Q: I was sick for two years and this arbor of muscadine and muscadine grapes is way out of control. When should I prune and what should I prune?

A: You have some major jobs ahead:

If you want a big crop of grapes, the best way to manage the vines is on a two-level wire arbor, with the top wire 5′ and the bottom wire 2′ off the ground. This means you’d have to cut off the existing vines at 2′ and demolish the arbor.

If you want just a shady place to sit, with occasional grapes to eat, use an electric hedge trimmer to cut off everything more than 6″ away from the hog wire that’s holding up the vine between the horizontal “rafters”. Do the trimming both above and below the wire.

The best time to prune is late December – late January. Choose a course of action and get busy!