The tangled mass of grapevines clamber over the trellis and fence, reaching for the eaves of the house. The vine might be a European variety (Vitis vinifera), a native variety (V. labrusca) or a hybrid, but all grapes send out vines that grow between 10 and 25 feet long. Grapes are grown in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 9, depending on the variety. Whether you've inherited the former owner's garden or planted a grapevine several months or years ago, the rampant vines will require severe pruning to keep them under control.
Canes or Spurs
Grapevines are generally cut back to the main trunk, leaving only a few canes or spurs. While most wine grapes are cut to short spurs, containing two buds each, table grapes, such as "Thompson Seedless" are more productive when cut back to several canes, or vines, containing 12 buds each. If you don't know the variety, cut the vine back to several canes plus several spurs along the main trunk. When the grapevine flowers and fruits, compare the spurs to the canes. If the spurs are fruitful, prune to spurs at the next pruning, in late winter or early spring.
Winter and Early Spring
Do the main pruning in late winter and early spring, when the grapevine is dormant. Remove most of the vines, leaving only a few canes or spurs emerging from the trunk, next to the arbor or support wires. Generally, vines that had a lot of sun exposure during the growing season will produce more fruit than the lower, shaded vines.
When the weather warms and the leaves emerge, the grapevines begin producing long vines. During this period of vigorous growth, severely prune suckers growing vertically from the vines to prevent them from shading the fruiting vines.
As the growing season progresses, the longest fruiting vines may be pruned back so the plant's energy is focused on the developing grapes. Remove a few leaves around the grapes if necessary to allow air circulation, helping to prevent powdery mildew. Thin out crowded bunches of grapes so the remaining fruits have room to grow.
- University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources: Selecting Fruit, Nut and Berry Crops for Home Gardens in San Mateo and San Francisco Counties
- Organic Gardening: Planting Grapes & Pruning Grape Vines
- University of California Cooperative Extension Sacramento County: Video of Chuck Cane Pruning Table Grapes
- University of Missouri Extension: Home Fruit Production: Grape Training Systems
- NA/AbleStock.com/Getty Images