Pruning Grape Vines .net

Pruning grapes vines correctly actually removes much of the growth from the previous year, sometimes as much as 95%. That’s why, if a vine is left alone, it will retain many more buds and therefore can, in theory, produce a greater number of bunches. This is not necessarily a good thing because what you run the risk of doing is overworking the poor vine.


Think about it. Bunches of grapes don’t ripen by themselves. It takes energy from the vine for the ripening process to occur. The more bunches exist, the more energy is needed. Too many bunches means that the vine is not going to be able to produce enough energy to ripen all. What will eventually happen is your bunches will become straggly and you won’t have much fruit that you can actually use. Even if your grape vines are just for decorative purposes won’t full, ripe clusters look better? That’s where pruning grape vines comes in.

Once you understand the purpose that pruning grape vines serves, it won’t be  a chore to you but a stimulating activity.  The main thing is learning how to achieve the process correctly, and having a great deal of patience since it can take as much as three years for a vine to begin producing fruit, depending on the variety.

It is not a good idea to introduce pruning grape vines in the first year of growth.  It is much better to let the vine grow on its own. This will help to ensure that the root system is allowed to strengthen. Having said this there are still special grower secrets to consider.

During the winter of the first year, remove all the stems at the base of the plant or as close to the trunk on the main stem as possible, except the strongest and most vigorous-looking stem. This will become the trunk of the plant and should be staked, using a grape stake, or secured along a fence by means of wire. 

Stems will continue to grow from the main trunk, and this should be allowed. However, in the spring of the second year, only two of the very best side shoots growing from the trunk should be retained.

Once the vine reaches the desired height you’ll need to cut back the top of the trunk. This can force new growth along the main trunk so you’ll have to remove any branches that take away from the shape of the vine. By the second winter, you should have the basic framework of the vine - an upright trunk and two sets of side branches. All you’ll need to do during the third spring and summer is to continue trimming in a special way.

Here comes a very crucial part. In the third winter you’ll want to leave between 10 - 15 buds along each arm of the vine. These are what are going to produce your grape bunches once summer comes. Each of these buds is known as a ‘renewal bud’ and should have 1-2 leaf joints. You will need to continue the practice of pruning the renewal buds so new growth is allowed during the summer but the vine is kept under control in the dormant seasons.

That, in a nutshell, is the proper way of pruning grape vines. The most important thing to remember is that grape vine pruning is a necessary part of ensuring a high quality crop. It doesn’t matter where you are a commercial grower or you just like the way bunches of grapes look on your trellis, you cannot afford to overlook the importance of pruning grape vines - it’s worth the small investment to do it properly.