So, I'm in the 2nd year of my Himrod. The 1st year I left only the main trunk and now it has 5 shoots from the main trunk, so far about 20-25" each. When I'm supposed to cut them off and how many I should leave. I have 2 horizontal steel wires so is it the time to train them on both or just the lower one. Do I cut them at the end of the year, fall or now?
Himrod is a very vigorous grower in our region; I'm not sure about yours. If all of the shoots continue to grow vigorously, you can leave them all or remove one or more. I would leave whichever shoots are placed conveniently for training to both horizontal wires. If no fruit is developing on the remaining shoots, they should be removed; if there is fruit, you can let the shoot grow until it has about a dozen leaves past the fruit cluster and then pinch off the tip. The shoots on the wires should be allowed to grow as long as they can and then be pruned in the fall or winter.
Any growth that is not useful to future production can be removed as soon as it is noticed. I prune my grape vines constantly during the growing season.
Vitog, may I ask you two more questions. You said the shoots on the wire can grow as long as they can and then prune them in winter. By saying prune, do you mean I can cut them all the way by the trunk? Also, the main trunk is now about 7 feet high. It's only mid of June so I suspect it will grow much longer till fall. What should I do to the main trunk?
You should be training four of the shoots as arms to grow along the 2 wires in both directions away from the main trunk, which should be pruned just above a node near the upper wire. The side shoot not being trained along the wires should be cut off completely at the trunk now, unless it has a fruit cluster that you want to harvest; in which case it should be removed after the harvest. The arms can be left to grow as long as there is space and then pruned back, if necessary, to their planned maximum length during the dormant season.
