Pruning grapes for the winter: basic rules and recommendations

Grape

The vineyard requires careful care; only in this case can you get a rich harvest. Particular attention should be paid pruning grapes This procedure should be performed 2 times a year, in autumn and spring. Pruning is an important agrotechnical technique on which the fruiting and preservation of the vine depends.

Content:

Why prune your vineyard for the winter?

The grape is perennial liana, which, with proper care, can produce a high yield. The vine has a large number of buds, from which fruit clusters are formed over time. If pruning is not done and done incorrectly, the frost resistance of the vine decreases, the berries become small, and there may be no harvest at all.

Pruning of the vineyard is carried out to increase productivity and improve the taste of the berries. In addition, thanks to this procedure, you can increase the size of the brush and regulate root growth. Pruning speeds up the ripening of berries and makes it easier to care for the bush. Pruning will also help increase the frost resistance of the vine. This procedure is performed in the fall so that the bush does not suffer from frost.

How to perform the procedure correctly

Grapes after pruning

Pruning of the vine should be done in the fall before covering for the winter.You should know that the harvest comes from a vine that ripened last year, and it makes no sense to carry out the procedure on a recently planted bush. You only need to prune a young bush next year. Over the course of the season, the vine will get stronger and increase its green mass. To speed up the process, you need to regularly water and feed the young vineyard.

Trimming is carried out in two stages. At the first stage, the procedure is performed in the fall, where 2/3 of the total length is removed. This shortening helps to develop properly and maintain shape. Pruning is carried out after collecting all the bunches. Weak shoots are removed. Further pruning is carried out after all the leaves have fallen off at a temperature of at least 3 degrees.

You shouldn't cut it too hard. This is important to consider, because otherwise it can lead to freezing of the bush. The next stage takes place in the spring. At this time, you can easily determine how the bush was damaged by frost.

All dried, frozen and weakened shoots are pruned. In summer, the plant will recover after winter. To prune the vine you will need pruning shears. It is important that the blade of the tool is clean and sharp, otherwise you can injure the shoots. Thick, weak, dry and thin branches should be removed. If necessary, several buds can be removed so that the load is distributed evenly.

Prune the lower escape, which is located on the outside of the trunk sleeve, is necessary to obtain a tasty harvest. In this case, several eyes should remain. At the final stage, you need to form a fruit arrow. To do this, cut off the shoot, which is located slightly higher on the other side of the sleeve.

You should leave at least 6-8 eyes. This is performed in the third year of life.After pruning, you need to prepare the bush for winter. Remove the branches from the trellises and lay them according to the growth of the vine. Then secure and cover with film.

Methods for pruning grapevines

There are 2 ways to form a vineyard bush:

  • Standard method
  • Standardless method

The vineyard trunk, which is connected to the root system, is called a trunk. It can reach a height of more than 5 meters. When pruning using the standard method, you should shorten the shoots located near the surface of the ground. All branches should have 3 buds.

Cut off the remaining shoots. Then the two shoots are divided into the main and reserve, to replace the main one in case of freezing. Such method pruning is used for cold regions. When pruning using the standardless method, it is necessary to leave 2 well-developed shoots at the base, and break off weak and underdeveloped ones. Trim the remaining shoots to the length of mature wood.

Grapes, pruning rules

A ripe shoot will be indicated by a light chestnut shade of the bark. The main task of pruning using the standardless method is to artificially form four bush sleeves. This method is recommended for use in regions with warm climates, where it is not at all necessary to cover the bush for the winter. You need to choose a method for forming a bush taking into account the climatic characteristics of the region.

Recommendations for beginners

When performing pruning several times, you can remember how and in what time frame the procedure is performed. Beginner winegrowers need to adhere to certain rules to obtain a high yield.

  1. Shoots should be removed only from one side of the bush.
  2. The cut should be smooth and preferably done on the back side of the shoot, which faces the middle. This way they will grow better.If the wounds are located on different sides, this makes it difficult for the sap to flow. As a result, there is a decrease in yield.

If you prune a young vine in the fall, the plant will not be able to survive the winter. Therefore, you need to leave it for the winter vineyard along with his escapes. With the onset of spring, all weak and frozen shoots can be easily removed. Pruning a vineyard is a complex and painstaking job that requires compliance with all the rules. This is the only way to avoid damage to the vineyards and increase the amount of harvest.

Video about simple grape pruning:

Grapes after pruningGrapes, pruning rules