How to prune grapevines (when and how to prune)

When to prune grapevines

The best time to prune grapevines is around June in summer and December in winter. The specific time depends on the climate and variety. In summer, it should start with bud removal, and in winter, it should be done according to the variety. If the variety is not cold-resistant, the pruning time should be appropriately advanced, and the soil should be buried after pruning to avoid frostbite.

Grapevine pruning

1. Fixed branches

On the grape vine, some branches are for fruiting, and some branches are for normal growth and development, so it is very important to properly determine the branches. Some varieties of grapes have strong growth capabilities, so you can leave more fruiting branches for them.

2. Remove the buds

For newly grown buds of grapes, appropriate bud removal is required. For example, buds growing on thinner branches, or buds that are not growing well, should be removed in time, which can effectively reduce the consumption of nutrients.

3. Picking

For some grape vines that grow too vigorously, it is necessary to pinch off the top, generally leaving six or seven leaves. After removing the top, nutrients can flow back, thereby increasing the fruit setting rate.

Grapevine Pruning Tips

Grape vine pruning generally adopts methods such as thinning and short cutting, bud removal and tipping, pinching, removing side shoots, pinching inflorescence tips, and removing tendrils.

After the grapes sprout, the weak buds are broken off, leaving only 3-5 strong buds. The lower shoots are repeatedly pinched after they grow to 8-10 leaves to control growth, concentrate nutrients, and focus on cultivating the top shoot. If managed properly, it can grow to more than 2 meters in height in one year.

Grapevine pruning and flowering

Two weeks before the grapevine blooms, the inflorescences growing together on the plant need to be thinned out, and the inflorescences with poor growth should be cut off. This can prevent the weaker inflorescences from competing for nutrients with other inflorescences, and the flowers can bloom more neatly.

Grapevine pruning produces more fruit

When the buds of the grapevine grow to 2-3 cm, remove the weak buds and useless hidden buds. Keep enough fruiting branches to increase the fruit setting rate and promote the expansion of young fruits.

Grapevine pruning precautions

1. Pruning : When pruning grape vines, all useless branches such as dead branches, diseased and insect-infested branches, and overgrown branches should be cut off, and only fully mature new shoots with full and fleshy buds should be retained as much as possible.

2. Disinfection : After pruning the grape vines, apply white latex to the pruning ends and tie them up to prevent wound infection and disease.

3. Remove old vines : When thinning the branches of grape trees, do not cut them close to the base. For old vines that have lost their ability to bear fruit, they must be completely pruned away.