How to prune grapes in the fall for a good harvest: diagram and video for beginners

According to experienced winegrowers, the best time for pruning is autumn. Improperly performed pruning, or no pruning at all, can lead to diseases and impact yields. Autumn pruning is the most important agricultural practice, and it must be carried out in accordance with all guidelines.

Grapes - the structure of the bush

To prune correctly, you need to understand how the plant is structured, what parts are intended for what purpose, and how they differ.

What's underground?

The main root system, the trunk, is located at a depth of 30-60 cm in the soil. However, depending on the terrain and soil, it can reach 4 meters or more. The base of the trunk ends in a heel. The roots can grow up to 3 meters in diameter. Therefore, it's important to keep this in mind when planning planting near grapevines. Over time, older roots die off, and new ones develop.

What is above the ground?

The vertical stem above ground from which shoots emerge is called the head. The lateral shoots growing from the main stem are called arms or shoulders. This is the perennial (old) part of the bush. The short branches extending from them are called horns.

A branch with 10 buds (a long sleeve) is called a fruiting scape. After the growing season, it is removed, and a new fruiting scape is created from the young shoots formed on the replacement branch.

A vine that has a pair of buds (a short branch) remaining after pruning is called a replacement branch. It grows beneath the fruiting scape. The shoots that grow on it will serve to create the fruiting link in the fall. The branch consists of the fruiting scapes and the replacement branch.

Read also

How to transplant currants to a new location in the fall

Autumn is here, and novice gardeners are wondering if it's worth replanting currant bushes in the fall? When is this...

The thickenings on a branch are called nodes. Internodes can vary in length. The formation at the nodes is called an eye. Buds form in it. There is one main bud and several replacement buds. Young shoots that grow from the base of the leaves are called side shoots.

Dormant buds can produce new shoots from the trunk. When rejuvenating a grapevine, these buds are left in place, and they provide new life. However, if the vine is healthy, they should be pruned, as these young shoots weaken growth and hinder fruit production.

Tendrils grow from the nodes. They help the plant attach itself to support. A single tendril can support up to 10 kg.

Why do pruning?

Normal plant growth and development depends on the bush's nutrition. Pruning regulates the distribution of nutrients throughout the vine.

Vertical polarity is the plant's upward growth toward the light. All nutrients are expended on this growth process. The lower portion of the vine, however, suffers from a lack of nutrients.

To get a harvest From the upper and lower branches, it's necessary to distribute the supply of nutrients throughout the entire plant. After pruning, the polarity changes, and the bush begins to develop on all branches (self-preservation instinct).

Purpose of pruning:

• increase the harvest;
• make the berries better quality and larger;
• form new fruit-bearing branches;
• rejuvenate and improve the health of the plant;
• remove old, unnecessary branches to improve sunlight penetration and heat exchange.

Pruning rules

It's important to know what produces the harvest—the long vine, also known as the fruiting stem. And the bush's growth—the replacement branch, also known as the short branch.

When pruning a vine, leave a stub of about 3 cm. If you remove more, the branch may dry out at this point. Remove immature vines down to the woody part.

Perform sanitary pruning: remove diseased and weak shoots. Young shoots closer to the center should be left for future fruiting. Remove side shoots from these shoots. Prune all fruiting vines that have already yielded fruit.

General rules for autumn pruning:

• The bud located in the internode should be facing upwards. This is where pruning is done;
• the cuts must be smooth, without breaks or torn parts of the bark;
• sharp pruning shears;
• the pruning shears are positioned perpendicular to the shoot;
• thick branches are sawed off with a saw;
• The cuts are made towards the inner side of the plant.

How many eyes should be cut?

Depending on the method of vineyard formation, the number of buds varies.

Methods used:

• A short pruning method that involves destroying most of the vine. A maximum of four buds remain on the fruiting shoot;
• average method - after removing the excess, the branch has up to ten buds;
• long method – about ten eyes are left;
• A mixed method uses both the long and short methods simultaneously. Three buds are removed from the branches to be replaced, leaving the fruiting branches untouched. This creates a loop. Once the fruit is harvested, everything is removed. A new fruiting shoot grows in its place.

When to prune

Depending on the age of the grapes, their variety, and climate conditions, one or the other is performed. The event can be held in spring or fall.

A grape bush has stages of growth:

1. Young grapevines, up to five years old. During this time, they don't bear fruit, but fruit-bearing branches are being created. Pruning is necessary for this purpose.
2. Mature grapes. The vineyard bears fruit for up to 25 years. Pruning is done to encourage new shoots to grow. Old shoots are removed to create fruit-bearing branches.
3. Old vines. To ensure continued fruiting and rejuvenation of the vine, pruning is mandatory. This is done when the plant is fading.

Features of spring and autumn pruning

Spring pruning is performed before the buds swell and before sap begins to flow through the branches. It's important to remember that the vines are releasing sap, which can damage the buds. This type of pruning is used in southern regions and is suitable for grape varieties that don't require winterization. A complete rejuvenation of the vine is also performed in the spring.

Autumn pruning is done after all the leaves have fallen. At this time, the grapevine doesn't receive the nutrients it needs. Fertilizing and winterizing are essential. This method is used in colder regions.

When to prune grapes in the fall

After dormancy sets in, autumn pruning is performed. When the bush has lost all its leaves and its metabolic processes have slowed, pruning can be done without causing harm.

If pruning is done too early, the plant may become sick, not receive all the nutrients it needs from the foliage, or begin to lose sap. Only when the first frost arrives is the grapevine ready for pruning. By then, the vine has already absorbed the nutrients from the foliage.

Step-by-step instructions: how to prune grapes in the fall

Even in hopeless cases, proper care and various manipulations will help restore the grape bush to order and achieve a good harvest.

1. You need to start with clearing. After all the berries have been picked from the bush, you need to remove the branches that held the fruit.
2. Remove branches with less than 7 buds.
3. Shorten the lateral shoots to 3 leaves and cut off new shoots on perennial branches that have reached 50 cm in size.
4. Cut off branches that have reached 1 m by 10%.
5. Form future fruiting links on each branch: a replacement vine and fruiting branches. The replacement branch should have three buds. It should grow below the fruiting scape. Five to 15 buds should remain, depending on the branch's length and diameter.
6. Create a fruiting link from the best two vines throughout the bush, at a height of about 1 meter.
7. Next year, select and leave two shoots. Prune the top shoot as a fruiting shoot, and the bottom shoot as a replacement shoot. These shoots will bear fruit the following year. On one-year-old young branches, only new shoots bear fruit.
8. After pruning, the vines should be bent to the ground and covered. Grapes overwinter well under a soil cover. The use of non-breathable materials is prohibited.

How to prune young grapes in the fall

Young plants are considered to be one- and two-year-old seedlings. Experienced gardeners believe it's best to prune young grapevines. in the springSince a bush uncut with pruning shears survives the winter better, the plants are still young, so they are more likely to freeze than mature vines. Young vines are pruned to create a crown shape. The pruning rules are the same as in the first year.

At the end of summer, the tops of the main skeleton should be pinched off. In the second half of October, remove the immature part. In the spring, when the plant reaches two years of age, prune it, leaving two buds on the main branches. In the fall, to allow the vine to develop, young shoots are removed and side shoots are pinched off.

https://youtu.be/DxvAQTOiZeY

Caring for grapes before and after pruning

Just as any surgical operation requires preparation and post-operative care, so does the “operation” with the grape bush require attention.

First, you need to do the following:

1. Inspect the bush for diseased shoots and remove them.
2. Clear the branches of any remaining foliage and remove green shoots.
3. Also, the plant needs to be watered, fed, and cuttings need to be prepared.
4. Conduct disease prevention. You can use copper sulfate or another remedy.
5. When the vine is completely dry, the bush can be insulated and covered.

Pruning by year

Autumn is the time for gardeners to harvest and thoroughly prepare their vineyards for winter. This includes annual pruning and other maintenance.

First year

In early April, you can remove the covering and tie the vines so that the tops point in different directions. Be sure to remove the central shoot. Leave the two lower buds. In summer, 2 shoots will grow from them.In the fall, leave the couple of buds at the bottom. Cut off everything else. Insulate for the winter.

Second year

In the fall, prune the long branch, leaving two branches. Also remove the stems growing below the main stem, leaving two buds each. Form a replacement shoot. Form fruiting stems as follows: prune the vertical stems, leaving four buds each. By the second year, there should be four shoots. Cover the vine.

Third year

Leave vertical replacement shoots. In early August, prune the stems back by 10-20 cm, a process called pinching. If this is done earlier, the vine will produce many unnecessary and useless shoots. This procedure is necessary to increase the quantity and improve the quality of the berries.

Read also

How to transplant raspberries to a new location in the fall?

Every summer we get vitamins from a wide variety of berries, fruits and vegetables, including everyone's favorite berry – raspberries….

In the fall, at the designated time, remove four outer vertical shoots, along with part of the shoot sleeve. Each shoot should retain one branch with two shoots. The rules are the same as for the second year. Remove the shoot closest to the center, leaving two buds, and four buds on the outer shoots. To be on the safe side, in case any buds freeze, you can leave up to 10 spare buds on each shoot. Excess buds can always be trimmed off in the spring. A good number is three buds on replacement shoots and six on fruiting shoots.

Fourth year and beyond

For all subsequent years of grapevine growth, follow the same method as in the third year. After this procedure, the grapevine will have four branches and four fruiting links. Pruning should be done in the same manner in all subsequent years.

In the fall, shorten the upper fruiting stem to 8 buds, and the lower stem to 2-3 buds. Tie up the vine. Formation of a grape bush ends during this period.

Pruning for rejuvenation

Grapevine rejuvenation is accomplished through either branch renewal or complete rejuvenation of the vine. In the former case, first check to see if the vine is still alive. Cut the bark at the base of the branch and inspect it: if the fibers are still alive, the plant can be revived. Remove dead shoots and prune the branch back 2-3 buds from the base. This creates "restoration stumps."

If a vine trunk is damaged by disease or pests, it must be uprooted; such a bush cannot be saved. Rejuvenation should be carried out in the spring to encourage new growth in the summer. A couple of strong vines should be left, and in the fall, they should be pruned to three buds. To completely rejuvenate the vine, all above-ground parts must be pruned and the soil cleared to a depth of 30 cm around the trunk. Make several cuts in the trunk. Cover the cuts with moist soil. The rejuvenated vineyard will produce a harvest in a couple of years.

There's another way to renew your grapevines. Layer the vine. Bury the mature vine in the ground to a depth of 40 cm, extending the branch lengthwise. Remove all buds. Leave the vine with two buds above ground. By next summer, new shoots will appear.

Errors

The most common mistakes lead to loss of yield, poor plant development, or even death.

Minimal top cut

It's a shame to prune long, large, and beautiful branches. Pruning is done "lightly." As a result, the vines are deprived of light, becoming thin and the bush overgrown. The berries become small. The correct method is to remove 70-90% of the new growth.

The wrong shoots are being cut off

Beginning winegrowers either prune all young shoots and leave the older vines, or conversely, remove mature vines and leave the young shoots. This can lead to two mistakes: annually, it's best to prune shoots that have already borne fruit, as well as thin vines that are crowding the vine. To ensure a harvest the following year, it's best to leave the trunk with several branches and young shoots.

stumps

The size of the remaining stump is not taken into account; it is either cut off completely or left too large. On mature shoots, according to the rules, no more than three centimeters should remain. On new vines, to prevent the cut from rotting, the stump should not be left.

Pinching out stepsons

Young shoots are left uncut and grow throughout the summer. Alternatively, they can be cut completely, right up to the main branch. The best approach is to leave two leaves and cut off the side shoots above, removing the top.

Reviews

Experienced winegrowers say that if you follow all the advice and adhere to the rules, the results will always be positive. You can preserve and increase your harvest. You just need to figure out how to prune grapes properly in the fall, when, and how much. You also need to understand which buds to leave, which branches to prune, what treatments to apply, and how to cover them.