CORVALLIS, Ore. — Once grapevines lose their leaves, they fade into the winter landscape — the perfect time to bring out the pruning shears.
“Home grape growers don’t prune their vines enough. When gardeners prune, they should remove the majority of wood produced the previous season — about 90%.”
January through early March is the ideal season to prune, said Erica Chernoh, horticulturist with the Oregon State University Extension Service. But knowing how to prune correctly is key.
“Home grape growers don’t prune their vines enough,” Chernoh said. “When gardeners prune, they should remove the majority of wood produced the previous season — about 90%.”
That may sound drastic, but grapevines respond well to heavy pruning. The process is straightforward, and step-by-step instructions are available in OSU Extension’s Growing Table Grapes guide, which includes photos and illustrations to help visualize each step.
“Pruning properly will improve plant vigor and lead to better yields and higher quality fruit,” Chernoh said.
Grapes are produced from buds that grow into shoots on one-year-old canes — stems that bore fruit during the previous season. The most productive canes are those that received good sunlight exposure and are roughly the thickness of a pencil, Chernoh said.
There are two main pruning methods for grapevines: cane pruning and spur pruning. Mature plants should be pruned each year to remove all old growth except for new one-year-old fruiting canes and renewal spurs — short canes pruned back to one to five buds.
Cane pruning
- Select two to four new fruiting canes per vine.
- Cut each to leave about 15 buds per cane.
- For wine grapes, leave about 20–30 buds per plant; for table grapes, 50–80 buds.
- Leave a one- or two-bud “renewal spur” near each fruiting cane to provide next year’s growth.
- Remove all other cane growth.
Cane pruning generally produces the best yields and quality fruit for table grapes.
Spur pruning
- Along the main canes, leave short spurs with two to three buds each, spaced four to six inches apart.
- Retain no more than 20–60 buds per plant, depending on grape variety.
- Remove all other one-year-old wood.
Previously titled Don’t be timid when pruning grapes
