Pruning and Training a Grape Vine
Plant a grape vine and tie it to a 6' stake allowing it to grow shoots. During the first dormant season choose the best shoot and cut all other shoots to their bases.
During the second summer, after you have trained the vine to a permanent trunk, set up the post and wire system as shown in the diagram to the right, 2 wires at a height of around 2 feet and two wires at a height of around 4 feet. When the vine has grown over a foot above the top wire pinch the top shoot a foot above the wire.
During the second winter, cut off the trunk right through the bud located just above the top wire. Remove all of the side shoots for the trunk except for 4 nearest each of the sets of wires. Cut back these 4 shoots to leave two buds remaining as shown in the diagram to the right.
During the third winter, as shown in picture to right, cut off all but 3 shoots from each of the upper and lower branches that came from the two bud spurs (blue in center). Cut the upper shoot back to 10 buds (blue upper) and attach to the top wire, and the lower shoot to 10 buds (blue lower) to the lower wire. Cut 4 shoots back to 2 buds (pictured in black). (Note: in the diagram below only one branch for one of the two wires is shown.)
From the fourth winter on cut off the canes that fruited in the prior season (As shown in red in picture to right). Each of the 4 spurs as pictured above will have sent out two shoots (a total of 8) during the previous year. Leave 1 fruiting cane with 10 buds (pictured below in blue) and 1 spur with 2 buds on each of the four 4 spurs (pictured below in black). Cut the upper shoots back as spurs with 2 buds (black), and cut the 2 lower shoots as fruiting canes with 10 buds (blue) for the coming growing season.
The Simple System
For those who want to grow your grape vines as simply as possible on simple trellis or a fence or arbor, here are some basic tips:
Grapes should have some sort of support. Build a trellis with two wires, one about 18 inches above the other after planting, or use a fence, lattice trellis, or arbor as a support for grapes. Support is optional the first summer, but essential after that. Prune off all but the strongest stem and tie it up to a post to develop into a strong trunk the second year. The third year, select four side branches, two on each side of the trunk and train them along wires about 18 inches apart.
Each year thereafter, the plant should be pruned heavily. Nearly 90 percent of the previous year's growth should be removed each year. Four strong canes should be selected from last year's growth, and trimmed back to include 10 or 12 buds to grow and produce in the upcoming season. Four more canes are selected as renewal spurs. These should be cut back nearly to the trunk leaving 1 or 2 buds to grow strong canes for next year. All else, including last year's wood should be removed to the trunk.
Canes can be removed in the fall for Christmas wreaths, but pruning is ordinarily performed in March or early April before the buds begin to swell. The pruning cuts will continue to drip sap from their wounds until the plant breaks dormancy in the spring. This weeping is not harmful in any way to the plant. Sap in plants is not limited in supply like blood is for animals. It is primarily composed of water which is continually supplied by the roots.
