Cane & Spur Pruning of Grape Vines

Cane Pruning

• In cane pruning, the vine is pruned back in winter to remove all of the new growth except for two new-growth canes. A cane is a vine that is tied to the main trunk of the plant. The vine owner will remove all of the excess foliage and vines, leaving only the two healthiest canes, which are then trained along a wire going in opposite directions. The end result is a vine that resembles the letter T, with the trunk being the bottom portion and the two canes forming the top.

When to Cane Prune

• Cane pruning is ideal for grape vine cultivars that thrive in a high cordon system. These varieties include any of the species that grow best when hanging from a high wire, such as the American or American and French hybrid species such as Concord. Cane pruning enables the following year's growth to hang down from the two canes, providing sunlight to the foliage and fruit.

Spur Pruning

• In spur pruning, the vine owner does not choose new-growth canes for tying to the wire, but instead retains a pair of canes as permanent growth. These are never cut back to the trunk, and are always left in place at the end of the season. They can be permanently tied to their cordon, or wire, and thus can make mechanical pruning easier.

When to Spur Prune

• Spur pruning is excellent for European varieties of grape vine that grow best when allowed to grow up a trellis system in an upright fashion, including the Vignoles and Chelois cultivars. The well-secured permanent canes provide a good base for the new growth to grow up from in each season. The canes are allowed to grow for multiple seasons, and thus become thicker and more robust, giving more structure to the upright vines.