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