Pruning grapes in autumn for beginners + video

What is grape pruning for?

Pruning grapes is a necessary technique for caring for the plant. The grapes bear fruit only on the current year's shoots, developing from the eyes located on last year's vines. In rare cases, in some varieties, small yields are produced by shoots that grow from dormant buds on perennial wood. Therefore, a one-year-old vine located on two-year-old wood is left for fruiting.

Pruning is carried out annually on all bushes, regardless of their age. The essence of pruning is to remove or shorten individual shoots and older parts of the crown of bushes. Without pruning or with little pruning, the bushes take on a wild appearance and bear fruit irregularly. At the same time, you get a lot of bunches, but they are all small, with small and low-quality berries.

The goals and objectives of pruning are different depending on the age of the bush. When pruning young bushes, its task comes down to creating the shape of the bush with the formation of its skeletal, permanent part - the trunk or trunk and its main branches in the form of sleeves, shoulders, bearing horns, knots and fruit links. Pruning young bushes is nothing more than shaping the grapes. When pruning adult bushes, the vines are left for next year's harvest, the selected shape of the bush is maintained, and the aged parts of the crown are periodically renewed.

It should be remembered that any pruning weakens the bush. Excessive pruning of young plants inhibits growth and delays the onset of fruiting. In the absence or extremely weak pruning, it is impossible to obtain a high-quality grape harvest. The fewer shoots left on the bush, the stronger the growth of each individual shoot. However, the vigor of the entire bush and its ability to bear fruit decrease with a decrease in the number of shoots.

Pruning and shaping of bushes is easier and more straightforward to carry out on supports or trellises for grapes.

Basic schemes

Pruning of grapes is required in the first three years to form the future bush. There are several types of bush formation. You need to decide in advance what method the grapes will be pruned.

The following types of such events are distinguished:

Types of grape pruning

Guyot's method. In order to apply this method in the first year of planting grapes, you will need to wait until a strong shoot grows. Around mid-October, they begin pruning, leaving two eyes on the bush. The rest of the plant is removed. The offending part of the plant can be identified by the presence of brown bark. In the second year of grape growth, 1-2 shoots are left, which are positioned mirror-image relative to each other.
Capitate form. Most often used on rootstock varieties. With this formation of the bush, the presence of lateral sleeves or shoots is not expected; they are cut off almost completely. From the top of the bush, 6 knots are left, each with two eyes.
Cup-shaped. Assumes the presence of sleeves arranged in a circle. There should be 5 sleeves left on each bush. The size of the bowl varies depending on the length of the shoots.
Fan shape. It is analogous to the capitate formation of a bush, but it differs in the presence of sleeves that grow in only one direction. How many sleeves there will be on a grape bush depends on the crop variety.
Cordon form. Assumes the presence of 1-2 sleeves on which fruit links are present. The sleeves can be directed both vertically and horizontally. If the bush has only two sleeves, then the shape of the bush can be made two-tiered or double-sided.

Below is how to prune a one-year, second-year, and three-year bush in spring and fall.

When to prune grapes

Pruning is carried out during the dormant period of the grapevine. In the southern regions, where bushes are not damaged by winter frosts, they are pruned in the fall after leaf fall, in winter and spring before sap flow begins; in areas of covered viticulture - in the fall, before covering the grapes for the winter (preliminarily), and in the spring after they are opened (finally), i.e. in two stages.

Autumn pruning is carried out after the leaves fall or die from the first autumn frosts. In places where frosts come early, you should not wait for leaves to fall. If the time has come for covering the bushes and there is a threat of frost, the vine can be covered with leaves. At the same time, all obviously unnecessary parts are removed - the immature vine and its parts, underdeveloped shoots, stepsons and tendrils, and the fruit-bearing vine is shortened so that a large supply of eyes remains.

In the spring, after the bushes have opened and the results of their overwintering have been revealed, final pruning is carried out: broken, frost-damaged or dried out vines are removed or shortened, shoots left for knot replacement and restoration, lowering sleeves or rejuvenating old parts of the crown are shortened.

Autumn and winter pruning promotes earlier blooming of the eyes, and late spring pruning leads to a slight delay in the onset of growth. Therefore, in places where spring frosts end at a later date, it is advisable to prune closer to the moment the eyes open.

It is better to prune young grape bushes in all areas in the spring.

Step-by-step instruction

So that every beginner can understand how to properly prune grapes in the summer, step-by-step instructions for carrying out such an event are provided. But first you need to remember a few rules:

those shoots or shoots that are easily pinched and broken off are best removed by hand without using pruners;
when removing empty vines, you must ensure that the shape of the bush does not change;
When pruning fruit-bearing branches, at least 7 buds must be left on them.

Grape diseases and their treatment

In general, all summer activities include procedures for pinching, removing tendrils, pinching, chasing, lightening (thinning out leaves), ringing and rationing of bunches.

Topping

This technique is used as the very first one even before flowering begins. Of all the activities described, this is the simplest. Young shoots are pinched with two fingers about 10 cm from the woody vine.

As a result of this procedure, the growth of pinched branches slows down significantly. Therefore, the main amount of water and nutrients are sent to fruiting shoots. The operation is performed twice with an interval of 10–15 days.

Removing antennae

The tendrils, which take away some of the juices and energy from the plant, can only be removed on tied vines, otherwise they will have nothing to hold onto for support. Pinching is carried out at the very base.

This event is performed throughout the summer season, since the antennae grow very quickly. Ideally, you need to pinch them off daily or with short breaks.

Stepsoning

Removing stepsons is a very common agricultural technique that many garden crops need. In the vineyard it is performed in June immediately after flowering.

During the procedure, the lateral shoots growing on the main stem at its junction with the leaf are removed. The stepsons are not pinched off completely, but up to half, leaving about 2 cm. If completely removed, a new shoot will immediately grow in the same place.

Coinage

Embossing is a special type of pinching, which differs in that it is performed at a distance of 40 cm from the stem. This technique accelerates the ripening of berries and is carried out during the fruiting period, starting in August.

French grape varieties

The procedure itself has several nuances. Therefore, before pruning grapes in the summer, it will be useful for novice gardeners to first carefully understand its intricacies. If you carry out the chasing ahead of schedule or shorten the vine too much, then active growth of the stepsons will begin. In addition, you should not pinch shoots with leaves. Each of them should have at least 14 sheets left. It is advisable not to use pruners, but if you cannot do without them, then the cutting part should be disinfected.

Lightening

Pruning grapes in summer is most noticeable in cases where the leaves are removed and the bush immediately “lightens”. This event is carried out after the berries are formed in order to speed up their ripening.

Removal is carried out mainly on vines with clusters. At the same time, 6–10 of the lowest leaves are broken off so that they do not draw nutrients onto themselves. If the density is too strong, clarification is also carried out during the flowering period.

Banding

Banding involves removing the bark around the fruiting shoot. This technique is quite complicated and requires maximum care.

The width of the ring being cut is 2–3 mm, and the cut itself should not damage the core. When performed correctly, this procedure increases the supply of nutrients to the berries, which speeds up their ripening and makes them larger than usual.

Rationing of bunches

The number of bunches needs to be regulated, especially in regions with short summers. Without this, the berries will not have time to ripen, since the plant does not have enough strength for them. To speed up ripening, even on a large shoot there should be no more than two bunches left.

How to care for grapes in August: 5 mandatory actions

In addition, the remaining bunches need to be cleared of poorly developed grapes. They not only take away nutrients, but can also lead to rotting of the remaining berries. To ensure proper care of grapes in the summer, pruning of the vines should be carried out in compliance with all the above recommendations.

What is a substitution knot

Knot replacement is part of the old European pruning system, discovered and popularized by French scientist and winegrower Jules Guyot in the mid-19th century. This pruning system is almost never found anywhere, but its essence is that just below the fruit shoot a branch is also left on which replacement shoots will grow.

In autumn, the entire fruit part is cut off to the knot. And the two vines of the twig again turn into an arrow and a twig.

The purpose of a knot replacement is to guarantee strong and well-ripened vines for fruiting and replacement next year.

Disadvantage: at least two extra idle shoots.

Tips for Newbies

Beginner winegrowers make a common mistake - they do not cut the trunk short enough.

Knowing how to prune grapes makes the difference between a good and a bad harvest. Pruning stimulates the growth of new wood that produces fruit.

Other important points:

For young vines 1.5 cm in diameter, pruners are used, loppers are used for 5-8 cm or for hard-to-reach areas of the plant. For thicker branches, use a pruning saw.
The grapevine has four very short branches called regenerating shoots, which bear vegetative fruiting shoots. When calculating the total number of buds that need to be preserved, it is worth taking into account the number of buds on the regenerative shoots, as well as the stalks.
One extra branch on the vine should be left intact in case the extra branch is damaged during pruning. You can delete it later when you no longer need it.
If grapes are grown for winemaking, leave 20 to 30 buds on the plant. If for consumption - from 50 to 80 buds.
When pruning, you need to leave a short stump (1.5-3 cm). If you cut the trunk shorter, it may dry out and the entire branch will die.

The vines need proper trimming and pruning for the first three years. Once they begin to produce fruit, annual pruning is necessary to maintain a balance between vegetative growth and production. If a vine produces too much fruit in one year, it will not produce a good harvest the next year and may become damaged in the winter. If a grapevine produces too little fruit in one year, the vines produce too many shoots and leaves. By following the basic rules of pruning, you can ensure that the vineyard bears full-fledged sugar berries and gains strength and resistance to disease and frost.

Fruit link with replacement knot

The fruiting link should be formed so that the replacement knot is always on the sleeve below the fruiting frog. This is the basic rule of pruning, resulting from the biological characteristics of the grapevine. With this formation of the fruit link, the location of wounds during pruning is regulated, the possibility of overcuts is eliminated and the process of pruning bushes is facilitated.

No more than three well-developed shoots should be grown on a branch. In this case, it is very important that the lower shoot is on the outside, and the top shoot is on the inside. This placement of shoots on twigs leads to one-sided wounds on the inside of the sleeve, shoulder and other perennial parts of the bush. This is achieved when a lower, normally developed eye on the outer side is left on the knot when pruning. If the lower eye is on the inside of the knot, it is removed and the shoot is cut one eye higher.

During annual pruning in the fruit link, the fruit-bearing arrow along with the shoots is removed, and a new link is created from the shoots that developed on the replacement knot. In this case, the lower shoot of the knot, which occupies an external position, is cut short into a knot with two or three eyes, and the upper one - into a fruit shoot.

How to prune young grapes

When planting young grapes, the main goal is to raise a strong and well-formed plant. By the end of autumn, the diameter of the shoot should be at least 5-7mm. It is not recommended to prune grapes a few weeks after planting.

The first cut is carried out only after a year. In spring, it is recommended to remove about 50% of the shoots.
In the fall, it is recommended to mint the grapes to improve the fruiting of the grapes.
Count 3-4 eyes from the root and cut the vine above the bud, leaving a distance of 1-2mm.

Avid gardeners do not recommend pruning grapes by the end of autumn, arguing that young one-year-old grapes need to stock up on energy to successfully withstand frost.

It is recommended to prune the grapes in the second year if you did not prune them in the spring, in the first year after planting, leave 2 shoots on the vine, on which you need to leave 3-5 eyes.

You may have noticed that growing is not an easy task. It requires a thorough approach, studying the necessary information. Despite all the difficulties, if you have desire and passion combined with diligence, pruning grapes will not be a difficult task for you.

What to do if there are no shoots on the replacement knot or they are weak

In practice, there are often cases when on replacement knots, for various reasons, only one shoot developed or did not develop at all.

If there is not a single shoot on the replacement branch, it is removed and the fruit shoot is left. On it, the lower shoot from the outside is cut short to a knot, and one of the next shoots, the most developed, is shortened to the fruit shoot. All other shoots on last year's arrow are removed.

In the case when only one shoot has developed on a branch, depending on its placement, it is cut either short to the branch or long to the fruit shoot. If the shoot occupies an external position, it is cut short to a replacement branch, and to form an arrow, the best developed shoot on the fruit-bearing arrow is used.

When only one upper shoot develops on a branch from the inner eye, it is cut long, and only one reserve, well-developed shoot is left on last year’s shoot. The shoot on the knot is tied with a bend, leaving two eyes under the bend, of which the lower one should occupy the outer position. Behind the bend, on the horizontal part of the tied shoot, four to eight well-developed ocelli are left. With such pruning and gartering, the fruit link is restored again within a year. The reserve shoot left behind is sometimes used as an additional fruit shoot.

The nuances of molding vines at different stages of growth

Active formation of the vine occurs during the first five years of its growth. Each year pruning has its own characteristics.

First year

In the first year after planting, it is important to prune the young plant correctly so that it continues to fully develop. The first pruning of an annual plant is carried out in the summer. In June, the bush is inspected and only the 2 strongest shoots are left on it. If you plan to grow in one sleeve, then leave the only, most powerful shoot. When preparing a plant for wintering, all unripe shoots of the current year are cut off. Some gardeners have a negative attitude towards autumn pruning.

Second year

In the spring, the formation of a two-year-old bush is carried out if it was not there in the fall. When it was, the next formation was carried out only in the autumn months of the season that had begun. In this case, from two shoots that grew from the eyes left during the previous pruning, a replacement knot and a fruiting arrow are formed. There are 3 eyes left on the knot, and 10 on the arrow.

Third

In the third year, pruning should be carried out in the autumn season, and, if necessary, in the spring, if it is necessary to remove shoots damaged by cold. In the fall, weak shoots are removed, leaving only the 2 strongest ones on each sleeve. The lower of these two shoots should be shortened by 3 eyes, thus forming a replacement knot from it. On the second shoot, which will bear fruit, there should be from 6 to 10 buds left.

Fourth

In the fourth year, pruning should be done in the fall, removing the vine that has already produced fruit. The annual vine that appeared on the replacement knot is also pruned. A new replacement knot is formed from the lowest vine.

Fifth

In the fifth and subsequent years, pruning is carried out in the same way as in the fourth year.

Pruning grapes with reinforced fruit link and knot replacement

If it is necessary to increase the load of the bush with eyes, two fruit shoots are left in the fruit link above the replacement knot. In this case, the lower fruit arrow should be shorter by two or three eyes of the upper fruit arrow. On the vines left during pruning, the shoots and tendrils are removed.

Why is summer pruning needed?

Many novice winegrowers doubt the need to prune grapes in the summer, when the vine is buried in lush greenery. Thus, they thicken the plantings and weaken the plant’s immunity. Against this background, the vineyard becomes defenseless against infectious diseases and pests. The bunches wither without having time to fully ripen.

Summer pruning of grapes increases yield

Summer pruning is done for preventive purposes in order to maintain the crop throughout the growing season.

Benefits of summer pruning:

improves the quality of ripening berries (taste, size);
increases harvest volume;
helps strengthen inflorescences;
provides unhindered access of light and air to the vine;
accelerates the ripening process of bunches;
allows the plant to evenly distribute the load;
reduces the risk of various diseases.

Pruning grapes without knot replacement

You can also prune grapes without using a replacement knot. For beginning winegrowers, it can be very difficult to understand the fruit link with a substitution knot, this is normal, everything comes with experience, but do not fall into despair, a substitution knot is not at all necessary, the grapes are perfectly formed, pruned and bear fruit perfectly even without a substitution knot.

Abandoning a replacement knot is also forced by the catastrophic lack of extra space on the site, when the bushes are planted tightly and the space on the trellis is extremely limited; in this case, the shoots on the replacement knot steal space from the fruit shoots, and many are forced to abandon the replacement knots.

The essence of the method is very simple, we do everything the same, just forget about the replacement knots, and select the fruit shoot from the fruit-bearing shoots. The fruiting shoot for next year should be located as close as possible to the head of the bush.

When cutting knotless replacements, we also remember that the wounds should be located on one side of the sleeve.

This method also has disadvantages, as the sleeve lengthens much faster and it is necessary to periodically replace it, forming a new sleeve from a shoot growing from the head of the bush.

Cordon scheme. For large and sweet berries

The cordon pattern is sometimes called a cord pattern. The main idea is to bend the vine along the trellis in the desired direction. Horizontal, vertical and inclined placement is practiced. The part that is tied along the wire is called the shoulder of the cordon.

A tangible advantage of this scheme is its convenience in increasing the height if necessary.

The first shoot, extending from the sleeve from the side of the trunk, is cut off with 2 - 3 eyes larger than the rest, bent and tied parallel to the first shoulder, but at a higher height.
With the help of multi-tiered cordon molding, the volume of the bush is increased when it has enough strength.

With this scheme it is easy to regulate the size and quality of the berries by small and large pruning.

Pros and cons of the cordon scheme

easy to regulate nutrient distribution;
convenient for the gradual growth of a large bush;
universal use.

an adult plant requires reinforced trellises.

Reinforced fruit link without knot replacement

It is also possible to prune grapes with a strengthened fruit link without leaving a replacement knot. Using a reinforced fruit link, when breaking green shoots in the spring, try to leave approximately the same number of fruit-bearing shoots on each fruit shoot.

Pruning of a reinforced fruit link without knot replacement.

What is grape formation and how important is it?

Any cultivated plant grown for the purpose of harvesting requires constant care: watering, fertilizing, treating against pests and microorganisms. Grapes are different in that for them the formation process determines further efficiency:

productivity;
ease of care;

quality of the resulting fruits;
aesthetics as an object of landscape design.

Formation of grapes is a set of sequential measures for pruning, sawing, pinching, pinching shoots, with the help of which the indicators of the quantity and quality of the harvest are improved.

Bush rejuvenation

Over the years, the perennial parts of the crown of the bush - sleeves, shoulders, trunks and horns - lengthen, become covered with a large number of wounds and age. All this leads to weakening of shoot growth and fruiting of the bush and even the death of individual parts. At the base and on perennial wood, especially near wounds, dormant buds and shoots begin to intensively develop. Such bushes must be completely replaced or the outdated part of the crown must be rejuvenated.

To rejuvenate the sleeve, trunk and other perennial parts of the crown of the bush, when green shoots are broken off, one shoot is left, located closer to the base of the part to be rejuvenated. As the shoot grows, it is tied vertically to promote good development and ripening. In the second year, the shoots are cut to a restoration branch (stand), and only the best shoots are left on the sleeve for fruiting.

The outdated sleeve is removed no earlier than the second year of life of the restored knot, when its thickness becomes at least half the thickness of the rejuvenated part of the trunk or sleeve. When removing the part to be replaced, a stump of 2-3 cm is left above the knot, cleaning its upper cut with a garden knife. In order not to weaken the bush by causing large wounds, it is advisable to rejuvenate the sleeves gradually - no more than once a year.

Grapevine care after pruning

It is not enough to simply trim the vine; it needs to be properly cared for after this procedure. This is especially true for uncovered varieties, which can become damaged at the cutting sites with the arrival of cold weather (Figure 6).

Note: When pruning excess shoots of table or arbor grapes, it is important to observe moderation. The fact is that too many wounds, the diameter of which will exceed one and a half centimeters, can greatly weaken the crop. As a result, she will get sick and may even die.

In order for the grapes to remain productive and winter-hardy after pruning, you need to:

Use only the sharpest pruning shears or hacksaw to ensure all cuts are even.
It is advisable to shorten the shoots only on one side per year. This arrangement will help the plant distribute nutrients evenly between the branches.
If the cut is still uneven, it must be trimmed with a garden knife. If this is not done, water will accumulate in the cut and pathogenic microorganisms may begin to multiply.
It is undesirable to leave stumps more than 1 cm in height, as over time they may begin to crack, damaging the shoot itself.

Figure 6. After the procedure, all cuts must be covered with garden varnish.
If you are cutting old branches, place the cut at a right angle, since in this case it will heal much faster. Also, regardless of the diameter of the wound, after completing the procedure it must be covered with garden varnish.

Pruning technique

For pruning, use well-sharpened pruning shears, a hacksaw file and a garden knife. The cuts should be made so that the wounds caused during pruning are placed on one, preferably the inner side of the perennial parts. Opposite wounds (cuts) are especially dangerous, since dead tissue on both sides interferes with the movement of nutrients and water in the plant. The cut is made perpendicular to the axis of the shoot, in this case the wound will be small. Straight cuts should also be used when removing fruit-bearing vines, excess sleeves and other obsolete perennial parts of the bush crown.

Annual shoots to be removed are cut down at the very base, without affecting the old wood. Unnecessary and obsolete perennial parts of the bushes are cut off at their base, leaving a stump 0.5 cm high. Large wounds caused by a saw are cleaned with a garden knife. When removing overgrowth shoots, it is necessary to open the underground trunk to the point where the shoot originates.

When trimming thick parts of the crown, you should lightly press them with your left hand away from the blade of the pruning shears or file.

Annual shoots are shortened through a node located one internode above the remaining part of the shoot, but with the removal of the eye located on it. Such a cut ensures the normal development of the underlying eye and protects the remaining part - the shoot - from water and pests entering the core. In the case when the shoot is not shortened through a node, the cuts are made slightly obliquely in the direction opposite to the eye and 2-3 cm above it. In this way, you can avoid wetting the upper eye with the sap flowing out when crying.

To make a cut correctly, when using pruning shears, the cutting blade should be directed toward the part to be left, and the butt toward the part to be removed. The file for pruning grapes should be about 20 cm long, have a smooth, slightly curved blade, like a scythe, and a slightly curved handle. The saw teeth must be well sharpened and properly spaced; you must cut with such a saw towards yourself.

Preparation for pruning

You shouldn't rush right into the quarry. Before pruning, you need to prepare. Walking around the vineyard will allow you to examine all the bushes, find pests, and identify diseased plants. Instruments are sharpened in advance and immediately before the procedure are disinfected (with alcohol, copper sulfate, chlorhexidine)

Preparation of the bush

The main procedure for forming a grape bush does not begin immediately, but after careful preliminary work. Foliage and dried bunches are removed, excess roots on the surface and growths are cut out.

Tool

Tools required for pruning grapes:

pruner;
saws;
lopper

A pruner is a basic tool that is easy to use. It is suitable for primary pruning and for removing thin branches of young vines. It is easier to operate if it is equipped with two stainless steel blades.

If the plant is mature and the thickness of the vine has already reached 8 cm, you will have to use saws or hacksaws.

A lopper is a type of pruner, differing in the length of the handle and the size of the blades. It allows you to remove branches up to 5 cm in hard-to-reach places.

Trim length

Depending on the number of eyes left on the fruit vine, pruning is divided into short (2-3 eyes), medium (5-7), long (8-10) and very long (10-15 or more eyes).

The length of pruning largely depends on the grape variety; in most varieties, the most fruitful are the eyes located in the middle part of last year's shoot, and the least productive are those at the base, and especially the corner ones. A number of new varieties have high fruitfulness of shoots developing from the lower buds of last year's vine.

The fruitfulness of the buds and the yield of shoots depend on the vigor of the vine and the shape of the bush. In the same variety on a stronger vine, the fruitfulness of the eyes increases as they move away from the base, while in less developed ones, on the contrary, they are closer to the base of the vine. With strong shoot growth, long pruning should be used for almost all grape varieties. With the height of the trunks, the fruitfulness of the lower buds increases. Due to the different quality of the buds on the vine, mixed pruning is widespread in practice, leaving both branches and fruit vines of different lengths. With this method of pruning, the main role of knots is to prepare shoots for next year's harvest, and fruit shoots or lashes - to prepare this year's harvest. Mixed pruning is called fruiting pruning.

Short pruning is used for varieties with good fruiting of the lower buds, for less developed shoots, as well as for high-standard and tall-stemmed forms of bushes. It is more effective when cultivating table grape varieties, since the quality of the bunches with short pruning is higher than with long pruning. In addition, short pruning reduces the risk of overloading the bushes with shoots and crops.

Short trim

With short pruning, four annual vines (fruit shoots) are left on a well-developed bush during autumn pruning. The total load of eyes on them should not exceed 30-32 eyes. In addition to the fruit shoots, you should leave four more replacement knots with 2 eyes on each. With all types of pruning, it is necessary to strive to ensure that the replacement knots are located as close as possible to the base of the bush.

Short pruning can be used for all heavy-bearing varieties. In this case, annual fruit vines should be pruned shorter, the larger the clusters of the variety.

With high fruitfulness of a grape bush, especially a young one (3-5 years), you should never use long pruning, otherwise the bushes will be severely depleted.

Medium trim

It differs from the short one only in that during autumn pruning a larger number of buds are left, up to 40-45, due to the fact that annual fruit vines are pruned longer by 8-9 buds each, as well as by 7-8 buds, and four knot replacements according to two kidneys on each. But it should be taken into account that the most important thing is the number of bunches per bush (40-45 pcs.), and the number of fruit vines can be more than 3-4 pcs., because The optimal number of eyes per fruit arrow is 5-6 pcs. Therefore, it is better to leave 6-7 fruit arrows with 6-7 eyes than 4 arrows with 10-12 eyes.

It is especially undesirable to leave long vines (more than 8 buds) on varieties with medium-sized and small clusters.

Pruning length of grape fruit vines (how many buds to trim)

You probably noticed that the first scheme for cutting grapes into short branches described in the article looks the most convenient and attractive. Unfortunately, it is not acceptable for all varieties. The whole problem is the fruitfulness of the lower buds of the shoots. The lower buds form in the cool season, in the spring; during the formation process, the rudiments of inflorescences are laid in them, which can become clusters next year. Depending on their origin, different grape varieties are differently adapted to temperature conditions. For example, modern Euro-Amur hybrids, for the most part, produce fruit buds well at fairly low spring temperatures, classic European wine varieties of the species Vitis vinifera also have fruitful lower shoots, and table varieties of Asian origin are much more capricious in relation to heat. To set fruit buds, they need a fairly high temperature, otherwise inflorescences will not form, and the shoot from such a bud will be single (without a bunch). In spring, the temperature required by “Asians” is unattainable even in the southern regions of Russia, so table varieties of Asian origin are cut off by at least 8 buds, and more often longer, up to 20, in order to obtain clusters from those buds that formed in the summer at a sufficiently high temperature. The following picture illustrates what it means to prune fruit vines to varying numbers of buds:

Thus, the better your region is provided with heat, the shorter pruning of fruit vines can be used. Recommendations for the length of pruning of grapes are usually given in varietal descriptions, however, you need to take into account that these descriptions are compiled for regions of traditional viticulture, that is, for the south, and if you grow grapes in the northern regions, then you will have to determine the optimal length for pruning fruit vines yourself. You will likely have to trim the vines somewhat longer than in the south. Just watch how the grapes bear fruit, whether there are clusters on the shoots from the lower buds, how large they are; based on your own observations, you can decide which pruning option is optimal for the variety.