How & When to Prune Grapevines in Southern California

Pruning Benefits

• Regular pruning results in a more attractive grapevine with better fruit quality and more stable production. Growers can control their plants' shape, size and fruitfulness by selecting the appropriate buds to remove.

Pruning Time

• The University of California-Davis recommends pruning grapes any time after the plant drops its leaves for the cold season. Pruning beforehand can cause nutritional deficiencies and poor growth the next year. Prune early in the dormant season to prevent late bud break in spring.

Pruning Methods

• Grapevines may be spur-pruned or cane-pruned. Spur-pruning leaves 15 to 18 shoots every 3 feet, with 1 to 3 buds on each. Cane-pruning is more difficult and takes each cane back to 10 to 15 buds. Leave only canes that have been exposed to sunlight, as they fruit more heavily.