Why you Need to be Pruning Grape Vines

By: Harry Rouster

Pruning is simply getting the plant or in this case grape vine growth, to encourage more growth.

It will take a few years for grapes to appear on your vines after you plant them, while you are waiting you will need to care for and maintain your vines and you can do this with pruning. The sort of yield that you will be able to harvest will be determined by how you prune your grape vines.

The grape vines will need to be trained to maintain their plant size, shape and productivity, this training is not something that can be done overnight - it takes years to do. If it is not done then you will fine that your vines will be growing all over the place and your yield will not be that good.

Once you have setup the trellis and planted the vine, then the grape vine will start to take shape. The grape vine should grow from one strong shoot directly from the root, all other shoots should be clipped back, this will be the start of you pruning grape vines.

The main shoot is tied vertically to the trellis. After the next dormant period growers will need to develop the arms of the vine. Two shoots on either side of the main shoot are tied horizontally to the trellis and will serve as the base for the fruit or the arms. All other shoots are trimmed back and not allowed to grow.

After the basic shape of the vine is shaped the pruning of the vine continues during the dormant periods. Pruning during dormant states throughout the life of the vine is a critical component in the production of grapes.

The way that the grapevine is pruned is based a lot on the type of grapes that are grown on it. Hybrid varieties were developed to be hardier during the winter and more resistant to diseases. They tend to produce less foliage then the traditional types of grapevines.

Annual pruning will remove the previous year's spurs or fruiting canes. Fruit is only produced on shoots growing from one year old canes so you need to make sure that healthy new canes are produced on the grape vine every year.

You can influence the level of crop production that your vines will make. You can remove the fruitful buds during pruning to reduce crop production or you can remove older shoots making way for more new ones to increase crops and foliage. However, the more foliage on a grapevine also means more shade which provides a bad environment for grapes to ripen as they need a lot of sunlight.

Pruning grape vines can be done with hand tools like loppers, hand pruners and handsaws. You need to try and avoid unnecessary injury to the plant. For removing the smaller one-year-old shoots, hand pruners should be enough however for larger vines or wood parts a lopper or handsaw will be needed.

The desire to grow grapes results in the necessary steps of getting down into the dirt and getting dirty. Pruning is a relatively simple concept in which grapevine growers seem to grasp quickly. The time and dedication over the years results in a healthy and plentiful crop.

Article Source: https://www.collectibles-articles.com

Harry Rouster is a wine lover and has enjoyed making wine on a recreational level with friends and family. You can find out more about how to prune grapes at www.grapevine-wine.com

Related Items on eBay:

3 Concord Grape Vines, Bareroot good sized roots, free shipping!
$44.95

Cordless Electric Pruning Shears - 1.4" Cutting Tool for Gardening & Landscaping
$111.99

Muscadine Grape Plant Vine Tree Live Southern Home Edible 2 Gal Pot 3-4 Ft
$250.95

Sonoma County California 1942 Man Pruning Grape Vines in Wine Vineyard
$13.49

21V Electric Cordless Branch Scissors Pruning Shear Pruner Cutter+2Battery
$39.90

Photo:Sonoma County California 1942 Pruning Grape Vines at Wine Vineyard
$13.49

Print This Article

Comments Closed

Add To Favorites

Email to Friends

Publisher Ready