Grape vines should be pruned twice a year. This tutorial explains why and how to do it correctly. After reading these pruning instructions, magnificent, high-yielding vines are no longer a pipe dream for hobby winegrowers.

From the age of 4 years, the vine is no longer trained but kept productive with maintenance or rejuvenation cuts

Table of Contents

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  1. useful information
  2. Types of cuts and dates
  3. plant cutting
  4. education cut
  5. winter pruning
  6. summer cut
  7. water shoots erupt
  8. taper cut
  9. frequently asked Questions

    10. Things to know about growth

    To get started with the perfect pruning of vines, we invite you to a short excursion into the botanical basics. The type and scope of the incision can be better assessed if you are familiar with the following aspects:

    • Grapevines are climbing, strong-growing berry bushes up to 10 meters high
    • Cultivation in the garden and on the balcony requires a climbing aid
    • Flowers and fruits thrive on this year's shoots, which come from a durable framework
    • Buds are planted in the previous year
    • Flowering time extends from mid-May to mid-July
    • Hermaphroditic panicles of flowers turn into clusters of berries by autumn

    A scaffolding structure made of old wood that is at least two years old is required for fruit canes to grow. In winter, the gardener selects healthy, medium-sized shoots (6-10 mm in diameter) from the one-year-old wood, which are spaced 10 to 20 centimeters apart on the side frames. At the base are the buds of the previous summer, which will bloom and bear fruit this year.

    Types of cuts and dates

    Grapevines are finding their way into the hobby garden as solitary shoots or small bunches of rods. Pruning care plays a key role in ensuring that shapely, high-yielding vines develop from this. The berry bushes have their first contact with the pruning shears on the day of planting. A three-year education follows, which leads to a continuous maintenance phase. The following overview summarizes recommended cutting types for decorative and productive growth:

    cut type goal/occasion best appointment
    plant cutting Main stem selection, prologue to upbringing on planting day
    education cut clear training on the trellis 2nd to 3rd/4th year in February
    summer cut Create order, optimize light supply for grapes mid-June to mid-July
    winter pruning thin out, promote fruit wood February to early March
    max out barren water shoots erupt spring to summer
    taper cut revitalize senile grapevines late November to late February

    Cut on the day of planting

    The best planting time for vines is from mid-May to mid-April. Before the young berry bushes are for sale, they have gone through a refinement phase. A scion is grafted onto a robust base by a skilled hand. When planting, it is important to ensure that the thickened grafting point is at least 10 centimeters above the ground. In the last step of planting, a vine receives its first cut. How to do it right:

    • Tie the strongest shoot to a support stick
    • Important: also tie the root rod (between the root stock and grafting head)
    • Break off or cut off the remaining shoots

    All vines are happy about a planting disk with a diameter of 50 to 100 centimetres. At least a plate-sized recess around the root disc should be water-permeable. A mulch layer of leaves, dried grass clippings or bark mulch is very welcome on a newly planted vine.

    digression

    Cordon - trellis form suitable for beginners

    Cordon is the progenitor of all trellis forms for climbing plants. Beginners in the cultivation of grapevines like to use the uncomplicated upbringing back. A cordon is made up of a short trunk, the legs of which you raise horizontally on both sides. Rope systems, lattice constructions or simple wires that you stretch between two posts to tie the vine branches to them act as climbing aids. In order to green a metre-high facade, a cordon is routed upwards from floor to floor. The ideal distance between two floors is 60 centimetres.

    Raise vines clearly

    In the first year, vines should develop a long, strong and well woody trunk. Break off further shoots from the grafting area. Tie up the main shoot continuously to keep it growing straight. At the end of summer, the future trunk will be about the thickness of a pencil and two to three meters long. If the chosen form of training does not require a long trunk, cut the shoot back to 100 to 150 centimeters in August. If a long trunk is desired, there is no pruning in summer. In February of the following year, cordon pruning begins, which under normal conditions lasts three to four years. Here’s how to do it professionally:

    • Stick structure with 1 vertical trunk and 1 or 2 horizontal legs
    • Scaffold shoots annually lengthen by 7 bud sections, a maximum of 100 cm
    • If set up in tiers, minimum distance between 2 tiers: 60 cm

    If your vines come from a competent vine nursery, the first fruit wood will already form during the upbringing. Lateral shoots grow from the buds of the horizontal branches. Cut these back to two buds the following winter so that they flower and bear fruit for the first time. Parallel to the pruning work, regularly tie scaffolding branches and side branches to the trellis.

    Raise vines as a cordon with a short stem and side branches. Extend the scaffolding drives by 100 centimeters in all directions every year. The horizontal side rods carry the valuable fruit wood. Cut back these shoots vigorously to two buds during the training phase in winter.

    Winter pruning - step-by-step instructions

    Education is complete at the beginning of the fourth year. February marks the start of the annual winter main cut. This is primarily aimed at preserving young, high-yielding fruit canes. How to prune your vines in winter:

    • Cut back side shoots along the legs to 2 eyes
    • Leave one side shoot per knot on the leg as a fruit shoot
    • The ideal distance between two fruit shoots is 10 to 20 cm
    • Cut off the excess fruit branches at the base
    • Easy cut diagonally, so that the sap can drain off easily

    As the figure below shows, when pruning in winter, give priority to those shoots that are the main shoot or trunk stand closest. The proximity to the framework is more important than the direction of growth. It is of secondary importance whether the pruned fruit branch points to the left, right or up. All other rods that grow out of a knot should be cut off at the base without a stub.

    In February, cut back any worn tails to two eyes. If several shoots have formed, remove the outer fruit shoot or shoots. Just shorten the shoot that is closest to the skeleton to two eyes so that it flowers and bears fruit this year.

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    Observe the correct cutting technique

    The key to success in pruning is expert pruning technique. If you elongate horizontal skeleton shoots or complete the winter fruit tree pruning, the focus is on the buds. Position the pruning shears a short distance from one eye. Please do not cut into a bud or leave a long stub. A light one tilting of the scissors ensures that the plant sap flows in the desired direction and does not drown any deeper-lying buds.

    Summer cut ensures order

    In summer, the new fruit branches grow from the buds on the lateral tendrils. As growth progresses, tie these shoots vertically to the framework. Under normal conditions, 10 to 15 leaves will have developed on each rod tied up by mid-summer. You don't need that much leaf mass to feed the grapes. Furthermore, the ever longer, densely leafed tendrils cast shadows on the fruit. In summer, hobby winegrowers therefore reach for the pruning shears again and ensure order. How to do it right:

    • The best time is between mid-June and mid-July
    • Cut back a fruit branch to the fourth to sixth leaf over the last grape
    • Shorten non-fruiting and disturbing shoots by two thirds or cut them off completely
    • Vine defoliation in the grape zone

    Fresh tendrils then sprout from the buds below the interfaces. The younger the vine, the stronger the renewed budding. So that shoots and leaves do not consume valuable plant energy, they should be removed regularly. If you stay on the heels of the shoots, you can easily break them off when they are herbaceous. It is important to note that a sufficient number of at least four leaves remain above the last cluster.

    In summer, prune fruit shoots back to about four leaves above the last cluster (1). After the cut, new tendrils will sprout, which you can cut away or break out in a timely manner (2).

    Water shots and stinging shoots break out

    You do not need scissors for a continuous measure as part of the care of the cut. Popular varieties tend to sprout numerous water shoots from dormant eyes in the old wood throughout the season. Furthermore, stinging shoots sprout from leaf axils, as they are known from the cultivation of tomatoes. No flowers or racemes are to be expected from these branches. On the contrary, the undesirable types of shoots rob the vine of important reserve substances and want to overgrow fruiting canes in order to get to the light. Put a stop to this hustle and bustle with the following strategy:

    • Regularly remove water shoots from old wood and without visible blossoming
    • Grasp an unlignified shoot between thumb and forefinger
    • Break off the shoot from the scaffolding branch while applying lateral pressure with your thumb
    • Do the same with stinging shoots that sprout from leaf axils

    From spring onwards, check your vines regularly for water shoots and stinging shoots. With a length of 10 to 30 centimetres, the sterile branches are the easiest to remove. If a water shoot has eluded your attention and has already lignified, cut it off at the base.

    Rejuvenate old vines

    A vine as a floral ensemble can be several hundred years old. However, this does not apply to individual scaffolding drives or legs. Departures from the trunk structure tend to become more and more gnarled over the years. Dense growths prevent fresh shoots from sprouting. At this point bring a local regeneration new impetus for growth. How to successfully replace an obsolete scaffold drive:

    • The best time is between the end of November and the end of February
    • Cut back dead skeleton shoots to a 15cm spigot on the main stem or rootstock
    • Close the gap in the following years by training a strong, horizontal young shoot
    • Ideally, senile thighs derive from a younger, vital drive
    • Important: derivation cut on short tenons above the fork of old and new wood

    Grape vines do not tolerate a rejuvenation pruning, as is common practice with other shrubs. It is characteristic of vines that the trees hardly form any wounds to cover cut surfaces. The massive juice flow also contributes to the fact that large cuts do not close or close hesitantly and that wound closure materials do not stick. Putting an old vine completely on the stick usually ends in a total failure.

    frequently asked Questions

    Are grape vines self-fertile?

    Grape vines are usually self-fertile. A single plant is enough to harvest juicy grapes. Crop yield increases noticeably when you socialize two or more vine varieties.

    I bought a vine with three shoots that I want to grow up to the balcony with a single stem. What is the best way to go about cutting?

    Select the strongest shoot and tie it to a support stick. Cut the other two shoots back to ground level. Once the remaining shoot has reached the planned height, let it grow another 50 centimeters. Then cut the trunk in half. Place the scissors just above one eye. From this point on, the vine will branch out and can be trained according to plan.

    If I plant vines for wall greening in a container, how big should the container be?

    A bucket should always fit the plant size. Therefore, weigh up in advance how far a grapevine may spread. The dimensions for suitable buckets therefore range from 20 to 50 liters. If you are planning to green a pergola or a majestic facade, you are welcome to add a little more volume. It is important that the roots can develop unhindered in order to supply the leaf mass.

    Our house facade is green with magnificent vines and is now to be renovated. How can the vines survive that?

    The best option to solve the problem is to move the vines. Thin out the vines thoroughly to reduce plant mass. You then detach the vines from the monkey bars to lay them on the ground. It's amazing how flexible even thick trunks are and how easy they can be folded down. Ideally, a temporary trellis is available until the renovation work is completed, or you can simply fix the trellis to the scaffolding.

    We would like to raise our new vine in a fan shape. What do you have to pay particular attention to?

    In contrast to the one- or two-armed cordon, the fan shape usually has five arms. First, raise the trunk to a height of 50 to 60 centimeters plus five buds. Shorten the main shoot above the fifth bud. As a result, a sap builds up, which leads to the budding of five side branches. Remove other shoots from the grafting site that compete with the trunk and excess side shoots. To create an airy, shapely fan, fix the individual legs on the trellis at a distance of 50 to 60 centimeters.

    We would like to green our 80 cm wide pergola with vines. How does it work?

    First guide the stem wood of the vines upwards. Once at the top, raise the scaffolding parallel to the beam and tie the tendrils regularly. Leave a side shoot every 10 to 15 centimetres. Shorten these side shoots to 2 buds every winter. A stable structure is achieved if between 3 and 6 new side shoots are added to the horizontal trunk extension every year.

    Should I prune my grape vines in the fall or spring?

    Vines are in the sap early and can "bleed" profusely from cuts. It is therefore advisable to carry out the pruning of grapes during the juice dormancy. The best time for the main cut is immediately after the main frost period in February. You can prune vines in the fall though. However, there is a risk that the tendrils will dry back or freeze completely in winter.

    My 'Lakemont' bunch of grapes has grown nicely and is already carrying small bunches on both of its shoots. I would like to raise the vine horizontally on our house wall. How does that work?

    The good-natured pruning tolerance of vines allows for a variety of training options, including horizontal facade greening. If you cut off a tendril, new side shoots will sprout below the cutting point in the range of 10 to 20 centimeters. You tie these to the trellis according to your own ideas. The only premise is a sufficient distance of about 50 centimeters. At the end of February, cut back the side shoots on 2 buds. At the end of June, shorten fruit canes to five leaves above the last cluster. Take this opportunity to remove unwanted and barren branches. In August, look for leaves shading a cluster to remove.

    The 3 most common cutting mistakes

    The frustration is great when vines turn into an impenetrable undergrowth. Far and wide there is no trace of the longed-for grapes. Equally devastating for the hobby winemaker when an ancient vine dies after pruning for regeneration. In order to save the readers of this tutorial from such disappointments, the following table lists the three most common editing errors with tips for successful prevention:

    cutting error damage picture prevention
    no educational cut uncontrolled, confusing growth Raise vines as a cordon
    never cleared dense, impenetrable rod network, few flowers and fruits Cut back vigorously every February
    old vine planted on the stick total failure rejuvenate old vines locally
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    tips

    Each grapevine root is unique. If a vine is exhausted after many years, do not throw away its roots. With a little imagination you can use the bizarre root strands for a sensational decoration. Simply attach a piece of floral foam and decorate with flowers of the season - the unique piece is complete.

Category:

Vegetable garden