How to Prune Grape Vines for Growth

Grape vines rely on many factors to produce significant growth, from the right weather to a regular watering schedule. One of the most important means of promoting growth in grape vines is proper pruning, a skill that all gardeners and viticulturists should learn. Pruning must begin in the second growing season after the grape vine is planted and must be maintained each year in late winter or early spring to prompt the growth of thick, healthy foliage and an abundance fruit.

Pruning saw
Bypass pruner

Instructions

- 1
  Plant the grape vine in early spring. Allow the grape vine to grow undisturbed for the first year while it establishes a large, productive root system.
- 2
  Identify the healthiest canes. Look for light brown bark with no scars, soft spots or visible defects. Healthy canes feature a tapering end covered in bark with numerous budding nodes along the shaft.
- 3
  Leave the two healthiest canes and cut away the rest using a pruning saw. Remove the tertiary canes as close to the trunk as possible. By cutting away all but two canes, the nutrient stores of the vine go to producing an abundance of foliage and fruit on the remaining branches.
- 4
  Allow the vine to grow without further pruning during the second year.
- 5
  Remove the top of the trunk in late winter of the third year. Several new vines will emerge from the top of the trunk after pruning, creating a bushy appearance.
- 6
  Prune away half of the new trunk branches with bypass pruners. Do it during the summer growing season once the vines have reached at least 5 inches in length.
- 7
  Maintain the desired length of the vines with pruning shears. Prune the ends so the tips of the vines are angled. Angling the tips inhibits growth so that frequent pruning will not be necessary.

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