| First things first: It is important to understand that | | | | looked at the history of frost occurrence in your |
| a grape vine only produce grapes on one-year-old | | | | area, you will have a good idea of when the right |
| canes and spurs. Older parts of the vine will not | | | | time to prune is. |
| produce grapes. | | | | Before you prune your vine, you should |
| In other words, pruning a grape vine the incorrect | | | | understand the difference between a spur pruning |
| way, or removing the incorrect wood from a | | | | and cane pruning on grapes. Spur pruning is when |
| grape vine, will result in lower yield and even total | | | | you prune the cane back to 2 to 4 buds and |
| crop loss. This article on how to prune grapes, will | | | | cane pruning is when a cane is pruned of 8 to 12 |
| show you some basic tips on how to prune a | | | | buds long. This article covers the most widely |
| grape vine the correct way, to ensure your vines | | | | used method of pruning grapes: spur pruning. |
| will produce enough grapes for you and your | | | | A spur that was pruned during the previous |
| family to enjoy. | | | | pruning season (last winter - while the grape vine |
| During the dormant season of the grape vine | | | | was dormant) will develop new shoots from the 3 |
| (normally winter), the shoots from the previous | | | | to 4 buds. These two shoots will be the bearers |
| year's growth will become a dark brown color - | | | | during this year's harvest. |
| we grape growers speak of the "ripening of the | | | | If you understand what I am explaining to you, it |
| wood". Grape vines are pruned early spring, after | | | | will make sense that spur I this dormant season, |
| the chances of frost damage is over. It is | | | | will become an old spur next year, and during |
| important to not prune grapes too early, as the | | | | dormancy, after next year's growing season and |
| pruning of the vine will stimulate new growth and | | | | so the process will go on and on. In other words |
| if new shoots develop too early, the chances of | | | | a shoot that will develop for a spur pruned during |
| frost damage is much higher. After you have | | | | dormancy, will become next year's spur. |