Do you want to know how to trim gape vines correctly?
Here we are:
Grapes are delicious fruits that it is great to have and produce. In order to do it successfully, you will need to trim grape vines properly. The whole process isn’t that difficult you just need to follow our tips.
Below we will give you tips on how you can prune your vines during winter and summer. We will also let you know on how you can prune old vines that you might have in your garden and up to now you always wanted to do it. Finally, we will mention different pruning techniques to choose from.
How to Trim Grape Vines in Summer
During the summer you should take care and trim your vines. In this way, you will have amazing grapes and your vine will be healthy. Trimming your vines isn’t that difficult, you just need to follow these simple steps and you will have a great result.
From May to June you should prune and thin the shoots. The shoots of your vine should be at least 3 inches apart. What you should do is to remove the leaves especially, if you notice that these leaves block the sunlight. Remove 3 layers of them because the vine needs the sunlight.
What you should do next is to snip the sucker growth off the trunks. If you have a mature vine you should cut off clusters that excess before they start blooming. These clusters can support up to 20 clusters maximum.
During June and July, you should keep an eye on how the vine is growing. It all depends on the place that you live in and the climate. If you live in a climate where the sun shines and it’s hot you will want to keep the clusters that produce shade in order to protect the vine.
If you will live in a place that the weather isn’t that hot then you should prune the clusters because you don’t want the shade. You should also make sure that whether the weather is too hot and you want the leaves or not the air should be able to circulate around the vine.
The shoots should be at least 4 feet long and they should have maximum up to 22 leaves. Trim the leaves that aren’t necessary or remove the shoots that haven’t produced any fruits. You don’t want them since they don’t produce any fruits. If the shoots lean then you should cut from 6 to 8 inches long.
In case that you have more than one cluster in a shoot, you should definitely cut them and give them a round shape because you will improve the size of the fruit and this exactly what you want to do.
How to Trim Grape Vines in Winter
The best period to trim your grape vines would be early winter. You need to trim them because you want your vines to produce amazing grapes that you will use for whatever you want to create. When we mention early winter we mean from late November to early December.
What you will need to do is to prune them into one horizontal trunk. In this way, you will be able to remove them easily. The old vines should be pruned first and then you should move on to the new ones.
Choose a sturdy cane and cut it up to 4 feet. The cane that will be left you will have to tie it because you want it to be steady. You can use a trellis or a wire support if necessary.
Pruning Old Grape Vines
Pruning your old grapevines won’t be a difficult task. Basically, you will cut down almost 90% of the plant. You don’t have to worry if you’ll make a mistake because you can correct it the following season. The pruning will reach the plant’s roots and in this way, you will have new growth.
You have to cut back the main trunk to five feet tall. You can use a pruning saw in order to accomplish your task. You’ll have to remove the small canes and the ones that don’t produce any fruits. Remove the ones that are more than two years and when you cut them make an upward angle. You will protect the canes in case it rains if you do this.
In the end, you should leave at least 15 buds on each cane. You should also space them evenly when you will prune them and make sure to leave one leaf cluster. It is an easy task if you do it properly.
Grape Pruning Techniques
There are different pruning techniques. If you will use the Guyot pruning then you should leave 2 fruiting arms along the main wire of the vine. You will need to cut back the main stem and divide it to 2 strong buds. The buds should be 40cm from the ground level. You can use this technique for vines that grow outdoors.
The next technique is the rod and spur pruning. You can use this one if you grow your vines indoors. You will need to cut back the main stem of the vine by 2/3 and you will have to create 1 bud. Don’t forget that you will need to support the branches by using wires.
The Kniffen technique is one of the easiest ways to prune your grape vines. You will need to place the vine into 2 horizontal wires. The first wire should be 3 feet from the ground whereas the second wire should be 5 feet from the ground. The vine will train onto the wires as it grows.
You will be able to prune them easily because you will prune the ones that are not attached to the wires. You should have ten buds on each one. New ones will grow and will produce new fruits. You should always have in mind that you will need space for your new vines.
Conclusion
So if you want to trim grape vines is not that difficult. No matter which pruning method you’ll choose keep in mind that you want to create space for your vines. There is nothing better than having your own amazing vine with grapes that you will use to make whatever comes to your mind.
