Winter Pruning of Grape Vines (Vitis Vinifera, V. Labrusca & Hybrids)

(above) The views from the hobbie vineyard at Gunners Quoin.

Pruning is essential to keep grape vines under control and fruiting well. We had a one day practical session on grape vine pruning at a hobbie vineyard near Gunners Quoin.

Training is also essential, on stout posts and horizontal wires. Fruit is borne on new growth arising from wood or canes from the previous year. Pruning methods are variable. Grape vines are very long lived and can produce strong, new fruit-bearing shoots for decades. Pruning is usually carried out in midwinter to minimise risk of sap bleeding from cuts. During the growing season, unwanted shoots are also controlled.

Buds occur at visible swollen nodal areas. When cutting to buds, the cut is made beyond the swollen node to prevent structural damage to the cane.

Grape vines can be either spur pruned (cutting to one or two strong buds) :

or cane pruned (where fruited stems are cut away to leave usually two strong young replacements each containing about 8 or 9 strong buds, appropriately spaced that can be trained horizontally along the wire).

Ideally, the crown of the vine should be kept about a secateurs length down from the first horizontal wire:

Spurs pruning is best made below the cane pruned stems - they will serve as a source of replacement canes for the season after next and by being below ensures that the canes remain the apically dominant focus for the vine to channel its maximal energy. An analogy would be to liken the vine to a plumbing system in this regards, where maximal flow of energy will therefore be into the canes, with little diversion elsewhere.

(above) canes on this vineyard are cut horizontally through the terminal bud to aid ease of training to wire.

Some vines require renovation pruning to either lower the crown or to promote new growth for good canes in the future. This vine below needs renovation as a very woody, complicated crown system has grown in and around the training wire :

To prune grape vines, secateurs and pruning saws are used. These should be sprayed with diluted methylated spirits prior to use. Often loppers will need to be used for larger, older growth. In commercial vineyards, battery operated secateurs are used to minimise repetitive strain injury and tendonitis. Chainmail gauntlets are often worn underneath gloves to minimise the risk of injury. Protective eyewear is also recommended as it is very easy to sustain a penetrating eye injury due to the amount of vine that usually needs to be cut back.

Green waste is usually placed in the middle of vine rows and mulched by machine and left on the ground :

The vineyard at Tolpuddle uses Populus nigra "italica" or Lombardy Poplars as a commonly found wind break in commercial production areas :

In addition, a solar-powered computerised system helps to record moisture content through the soil profile to monitor effectiveness of irrigation :

Powdery mildew is a significant issue for grape growers - this addressed on most commercial vineyards by preventative spraying with a sulphur-based wettable powder or on organic vineyards with milk or sulphur-based preparations.

Tolpuddle vineyard use guinea fowl as a cultural method to control for grapevine weevil whose larvae are wood borers:

Ref : RHS pruning and training manual, pg. 288