The Effect of Pruning on Grapevine Roots

First Year Root Establishment

• The first year after planting, you will want to ensure your grapevine devotes sufficient resources and energy to expanding its root base to survive the winter, which is especially true in areas with particularly harsh winters and regions with substantial snowfall. Pruning your grapevine properly throughout the first growing season will help encourage your plant to send out roots and store starches in its root base to endure through the dormant season.

Maintenance Pruning

• Continuing to prune your vine after the first season will reap dividends in your fruit production but will also help ensure your vine remains healthy and continues to devote resources to sending out roots and increasing its fibrous root cluster. Avoid placing manure and fertilizer directly on the roots as this can damage them and prove counter productive. Ensure the roots remain covered; replace any soil washed away by water erosion.

Root Pruning

• Pruning grapevine roots should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. If you are transplanting a vine, or if it is interfering with your patio or arbor floor, remove as few of the roots as possible. Removing substantial amounts of rootstock can set your vine growth back a season with regards to peak fruit production. In the case of injured or water damaged roots, remove enough of the roots to prevent decay, cutting away all of the damaged root system.

Transplant

• When transplanting your vine from the nursery to the vineyard or garden, retain as much of the root system from your temporary growing arrangement as possible. Plant your vine at a depth equal to what its environment is in the nursery and water thoroughly. Return after the soil has dried, recover any exposed roots and stake the juvenile plant before pruning.