How to prune grapes in autumn: instructions and recommendations

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Growing grapes requires certain skills. When and how to prune grapes for the winter? We will talk about this in detail in this article.

General concepts

Grapes require constant care, which consists in regular pruning of regrown sections of the vine and the correct formation of young shoots. When should grapes be cut? In the middle part of Russia, it is recommended to do this in the fall before covering the plant with a film. First of all, you should pay attention to the external weather conditions. Do not prune before leaf fall and the first light frost. The best time is a couple of weeks after the trees have shed their leaves, and the average temperature has settled in the region of -3 degrees. Usually this time is in October. Although it is worth noting that young grapes can be pruned at the end of September. If the plant is many years old, try to remove the extra sections of the vine just in time, otherwise the branches will become brittle.

Where to start?

Before pruning grapes in autumn, all dry branches, leaves and dried bunches should be collected from the vine. For annual grapes, cut off excess shoots. Leave only those parts that are underright angle to the ground. Such "sleeves" need to be kept from 3 to 7 pieces. Cut off dried tops. Treat all large sections with resin or garden var.

How to prune grapes in autumn: an approximate diagram

Trimming a young plant is easy. Things will turn out to be much more complicated when it comes from the old overgrown vineyard. Proper preparation of the bush for winter requires the use of a scheme. Here are the basic rules for how to prune grapes in the fall:

• before mid-September, remove those shoots that have not reached fifteen centimeters in length;
• cut shoots above 30 cm by 10%, in addition, rid them of all side shoots;
• as soon as the time for the main pruning of grapes has come, outline 2-3 of the strongest fortified shoots at a height of about 30 cm;
• cut the lowest shoot at the height of the 5th eye. You get a replacement knot;
• form a fruit arrow, to do this, shorten the highest of two or three shoots to about the 12th eye.

Vine cutting secrets

How to prune grapes in autumn so as not to injure the vine? There are a few simple guidelines.

1. Do not trim the shoots at the same level on both sides of the vine. This complicates the natural process of circulating juices. Most likely, this will lead to the death of one or more of the main stems.

2. Don't cut the sprouts from the outside of the vine unless absolutely necessary. It is recommended to remove internal sections. So the grapes will not grow inside.

What to do after cutting grapes?

After removing excess sections of the vine from the plant, the grapes must be removed from the supports, carefully and as evenly as possible laid on the ground. Then wrap with garden film (can be a tarpaulin) and reinforce with stones or heavy loads around the edges. After the snow covers the film, the plant will be warm. Do not forget that the correct and timely pruning of grapes will give it not only a beautiful and neat shape, but also significantly increase the yield. Now you know how to prune grapes in the fall. Bigger clusters and berries will grow next year.