Need advice on grape vine trimming

[Silentrunning]

The weather has finally sobered up enough for me to get back to a grape trellis in a back field. I don’t believe the vine has been touched in several years. Last fall it only had a few grapes and they were not good. My question is, should I cut it back completely to about 3 feet tall or just a mild trim? I am not concerned with this years harvest as I am with building the vine up for the future.

 

[Daren]

O dear lol, That is Going to take Some time to sort out Properly. Got to get up there on some step ladders and prune the last years growth back to about two buds. A good pair of Secretors is all you need and a big sack and barrow..........That's how I would tackle it Silentrunning .

 

[marlingardener]

Wow, when you said it hadn't been touched for several years, you were being optimistic!
We run our grapes along a fence, and prune them about now into a T on top of a T shape--one trunk with horizontal canes on each side about midway on the trunk, then two more horizontal canes at the top. This probably isn't going to work for the arbor effect you have.
I'd take out the lesser trunk, cut off all the vertical growth (which will remove a lot of the skinny shoots) and when it starts to show little red buds of incipient leaves, give it a balanced fertilizer.
You may get some edible grapes this year, depending on the weather!

 

[Silentrunning]

In all fairness to the previous owner of the property he was very ill and passed away two years ago. He had planted lots of fruit trees and other plants that will be appreciated. I have young nut trees everywhere on the property. He did good.

@marlingardener, this is why I am having trouble deciding what to do. Most of the videos on YouTube are for training the vine with two arms stretched out in a T. What do you mean as the lesser trunk? Should everything on the "roof" be chopped back? I am guessing these are Muscadine grapes if that makes any difference.

 

[alp]

According to RHS here

When to prune and train


The main pruning time is early winter (late November or December). Pruning later can cause the vine to bleed sap, weakening the plant.

Think you've missed the boat! Oops!

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=284

Hope it's useful to you.

 

[Silentrunning]

Thanks alp. This is the kind of information I was hoping to get.

 

[marlingardener]

There seems to be three trunks to the vine--two intertwined and one that leans to the left. Take out the left leaning one, which is smaller and likely weaker.
Yes, all that growth on top of the arbor needs to be removed. It will take up nutrients and strength that should go into the canes that are selected to stay.
Muscadines are a great grape, and very hardy. You'll enjoy your first crop!
Here is a link about pruning and caring for grapes in your state. Alp is right that in the UK pruning is done at a different time than here in the States. According to this site, your window of opportunity is rapidly closing but with the weird weather the States has had, maybe we have a week extra--hope, hope.
https://wayne.ces.ncsu.edu/2016/03/time-to-prune-grapevines/

 

[alp]

Muscadine is a dessert grape? Has anybody tried Black Hamburg. I nearly bought this one. I wonder if anybody knows which one is sweeter!