the number of monarch butterflies overwintering in Mexico has sharply rebounded, leaders of the Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium say that sustained efforts of Iowa crop and livestock farmers, landowners, conservationists and others are critical to ensuring continued improvements to monarch conservation.
Last Friday, the World Wildlife Fund announced that this winter’s survey reported that adult butterflies covered approximately 10 acres of forest in Mexico. During the last three winters, overwintering butterflies occupied three or fewer acres. This past year, the U.S. set a conservation goal for a sustained monarch population of about 15 acres, or 225 million butterflies through domestic and international efforts and public-private partnerships.
“These monarch butterfly population numbers are encouraging,” said Sue Blodgett, chair of the Department of Entomology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State University. “The overwintering numbers for 2015-16 provide us time to develop and implement long-term habitat conservation strategies that will provide the foundation for a resilient monarch population.”
Blodgett added that the ongoing, collaborative conservation efforts of the Monarch Consortium’s members in Iowa will play a key role in helping to ensure the population response noted this winter can become part of a positive trend for the future.
The Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium was established in 2015, through the efforts of Iowa State’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Its mission is to enhance monarch reproduction and survival in Iowa through collaborative and coordinated efforts of farmers, private citizens and their organizations.
The consortium has more than 25 members that include agricultural organizations, conservation organizations, agriculture technology providers, energy industry, universities and state and federal agencies. The consortium also partners with national conservation groups such as Monarch Watch, Pheasants Forever and Sand County Foundation.
Partners of the Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium are working together to develop a science-based approach that fosters habitat improvements in rural landscapes that do not conflict with agricultural production, are sufficient in scale to support improved monarch breeding success and strive to complement other conservation programs.
In 2016, CALS researchers will continue to work with farmers and livestock producers to incorporate monarch habitat into a variety of Iowa landscapes, through the support of consortium members and grants provided by USDA, the Iowa Soybean Association and the Iowa Pork Producers Association.
“We will refine methods for establishing and maintaining habitat, determine the benefits of different habitat patch sizes and continue our evaluation of milkweed species and companion plants at ISU Research and Demonstration Farms,” Blodgett said.
Continuing in 2016 will be monitoring monarch caterpillars’ preferences for milkweed species in their growth and development, and adult monarchs’ preferences for egg laying, she said. Extension and outreach efforts will include field days at the statewide ISU Research and Demonstration Farms and an interactive exhibit at the 2016 Farm Progress Show in August.
Nationally, declines in monarch butterflies have been attributed to various factors, including loss of overwintering and spring and summer milkweed habitat. Monarchs depend on milkweed plants for laying their eggs and for caterpillar nutrition. As adults, monarchs also rely on other flowering plants for nutrition. Consortium research will guide the development of cost-effective methods to establish and maintain monarch habitat. Extension programs will deliver practical, “how to” information for conserving breeding habitat on farms and rural areas.
To learn more about the Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium, visit http://monarch.ent.iastate.edu/
Science of Parenting: Teach Kids Kindness, Compassion
By Janet Smith, Lori Hayungs, Laura Sternweis
AMES, Iowa – Children aren’t born knowing how to be kind or compassionate. However, these virtues can be taught, say the Science of Parenting bloggers from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.
"How do we raise kids who are compassionate and kind? We can give them opportunities to practice being kind,” said Janet Smith, a human sciences specialist in family life.
“Children must learn to be kind, just as we learn language. Practice makes perfect and parents can encourage such simple opportunities like helping with housework,” Smith said.
“Parents can help children learn how to focus on others who need help. Children need to hear from their parents that caring for others is a top priority,” said Lori Hayungs, also a human sciences specialist in family life.
“Harvard researchers tell us that children aren’t born good or bad, and we should never give up on them. They need adults who will help them, at every stage of their childhood, to become caring, respectful and responsible for their communities,” Hayungs said.
This month Smith and Hayungs will share ideas about the importance of raising children to be kind and compassionate. They’ll talk about how to help children practice caring and gratitude. They also will discuss how parents can be strong moral role models and mentors for their children.
Learn more from tips on the blog throughout the month and in a four-minute podcast. Through the Science of Parenting, www.scienceofparenting.org, ISU Extension and Outreach specialists share and discuss research-based information and resources to help parents rear their children. Parents can join in the conversation and share thoughts and experiences, as well as how they handle parenting responsibilities.
The Science of Parenting from ISU Extension and Outreach also is available on Twitter and via text message.
