How to Trim a Grape Cane

Gardeners trim grapevines to maximize their yield and produce quality fruit. Grapevines produce fruit on the previous season's growth. Any canes two years old and older are not productive and must be removed. Canes that are diseased must be trimmed off to prevent harmful pathogens from spreading to other canes. The best time to trim your grape canes to improve their yield is any time in the late winter. Canes that have diseases may be trimmed at any time of the year.

Bypass shears
Pruning saw
Denatured alcohol
Nylon string

Instructions

- 1
  Trim back one-year-old canes growing from the cordon, so there are three to five spurs on either side of the trunk. The grape cordon consists of two main canes that grow from the trunk of the grapevine. These canes are trained on either side of the trunk of the grapevine. Spurs hang from the two main canes and produce grapes.
- 2
  Cut off any canes that are two-years old and older. Use a saw to remove heavy wood.
- 3
  Cut off any portions of the canes that display discoloration or damage. Dip a pair of bypass shears into a mixture of 70-percent denatured alcohol and 30-percent water before you trim, to prevent spreading diseases.
- 4
  Remove any spurs or canes that are smaller in diameter than a pencil. Small, unhealthy canes cannot produce healthy fruit.

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