Do I need to prune the vineyard beads? The vine must suffer

Pruning grapes is quite difficult for novice winegrowers, but this is a mandatory technique, without which it is impossible to ensure an annual high yield of good quality. To properly prune grapes, you need to know all the subtleties and rules for the formation of fruit links of a bush, as well as the optimal timing and methods of pruning. In each specific case, the pruner decides which shoots are best left and which ones should be removed without regret. That is why, without knowledge of the structure of a grape bush, pruning schemes for young and adult bushes, and tying them to supports, it is impossible to successfully create the most productive grape culture in given climatic conditions.

As a rule, it is believed that pruning grapes is primarily aimed at increasing the fruiting of the plant (more precisely, its regulation), that is, at the volume of the harvest, but with its help other equally important goals are achieved:

fruit links are formed (read what they are below);
the influence of the polarity of the grapevine is reduced (read more about what it is and how it affects the grape bushes);
the size of the bushes is reduced so that they can be conveniently covered for the winter;
grape ripening accelerates;
the size of bunches and berries increases;
the taste of the berries themselves improves (they accumulate more sugar and pulp);
It makes caring for fruit-bearing bushes and harvesting much easier.

Advice! Pruning of grapes must be done annually, otherwise you simply will not be able to get stable yields.

When to prune grapes in the fall

To understand when and how to prune a grape plant in the fall, you need to know the differences between spring and autumn pruning, and also take into account the most suitable natural conditions.

How does autumn pruning differ from spring pruning?

Pruning of grapes can be done both in autumn (after leaf fall) and in spring (before buds open). But unpruned bush for the winter practically impossible(try bending down and placing long multi-meter shoots on the ground), therefore, as a rule, pruning is carried out in the fall.

Accordingly, it turns out that in the spring they cut it off uncovered varieties grapes

However! It is believed that an unpruned bush tolerates winter better, because after pruning the winter hardiness of the plant decreases.

In general, some winegrowers prefer autumn pruning to spring pruning, since the bushes suffer greatly in the spring and cry (sap begins to flow from their wounds). Although it is possible that you trimmed the bushes in the fall, and in the spring you took his wounds and cried. However, in any case, you are not able to help. Everything will gradually heal itself.

When to prune in the fall: optimal timing

Grapes should be pruned in the fall only after natural leaf fall. If you do this prematurely, the bush will not receive enough nutrients from the leaves. However, if the time has come and the leaves are still hanging, then you need to make artificial defoliation, in other words, tear off the leaves with your hands or cut them with pruning shears.

When is it better to do this, in what time frame?

It is advisable to start pruning grapes only after the first frost. Just at this time, intensive ripening of the vine occurs, and the leaves begin to turn yellow (yellowing of the leaves is a signal that they have transferred all the nutrients to the plant). But when the soil begins to freeze, the time has come.

The timing of pruning grapes directly depends on the climatic characteristics of your growing area and current weather conditions. Thus, the approximate timing of autumn pruning of grapes in the middle zone (Moscow region) is the second half of October - early November.

Attention! If you do not wait for the recommended period of time, the young shoots may not have time to ripen. And if you postpone it until a later time, frost will adversely affect the shoots - they will become too brittle.

What to do before and after pruning grapes

After you complete the autumn pruning of the grapes, before cutting them, you will first need to .

In addition to these manipulations, the composition also includes:

watering;
feeding;
preparation of cuttings (during pruning);

bending the vine to the ground (after pruning).
direct

How to properly prune grapes in the fall: knowledge base and pruning methods

So that even beginners can understand the system of correct pruning of grapes in the autumn, we will dwell on the basic terminology, the structure of a grape bush, the principles of fruiting, as well as pruning methods.

The structure of the grape bush and the necessary terminology

Before you start pruning, you should take a closer look at the structure of the grape bush. Understanding the structure of the grape bush and the principles of fruiting will allow you to perform pruning most correctly.

Basic terms that will help you better understand the structure of the bush and, accordingly, its pruning:

Sleeve- This is the perennial part of the grape (old wood), like the skeletal (main) branches on a tree. Every year, new fruit links are formed on the sleeves from the shoots of the previous year.
Fruit link- this is a fruiting shoot (fruit shoot) and a replacement knot.

Fruiting shoot- this is a long vine (therefore often called a fruit arrow), on which 6-10 eyes are left, from which shoots grow next year, which bear the entire harvest.
Substitution knot- a short vine (3 eyes), on which 3 powerful fruitless shoots may grow next year, but we will not let them bear fruit (so that they grow strong), and in the fall it is among these shoots that a new fruiting link will form (fruiting arrow and knot substitution).
Peephole- this is a formation that unites the kidneys and ensures their proper formation. Each such eye can have several buds (one central one and several replacement buds).

Comment! Very often in everyday life the eyes are called overwintering buds, but as you understand, this wrong, since there are several buds in one eye, and a young shoot can grow from each.

Fruiting principle

The vine mainly bears fruit on young green shoots that have grown from buds on the previous year's vine (fruiting arrow). Moreover, you get the main harvest from the central buds, since on the replacement (lateral) or dormant buds, of course, something can also grow, but it is noticeably worse in both quality and quantity.

Pruning rules

Before trimming and shaping grapes, you should familiarize yourself with the basic rules and recommendations:

Need to trim not on the ring(like fruit trees), and leaving small stump(1.5-3 cm). If you cut it shorter, the vine in this place may dry out and die.
Undercut fruiting vine should in internodes(that is, between the eyes), but slightly closer to the lower eye.
If the vine has not matured, you need to trim to the mature part (to the lignified area).
First of all should be cut all broken and diseased shoots (sanitary pruning), then weak (short and thin, less than 5 mm in diameter).
When you leave a young shoot for future fruiting, you need to remove all stepsons so that only the vine with the eyes (buds) remains.
Cropped all shoots, which this year there was fruiting (fruit shoots that bear fruit).
New fruiting shoots need to leave closest to the base.

Advice! All excess young shoots are perfect for cutting grapes (propagation by cuttings).

Substitution bitch always done below the fruiting vine. If it is the other way around, then all the nutrition will go to the development of the replacement knot, since the grapes direct all the juices to the distant buds.

Interesting! This is explained by the fact that grapes have the property of polarity, which manifests itself in the priority development of the upper part of the bush or vine (shoots, leaves, bunches), while the lower part is always somewhat behind in development.

Also, due to polarity and to reduce damage to the plant, when removing unsuitable grape shoots, it is desirable that the wounds left are placed only on one side of the sleeve (that is, either the inner or the outer).

In general, pruning grapes is, in a sense, an effective fight against polarity, the purpose of which is to increase fruiting by minimizing its influence on the development of bushes.

Usually, new fruitful arrows are formed on replacement knots.

Advice! But if it so happened that strong shoots did not develop on the replacement knots, then the fruiting link should be formed from well-developed and powerful shoots that developed on the fruiting arrow.

The length of the shoot must correspond to the length of the trellis wire in order to make it convenient, therefore There is no point in leaving them too long (except as a reserve).

By the way! You can measure the optimal length simply by attaching the shoot to the trellis, in other words, by laying the shoot to the side (to the right or left) along the first wire. In this way, you will estimate how the grapes will be placed on the trellis next year.

Choosing one of two good escapes, you should get rid of the outermost (growing to the side of the trellis), which again will be inconvenient to tie in the spring.
You must understand that during pruning most of the growth is removed (up to 80-90%), while only the required number of future fruiting vines and replacement knots is left.

Thus! An adult bush (3 years old and older), formed in a fan-like manner, with 4-5 sleeves, should have about 30-50 buds (depending on the variety), that is, there should be about 6-10 buds on one vine. But in the fall it is better to leave 2 times more (60-100 buds), in other words, you should have a reserve (spare fruiting shoots), because during wintering some of them may freeze or dry out.

Important! In the spring, you need to get rid of spare shoots.

Methods for pruning grapes or how many eyes to trim

It is known that each grape variety requires a specific pruning. However, the number of eyes is also adjusted depending on the method of formation.

There are several ways to prune grapes in the fall:

Short pruning - involves removing most of the shoots. As a result, only 2-4 eyes should remain on the fruit arrow. It is used for growing technical (wine) varieties.
Average– each shoot after pruning contains 6-8 eyes (sometimes up to 10). Used in growing table varieties.
Long– more than 8-12 eyes are left on the shoot. Characteristic for growing table and Asian grape varieties.
Mixed (according to Guyot) – with this method of forming a bush, short and long techniques are used. Shoots are cut off for replacement (by 3 eyes), and fruit shoots are also left on which a new crop will ripen in the next season. Thus, using this method, a loop is formed - the fruit vine, having produced fruit, is cut off, and in its place a new fruitful shoot, grown on a replacement branch, begins to grow.

Advice! Carefully study the information about a specific variety, because the correctness of the chosen pruning method determines how many and what kind of grape bunches you will receive.

If there is no way to find out, then use either the average pruning method, or even better - mixed (according to Guyot), which is with a replacement knot.

How to shape grapes: pruning diagramyoungbushes in autumn 1, 2, 3 years

Let's take a closer look at how to properly form and prune grapes every autumn for 3 years after planting.

Remember! The goal of your pruning is to form 4-5 sleeves with fruit links by the 3rd year.

Pruning 1st year grapes

You have planted, and now the time has come for the first formative pruning.

Pruning grapes in the fall of the 1st year is carried out as follows: you shorten your only shoot by 3-4 eyes. If you had a seedling with two shoots, then the pruning should be done symmetrically, but leaving 2-3 eyes.

Opinion! Some particularly scrupulous winegrowers believe that while the bushes are young, then in the 1st and 2nd year in the fall only preliminary pruning should be done (that is, in the first year you need to leave 6-10 buds), and the next year in early spring - the final pruning (up to 3 -4 eyes). The fact is that if you immediately cut it too short, then in winter, due to its youth and insufficient frost resistance, the vine may completely freeze.

Pruning 2nd year grapes

If you did everything correctly in the fall of last year, then in the fall of this year you already have 4-5 powerful shoots (future sleeves). In this case, it is better to leave exactly 4 shoots, and the weakest one or growing in an inconvenient direction should be cut out.

Important! The bush should not look like a fan of 6-8 short shoots; there should be 4-5 strong and long shoots left on it. So don't forget to do your summer minting.

Pruning grapes in the fall of the 2nd year is carried out as follows: you shorten each of the shoots by 3-4 eyes, which is necessary (if it is not clear, then see paragraph "pruning rules") so that each shoot can be normally tied to the bottom wire of the trellis, that is, located along it and not go beyond its limits.

The next video shows preliminary pruning of grapes in the fall of the second year (that is, the vine is left with a large margin, not 3-4 eyes, but 2 times more, that is, 6-8).

Advice! There is no such thing as a surplus of vines, because in the spring you can always finish what you started and get rid of what is not needed.

Pruning grapes of the 3rd year and beyond

In the autumn of the third year, the bush will already have 4 large trunks (sleeves), with young branches on each of them. It is from these young vines that you will begin to reap the harvest.

By the way! Already in the 3rd year you will receive a small “signal” harvest.

What should the 1st sleeve look like?

For proper pruning of grapes of the 3rd year in the fall, the strongest shoots on each side (on each sleeve) are again selected, the weak ones are cut out and 2 strong ones are left. Of the remaining 2 powerful shoots, the lower one is shortened by 3 eyes. This will be a substitution knot. The second shoot (fruit shoot) is left with 6-10 buds.

Advice! Still, it is better to put 2 strong vines (fruit shoots) over the winter, and in the spring remove the one that overwintered worse or is located further from the base of the bush.

Thus, in the third year the grape bush will be fully formed, which will then begin to actively bear fruit.

Note! The figure shows that replacement knots need to be cut into 2-3 eyes, but it is better to leave just 3.

Further! In the fourth year and in all subsequent years, autumn pruning of grapes consists of removing the vine that has already produced fruit, and pruning the one-year-old vine (the one that grew on the replacement heap), which will bear fruit next year (fruit arrow). The lowest vine will again be left as a replacement knot.

See the next paragraph, “Autumn pruning of an adult grape bush.”

How to prune an adult grape bush in the fall

Note! Most often, grapes are formed into a fan of 4-5 sleeves (multi-armed fan) on a 2-plane trellis (on a 1-plane trellis they are usually formed into 3 sleeves). Using the example of such a bush, detailed instructions for its autumn pruning will be given below.

Step-by-step instructions for pruning adult (3 years and older) grapes in the fall for beginners:

Attention! Before you start pruning an adult bush according to the step-by-step guide offered below, carefully study all the information about the structure of the bush and the rules for pruning grapes, which are presented above in separate paragraphs.

Let's start with first sleeve. Let’s assume that there are 4 shoots and 1 fruit-bearing shoot, but you only need to leave 2 good and powerful shoots (the vine of future fruiting) and 1 replacement knot.
First, all excess weak shoots are removed, as well as the vines that have already bear fruit from last year.
Then the lower vine is left on a replacement knot and pruned into 3 buds.
Next, on the 2 remaining vines of future fruiting (fruit arrows), you need to count 6-10 buds each, and cut off the rest.

Important! The eyes should be counted from the bottom trellis wire, since the lowest ones, as a rule, are barren.

Let's move on to second sleeve. Let's assume that it is the most undeveloped and there are only 2 young shoots on it. It turns out that the lower shoot should be left as a replacement branch, and the upper one will become a fruiting shoot. Naturally, the fruit-bearing shoot should also be removed.

Important! In the fall, you need to leave exactly two shoots (each with 6-10 buds), that is, 1 is the main one, 2 is a spare one (in case the vine dies - the buds rot or freeze out). Already in the spring, if both shoots survive, the lower one will need to be cut to a replacement branch, and the upper one will need to be left for fruiting.

Third sleeve. Let's say that there are 3 young shoots and 1 fruiting shoot (of course, you need to get rid of it). However, 1 of the 3 shoots is located at the very bottom, and it is the weakest; it is this that should be made a replacement knot, and the other 2 - fruiting vines.
Fourth sleeve. Another sleeve with only 2 young shoots. Again, we proceed as with the 2nd sleeve - we leave the lower one for the replacement knot (but cut it not to 3 buds, but to 6-10), and the upper one - to the fruiting arrow. And, of course, we get rid of the fruit-bearing shoot.

Important! In the spring, you should remove all open eyes that are located below the bottom wire, with the exception of those on replacement knots. And also all the spare fruiting shoots, leaving only those located closer to the base of the bush.

Try it! It is recommended to grow some grape varieties by forming reinforced fruit links (with a greater load), as shown in the picture below.

Note! After 7-8 years, excessively lengthened and outdated hoses (which are already thickening the plantings) begin to be replaced with new ones. This process is called grape bush rejuvenation. You cut the entire sleeve into a stump, and replace it with coppice shoot, growing from the ground next to a bush (originally this bitches recovery), or from the lowest shoot growing on this old branch, called " like a top", you begin to grow and form a new one.

How to cause the least harm to the plant and at the same time correctly remove unnecessary shoots? To understand this issue, a novice summer resident needs to take a responsible approach to studying the entire system of pruning grape bushes: diagrams of the structure and pruning of young and adult grapes, as well as recommendations for skillfully forming and tying the bush.

Video: pruning a grape bush in autumn

Interesting! Unfortunately, there is always a certain psychological barrier between knowledge and action, namely: a novice winegrower (who has read useful tips on autumn pruning of grapes) comes up to his overgrown bush, looks at it and does not understand where which vine is, what to prune, what leave. And that's okay. Only practice will help you solve this problem.

In contact with

Right and wrong...

Friends and acquaintances, visiting my site, invariably say with sadness:

- Here you have grapes, but we, it’s a shame to say, have sparsely fruitful bushes.

– How do you take care of him? – I start asking.

“Yes, like everyone else,” they answer, “we fertilize, cover, prune.”

– How exactly do you prune? – I continue to ask.

– So again, like everyone else, in the fall, all the tops are 30 cm.

- That’s the trouble, like everyone else...

From whose easy hand did such a stupid fashion begin? After all, such pruning stimulates even greater branching of the vines and thickening of the entire bush, which leads to only one sad result - a decrease in the number of ovaries. Disappointment befalls people who would like to do everything right, but do not know how exactly. So their grapes, planted with hope and love, grow, stretch upward, increasing the green mass, and its roots, spreading in all directions, develop more and more new spaces, creating a threat to other plants in the garden.

We, summer residents, must understand and master, like the multiplication table: if you want to have a normally developed bush with large berries, learn to prune it. This is an axiom.

In addition, there is complete disagreement among gardeners regarding the timing of this procedure: some do it in mid-August, others at the end, and others in the fall. The correct option is the third one. And there is one important clarification: grapes are pruned when the leaves have already fallen off, but before frost, so that the vine bends. But the most important thing is that you need to do pruning only with a clearly structured system in your head once and for all.)

If you approach it frivolously (like “I’ll cut it here, then over there - it looks like nothing, it looks normal”), then the opposite effect is guaranteed.

Everyone to whom I explained the diagram with a pencil in my hand immediately understood everything. And after a while they warmly thanked him for the hint.

When I first purchased two grape seedlings in 2007 Moscow stable and Violet early, I had no idea how to care for them. In the first winter, one of them died. The remaining Moscow stable grew and developed well, and I began to read specialized literature. And, to be honest, it was difficult to understand it, and the specific terms of the winegrowers made me sad.

I had to re-read the sentences many times, trying to somehow comprehend them. A lot of effort and time went into this. Experience has gradually accumulated and continues to accumulate, especially since I continue to be interested in this topic.

But, again, it’s funny to say, few of the authors write clearly, understandably and to the end - where to cut, what to leave, how to pinch and how many leaves. It's like we're speaking different languages! This is precisely why I want to tell people what I learned myself (after all, my friends understand me, although at first they are afraid that they will not be able to cope with this work).

Cycle of grape shoots

So, I remove the entire bush from the trellis, I untie the wire and spread it flat on the ground as far as possible. I carefully examine and remember which vines had the main harvest.

Then I'll see if there is good, finger-thick young shoots that grew this year. It is easy to distinguish them: they are flexible, their surface is light brown, and it cannot even be called bark - it is so thin and delicate.

I mark them with threads or ropes of the same color. After this, I look for thin, immature green shoots that thicken the vine. I put tags of a different color on them.

After this, all that remains is to follow the correct sequence of actions.

I remove the vines that had a harvest this year first.. I advise all summer residents: don’t be afraid! When the vine bears fruit, cut it off from the trunk (trunk) growing from the ground. In fact, it’s not even a vine, but a branch, because it’s already two years old, and the brown bark on it is starting to become shaggy and peel off.

Next stage - pruning those awkward, pencil-thin vines. What's the result? Young vines that grew this year remain on the bush. How many of them did you get? Two? Three? Four? If so, that's good. That is, the meaning of pruning is that the fruit-bearing vines are cut off from the trunk every year, otherwise they will become thicker and coarser, and it will be difficult to straighten them later for gartering to the trellises. Only the grape trunk, 30-40 cm high from the ground, should remain this thick.

Briefly speaking, old vines were removed– left those that had grown. They will bear fruit next year. And in the fall, after the harvest has been harvested, harvest them too. And so on all the time. This is the cycle.

Of course, if the bush has not been pruned for a long time, you need to approach it without fanaticism. Are you afraid to make drastic cuts? Don't cut it like that! Just try to figure out which shoots are where, and at least thin out the bush, but not just shortening all the tops in a row.

Well, if you decide to trim and find it in a bush several young vines of good thickness (more than a pencil), coming from the bottom of the trunk, cut two or three of them to a length equal to one and a half meters - this 8-12 buds. These vines will produce a harvest next year.

And the lowest, young one, must be cut short - into three buds, since we are creating a replacement knot, i.e. We ensure that we have new vines next summer. They will grow from these three buds, and then they will need to be tied vertically to pegs driven into the ground. And in the fall, trim them “for harvest” - by 8-12 buds. And one – again briefly.

Just don't cut the vines in the spring!

I tried it in different ways: even before the buds swelled or a little later. It is forbidden. The vine begins to “cry”, the drops fall and fall... Transparent, tasteless, like water. It is believed that "crying" dries up the vine. It’s better to wait (if it didn’t work out in the fall) for the active growth of leaves and remove the excess length in the summer.

Photo 1 shows: three fruit-bearing vines (last year’s growth) lie on a wire, and those that grew this summer are tied vertically upward. In the fall, I will cut off those that are lying on the wire, I will trim the young ones and make one of them very short - just like those three buds. This is why my bush always looks young without changing its appearance.

Well, isn't it simple? The vines have spawned - I clean them up. New ones have grown to replace them - I leave them. That's all.

Curiosity is not a vice...

Another important point in caring for grapes is protecting them from the cold. This must be done so that it “under the roof” does not rot from moisture. A piece of linoleum or roofing felt is what you need. Wavy slate is even better because its waves allow plants to breathe during the thaw. My grapes always winter well. Last year I laid it inside an old tire (according to its diameter), and covered the remaining standard sticking out outside (it is already thick and does not bend) with a wooden box. And I stretched a thick film over the entire structure. The result is excellent.

Last year I bought the Arcadia variety. On the advice of the seller, I temporarily placed the seedling in an old, leaky bucket buried in the ground. I was told that grapes can be kept there for six years, and this is better than replanting them in adulthood. In the meantime, I’m finding a place for him - my area is very densely populated.

This year I met Rochefort. At first the seedling grew poorly, apparently growing its root system, but now it is growing a very decent vine. I don’t let it branch, I remove the stepsons - all this so that it can ripen and overwinter well.

According to the rules, I must prune it into three buds in the fall. But it’s a pity... If I do this, it won’t be long before I can taste what this variety tastes like.

So I’ll think about what to do - according to science or follow curiosity and take a risk to get a few berries?

By the way, rumors began to reach me that my time-tested Moscow resistant variety it's time to write it off because it is considered outdated. Well, that's another way to say it. Its berries are sweet, amber-green-yellow, not very large (probably the size of a cherry), similar to raisins, but only with seeds. Nothing at all!

It also ripens early - the end of August, and this is also important. Of course, there are now a great many varieties sold all year round, you have to limit yourself, these are not tomatoes, which I really like to test, choosing those varieties that are most suitable for me and my land.

The key to a rich harvest is competent and conscientious care of the plant. In growing grapes, one of the most important procedures is pruning. We tell and show how to prune bushes correctly.

One of the features of grapes is polarity - the plant’s ability to vertically direct nutrients predominantly to the upper young shoots. This property was developed in grapes historically: living in wild conditions, the plant constantly stretched upward, trying to find a brighter and warmer place.

For normal development, grapes need a large amount of sunlight.

Because of this, the eyes in the middle and lower parts of the bush develop much worse than in the upper parts, and sometimes do not produce shoots at all. If you do not prune the grapes and let them grow freely, the berries will gradually become smaller, and then the bush itself will go wild. That is why it is necessary to renew the grapes in a timely manner by pruning.

When is it better to prune grapes - in spring or autumn?

The time for pruning grapes depends on climatic conditions. So, if winters are harsh in your area, prune in the spring. In regions with moderately cold winters, grape bushes are pruned in the fall - about 20 days after the leaves fall. Frost-resistant grape varieties are pruned first, while more heat-loving and less cold-resistant varieties (as well as young bushes) are pruned in the spring. You need to start pruning grapes in spring before sap flow begins, otherwise the flowing sap will interfere with wound healing. If you missed this point, we recommend cutting off only dried old shoots and unnecessary young shoots, and forming the bush by blinding (plucking out) the extra eyes of the vine.

Spring pruning of grapes requires extreme care, since improper execution of this procedure can destroy the plant. The blades of pruning tools should be well sharpened and disinfected with an alcohol-based product.

To check how well a blade is sharpened, take a piece of paper and run its edge along the tip of the tool. If the paper is difficult to cut, then the blade needs to be sharpened.

With the onset of the first warm days, when the air temperature reaches 5°C, prepare the necessary tools and begin renewing the grapes. The main tool is a pruning shear, but to work with older, thicker branches you will need a pruning saw. The cut should be as even and smooth as possible, without splits, cracks or burrs.

Proper pruning of grapes - what you need to know

There are several simple rules, following which even the most inexperienced summer resident can successfully cope with pruning grapes:

The cut should be made at a right angle (perpendicular to the branch). This will speed up healing, since the wound area will be smaller than with a sloped cut.
Regardless of the pruning scheme, in any case, remove diseased and frozen branches.
Do not leave shoots that are too long - 7-12 eyes (buds) are enough for normal branch growth.

Remove fruit-bearing annual shoots very carefully so as not to damage perennial wood. To do this, make cuts at the base of a perennial shoot, leaving a stump 0.5 cm high.
For fruiting, leave healthy shoots with a diameter of at least 6 mm. Remove thinner and fattening shoots (more than 10 mm in diameter).

Below we will consider two types of bush formation by pruning.

Pruning grapes during standard formation

The pruning procedure should be appropriate for each age of the grapes.

Spring 1st year: To obtain two shoots, cut the seedling to 2 eyes, removing the rest.

Spring of the 2nd year. Shorten the main shoot, which will act as a trunk, to the desired height (usually 50-90 cm). It will serve as the basis for the standard. Just in case, you can save one more shoot by cutting it to 2 eyes.

Spring of the 3rd year. On the main shoot (trunk), remove all the vines except the top two. Cut each of them to 2 eyes and tie them to the trellis, pointing them in different directions. Cut 4 shoots that have grown over the summer in the fall as follows: cut the lower shoots on each side to 2 buds (these will be replacement knots), and the upper shoots to 5-15 buds (these will be fruiting arrows).

Spring 4th year. Cut out the fruit-bearing branches, and from the shoots that grew on the replacement branches, form new fruit links (on each side of the bush, cut one shoot to 5-15 buds, and the second to 2 buds).

More detailed information about standard forming awaits you in the following video:

Pruning grapes when forming without a trunk

This type of formation also has its own subtleties.

Spring of the 1st year. Remove all dry, diseased and damaged parts of the bush. Leave 10% of all young shoots, cut them at a height of 2-3 cm above the second bud.

Spring of the 2nd year. Remove 60% of the young growth, leaving 2-3 of the strongest sleeves (cut them to 2 buds).

Spring of the 3rd year. This is the age of formation of fruiting units. Shorten the lower vine (replacement knot) to 2 buds, the upper part (fruit shoot) to 7-14 buds. There should be 2 vines left on each sleeve, the rest can be removed.

We invite you to familiarize yourself with the advice of experienced winegrowers presented in this video:

Features of spring pruning of fruiting grapes

To prune a grape bush that has already begun to produce a harvest, it is necessary to remove all fruit-bearing, damaged, weak, thin or, conversely, too thick (“fattening”) shoots, leaving developed mature vines of medium thickness (6-10 mm).

Spring and autumn pruning together represent a single set of procedures. Autumn pruning is a preliminary treatment prior to covering the grapes for the winter. It involves removing unripe parts of the shoots to minimize damage and help the bush survive the winter safely. In autumn, grape bushes are pruned so that there are more eyes than planned shoots (in case some do not survive the winter).

Types of special spring pruning for damaged grape bushes

The structure of a grape bush

If after winter you find signs of frostbite on the grape bushes, do not despair - you can restore the plant (at least partially) with the help of special pruning.

1. The bushes froze during wintering

First, check the condition of your kidneys. Make cuts on the eyes, moving from the base of the branch to the top: if the buds are green, then they are healthy. But a black or dark brown color indicates damage. Count the damaged buds and calculate what percentage of the total volume of the buds they make up.

If less than 80% of the kidneys die leave a larger number of buds on the fruit links than with conventional shaping. The harvest can also be obtained from additional shoots on the fruiting branches that you left during autumn pruning.

If annual shoots or bushes were frostbitten more than 80% of the kidneys died, two-stage sanitary pruning will help. Before the buds bloom, remove frozen shoots and damaged sleeves. When greenery appears, complete the sanitary pruning by removing unnecessary growth.

If 100% of the kidneys are affected check the condition of the stepchildren - they are more frost-resistant and have a better chance of surviving the winter. If the buds of the stepsons are also dead, try to form fruiting links from shoots (shoots developing from the underground part of the trunk) or tops (fatifying shoots of a grape bush growing from buds on perennial branches).

Look at how the core is colored when cut: its bright green color indicates the good condition of the shoot, slightly browned color indicates minor damage. But shoots with a dark brown core need to be removed.

When the entire above-ground part of the bush dies, a cut is made “to the black head”. To do this, dig the bush to a depth of 25-30 cm and cut off the entire above-ground part above the healthy node. Then cover the stump with earth (5 cm layer), and soon young shoots will begin to grow from the trunk. Leave the strongest ones and remove the excess growth. This will give you a new, healthy vine.

2. Frostbite of the roots of the bush

Often, a frosty winter with little snow leads to damage or death of part of the grape root system. Carefully dig up the ground in several places around the bush to different depths, make cuts on the roots of the plant - healthy roots should be white when cut, frostbitten roots should be dark brown.

If the diameter of the root frostbite is no more than 2.5 mm, this is not detrimental to the plant, the main thing is that the main part of the root system is preserved, which means that the vine will recover next year. In the spring, reduce the load on it by pruning the fruit vines short.

3. Damage from spring hail

If after a spring hail the bush has lost a significant part of its leaves, trim the young shoots to 1-2 buds. Later, shoots will appear from them that need to be thinned out. This will help activate the reserve eyes, which will begin to bear fruit next year.

4. Damage due to cold snap

Spring frosts, often coinciding with the period of bud break, can destroy not only young shoots and buds, but also annual vines. If this happens, briefly prune last year's branches to stimulate the growth of new shoots from dormant buds.

If the greens and inflorescences are damaged, then in order to awaken the sleeping buds, shortening the annual shoots will be enough. This will partially restore the harvest. If only the tops of the branches, as well as a small number of leaves and inflorescences are damaged, special pruning is not necessary.

Thanks to proper pruning of the grapevine, the berries will become larger and juicier, and the harvest will increase. Also, pruning will greatly simplify the care of the bushes and speed up the ripening of the grapes.

A spreading green vineyard is the pride of any gardener. But in order to enjoy juicy berries during the season, you need to properly care for the plant. Only if this condition is met will you get weighty bunches. One of the points of care is proper pruning of grapes in the fall. For a beginner, this task will seem difficult and overwhelming. However, the correct steps taken, step-by-step actions and following the instructions will help improve the health and attractiveness of the plant for the new season.

What time of year is best to prune grapes?

Good results are obtained by cutting the shoot by a third of its total length - the plant does not suffer, a neat shape is maintained, and proper development is ensured

There are two opposing opinions. Some gardeners are inclined to believe that grapes need to be pruned only in the autumn. Others, on the contrary, consider it correct to carry out such a procedure in the spring.

Table: pros and cons of autumn pruning

Table: advantages and disadvantages of spring work

Make sure that the thickness of the branches is approximately the same - this nuance sets the shape of the vine

Required tools and materials

In order to properly carry out autumn pruning, you will need:

Well-sharpened pruning shears or special garden shears. It is important that the blades are very sharp, allowing you to cut the shoot in one go. Otherwise, the scissors will tear the vine and stems, which means they will cause injury to the plant, which can lead to rotting and death.
Gloves, as many grape varieties have rather sharp growths.
Special sticks and ropes for forming bushes. Branches deviated to the side can be fixed in front of the shelter.
Plastic film, spruce branches or other covering material that can be used to cover the vine after pruning and bending to the ground.

When to carry out

Do not leave the vine long, otherwise the berries will be sour

Autumn pruning of grapes is carried out when the first frosts and low temperatures begin. However, you should not rush into the garden, armed with tools, if the temperature has dropped for only one day. Wait until the weather becomes stable and then proceed.

Table: timing of autumn pruning by region - cheat sheet for a beginner

Region	When to prune
central Russia	In central Russia and the Volga region, the first frosts occur in late October - early November. At this time, the weather is stable, and the temperature is between +5 and -5°C. This is the ideal time to start pruning followed by covering.
Moscow and Moscow region	In Moscow and the Moscow region, the temperature sets in mid-to-late November. At this time, you can begin the procedure.
St. Petersburg and Leningrad region	In St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region, sub-zero temperatures begin a little earlier, so you can start pruning grapes already in the first half of October
Ural	In the Urals they also begin pruning in the first half of October.
North of Russia	The regions of the north of the Russian Federation experience the cold of the autumn-winter period already from the end of September to the beginning of October. This time is good for pruning followed by covering

Before you go to the garden, be sure to arm yourself with weather forecasts for the coming week. The weather is changeable, so timings may vary.

What age should bushes be pruned?

There are the following rules for pruning grape bushes of different ages:

Annual. It is a mistake to believe that annual grapes should not be pruned. If all the conditions for planting the plant were met properly, already in the first year of life you will receive several strong shoots. If there are more than 5 or 6, it is worth carrying out the pruning procedure. If there are 4 or fewer shoots, then the grape bush is given one more year so that it can grow a sufficient number of shoots.
A two-year-old tree must be pruned to check the emerging shoots. This procedure also allows you to prepare grape bushes in the northern regions of the country for a successful winter.
Three-year-old vineyards and older must be pruned annually. This is done in order to properly form the crown, as well as increase the fruitfulness of the plant.

If you make it a rule to carry out this procedure once a year at a set time, the plant will delight you with a good harvest every season.

Pruning grapes in autumn for beginners (with pictures and diagrams)

Experienced gardeners use different pruning methods depending on the age of the vineyard.

The cut must be made in the direction of movement of the juices

Young

In order for the procedure of pruning young grapes to bring only positive results, you need to be guided by the scheme below:

Only the most unnecessary branches need to be removed.
You can’t prune everything, because such diligence can lead to poor fruit production.
To perform pruning, you only need a well-sharpened tool so as not to damage the plant.
It is necessary to work only with well-established and accurate movements. If necessary, you can practice on the shoots of other plants.
After pruning, you need to create a support for the bush.
If there are any inflorescences that formed over the summer, they should be removed.
If the plant does not have any inflorescences, then the procedure takes place as standard.

Two options for pruning grapes from the first year

Pruning takes place in two stages:

At the first stage, all dry leaves and inflorescences are removed. Then they wait until the leaves fall completely and all the nutrients leave the vine into the main trunk. During this period, all the most powerful shoots are cut off. A replacement knot is formed.
Cut off every second shoot. 3 buds are left on them. If other shoots extend from the trunk, they are cut off, leaving 5–6 buds.

Formation of a replacement knot - the lowest shoot growing from the outer part of the vine is cut so that 2-3 eyes remain. The eye is a set of buds, it seems to unite them in itself.

The bush should thin out almost in half.

In the first year, you need to leave 1-2 shoots with several eyes; next year there should be several new shoots on the vine

Old

Pruning old grapes also takes place in several stages:

Remove all dried branches.
Remove all leaves and inflorescences.
Be sure to clear the soil of shoots in the places where the bush is grown and formed. This treatment is necessary if the plant is planned to be covered.
Choose a method for forming a bush. To rejuvenate outdated branches, you will need a fan molding method.
Remove any unnecessary vines that do not conform to the molding. If any branches are missing for shaping to create the right image, the work can be completed as early as next year.
Remove any vines that are on the floor to avoid rotting.

At this stage, the old grapes are laid on the ground and covered.

During pruning, up to 70–90% of the vine can be removed

Another scheme for pruning old grapes comes down to the following step-by-step actions:

Remove thick trunks up to 3 buds.
Trim every second trunk if there are 4–6, and every third if there are less than 5.
Remove every second shoot up to 5 buds that grow from the bush or nearby. This is done carefully, in compliance with all rules.
If the vine is overdried or does not have the proper number of buds, it is removed completely at the root.
If the trunk with the plants is rotten, it is uprooted along with the roots.
The cut grapes are distributed over the supporting wires.
If a cluster of vines occurs, remove every second up to 3 buds.
Next, the vine is bent to the ground and then covered.

Video: pruning grapes in autumn

How to ensure proper care after work

The vine should not come into contact with the ground, as mold may appear on it due to humidity, so wooden planks are placed under it

After pruning the grapes, you need to fertilize and water.

This type of watering is called moisture-recharging, as it will help the plant recover after sheltering. You can use one of two options for the feeding recipe:

20 g of superphosphate per 10 g of potassium;
3 g boric acid, 2 g sulfuric acid and 1 g iodine.

You need to water the solution every meter where the vineyard is located. Feeding should be accompanied by abundant watering. Don't be afraid to flood the grapes.

In addition, you need to protect the vine from pests. It is necessary to visually inspect the plant and treat the grapes with special means. The most popular are Stron, Ovixel, Strobe, Impacton, Vectra. For preventive purposes, you can use Fundazol.

The next step is covering the grapes. To do this, it is bent to the ground and, if necessary, weighted with a load. For shelter, polyethylene or any warm, breathable material is used.

Covered grapes will give good fruit next season. But only if the pruning procedure was carried out in compliance with all the rules.

Grapes are being grown not only in the traditional southern regions, but also in places where they have never grown before. This is due to the fact that through hybridization and selection it was possible to obtain frost-resistant and disease-resistant varieties. They take root well and produce a good harvest even beyond the Urals and in Siberia. In order for the grapes to develop normally and produce a lot of berries, proper care is necessary. One of the very important agrotechnical procedures is pruning the grapevine.

Why is it necessary?

Grapes, as a biological species, are a vine that can stretch for many meters. In this case, all useful substances will be spent only on the growth of the plant, and its fruits will receive the minimum amount of necessary microelements. Even in ancient times, winegrowers noticed that a damaged vine, which stops growing, produces more berries. The clusters turn out to be large and with large berries. Gradually, the process of pruning grapes turned into a mandatory procedure. It pursues the following goals:

correct formation of the bush;
improving conditions for growth and development;
improving the taste of berries;
simplifying the care of grape bushes.

Competent and timely pruning of grapes allows you to increase not only the quantity, but also the quality of the berries. They become large and juicy, and a strong stalk holds the berries in the bunch, preventing them from falling off.

What can be trimmed

Pruning is not only a way to increase productivity, but also a cosmetic procedure. In this case, old and non-viable branches are removed. For aging grapes, this method affects its life expectancy.

Gardeners use several methods for pruning grape bushes. The technique is selected depending on the bush itself and the degree of damage to it by weather conditions, for example, frost or hail. For grapes in the period of active fruiting, 40 to 90 percent of the growth is cut off.

fruit shoot

The grapes form many buds, from which fruit shoots develop. They grow in summer and have tendrils and flowers. Next, side branches appear on the shoots, which are called stepsons. Beginning gardeners may have the misconception that the more shoots there are, the larger the harvest. This is fundamentally wrong. A large number of side branches reduces the amount of nutrients and the berries will be small and the clusters will be small. Therefore, stepchildren are always removed.

Vine

They call the woody shoot of a grape, which is a vine. It can stretch several meters in length, so in fruit viticulture it must be pruned. In decorative varieties (wild,), which are used in landscape design, a long and lush vine with a large number of leaves adorns arches and decorative structures.

Branch or sleeve

In viticulture, a perennial vine more than 40 centimeters long is called a sleeve or branch.. The sleeves extend directly from the central trunk of the bush. Their number can vary from one to six. In some cases there may be more.

The most common mistake made by novice gardeners is careful pruning of the grape bush. In this case, only the tops of the shoots and old and dried shoots are removed.

Features of bush formation

The formation of a grape bush plays a big role in its productivity and longevity. When forming a bush, the characteristics of the area, grape variety and growing technology are taken into account. The entire theory and practice of this process was formulated by French winegrowers a century and a half ago. There are several formation schemes, each of which helps to increase the yield and quality of berries. You can begin to form a grape bush in the second year after planting. The entire process can take up to six years. Domestic gardeners prefer to use the formation of a bush in the form of a fan.

Fan

The fan technology for forming a grape bush involves growing from three to five sleeves, which are located on a support structure in the form of a fan. The supporting structure has the form of pillars dug into the ground, between which, parallel to the ground, in several horizontal rows, a wire is stretched, to which the shoots are tied. The fan can be double-sided or one-sided. The advantage of the fan forming method is as follows:

ease of bush care;
convenience of covering before winter;
increased fruiting;
improving the taste of berries.

The main purpose of fan formation is to create two vines on each arm. As a result of many years of pruning the bush, it is possible to obtain up to eight branches, which diverge with shoots in the form of a fan along horizontal supports.

Technique and schemes

Young bushes that have not entered the fruiting period should be pruned only in the spring. It is important to follow some rules:

the thicker the shoot, the longer the shoot is removed;
the cut is made 2-3 cm above the eye;
the best shoot is left on a strongly elongated sleeve;
When removing shoots completely, you cannot leave stumps;
When removing stepsons, the stump should be left.

In order to form a fruiting link, it is necessary to completely remove last year's vine. The grape pruning technique includes the following several schemes:

short;
average;
long;
mixed.

The gardener’s task is to leave the optimal number of buds on the bush and, using various methods of pruning and removing shoots and vines, to form a compact bush to obtain maximum yield.

Short

This species assumes leaving no more than 4 eyes on the shoot. In viticulture, a short shoot is called a knot. This method is usually used on young grape bushes to strengthen the root system. It also ensures active growth of shoots from the buds, because most of the annual shoots are removed.

Short pruning is used by gardeners when forming a bush. In case of damage to part of the bush as a result of pruning the bush, a reserve knot is formed.

Average

This type is the most common technique in all types of vineyards. With this method, 8-10 eyes are left on the shoot. In this case, the fruiting branches can be arranged in an arcuate manner horizontally or bending downwards. Medium pruning of grapes ensures maximum yield with high quality berries.

Long

The long one allows ten to twenty eyes per shoot and is used on vigorous grape varieties. Some Central Asian varieties allow very long pruning, in which up to 25 eyes are left on the shoot. This method significantly activates their fruiting.

Mixed

Mixed pruning is called fruiting pruning. This method is most often used when growing small vineyards on individual garden plots. Regular renewal of shoots allows you to maintain high yields and excellent quality of berries. When mixed pruning, it is important to form a replacement knot, which should be located on the outside of the bush. On very strong bushes, an increase in the number of eyes is allowed.

Deadlines

In viticulture, different pruning times are practiced. Pruning in each season is determined by the purposes for which work is performed on the vine.

Autumn

Is a mandatory process. It improves the overall condition of the plant and can speed up bud break in the spring. When pruning in autumn, the bush is rejuvenated, while its growth is controlled. Shortly before pruning, the vineyard should be watered abundantly so that the root system is filled with moisture. The soil around the root needs to be loosened. In order for the plant to easily tolerate pruning, fertilizing with mineral fertilizers should be used. Old branches that do not bear fruit, diseased and weak shoots should be removed.

All biological material remaining after pruning must not be left on the site. The best option would be to burn the trimmings.

Summer

Summer pruning is carried out so that the plant does not waste its energy on growing unnecessary shoots. A large number of fruitful shoots can produce a bountiful harvest, but the berries will be small and tasteless. In addition, empty, leafy branches shade the sun, which also has a bad effect on fruiting. These shoots are removed in the summer. Summer pruning can be carried out without mechanical devices, and the branches are broken off and pinched.

Spring

Spring pruning dates begin when stable warm weather sets in. depends on the age of the bush, since a two-year-old vine is pruned somewhat differently than an annual one. In spring, the plant wakes up after winter and enters the active growth phase, so all spring work on the vine must be done very carefully.

Winter (January, February)

If autumn pruning was not carried out for some reason, this procedure can be performed in winter. Autumn pruning should not be postponed until spring. The optimal time for this is February, when the worst frosts are already behind. Winter pruning has its positive sides. It is easier to work with a dried vine and there is less chance of introducing pathogenic microorganisms to a fresh cut.

Pruning grapes is done with ordinary pruning shears. In some cases, a garden hacksaw and a special knife may be required. The blades of the pruning shears should be well sharpened, and before trimming live shoots they should be disinfected with any alcohol-containing liquid. The hacksaw should have a thin blade with fine teeth. Cuts should be made on the inside of the branches. If the cut is uneven, it should be corrected with a knife blade.

Video

This video will tell you how to prune grapes correctly so as not to harm your bush and get the maximum harvest of berries.

conclusions

Pruning of grapes is mandatory agrotechnical procedure.
Recommended guidelines should be strictly followed timing of pruning grape bushes.
Anything left after pruning should be burned to prevent the development of fungal infections. These include:
You cannot carry out pruning work with dirty tools.