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Hello All,

I was wondering if anyone could pass on any wisdom regarding the seemingly complex art of grape vine pruning? I went out to take some pics of mine and decided to just make a quick video instead, so I won't write a book about what I need help with like I usually do, lol. I go through all the details in the vid, which is about 1:20 long. Thanks in advance for any thoughts on how I should proceed! Have a good one.

Do a Google search for "Kniflin" trellis. Pick out one leader, prune off the rest, per this trellis system.

I agree. It will be a few years before you can get it back to where it is supposed to be. If you do not start the type of training system you want it will be difficult to do it later.

Thanks for the information guys! I'll look that up now and see if I can figure it out. Take it easy.

Basically on grapes you want to leave the main trunk, (it should be only about 4 to 5 feet tall) pick 4 vines of last years growth and leave 2 buds on them and cut everything else off. Take out all of last years growth.

In other words, you have left the main trunk, 4 side shoots with only two buds each. Period.

The grapes bloom on this years new growth. That gives you 8 new vines and you will have loads of grapes.

Hmmm, just looked at your video.

I think I would leave that one tall vine, the best one and cut it off at 4 feet. This will develop into your main trunk. You can cut everything else off now. When the leader sends out vines you will likely have 10 to a dozen. I would prune them such that you have two arms on each side for this year and let those 4 grow as much as they will. These 4 arms will be the ones you leave two buds on next year.

I know it sounds drastic, but one has to prune grapes drastically. What it boils down to is that each year, after you get your main trunk, you take off all of last years growth except for 8 to 10 buds.

Well I just typed a few paragraphs then it all got deleted so here is the shortened version!

Anyway I agree with you jal_ut to an extent. If he has a can pruned variety then spur pruning, what you just described, will not work. If you do not know if it is a cane pruned or spur pruned variety then do some of each one year and whichever you get fruit off of is the correct method. I just did that with a vine that I have that was grown from a cutting and the canes are covered it fruit.

You cane prune basically by removing most of the canes and leaving some to produce fruit. Do a google search on cane pruning grapes because you will get a better explanation that way. There are also some great youtube videos by Dave Wilson Nursery and some of the universities.