Spring pruning of grapes in a step-by-step description. Grape pruning. How to tidy up old grapes? How to cut new grape shoots

Grapes are everyone's favorite berry. In addition, the vineyards are so beautiful that every self-respecting gardener has a dream - a beautiful and fruitful vineyard. But in order for it to become so, the grapes need pruning. We will describe it to the novice gardener in this article, as usual with photos and videos!

The annual grape harvest, its quality and quantity depend on this operation (pruning). It has also been scientifically proven that pruned vineyards can resist various diseases and pests and withstand the cold season without much difficulty.

How to prune grapes correctly

For beginners, the process of pruning a grapevine may seem complicated and impossible, although in reality everything is much simpler. The most important thing is to understand the essence of how to prune grapes in the fall, understand the diagrams, and then the practice will not seem like a living hell.

And this article and additional materials to it will help you understand this not simple, but quite interesting matter, like pruning grapes in winter. In the article you will find answers to all your questions.

What is grape pruning?

Pruning is a manipulation carried out with the aim of shortening or removing annual shoots, and old ones as necessary.

What time of year is best to prune a vineyard? When is it better to prune grapes - in autumn or spring? The most preferable is autumn pruning of grapes. There are several reasons for this: firstly, if the vineyard needs to be covered for the winter, then this process is greatly facilitated.

Secondly, the “wounds” heal quickly after pruning. As a result, such correct pruning of grapes in the fall leads to the fact that the bush bears fruit well.

Pruning grapes in the spring is dangerous for the bush because liquid will ooze from the cut for a long time, along with which the plant will begin to leave useful substances and trace elements; this process is also called “crying grapes.”

The tears of a grapevine can not only reduce the quality and quantity of products obtained, but also kill the bush. As a last resort, if pruning was not carried out in the fall, then it can be done in early spring, only very carefully. The thermometer should reach + 5 degrees Celsius.

During the formation and ripening of berries, professionals in their field remove excess vines, pinch shoots, and clean the bush from unnecessary leaves.

Professional winemaking includes: the formation of clusters on the lower part of the bush, followed by gradual clearing of foliage, this is done so that the berries absorb the sun's rays. Clusters formed in the upper or middle part of the bush are freed from excess shoots, while the foliage is left. This trick gives the grapes an exquisite taste. Also, thanks to pruning, hidden diseases of the bush are revealed, which can then be easily treated.

Grape pruning scheme for Beginners - How to prune grapes correctly

How to prune grapes in spring? Spring pruning of grapes for beginners is recommended only for those bushes whose age is no more three years. Quite often, a side effect of pruning the bush is the drying out of the vine and the subsequent death of the vineyard.

If you prune an adult bush that is more than three years old, the buds will turn sour. That's why best time for pruning bushes - autumn, because pruning grapes for the winter will avoid most problems, in particular with excessive release of juice.

How is a vineyard pruned?

So, we concluded that the grapes need pruning. A logical question arises: “What to use for pruning grape vines?” Everything is very simple. There are no fancy devices for such an operation. You will need:

For a young bush, the only tool is a pruner. It is also used when pruning grape bunches during harvest.
For neglected bushes, the pruning of which is carried out for the purpose of rejuvenation, a pruning shear designed for removing tree branches or a hacksaw is suitable.
Secateurs are used for pruning young vines, the thickness of which does not reach one and a half centimeters, and small sleeves. To get an even cut, you can use pruners equipped with two sharp blades.
A bow saw for wood is used for pruning perennial vines no thicker than eight centimeters. A hacksaw is suitable for cutting thick shoots. A lopper is also useful for this work. This is a type of pruner with which it is possible to remove branches in the most remote and inaccessible places.

Before you start pruning, you need to make sure that all tools are well sharpened and disinfected. Any liquid containing a high alcohol content is suitable for disinfection.

What are the purposes of grape pruning?

In autumn, pruning of the vineyard is carried out for the purpose of:

Preserving and giving the necessary shape to the bush;
Removing old, unnecessary parts of the bush;
Assessment of the general condition of the bush.

Grape shoots should be pruned every autumn strictly after the leaves fall. If this procedure is not carried out, the bush will grow greatly, and the berries will significantly decrease in size.

Features of pruning grapes at different age periods

Young bush (up to 3-5 years). Pruning of annual grapes should be carried out from the first year of planting.
Mature fruiting plant. It is pruned annually to give shape, as well as to improve the quality of the resulting product.
During the aging period of the bush, it is carried out in order to extend the fruiting period of the bush.

How to prune grapes by year

Time for autumn pruning of grapes

The specific timing for this procedure depends directly on the grape variety and weather conditions in the area where the plant is grown.

Preliminary pruning of the grapevine is carried out from the first to the tenth of October before the arrival of the first frost. Only unripe green shoots are pruned. You need to be extremely careful, because the shoots are rich brown or dark Brown, which crunch a little when bending should not be touched under any circumstances!
Basic pruning of the vine. The time is mid-end of October, immediately after frost. In this case, several weeks should pass after the first pruning. Before starting work, you should carefully examine the bush and make an objective analysis of its condition. Then remove dry, thin and unripe shoots. Then prune more developed vines.

The main thing is to remember what we talked about - pruning grapes in the spring is not the best option!

Types of grapevine pruning

Formative pruning. This type is used only in the first years of the life of a grape bush. During formative pruning, the winegrower removes all parts of the bush that do not fit into a certain shape, weak, fragile and immature vines. Thanks to the pruning procedure, the foundation of the plant is formed. Formative pruning is applied only to bushes whose age does not exceed four years. Pruning depends on the climatic conditions (as, for example, in the case of growing grapes in the Crimea) in which the plant is located.
Annual autumn pruning of old grapes. Standard procedure for professional winegrowers. This type of pruning must be done every year. The role of pruning is to maintain the chosen shape of the bush throughout its life.
Anti-aging pruning. This procedure is carried out to replace old, rotten, dried elements of the plant with fresh, young shoots.

How to prune grapes correctly?

How to prune grapes correctly - instructions for beginners

How to prune grapes for the winter? It's better to start from the top. The technology for correct pruning of grapes includes performing simple sequential actions:

1. At the beginning of autumn, on perennial branches it is necessary to remove all new shoots that extend half a meter from the soil part.
2. For shoots that are more than eighty centimeters in length, it is necessary to cut off the tops of the stem by approximately 10 percent of the total length. All side stepsons should also be pruned.
3. After the leaves fall, most often in mid-October, you need to decide on particularly developed shoots, and those whose height is no more than eighty centimeters from the ground.
4. The lowest shoot, formed from the outer part, must be cut off, leaving three eyes. This will leave a knot to replace.
5. On the opposite side, the first shoot must be removed, while retaining at least five and no more than ten eyes (“fruit shoots”).

The result of such pruning will be longevity, beauty, and high-quality fruiting product.

Proper care of the vineyard after pruning

At the end of the pruning procedure, the grapes must be protected from various diseases and pests, that is, treated with special solutions. The next stage is preparing the grape vine for shelter. Young bushes are bent and covered with earth. This shelter will reliably protect the grapes from low temperatures - minus fifteen. If the temperature in the growing area is lower in winter, then the grape bushes are covered with wooden boxes or covered with roofing felt.

For a mature plant, it is best to use several protection methods. It is advisable to hide the bush in a tunnel made of plastic film. Before this, you need to bend the plant to the ground and cover it with coniferous branches. The edges of the film are pressed to the ground. In places where winter is not so severe, frost-resistant varieties pruning and covering of grapes is not required.

Pruning tips from a professional winegrower

How to prune grapes correctly

How to prune grapes for the winter? If you strictly follow all the recommendations of experienced vineyards, then the procedure for pruning the grapevine will be quite simple and will not take much time. However, sometimes beginners make serious mistakes, which subsequently have a negative impact on the quantity, quality and health of the vineyard. If this is your first time encountering the procedure of pruning grapes, then it is advisable to watch several video lessons on the Internet before something irreparable happens.

The skill of pruning grapevines is a very important skill, without which it is impossible to grow a large vineyard. If you master this skill, you will be able to grow young bushes and harvest the maximum harvest from mature plants, which will give you large, juicy berries. In addition, the vine will be a wonderful decoration for the facade of a house, gazebo or fence.

So, you have learned how to prune a vineyard as correctly as possible. Remember that proper pruning is a guarantee of a bountiful harvest and prosperity for your vineyard! To conclude the topic “pruning grapes in the fall for beginners,” we offer the following video, which will tell you about the methods and basic rules for pruning grapes:

Grapes are being grown not only in the traditional southern regions, but also in places where they have never grown before. This is due to the fact that through hybridization and selection it was possible to obtain frost-resistant and disease-resistant varieties. They take root well and produce a good harvest even beyond the Urals and in Siberia. In order for the grapes to develop normally and produce a lot of berries, proper care is necessary. One of the very important agrotechnical procedures is pruning the grapevine.

Why is it necessary?

Grapes, as a biological species, are a vine that can stretch for many meters. In this case, all useful substances will be spent only on the growth of the plant, and its fruits will receive minimal amount necessary microelements. Even in ancient times, winegrowers noticed that a damaged vine, which stops growing, produces more berries. The clusters turn out to be large and with large berries. Gradually, the process of pruning grapes turned into a mandatory procedure. It pursues the following goals:

correct formation of the bush;
improving conditions for growth and development;
improving the taste of berries;
simplifying the care of grape bushes.

Proper and timely pruning of grapes allows you to increase not only the quantity, but also the quality of the berries. They become large and juicy, and a strong stalk holds the berries in the bunch, preventing them from falling off.

What can be trimmed

Pruning is not only a way to increase productivity, but also a cosmetic procedure. In this case, old and non-viable branches are removed. For aging grapes, this method affects its life expectancy.

Gardeners use several methods for pruning grape bushes. The technique is selected depending on the bush itself and the degree of damage to it by weather conditions, for example, frost or hail. For grapes in the period of active fruiting, 40 to 90 percent of the growth is cut off.

fruit shoot

The grapes form many buds, from which fruit shoots develop. They grow in summer and have tendrils and flowers. Next, side branches appear on the shoots, which are called stepsons. Beginning gardeners may have the misconception that the more shoots there are, the larger the harvest. This is fundamentally wrong. A large number of side branches reduces the amount of nutrients and the berries will be small and the clusters will be small. Therefore, stepchildren are always removed.

Vine

They call the woody shoot of a grape, which is a vine. It can stretch several meters in length, so in fruit viticulture it must be pruned. In decorative varieties (wild,), which are used in landscape design, a long and lush vine with a large number of leaves adorns arches and decorative structures.

Branch or sleeve

In viticulture, a perennial vine more than 40 centimeters long is called a sleeve or branch.. The sleeves extend directly from the central trunk of the bush. Their number can vary from one to six. In some cases there may be more.

The most common mistake made by novice gardeners is careful pruning of the grape bush. In this case, only the tops of the shoots and old and dried shoots are removed.

Features of bush formation

The formation of a grape bush plays a big role in its productivity and longevity. When forming a bush, the characteristics of the area, grape variety and growing technology are taken into account. The entire theory and practice of this process was formulated by French winegrowers a century and a half ago. There are several formation schemes, each of which helps to increase the yield and quality of berries. You can begin to form a grape bush in the second year after planting. The entire process can take up to six years. Domestic gardeners prefer to use the formation of a bush in the form of a fan.

Fan

The fan technology for forming a grape bush involves growing from three to five sleeves, which are located on a support structure in the form of a fan. Support structure It looks like pillars dug into the ground, between which, parallel to the ground, in several horizontal rows, a wire is stretched, to which the shoots are tied. The fan can be double-sided or one-sided. The advantage of the fan forming method is as follows:

ease of bush care;
convenience of covering before winter;
increased fruiting;
improving the taste of berries.

The main purpose of fan formation is to create two vines on each arm. As a result of many years of pruning the bush, it is possible to obtain up to eight branches, which diverge with shoots in the form of a fan along horizontal supports.

Technique and schemes

Young bushes that have not entered the fruiting period should be pruned only in the spring. It is important to follow some rules:

the thicker the shoot, the longer the shoot is removed;
the cut is made 2-3 cm above the eye;
the best shoot is left on a strongly elongated sleeve;
When removing shoots completely, you cannot leave stumps;
When removing stepsons, the stump should be left.

In order to form a fruiting link, it is necessary to completely remove last year's vine. The grape pruning technique includes the following several schemes:

short;
average;
long;
mixed.

The gardener’s task is to leave the optimal number of buds on the bush and, using various methods of pruning and removing shoots and vines, to form a compact bush to obtain maximum yield.

Short

This species assumes leaving no more than 4 eyes on the shoot. In viticulture, a short shoot is called a knot. This method is usually used on young grape bushes to strengthen the root system. It also ensures active growth of shoots from the buds, because most of the annual shoots are removed.

Short pruning is used by gardeners when forming a bush. In case of damage to part of the bush as a result of pruning the bush, a reserve knot is formed.

Average

This type is the most common technique in all types of vineyards. With this method, 8-10 eyes are left on the shoot. In this case, the fruiting branches can be arranged in an arcuate manner horizontally or bending downwards. Medium pruning of grapes ensures maximum yield with high quality berries.

Long

The long one allows ten to twenty eyes per shoot and is used on vigorous grape varieties. Some Central Asian varieties allow very long pruning, in which up to 25 eyes are left on the shoot. This method significantly activates their fruiting.

Mixed

Mixed pruning is called fruiting pruning. This method is most often used when growing small vineyards on individual garden plots. Regular renewal of shoots allows you to maintain high yields and excellent quality of berries. When mixed pruning, it is important to form a replacement knot, which should be located on the outside of the bush. On very strong bushes, an increase in the number of eyes is allowed.

Deadlines

In viticulture, different pruning times are practiced. Pruning in each season is determined by the purposes for which work is performed on the vine.

Autumn

Is a mandatory process. It improves the overall condition of the plant and can speed up bud break in the spring. When pruning in autumn, the bush is rejuvenated, while its growth is controlled. Shortly before pruning, the vineyard should be watered abundantly so that the root system is filled with moisture. The soil around the root needs to be loosened. In order for the plant to easily tolerate pruning, fertilizing with mineral fertilizers should be used. Old branches that do not bear fruit, diseased and weak shoots should be removed.

All biological material remaining after pruning must not be left on the site. The best option would be to burn the trimmings.

Summer

Summer pruning is carried out so that the plant does not waste its energy on growing unnecessary shoots. A large number of fruitful shoots can produce a bountiful harvest, but the berries will be small and tasteless. In addition, empty, leafy branches shade the sun, which also has a bad effect on fruiting. These shoots are removed in the summer. Summer pruning can be carried out without mechanical devices, and the branches are broken off and pinched.

Spring

Spring pruning dates begin when stable warm weather sets in. depends on the age of the bush, since a two-year-old vine is pruned somewhat differently than an annual one. In spring, the plant wakes up after winter and enters the active growth phase, so all spring work on the vine must be done very carefully.

Winter (January, February)

If autumn pruning was not carried out for some reason, this procedure can be performed in winter. Autumn pruning should not be postponed until spring. The optimal time for this is February, when the worst frosts are already behind. Winter pruning has its positive sides. It is easier to work with a dried vine and there is less chance of introducing pathogenic microorganisms to a fresh cut.

Pruning grapes is done with ordinary pruning shears. In some cases, a garden hacksaw and a special knife may be required. The blades of the pruning shears should be well sharpened, and before trimming live shoots they should be disinfected with any alcohol-containing liquid. The hacksaw should have a thin blade with fine teeth. Cuts must be made on inside branches. If the cut is uneven, it should be corrected with a knife blade.

Video

This video will tell you how to prune grapes correctly so as not to harm your bush and get the maximum harvest of berries.

conclusions

Pruning of grapes is mandatory agrotechnical procedure.
Recommended guidelines should be strictly followed timing of pruning grape bushes.
Anything left after pruning should be burned to prevent the development of fungal infections. These include:
You cannot carry out pruning work with dirty tools.

Right and wrong...

Friends and acquaintances, visiting my site, invariably say with sadness:

- Here you have grapes, but we, it’s a shame to say, have sparsely fruitful bushes.

– How do you take care of him? – I start asking.

“Yes, like everyone else,” they answer, “we fertilize, cover, prune.”

– How exactly do you prune? – I continue to ask.

– So again, like everyone else, in the fall, all the tops are 30 cm.

- That’s the trouble, like everyone else...

From whose easy hand did such a stupid fashion begin? After all, such pruning stimulates even greater branching of the vines and thickening of the entire bush, which leads to only one sad result - a decrease in the number of ovaries. Disappointment befalls people who would like to do everything right, but do not know how exactly. So their grapes, planted with hope and love, grow, stretch upward, increasing the green mass, and its roots, spreading in all directions, develop more and more new spaces, creating a threat to other plants in the garden.

We, summer residents, must understand and master, like the multiplication table: if you want to have a normally developed bush with large berries, learn to prune it. This is an axiom.

In addition, there is complete disagreement among gardeners regarding the timing of this procedure: some do it in mid-August, others at the end, and others in the fall. The correct option is the third one. And there is one important clarification: grapes are pruned when the leaves have already fallen off, but before frost, so that the vine bends. But the most important thing is that you need to do pruning only with a clearly structured system in your head once and for all.)

If you approach it frivolously (like “I’ll cut it here, then over there - it looks like nothing, it looks normal”), then the opposite effect is guaranteed.

Everyone to whom I explained the diagram with a pencil in my hand immediately understood everything. And after a while they warmly thanked him for the hint.

When I first purchased two grape seedlings in 2007 Moscow stable and Violet early, I had no idea how to care for them. In the first winter, one of them died. The remaining Moscow stable grew and developed well, and I began to read specialized literature. And, to be honest, it was difficult to understand it, and the specific terms of the winegrowers made me sad.

I had to re-read the sentences many times, trying to somehow comprehend them. A lot of effort and time went into this. Experience has gradually accumulated and continues to accumulate, especially since I continue to be interested in this topic.

But, again, it’s funny to say, few of the authors write clearly, understandably and to the end - where to cut, what to leave, how to pinch and how many leaves. It's like we're speaking different languages! This is precisely why I want to tell people what I learned myself (after all, my friends understand me, although at first they are afraid that they will not be able to cope with this work).

Cycle of grape shoots

So, I remove the entire bush from the trellis, I untie the wire and spread it flat on the ground as far as possible. I carefully examine and remember which vines had the main harvest.

Then I'll see if there is good, finger-thick young shoots that grew this year. It is easy to distinguish them: they are flexible, their surface is light brown, and it cannot even be called bark - it is so thin and delicate.

I mark them with threads or ropes of the same color. After this, I look for thin, immature green shoots that thicken the vine. I put tags of a different color on them.

After this, all that remains is to follow the correct sequence of actions.

I remove the vines that had a harvest this year first.. I advise all summer residents: don’t be afraid! When the vine bears fruit, cut it off from the trunk (trunk) growing from the ground. In fact, it’s not even a vine, but a branch, because it’s already two years old, and the brown bark on it is starting to become shaggy and peel off.

Next stage - pruning those awkward, pencil-thin vines. What's the result? Young vines that grew this year remain on the bush. How many of them did you get? Two? Three? Four? If so, that's good. That is, the meaning of pruning is that the fruit-bearing vines are cut off from the trunk every year, otherwise they will become thicker and coarser, and it will be difficult to straighten them later for gartering to the trellises. Only the grape trunk, 30-40 cm high from the ground, should remain this thick.

Briefly speaking, old vines were removed– left those that had grown. They will bear fruit next year. And in the fall, after the harvest has been harvested, harvest them too. And so on all the time. This is the cycle.

Of course, if the bush has not been pruned for a long time, you need to approach it without fanaticism. Are you afraid to make drastic cuts? Don't cut it like that! Just try to figure out which shoots are where, and at least thin out the bush, but not just shortening all the tops in a row.

Well, if you decide to trim and find it in a bush several young vines of good thickness (more than a pencil), coming from the bottom of the trunk, cut two or three of them to a length equal to one and a half meters - this 8-12 buds. These vines will produce a harvest next year.

And the lowest, young one, must be cut short - into three buds, since we are creating a replacement knot, i.e. We ensure that we have new vines next summer. They will grow from these three buds, and then they will need to be tied vertically to pegs driven into the ground. And in the fall, trim them “for harvest” - by 8-12 buds. And one – again briefly.

Just don't cut the vines in the spring!

I tried it in different ways: even before the buds swelled or a little later. It is forbidden. The vine begins to “cry”, the drops fall and fall... Transparent, tasteless, like water. It is believed that "crying" dries up the vine. It’s better to wait (if it didn’t work out in the fall) for the active growth of leaves and remove the excess length in the summer.

Photo 1 shows: three fruit-bearing vines (last year’s growth) lie on a wire, and those that grew this summer are tied vertically upward. In the fall, I will cut off those that are lying on the wire, I will trim the young ones and make one of them very short - just like those three buds. This is why my bush always looks young without changing its appearance.

Well, isn't it simple? The vines have spawned - I clean them up. New ones have grown to replace them - I leave them. That's all.

Curiosity is not a vice...

Another important point in caring for grapes - protecting them from the cold. This must be done so that it “under the roof” does not rot from moisture. A piece of linoleum or roofing felt is what you need. Wavy slate is even better because its waves allow plants to breathe during the thaw. My grapes always winter well. Last year I laid it inside an old tire (according to its diameter), and covered the remaining standard sticking out outside (it is already thick and does not bend) with a wooden box. And I stretched a thick film over the entire structure. The result is excellent.

Last year I bought the Arcadia variety. On the advice of the seller, I temporarily placed the seedling in an old, leaky bucket buried in the ground. I was told that grapes can be kept there for six years, and this is better than replanting them in adulthood. In the meantime, I’m finding a place for him - my area is very densely populated.

This year I met Rochefort. At first the seedling grew poorly, apparently growing its root system, but now it is growing a very decent vine. I don’t let it branch, I remove the stepsons - all this so that it can ripen and overwinter well.

According to the rules, I must prune it into three buds in the fall. But it’s a pity... If I do this, it won’t be long before I can taste what this variety tastes like.

So I’ll think about what to do - according to science or follow curiosity and take a risk to get a few berries?

By the way, rumors began to reach me that my time-tested Moscow resistant variety it's time to write it off because it is considered outdated. Well, that's another way to say it. Its berries are sweet, amber-green-yellow, not very large (probably the size of a cherry), similar to raisins, but only with seeds. Nothing at all!

And he early date ripening is the end of August, and this is also important. Of course, there are now a great many varieties sold all year round, you have to limit yourself, these are not tomatoes, which I really like to test, choosing those varieties that are most suitable for me and my land.

The key to a rich harvest is competent and conscientious care of the plant. In growing grapes, one of the most important procedures is pruning. We tell and show how to prune bushes correctly.

One of the features of grapes is polarity - the plant’s ability to vertically direct nutrients predominantly to the upper young shoots. This property was developed in grapes historically: living in conditions wildlife, the plant constantly stretched upward, trying to find a brighter and warmer place.

For normal development, grapes need a large amount of sunlight.

Because of this, the eyes in the middle and lower parts of the bush develop much worse than in the upper parts, and sometimes do not produce shoots at all. If you do not prune the grapes and let them grow freely, the berries will gradually become smaller, and then the bush itself will go wild. That is why it is necessary to renew the grapes in a timely manner by pruning.

When is it better to prune grapes - in spring or autumn?

The time for pruning grapes depends on climatic conditions. So, if winters are harsh in your area, prune in the spring. In regions with moderately cold winters, grape bushes are pruned in the fall - about 20 days after the leaves fall. Frost-resistant grape varieties are pruned first, while more heat-loving and less cold-resistant varieties (as well as young bushes) are pruned in the spring. You need to start pruning grapes in spring before sap flow begins, otherwise the flowing sap will interfere with wound healing. If you missed this point, we recommend cutting off only dried old shoots and unnecessary young shoots, and forming the bush by blinding (plucking out) the extra eyes of the vine.

Spring pruning of grapes requires extreme care, since improper execution of this procedure can destroy the plant. The blades of pruning tools should be well sharpened and disinfected with an alcohol-based product.

To check how well a blade is sharpened, take a piece of paper and run its edge along the tip of the tool. If the paper is difficult to cut, then the blade needs to be sharpened.

With the onset of the first warm days, when the air temperature reaches 5°C, prepare necessary tools and start renewing the grapes. The main tool is a pruning shear, but to work with older, thicker branches you will need a pruning saw. The cut should be as even and smooth as possible, without splits, cracks or burrs.

Proper pruning of grapes - what you need to know

There are several simple rules, following which even the most inexperienced summer resident can successfully cope with pruning grapes:

The cut should be made at a right angle (perpendicular to the branch). This will speed up healing, since the wound area will be smaller than with a sloped cut.
Regardless of the pruning scheme, in any case, remove diseased and frozen branches.
Do not leave shoots that are too long - 7-12 eyes (buds) are enough for normal branch growth.

Remove fruit-bearing annual shoots very carefully so as not to damage perennial wood. To do this, make cuts at the base of a perennial shoot, leaving a stump 0.5 cm high.
For fruiting, leave healthy shoots with a diameter of at least 6 mm. Remove thinner and fattening shoots (more than 10 mm in diameter).

Below we will consider two types of bush formation by pruning.

Pruning grapes during standard formation

The pruning procedure should be appropriate for each age of the grapes.

Spring 1st year: To obtain two shoots, cut the seedling to 2 eyes, removing the rest.

Spring of the 2nd year. Shorten the main shoot, which will act as a trunk, to the desired height (usually 50-90 cm). It will serve as the basis for the standard. Just in case, you can save one more shoot by cutting it to 2 eyes.

Spring of the 3rd year. On the main shoot (trunk), remove all the vines except the top two. Cut each of them to 2 eyes and tie them to the trellis, pointing them in different directions. Cut 4 shoots that have grown over the summer in the fall as follows: cut the lower shoots on each side to 2 buds (these will be replacement knots), and the upper shoots to 5-15 buds (these will be fruiting arrows).

Spring 4th year. Cut out the fruit-bearing branches, and from the shoots that grew on the replacement branches, form new fruit links (on each side of the bush, cut one shoot to 5-15 buds, and the second to 2 buds).

More detailed information about standard forming awaits you in the following video:

Pruning grapes when forming without a trunk

This type of formation also has its own subtleties.

Spring of the 1st year. Remove all dry, diseased and damaged parts of the bush. Leave 10% of all young shoots, cut them at a height of 2-3 cm above the second bud.

Spring of the 2nd year. Remove 60% of the young growth, leaving 2-3 of the strongest sleeves (cut them to 2 buds).

Spring of the 3rd year. This is the age of formation of fruiting units. Shorten the lower vine (replacement knot) to 2 buds, the upper part (fruit shoot) to 7-14 buds. There should be 2 vines left on each sleeve, the rest can be removed.

We invite you to familiarize yourself with the advice of experienced winegrowers presented in this video:

Features of spring pruning of fruiting grapes

To prune a grape bush that has already begun to produce a harvest, it is necessary to remove all fruit-bearing, damaged, weak, thin or, conversely, too thick (“fattening”) shoots, leaving developed mature vines of medium thickness (6-10 mm).

Spring and autumn pruning together represent a single set of procedures. Autumn pruning is a preliminary treatment prior to covering the grapes for the winter. It involves removing unripe parts of the shoots to minimize damage and help the bush survive the winter safely. In autumn, grape bushes are pruned so that there are more eyes than planned shoots (in case some do not survive the winter).

Types of special spring pruning for damaged grape bushes

The structure of a grape bush

If after winter you find signs of frostbite on the grape bushes, do not despair - you can restore the plant (at least partially) with the help of special pruning.

1. The bushes froze during wintering

First, check the condition of your kidneys. Make cuts on the eyes, moving from the base of the branch to the top: if the buds are green, then they are healthy. But a black or dark brown color indicates damage. Count the damaged buds and calculate what percentage of the total volume of the buds they make up.

If less than 80% of the kidneys die leave on fruit links larger number kidneys than with conventional formation. The harvest can also be obtained from additional shoots on the fruiting branches that you left during autumn pruning.

If annual shoots or bushes were frostbitten more than 80% of the kidneys died, two-stage sanitary pruning will help. Before the buds bloom, remove frozen shoots and damaged sleeves. When greenery appears, complete the sanitary pruning by removing unnecessary growth.

If 100% of the kidneys are affected check the condition of the stepchildren - they are more frost-resistant and have a better chance of surviving the winter. If the buds of the stepsons are also dead, try to form fruiting links from shoots (shoots developing from the underground part of the trunk) or tops (fatifying shoots of a grape bush growing from buds on perennial branches).

Look at how the core is colored when cut: its bright green color indicates the good condition of the shoot, slightly browned color indicates minor damage. But shoots with a dark brown core need to be removed.

When the entire above-ground part of the bush dies, a cut is made “to the black head”. To do this, dig the bush to a depth of 25-30 cm and cut off the entire above-ground part above the healthy node. Then cover the stump with earth (5 cm layer), and soon young shoots will begin to grow from the trunk. Leave the strongest ones and remove the excess growth. This will give you a new, healthy vine.

2. Frostbite of the roots of the bush

Often, a frosty winter with little snow leads to damage or death of part of the grape root system. Carefully dig up the ground in several places around the bush to different depths, make cuts on the roots of the plant - healthy roots should be white when cut, frostbitten roots should be dark brown.

If the diameter of the root frostbite is no more than 2.5 mm, this is not detrimental to the plant, the main thing is that the main part of the root system is preserved, which means that the vine will recover next year. In the spring, reduce the load on it by pruning the fruit vines short.

3. Damage from spring hail

If after a spring hail the bush has lost a significant part of its leaves, trim the young shoots to 1-2 buds. Later, shoots will appear from them that need to be thinned out. This will help activate the reserve eyes, which will begin to bear fruit next year.

4. Damage due to cold snap

Spring frosts, often coinciding with the period of bud break, can destroy not only young shoots and buds, but also annual vines. If this happens, briefly prune last year's branches to stimulate the growth of new shoots from dormant buds.

If the greens and inflorescences are damaged, then in order to awaken the sleeping buds, shortening the annual shoots will be enough. This will partially restore the harvest. If only the tops of the branches, as well as a small number of leaves and inflorescences are damaged, special pruning is not necessary.

Thanks to proper pruning of the grapevine, the berries will become larger and juicier, and the harvest will increase. Also, pruning will greatly simplify the care of the bushes and speed up the ripening of the grapes.