How to prune grapes and when to do it
If you love growing fruit in your backyard, you need to know how to prune grapes. It is really rewarding to grow your own grapes, however maintaining these plants is not as simple as others. As they grow they need support, protection from disease and pruning to help them thrive next season.
To help you keep your grapes in good shape, we’ve put together this guide on how to prune grapes. We will tell you step-by-step what to do and when you should do it for best results. Pruning is essential to getting the best grapes from your grapes, so read on if you want a more successful harvest.
If you need to give some attention to other areas of your garden, be sure to check How to prune hydrangeas And How to prune roses.
How to prune grapes
Ideally you want to prune your grapes with different methods at different points of the year. Arguably the most important raisin is during its dormant period in late winter. This basically encourages more growth in the following season.
1. first, Grab yourself a pair Best pruning shears – Ideally you would Use a bypass pruner Instead of an anvil since you are working on a live plant. If you are dealing with wood older than three years, you may also need a hand lopper.
2. Next, Cut back last summer’s growth, including any dead wood or old shoots. These will no longer grow grapes and therefore need to be removed.
3. It may seem very aggressive, but you basically need it Cut the plant back to its initial frame To give the best chance of growth in the next season. Cut to 3-4 nodes or buds per shoot. Don’t worry about the plant – the grapes are quite hardy and usually the more you prune the better. Make sure the main cane is still secure and supported By wire or trellis.
4. After a couple of months, you’ll notice a lot of fresh growth and it’s time to get your pruners out again. Cut away anything that does not carry grapes or is not part of the main structure. Each shoot should still have about 15 leaves – it needs to absorb enough sunlight for the grapes to ripen.
5. while you are here Remove any shoots To better separate the grapes. It provides more air circulation and increases exposure to sunlight. This makes it easier to cut and maintain going forward.
6. You can be proud of the bunches of grapes that are thriving so far, but you have to Cut some of them back to encourage growth Among the remaining ones. Grapevines often produce too many grapes which means size and flavor suffer. So, you need Reduce bunches to one to two per stem. You’ll thank us later.
7. Finally, come summer you’ll want to dive in with your scissors again. Start by Trimming off any fresh growth Doesn’t have to be there, basically repeating step 4 all over again.
8. Next, you’ll want to cut your grapes again. Take the pruners and Cut each group in half. As before, it focuses on residual growth.
And there you have it, your grapes should now be in top condition and ready to produce the best fruit possible. You want to harvest 30-60 days after the bunches form. Look for the skin to change color to indicate it is ready.
When should you prune grapes?
At a minimum, grapes should be pruned once a year during the late winter dormancy (late February or early March). This essentially removes last year’s growth and prepares the plant for the next season.
It is good practice to review and trim any excess growth in the late spring and summer months. Pruning a few grapes will lead to a more promising harvest down the line.
Here’s how to prune lilacs to get the best blooms.
If you’re also interested in indoor plants, check out our guides on how to care for succulents and how to repot succulents. We also cover how to care for air plants.
