This video explains and demonstrates proper techniques for pruning concord grapevines for the winter months. Provided by the Lake Erie Regional Grape Program.  View Now

The Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center is located in Berrien County, which is centered in the most horticulturally diverse region of the state. Breeding several types of fruit and conducting variety evaluations of numerous fruits and vegetables are just part of the work done at the 350-acre site. Additionally, research at the center focuses on evaluating production practices, incl...

When selecting a training or pruning system be sure to consider the growth habit of your vines and the required maintenance of each system. Vertical Shoot Positioned (VSP) training is used primarily for upright-growing cultivars, especially those that benefit from improved exposure to sunlight that minimizes summer fruit rots and/or increases potential wine quality. Vertical shoot positioning i...

When selecting a training or pruning system be sure to consider the growth habit of your vines and the required maintenance of each system. Top wire cordon (TWC) is arguably the most efficient training system for grapes, especially for procumbent or downward growing cultivars, especially those not prone to late season fruit rots due to shading of the fruiting zone. Summer labor is much less tha...

The Grapevine is a true vine The Grapevine is a true vine that requires some form of support to keep it off the ground. In the wild, tendrils along the canes attach to other vegetation and allow the vine to grow up off the ground. In our intensive cultural systems, there is no natural support for the vines. Therefore, we have to erect various trellis systems to train and support the vines, and ...

This video explains and demonstrates proper techniques for pruning concord grapevines for the winter months. Provided by the Lake Erie Regional Grape Program.  View Now

The 2013-2014 winter in the Midwest and Eastern United States was impacted by the polar vortex; extreme cold temperatures that normally float around the poles year-round, but “thanks” to climate change are unfortunately propagated farther, transporting warmer air to the North Pole and polar air into lower latitudes, directly in our vineyards. Temperatures plunged into the sub-zero digits and th...

When selecting a training or pruning system be sure to consider the growth habit of your vines and the required maintenance of each system. Mid-wire Cordon (MWC) training is used where neither any other training is appropriate for the cultivar to be grown. Examples include cultivars with upright shoot growth that do not require maximum sunlight exposure of the fruiting zone (i.e., cultivars tha...

Table grapes have become a very popular fruit in the United States. Annual per capita consumption of table grapes in the United States has quadrupled over the past quarter century. It now exceeds 7 pounds per person, and grapes rank fourth after bananas, apples and oranges. Improved storage technology and extensive winter importation now make table grapes available year round.  Though the major...