Looking for advice on selecting main trunk – Suffolk & Himrod grapevines (Zone 8a, NC)
Hi everyone,
I’m growing two bare-root grapevines in Zone 8a, North Carolina and looking for some early training advice.
I planted:
Suffolk grapevine on April 9, 2026
Himrod grapevine on April 16, 2026
Both were started as bare-root vines, and they’ve recently begun pushing out new growth. Right now, each vine is producing several young shoots from the original cane.
I’ve already thinned out a couple of weaker shoots and am now left with a few stronger contenders on each plant.
Current situation:
Some shoots have thicker bases but fewer leaves
Others have thinner stems but slightly larger or more developed-looking leaves
All growth is still very young
My question:
At this stage, should I select a single strongest shoot right away to become the main trunk, or is it okay to temporarily let 2–3 shoots grow a bit longer before narrowing it down to one?
Also, if anyone has experience growing Suffolk or Himrod grapes in warmer climates (Zone 8a), I’d really appreciate any early training/pruning advice so I don’t set the vines up poorly long-term.
Thanks in advance!