Trimming Grapevines in Your Personal Garden during the Initial 3 Years
Caring for Grapevines: A Comprehensive Guide
Grapevines require careful training and pruning during their initial years to establish a strong foundation for fruit production. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to prune grapevines after the first, second, and third year of growth.
First Year
During the first growing season, avoid heavy pruning to allow the vine to develop strong roots and shoots. In the first winter (dormant season), prune the vine to select a single strong cane or shoot to form the trunk, removing other shoots.
Second Year
In the second summer, when the vine reaches the top of its support, bend it over and tie it to spread growth. Remove all side shoots to encourage stronger main growth. In the second winter, prune by cutting back the end of the main vine to where you want last side shoots to grow and remove side shoots, preparing the vine for fruiting growth next year.
Third Year
In the third spring, prune the shoots to space them about one foot apart to allow good airflow and sunlight exposure. From the third winter onward, begin regular dormant pruning by either spur pruning (cutting back to 2-3 buds per spur, most common) or cane pruning (retaining longer fruiting canes trimmed to 10-15 buds), depending on grape variety and training method. Prune to remove dead or weak wood and maintain vine shape and productivity.
Additional tips include summer pruning to thin foliage and improve air circulation, assisting disease management and fruit ripening, and winter pruning as critical to optimize bud formation and control cropping.
This schedule provides a framework that can vary slightly by grape variety and training system, but the key is to allow vigorous vine establishment the first two years with light pruning and begin fruiting cane management from the third year onward.
Figures 5a and 5b show examples of a non-shoot positioned grapevine and a shoot positioned grapevine, respectively. Combing grapevines helps to prune them quicker than uncombed vines. In the first year, only lateral shoots at the top wire will be left, while in the second year, all fruit and lateral shoots along the trunk should be removed.
It's important to note that if grapevines produce too little fruit one year, they will produce too many shoots and leaves that year. Conversely, if they produce too much fruit in one year, they may not produce a good crop next year and could suffer winter damage.
Proper shoot positioning promotes good quality fruit, better winter hardiness of canes, and more productive canes for next year's crop. Annual shoot positioning (combing) of grapevines should be done each year to reduce tangled shoots and increase light penetration into the vine canopy. Grapevines need annual pruning to maintain the balance between vegetative growth and fruit production.
References:
[1] Grapevine Pruning and Training. (2021). University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources. https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/Details.aspx?itemNo=8212
[2] Grapevine Pruning and Training. (2021). Cornell University Cooperative Extension. https://extension.cornell.edu/wine/viticulture-enology-resources/viticulture/grapevine-pruning-and-training/
[3] Grapevine Pruning. (2021). Virginia Cooperative Extension. https://www.ext.vt/viticulture/grapevine-pruning/
[4] Grapevine Pruning. (n.d.). Michigan State University Extension. https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/grapevine_pruning
[5] Grapevine Pruning. (2021). North Dakota State University Extension Service. https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/news/agriculture/2016/april-2016/grapevine-pruning
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