Chambourcin Vines

Since your vines are quite vigorous, you might consider one of the divided canopy methods such as Lyre. It is my experience that early growth (prior to fruit set) Chambourcin vines will snap at the cordon junction if you try to move them. This is also true in varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc. To me this would discourage systems such as GDC, Scott Henry or Smart Dyson in which you have to force some of the shoots to grow in directions that they really don't want to grow. Others may have different experience and disagree. Next year I am going to experiment with cane pruning some as opposed to spur pruning.

Gary, Lyre would be probably the best as chambourcin has an upright growing pattern. If you use the GDC just make sure you have adequate space between rows. There is a grower on this board who has chambourcin on the GDC and uses catch wires to comb them down which is a good idea. Just wait till after bloom to do that.Most vines canes' are tender BEFORE bloom so as far as training the canes , be gentle before bloom. Also, since chambourcin alwats has at least 2 clusters per cane and the clusters are LARGE you could use the fruit to slow down the growth and cut some off after veraison.

Bob

Gary wrote "Could anyone advise me on the best way to train Chambourcin vines? Two or

Gary - Here in the Kansas City area Chambourcin are also very vigorous. I grow mine on a single high wire at 6 feet. There is a second wire at 4 feet and if I have a side shoot coming off at that height I let it grow to sap some of the vigor. Also, I let the suckers grow up and chop them off a couple of times a summer...saps more vigor. I let the shoots grow as long as they want and prune them off a ground level. I grow my Chambourcin as I do because I want a lot of room between rows (10 feet). If the rows were wider I would consider a GDC trellis...there is plenty of vigor to fill this type trellis, at least here where we get maximum sunshine and heat.

Bill Frazier Olathe, Kansas USA