| In order for you to produce a healthy vineyard | | | | Legend: |
| chock full of luscious grapes, you will want to | | | | Cane: These are shoots that are mature and |
| discover the techniques to prune grape vine. This | | | | have attained all or most of their full length. |
| short article will hopefully provide you a clearer | | | | Dormant canes are the previous season's annual |
| understanding of this grape vine pruning process. | | | | growth. |
| "All first-year-old canes that grew along the | | | | Shoot: These are the new green growth that |
| cordon shall be pruned back to either three to | | | | develops from buds during the growing season |
| five-node spurs as fruiting wood or one-node | | | | and they mature to form canes. |
| renewal spurs as vegetative wood. The removed | | | | Spurs: The basal portion of a cane after it's cut |
| end of the spur should measure at least pencil | | | | back to a length of one to four buds. |
| size in diameter. Renewal spurs produce | | | | If you are just starting out pruning grape vine, |
| vegetative shoots that are used for the following | | | | the best way is to make sure to follow |
| year's fruiting wood. Grapevines can be | | | | instructions. Grapevines can become quite wild. If |
| considered to be mature and fully productive in | | | | left on their own and unattended, grapevines will |
| year three. Dormant pruning should be finished | | | | grow at an incredible, rapid pace which leads to |
| starting in late February through March. 1-year-old | | | | overgrowth of vegetation and a low crop of fruit. |
| wood (the previous summer's growth) shall be | | | | Hence, you will want to have tools such as |
| pruned back to three to five nodes per spur. The | | | | loppers and hand saws to remove unwanted |
| spurs should be evenly spaced along the cordon." | | | | shoots and wood from your grape vine. |