Article from the eXension Foundation
by Ed Hellman, Texas AgriLife Extension, and Dick O’Brien, Owner of Elton Vineyards, Salem, Oregon
Grapevine Pruning Practices
Pruning Cuts
When
pruning, always use well-maintained, sharp tools. Pruning cuts should
be made on canes or spurs at least one inch beyond the last retained
bud. For cane pruning, it is common to make the cut directly through
the next node beyond the last retained bud. Cutting through the extra
node prevents it from producing a shoot, but the enlarged nodal region
helps keep the tying material from slipping off the end of the cane.
Ideally, cuts should be made at approximately 45º angles, preferably
with the lower end of the cut angled away from the bud.
Cane Pruning
Spur Pruning
Replacement of Cordons
Over
time, some older vine structures must be replaced, either because they
have outgrown their area, or they have become injured, diseased, or are
declining in vigor. Cordon replacement begins during the normal
practice of suckering and shoot thinning in spring, with the retention
of a well-positioned watersprout arising close to the top of the trunk.
In the subsequent dormant season, cut the watersprout cane back to two
buds and retain along with the fruiting cane or fruiting spur. The next
year, cut off the entire old arm just beyond the watersprout cane (now
two years old), then from that, select a good fruiting cane.
Alternatively, if the watersprout is strong, it can be used immediately
as a fruiting cane and the old arm removed. Select a watersprout
arising from near the trunk and train it in the same manner that the
original cordon was developed.
Pruning Logistics
It
might be helpful to divide the various steps of pruning into distinct
operations performed at different times. For example, cut off the old
fruiting wood first. (Usually, retain a basal cane in case it may be
needed for fruiting or renewal.) Next, remove suckers. Then pull out
the pruning waste from the vineyard and dispose of it. The remaining
canes are now easier to see, making the process of selecting the
fruiting and renewal canes easier. Cut off extraneous canes and trim
and tie the fruiting canes. A final pruning waste disposal completes
the process.
It is helpful to throw the cut pruning material on
the ground of every other row. Using alternate rows makes it possible
to travel through the vineyard on the clear rows prior to disposal. You
can remove pruned material from the vineyard (sometimes called brush
pulling) or chop it up on-site, which returns organic matter to the
soil. The volume of pruned material in mature vineyards makes brush
pulling more difficult, so chopping may be a better option.
References:
Hellman,
E.W. and R. O’Brien. 2003. Pruning. In: E.W. Hellman (editor). Oregon
Viticulture. Oregon State University Press. Corvallis, Oregon.
Coombe, B.G. and P.R. Dry. 1992. Viticulture Volume 2 Practices. Winetitles. Adelaide, Australia.
Wolf, T.K. and E.B. Poling, 1995. The Mid-Atlantic Winegrape Grower’s Guide. North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service. Reviewed by Eric Stafne, Mississippi State University and William Shoemaker, University of Illinois
Further Reading
Cane Pruning, eXtension Foundation
Spur Pruning, eXtension Foundation
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Bibliography
Hellman, Ed, and and Dick O’Brien. "Grapevine Pruning Practices." Aggie Horticulture®, Texas A&M
AgriLife Extension,
Adapted from Hellman and O’Brien, 2003, Rev. by Eric Stafne,
Mississippi State University and William Shoemaker, University of
Illinois, 20 June 2019, eXtension Foundation, (CC BY-SA 3.0 US), grapes.extension.org/2019/06/grapevine-pruning-practices/. Accessed 23 Sept. 2019.
Published 23 Sept. 2019 LR
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