Grape Pruning Guide

Maintaining a grape vine needs dedication and hard work. Same as many other plants they require weeding, pest control and pruning to be the most productive. It generally takes up to three years for a grape vine to bear fruit. During this initial period the vine requires your love and attention through pruning. The purpose of pruning is to encourage more growth.

Grape vines take years to be trained to maintain the correct plant size, shape and productivity. You will see the grapevine begin to take shape as soon as the trellis is setup and the vine is planted.

Once the trellis is setup and vines planted, only one strong shoot is allowed to grow directly from the roots. This main shoot is tied vertically to the trellis. All the other shoots growing from the roots are removed. This is the exciting first step to help the grapevines begin to take shape.

After the following dormant period two shoots on either side of the main shoot need to be tied to the trellis horizontally so that they will form the arms of the grapevines. Now you have the basic shape of the vine. Thoughout the life of the vine pruning during the dormant period is still required and is vital to have good crop output.

Only one year old canes will produce fruit so healthly new canes must be produced by the vine. The purpose of the annual pruning is to get rid of the previous years fruiting canes or spurs. It can also reduce the crop size by removing the fruitful buds. You need to strike a balance between how much you prune and what you leave. If you prune too much more shoots will grow and result in a denser foliage cover and more of a crop. More foliage shades the grapes which in turn are harder to ripen in this environment. How the grape vines are pruned depends on the type of the grape variety. For example hybrid varieties produce less foliage than the traditional types and can be pruned heavier.

Popular pruning tools include handsaws, hand pruners and loppers. Whatever tools you choose please keep in mind to avoid injuries to your plants. Loppers and handsaws are more suited to larger wood, while hand pruners are good for removing young shoots.

Pruning may sound complicated at the beginning but it is a simple concept to get the hang of. Correct grape pruning will help you grow healthy and productive grapevines.