| Proper pruning of your backyard grapevines is | | | | growth this year. Low vigor vines will be left with |
| essential to maintain vine size, shape, and yield of | | | | fewer buds to invigorate their growth this year. |
| the grapes. If you don't prune your vines, they will | | | | The two methods of pruning grapevines are short |
| become unruly, tangled messes. Fruit ripeness will | | | | "spurs" and long "canes". The idea behind spur and |
| suffer. Overproduction of the vine may lead to | | | | cane pruning is the same. They differ in which of |
| premature death. It is also one of the harder | | | | the buds are the most fruitful on the particular |
| things to visualize but one of the easier things to | | | | variety you are pruning. Varieties where the |
| accomplish for the home gardener. | | | | bottom buds are fruitful are spur pruned. Varieties |
| Pruning is performed in the early spring while the | | | | where the bottom buds aren't fruitful are |
| vine is still dormant. This is done in February, | | | | generally cane pruned. |
| March, or early April depending upon when the | | | | Spur pruned vines are trained to heads and |
| grapevines generally come out of dormancy and | | | | cordons. The difference here is that head trained |
| bud out. | | | | vines are pruned to a couple to several spurs |
| Pruning the grapevine and training the vine go | | | | close in to the main trunk of the vine. Cordon |
| hand-in-hand. You must decide the way you want | | | | trained vines have arms extending out from the |
| to train the vine in order to prune it correctly. | | | | trunk, on each side, with several spurs generated |
| Vines that "droop" should be trained to a top wire | | | | along the main frame of the arms. Either way of |
| of about 6 feet. Canes are then pruned and | | | | training has spurs of two to three buds each. |
| trained outward from the middle on each side of | | | | Cane pruning involves leaving at least one long |
| the trunk. As the new shoots grow, they droop | | | | cane of one-year old wood on each side of the |
| on each side of this high pruned wire, naturally, | | | | trunk. The number of buds to leave depends on |
| taking in account of their habit of growth. | | | | the variety and how much growth of the vine |
| Concord, and other native American varieties are | | | | occurred during the last growing season. Usually, |
| typical of those varieties that droop downward | | | | 7-12 buds are left on each cane. But this is |
| naturally. | | | | relative. And that's where pruning becomes an art. |
| Varieties that grow upright are trained to a low | | | | After several years you will gain a "feel" of how |
| wire of about 3 feet and allowed to grow upward | | | | many buds to leave based upon its performance |
| according to their natural growth habit. These | | | | in the prior growing season. |
| varieties need several wires above the trained | | | | Besides the cane that is left, a small, two-bud |
| canes in order that the upright growing shoots | | | | spur is left for next year's cane and spur. That's |
| have something to attach to. Often, you will need | | | | why this method is often referred to as cane and |
| to tie the growing shoots to these wires to keep | | | | spur pruning. The spur that is left at pruning time |
| the grown going up and to prevent wind damage. | | | | is known as a renewal spur. It gives rise to next |
| European grapes, V. vinifera, and many hybrid | | | | year's cane and renewal spur. |
| varieties (crosses between the European grape | | | | Each year the job of pruning will become easier. |
| and American species) fall into this category. | | | | You will soon begin to understand what is |
| Whether trained to a high wire or to a low wire, | | | | happening as you watch your vine grow during |
| the pruning techniques are the same. The amount | | | | the summer. Your visualization of how the vine is |
| of one-year old, fruitful wood to be left after | | | | supposed to look each year will grow. This will |
| pruning is dependent upon the amount of | | | | make the pruning each spring go smoothly. |
| vegetation produced during the previous growing | | | | The tools used to prune your grapevines are |
| season. Usually, around 90-95% of last year's | | | | hand pruners, loppers, and small handsaws. Select |
| growth is pruned off. The wood left is dependent | | | | the appropriate pruning tool to remove the wood |
| upon the variety, how vigorous last years growth | | | | as cleanly as possible and reduce unnecessary |
| was, whether the variety over produces or under | | | | injury to the vine. Hand pruners are used to |
| produces, and how old the vine is all enter into | | | | remove one year old wood. Older wood requires |
| how you will prune it. | | | | the use of loppers. Sometimes old, unfruitful |
| Grapes bear fruit on one year old wood. Thus | | | | trunks need to be removed. This is where the |
| when you prune the vine you will be leaving one | | | | handsaw comes in. |
| year old buds to produce the fruit clusters this | | | | Learning the art of grapevine pruning takes time |
| year. Much of what will be removed is two year | | | | and practice. You can contact your local county |
| wood with attached canes from last year's | | | | Ag Extension agent or Agricultural University for |
| growth (that won't be needed this year) and | | | | bulletins on grapevine pruning. These grapevine |
| excess one year old canes. When pruning you will | | | | pruning bulletins have drawings and pictures of |
| be trying to balance the growth of the vine based | | | | what you are trying to accomplish and will make |
| upon how it grew and bore fruit last year. | | | | your pruning easier. Just make sure that you |
| Excessively vigorous vines that overbore their | | | | prune your grapevines every year to maintain |
| fruit last year will be pruned with more buds as | | | | their size and shape, and to maximize the fruit |
| this will de vigor the growth and balance the vine's | | | | production and overall fruit quality. |