How to prune grapes vines


How to Prune Grape Vines

You’ve just started a home vineyard, and you can’t wait for your first clusters of grapes. What are the next steps while you wait for fruit? The truth is that pruning is the most important step you can take to ensure healthy vines. Read on to learn all about how to prune grape vines.

Why Should You Learn How to Prune Grape Vines?

It might seem wrong to cut the vines that you’ve worked so hard for, but don’t fear. Learning how to prune grape vines correctly will help you to grow a healthy and fruitful vineyard next season and for years to come.

Learning how to prune grape vines is essential to the health of the vine and its fruit. There are three main goals for pruning grapevines:

  1. Keep the grapevine productive and free from disease. Pruning cuts out disease before it can wreak havoc on your grape plant.
  2. Encourage growth where you want it for vines that are easy to manage. Pruning grapes will help the trunk, shoots, and vines keep the same shape every year.
  3. Ensure quality fruit production by removing excess growth, and concentrate energy during the growing season into selected fruiting wood. This will improve air circulation, vine growth, and fruit quality.

Everything You Need to Know bout How to Prune Grape Vines

Before you learn how to prune grape vines, gather all the necessary tools. Home gardeners likely have most of the supplies. However, it’s always good to make sure you everything you need before you start.

Basic Terms of Pruning

If you are new to growing grapes, you’ll want to become familiar with some of the basic terms of how to prune grape vines. This terminology will become second nature with time, but this glossary will help as you learn how to prune grape vines.

When to Prune Grape Vines

While almost every gardener knows that grape pruning in the dormant season is necessary, summer pruning is important as well. Here you’ll learn exactly how to prune grape vines in the dormant season and in the summer.

How to Prune Grape Vines in the Summer

While dormant pruning is meant to develop the growing framework, summer pruning helps manage the leafy canopy of a mature grapevine. Summer pruning should be done early in the season, around June, so as to make sure the vine receives all the sunlight and nutrients it needs later in the season.

How to Prune Grape Vines in the Dormant Season

Dormant pruning develops the framework of the grapevine and manages new growth. The later you prune in the winter, the later the vine will grow in the spring. However, temperatures below -10 Fahrenheit can cause cold injury to the plant. So it’s best to employ a dormant pruning system between February and March. Read on to learn about the specifics of pruning grapes in the dormant season.

Methods for Dormant Pruning

The two main methods for pruning grapes in the dormant season are cane pruning and spur pruning.

Before pruning, it’s important to have a structure of some sort to support the grapevines and direct their growth. Most growers use a trellis system with end posts and wires to support the vines. The directions in this section will assume a trellis system or another similar type of support will already be in place.

How to Prune Grape Vines: Cane Pruning

To cane prune your grapevines, you’ll first establish a permanent trunk. Each dormant season, you’ll cut back the plant to at least one cane that will grow new shoots. Renewal spurs will grow shoots as the new fruiting canes. A Guyot training system works best, so you’ll tie grape canes to the trellis wires as the lateral arms.

Cane Pruning Timeline

Year One: Growth

Year Two: Develop the vine’s main trunk

Year Three: Lateral canes are renewed

Mature vines: Maintaining the trellis framework

How to Prune Grape Vines: Spur Pruning

When you learn how to prune grape vines with the spur pruning method, you’ll use the cordon system. Cordons are canes that have become dormant and stayed on the vine for two or three seasons. This means you’ll have cordons three or four years after you plant your grapevines.

The cordons grow new shoots every growing season that you’ll cut back from about 10 buds to a spur with at least one bud. The buds on this spur will grow the fruiting canes for next year. This method of controlling growth is called cordon training. You’ll repeat this process for each vine every dormant season.

Spur Pruning Timeline

Year One: Grow

Year Two: Select the trunk

Year Three: Develop the cordon framework

Year Four: Choose spurs

Mature Vines: Preserving the cordon system

Cordon Renewal

Each year of spur pruning the spur will be further down the cordon. This leaves the buds at risk for cold injury. Furthermore, after about ten years, there will be a long barren part of the cordon limiting its fruitfulness. Cordon renewal will let you keep the same vine but protect the quality and quantity of your grape harvest.

Which Pruning Method Works for Different Grape Varieties?

Depending on which grape variety you’ve chosen for your vineyard, either spur or cane pruning might work best. Many varieties work well with either method. Here is a quick guide.

What Grape Varieties Should Be Cane Pruned?

Cane pruning aggressively prevents disease, as it cuts out about 90 percent of old wood. Most table grapes are cane pruned. It can also help a grape variety resist cold injury in a harsh growing climate. Cane prune grape varieties that grow fruit far from the base of the cane, like these varieties:

What Grape Varieties Should Be Spur Pruned?

Spur pruning is the most common method of pruning. It works well for wine grapes such as French hybrids. Spur prune grapes that grow fruit at the base of the cane, such as:

Wrapping Up How to Prune Grape Vines!

Now you know all about how to prune grape vines. The best way to learn is by doing, so get out there and prune. Within a few years, it will become second nature. Still need to plant your grape vine? Buy seeds online.

Excited for more grape content? Next, check out my grape vine page for more growing tips, care guides, recipes, and more!

Pruning Grapes in Home Gardens: Some Basic Guidelines | Western Washington Tree Fruit & Alternative Fruits

J. King, WSU – Mount Vernon

Starting Young Plants
First Dormant Pruning
Established Vines
Shoot Training
Arbors
Handy Hints

Standing in front of a mass of tangled grape vine and wondering what to do with it can be a scary experience for the novice or even for the more experienced pruner. Keep in mind two essential ideas:

  1. Don’t be afraid to cut.When you finish, about 90% of last year’s growth will be cut.
  2. Grape plants are vigorous, and forgiving. Even if you make a mistake, you’ll get a chance to fix it next year.

With that said, you can approach your pruning in a spirit of learning and adventure, not panic. Grapes are best pruned in spring (February/March, or even as late as early April) because if pruned too early a hard frost in late winter can damage the canes and buds.

Starting Young Plants Off Right

When you get yournew grape plant it probably will not be pruned; instead you will find a vigorous root system and a lot of bare shoots rising out of the top. At planting time in spring you should reduce these numerous shoots to one, and cut it back to three buds (Step 1). After planting, the vine will begin to grow, and push out new green shoots. When these shoots are 8–12″ long, choose the best one and support it by tying to a stake at top and bottom. Look for a strongly growing shoot, upright or nearly so, coming directly out of the old stem (not from the underground root system). Remove the other shoots (Step 2).

As the shoot grows throughout its first summer, continue tying it up the stake to keep it straight and prevent breaking in the wind. This shoot will be your permanent trunk, lasting the whole life of the vine, so it pays to keep it as straight and upright as possible.

First Dormant Pruning

Your first-year vine should have reached to or above the first trellis wire (about 30″) during the previous season’s growth. If it hasn’t, cut it back again to 3 buds, and repeat the previous year’s treatment. This may seem drastic, but necessary to establish a sound trunk. Most plants are vigorous and will reach the wire easily. If the last year’s shoot just reaches the wire or a few inches beyond, cut it at the first bud above the wire and tie the shoot to the stake and the wire (A). If the shoot is longer, tie it to the stake and wire, cut the vine four or five buds beyond the tie, bend the remaining length of shoot down to the wire and tie (B). Very vigorous shoots may go well above the wire and put out strong side laterals. Choose the two laterals that are closest to the wire, tie to the wire, and prune to 3-5 buds. Tie the main stem to the wire and stake, and cut just above the side laterals (C).

During the summer, train the new shoots up to the next wire, and remove any new shoots that sprout from the root area or lower trunk.

Pruning Established Vines

Grapes bear fruit on the green shoots that arise from one-year-old canes. Pruning is based on producing fruit in the current season, and renewing young canes for the next year. The old canes that produced fruit this season will not produce again. There are several methods used in pruning established grapevines. Cane pruning is the usual system in climates like ours where heat units may not be high and vigorous vines can shade the fruit. In this system a permanent trunk is established, and every year new canes are selected from the head of the vine, where trunk and wire intersect. One or two canes on either side, each 8-10 buds long, are selected and tied to the wire, and all other canes cut out. Choose canes that are about the thickness of your little finger, that come out as close to the head as possible, and that have buds fairly close together. Try to avoid large thick canes with buds spaced far apart. Also leave one or two spur canes, cut to two buds each. They will provide additional canes to select from for the next year’s pruning.

The kniffen pruning system is similar to cane pruning, except that the main trunk has two levels, one at the lower wire height and the other about 30″ above it. In our climate conditions, too often the upper level shoots are so vigorous that they shade out the lower level, so the kniffen system is not much used. The third method sometimes used is the cordon system. Some wine grape varieties produce better when trained to this method, though it is not recommended for American types such as Concord. In the second season, one cane is trained to each side of the trunk, and they become permanent arms that remain as the base on which short spurs are established to produce new fruiting canes each year. These spurs are two or three buds long. In pruning a cordon-trained vine, it is sometimes necessary to cut back old spurs that have grown too long. Select the cane that is closest to the cordon arm, cut it to two buds, and remove the rest of the old spur.

Shoot Thinning & Training

In many areas with deep soils and high nitrogen content, grape vines are very vigorous and produce too many shoots. Even when vines are not too vigorous, some shoot thinning is usually needed to take out unproductive shoots with no fruit clusters, or those that are too closely spaced. This is called canopy management. The aim is to balance the productivity of the vine and the amount of leaf and shoot growth.

Each grape shoot needs 14 to 16 well exposed leaves to properly ripen a grape cluster. If too many shoots are crowded together, the leaves do not get enough light for effective photosynthesis. It is important that all the leaves get good sun exposure, because shaded leaves only function at about 6% of their capacity, and may not be contributing at all to ripening the grape cluster. Thinning grape shoots in the early stages eliminates shoots that are unproductive and provides light and space for the productive ones.

Training and tying the shoots upward on the trellis wires should also begin fairly early, to maintain spacing and keep the shoots from trailing on the ground or breaking off in the wind. Plastic grape clips are good for this and last for years, or a Max Tapener of the kind used for tying up tomato plants. Later in the season, if shoots are long and vigorous, with more than 14 – 16 active leaves, shoots can be topped or cut back on the ends to prevent shading the lower vine. Also, new shoots may emerge where a leaf joins the main shoot. These side shoots should be removed.

Just before harvest the lower leaves surrounding the grape bunches can be removed to provide better sun exposure. This helps to ripen the grapes and also improves air circulation, which helps to prevent disease infection.

Arbors

Grape arbors can add both fruit and shade to the garden. With their vigorous growth, grape plants will cover an arbor in a few seasons. For consistent fruit production, however, some judicious pruning is required. Basic guidelines are similar in that you establish a main permanent trunk going up over the arbor, with short laterals or spurs from which you select the new fruiting canes each year. If too many old, non-fruiting canes have accumulated, thin about half of them out completely. In most cases a lot of new shoots will result, to provide renewal canes for the next year.

Handy Hints

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How to prune grapes - detailed instructions for beginners

Proper pruning of grapes is the key to normal growth and a good harvest. Some beginner gardeners don't know how to start this important process, but it's time to fix it.

Since you are reading this text, we believe that you have no doubts about whether grapes should be cut. If, nevertheless, you do not fully understand why to perform this procedure, then we will clarify the situation. Grapes are pruned in order to regulate the growth and fruiting of the bush. This plant, due to natural features, forms more shoots and clusters than it can provide good nutrition. If the grapes are not pruned, the vines will lengthen and the berries will shrink. nine0003

How to prune vines in spring

Growers are divided on the best time to prune vines. Opponents of spring pruning say that vines cut in spring begin to "weep" (there is even such a thing as "weeping vines"), and this can kill the plant. The sap will flow down the vine and "flood" the eyes. In fact, this problem can be avoided if, when cutting, cuts are made in the direction from the eye. Argument against autumn pruning: at rest, nutrients are drained to the roots, which means that by cutting the vine in the fall, we deprive the plant of part of the nutrition and weaken it before wintering. nine0003

The best option is this: if you plan to cover the bush for the winter, then cut it in the fall, 2-3 weeks after leaf fall (cut grapes are easier to cover). If the grapes will winter without shelter, cut the vine in the spring before the buds swell.

In order for the pruning of the vine to go according to all the rules, it is necessary to know the intricacies of this process. We offer you to watch a video in which an experienced winegrower Alexander Mchedlidze shares useful tips on how to cut grapes from unnecessary shoots:

So, based on the recommendations presented in the video, the basics of grape pruning are as follows:

Now let's talk about the peculiarities of pruning grapes in the spring. Regardless of the type of formation (standard or non-standard), remove frozen, badly damaged and diseased branches. Also, do not spare fattening shoots (more than 12 mm thick) and vice versa, too thin (less than 5 mm in diameter) and weak. Shoots should not be too long - leave no more than 10-15 eyes. nine0003

Traditionally, during spring pruning, 1-2 knots are left per shoot. The scheme for pruning grapes depends on the method of formation and the age of the bush. Useful recommendations with detailed diagrams for years are given in our material:

How to prune grapes in summer

Summer grape pruning consists of several simple procedures. The first of them is pinching . Stepsons are called shoots of the second order. They grow from summer buds in leaf axils throughout the growing season. Stepchildren weaken the bush, taking away nutrients and shading the ovaries. Experienced growers recommend letting the shoot grow a little, and then cut it off, leaving 1-2 lower leaves on each stepson. nine0003

Circumcised stepchildren must not be left on the ground. This can contribute to the spread of diseases.

The pruning of grapes in August involves the so-called minting . Its purpose is to redirect nutrients to give the bush more strength to ripen the bunches. When the "crowns" of the shoots bloom, the vines stop growing, which means it's time to mint the bushes. The tops of the shoots pinch (break off) by 15-20 cm.

Minting is not carried out on bushes damaged by diseases, as well as in areas with close groundwater. Dry hot weather is another contraindication for minting grapes.

Among other things, bushes need to be thinned out in summer . To do this, after flowering, you need to cut the leaves of the grapes in the lower part of the shoots on which the clusters grow (5-10 leaves from the shoot). The heroes of the following video tell in detail and clearly about the summer "green operations":

How to prune grapes in autumn

Autumn pruning of grapes should be carried out at least 1-2 weeks after harvest, so that the bush has time to recover a little. If by this time there is a lot of foliage left on the bushes, you need to arrange artificial leaf fall to make it more convenient to cut the grapes. General recommendations for pruning grapes for the winter:

  1. The vine is cut to living wood (it has a light green color on the cut).
  2. When pruning, you need to ensure that 1-2 cm of the shoot remains above the living kidney.

You will learn how to properly prune a mature vine bush in autumn so that it overwinters well in the video:

Pruning grapes in autumn means that a certain number of eyes should be left on each fruit arrow. This number depends on the growth rate of the bush and the thickness of the shoot:

Often the first 2-3 eyes from the base are fruitless. To know for sure how much to leave, proceed from the average weight of a bunch from a bush:

For example: if the average weight of a bunch is 400 g, then 13 eyes should be left on a shoot with a diameter of 10 mm.

More useful information on how to prune grapes for the winter and how to prepare the vineyard for the cold, you will find in our material:

How to prune young grapes

Novice gardeners are wondering how to prune young shoots of grapes in the first years of bush growth.

How to prune grapes after planting

At the very beginning of the "life journey" of a grape bush, the main task of the gardener is to grow strong shoots. By autumn, the diameter of the branches should be at least 5-7 mm on average, so there is no need to cut the grapes in the first weeks after planting.

How to prune grapes of the 1st year of cultivation

The first pruning of grapes is carried out in the summer. Around June, inspect the shoots and leave 1-2 of the strongest out of 3-4. At the very beginning of autumn, chasing can be carried out so that the vine ripens better. In autumn, to prepare the bush for wintering, you need to cut the grapes of the first year. To do this, measure 2-3 eyes from the soil level and cut the shoots above the bud. nine0003

Some gardeners do not prune first-year bushes in autumn, believing that it is better not to injure the plant before wintering. Do grapes need to be pruned in their first fall? The choice is yours.

How to prune 2nd year grapes

If you did not prune the young bush in autumn, do it in the spring of the second year before the start of the growing season. It is necessary to cut the grape vine so that 2 shoots remain on the bush with 3-5 eyes on each (in the third spring, leave 4 shoots per bush).

Pruning of young grapes in the autumn of the second year begins with the fact that 2 shoots grown from the eyes left earlier are cut to a replacement knot and a fruiting arrow. To do this, 2-3 eyes are left on the future replacement knot, and 6-10 on the fruit vine.

When the grapes begin to bear fruit, cut off the fruit vine completely in autumn, and the shoots that have grown from the replacement knot will remain on the bush, which will bear fruit next year.

As you can see, pruning vines is a serious matter, but not that difficult. Our advice and recommendations from the authors of the videos will help you at the beginning of the viticultural path, and in the future you will gain experience and (we believe!) achieve success in gardening.

Grape pruning for beginners: detailed instructions

Published:

Grape pruning for beginners: Unsplash/Christina Winter

Grape pruning is an important process that requires care and skill. A properly pruned vine looks neat and has a high yield. Gardeners Viktor Gorbunov, Alexey Wright and Svetlana Larina share the features and rules for pruning grapes in the spring and autumn. nine0036

Rules and terms for pruning grapes in spring

Proper pruning of grapes is reflected in the correct development of the vine and the quality of fruiting. The process of removing extra branches allows you to adjust the load on the plant and form a bush. The author of the book "Growing grapes" Viktor Gorbunov claims that without pruning:

  • the bush forms many thin, poorly developing shoots;
  • the size of the clusters is reduced, their shape is distorted;
  • berries ripen slowly and unevenly; nine0020
  • maturation of vines worsens, as a result of which the laying of inflorescence primordia is reduced.

When should grapes be cut in spring? In the spring, the procedure is started with the onset of heat, when the threat of day and night frosts has passed, but sap flow has not yet begun. An approximately favorable period for pruning will come when the constant daytime temperature is +5 ° C and above (for the southern regions - the end of February-March, for the northern regions - April). For the pruning procedure, choose a sunny and calm day. Cut the covering grapes immediately after opening the bushes. nine0003

Spring pruning of grapes requires care: incorrect execution of this procedure can destroy the plant. The purpose of spring pruning is to form a fruit link and give a neat shape to the plant, directing it to a trellis or arbor.

Spring pruning of vines: Pixabay

How to prune grapes in spring? Here are a few rules to follow when pruning a plant:

  1. Prepare your tool. Maria Kolpakova in the book “Grapes for any region. How to grow without mistakes? 50 Steps to Success recommends pruning with a sharp disinfected pruner. To disinfect the instrument, hold it in a solution of potassium permanganate or chlorine bleach (9parts of water to 1 part of substance). For processing, any alcohol-containing agent is also suitable.
  2. Decide on the type of cut. Depending on the biological characteristics of the variety, a short (up to 4 buds remain on the shoot), medium (from 5 to 10 buds) or long (over 10) pruning is carried out. A short one is often used on young plantations to intensify the growth of shoots. Medium pruning is the most common. The long one is rarely used, mainly for the formation of bends and arcs, if the vine is left for layering. nine0020
  3. Remove the thinnest, diseased and frozen branches. Make the cut at a right angle, perpendicular to the branch. This will speed up healing because the area of ​​the wound will be smaller than with a beveled cut.
  4. Cut out vines that produced last year. Work carefully so as not to damage the perennial wood. To do this, make cuts at the base of the perennial shoot, leaving a stump 0.5 cm high.
  5. Leave healthy shoots with a diameter of at least 6 mm for fruiting. Remove thinner or, conversely, thick branches (with a diameter of more than 10 mm). nine0020

The main task of pruning grapes in the spring is to maintain a balance in order to maintain good growth with quality fruiting.

Pruning grapes in autumn

Nikolay Kurdyumov in his work "Smart Vineyard for Yourself" notes a sad trend - many gardeners make 2 main mistakes when growing grapes: they do not cut them for years, as a result of which the bush runs wild and does not produce a crop, or they remove almost everything that grew over the summer. Grapes need to be updated with the help of competent pruning, which is mainly carried out in the fall. nine0003

When should grapes be cut in autumn? Autumn pruning begins 2-3 weeks after harvest. The final pruning before wintering is done after the first frost (late October - early November).

A well-groomed vineyard gives a good harvest: Pixabay

How to prune grapes in autumn? Follow these guidelines:

  1. Prepare the shrub for pruning. To do this, remove dried leaves, old crooked shoots, poorly matured and improperly growing (in the middle of the bush and down) lashes. nine0020
  2. Select young shoots where the replacement knot is on the outside. In case of its absence, form shoots on developed last year's lashes. Alexey Wright in the book “Grapes at your dacha. Grows not only in the south! claims that the grape harvest is laid in the fall of the previous year, when the load of the bush is distributed, leaving a certain number of eyes.
  3. Cut the fruit arrow at the internode 3 cm above the eye. The load on the shoot can be from 4 to 16 eyes. Keep cutting at a right angle. Trim the vine from the outside of the bush so as not to disturb the natural flow of sap. nine0020
  4. Leave only young shoots 7–10 mm thick, undamaged, with a maximum of 8–16 buds.
  5. Form a fruit link and a fruit cone. The author of the book "Grapes for Beginners" Svetlana Larina advises to do this: find a branch that has already borne fruit and on which there are annual vines. Trim the lower vine by 3-4 buds, counting from the base of the shoot. To form a fruit cone, cut an annual vine, leaving 2 buds. In the new year, shoots sprouting from the upper buds will bear fruit. nine0020
  6. Make a final cut for the winter - remove about 80% of the runs. In accordance with the chosen form of pruning, leave the required number of buds on fruitful lashes.
Cropped vine bush: Pixabay

If you don't know when to prune grapes, pay attention to the conditions in which they grow. Pruning grapes growing in harsh winters should be done in the spring.


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