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How to Prune Grape Vines in the Spring
How to Prune Grape Vines in the Spring. Grapes of different varieties can be easy to grow and delicious at harvest. It is important to understand how pruning affects the health and production capabilities of a grape vine. For good plant health, prune your vines annually while they are dormant or in the very early spring. Vineyard health is also...
Grapes of different varieties can be easy to grow and delicious at harvest. It is important to understand how pruning affects the health and production capabilities of a grape vine. For good plant health, prune your vines annually while they are dormant or in the very early spring. Vineyard health is also dependant on regular weeding, fertilizing and disease and insect control.
Things You'll Need
gloves
shears
pruning saw
Steps
Determine how many vines should be left on the plant. According to extension.iastate.edu, the four or six-cane Kniffin system is a good method to follow. The four cane system leaves four fruiting canes on the plant, two on each side of the trunk. There are an additional four short canes left to grow-called renewal spurs- that provide new shoots for the following year's crop. The six-cane system uses six long canes and six renewal spurs.
Remove the extra one-year-old canes using shears or a pruning saw. Prune the canes flush with the trunk. Leave the canes that are closer to the top of the plant as your fruiting canes or renewal spurs.
Prune remaining one-year-old renewal spurs by cutting to about a 3-inch length at a point where the cut end will still measure at least the size of a pencil diameter.
Prune any dead or damaged vines or vines showing signs of disease.
Train the fruiting canes in a balanced manner over your support structure. Do not allow canes to tangle and do not direct them all to the same side.
Clean up the cut canes from the ground to prevent the spread of disease.
Tips & Warnings
Grape vines should be pruned so that the plant does not overproduce or underproduce. Vines with too many grape clusters are unable to maintain their health and may not be able to fully ripen. Vines with too little bud systems will apply more energy to leaf and vine growth, which is not desired.
It is necessary to prune grape vines before they become active or they will bleed sap all summer, weakening the plant.
