Do You Cut Back Grape Vines at the End of the Year?

First-Year Grape Vines

• Grape vines that have just been planted require additional pruning and care. As soon as the grape vine is planted, prune it back until just two buds remain. Allow those two buds to grow before selecting the strongest to train to a stake or trellis. Pinch back the remaining bud so the grape vine puts all of its energy into making a trunk from the single bud.

Established Grape Vines

• There are many different methods for training grape vines, but most rely on developing a single trunk for each vine. After the first growing season, prune the selected vine back to the top of the wire where you will be training the grape vine. Leave six to 10 shoots that will form the runners the following season.

Extreme Pruning

• Young grape vines tend to develop a lot of fruit if left unchecked. This leads to smaller, less desirable fruits and saps the strength of the vine. For this reason, grapes should be pruned heavily each year and only a limited number of grape clusters should be allowed to develop. The fruit will be larger and better quality than if all fruits developed. How much to prune is highly dependent on the variety of grape you are growing, but generally you should leave no more than 30 buds per established plant.

Care for Neglected Vines

• A vine that has been severely neglected or left to run wild will require special care to get back into shape for production. Do not attempt to prune this kind of vine all at once. Select a cane that originates near the base of the vine and cut it back to 3 or 4 feet during the first year. Focus on this cane and allow it to complete a growing season before removing as much old wood as possible from the rest of the vine.