How to Cut Down Grape Plants in the Fall

Cut back grapevines after all fruit has been harvested and the vine has gone into dormancy. Fall cutting is best done after leaves have dropped but before extended freezing temperatures, when the vine's sap is low and the canes have hardened.

Identify new growth. Grapes are produced on each year's new growth, and the best fruit is derived from new shoots formed on canes from the previous year. Year-old canes are about as thick as a pencil and have light, smooth bark, as opposed to older canes, which are thicker and have dark, rough bark.

Choose which canes to keep. Pick out two to four of the healthiest canes from the previous year's growth. They should have nodes (where the leaves and fruit will grow from in the next season) approximately every 8 to 12 inches.

Cut off the remaining canes flush with the trunk, using pruning shears for thin canes or a handsaw for thick, fibrous canes. This should be approximately 75 to 90 percent of the new wood that has grown in the previous season, in addition to any old growth not trimmed the year before. While this may seem like too much, not cutting enough back leads to poor-quality fruit in the next season.

Remove any tendrils near the trunk or canes. These tendrils can encircle the trunk or canes, killing the fruit-bearing arms or worse, the entire vine.

Clean out all cut canes, debris, weeds and undergrowth. This ensures proper air circulation for your grapevines and removes any impediments to the vine's water and nutrient absorption.