A Complete Guide For How to Prune Grape Vines Correctly

It is estimated that people have been cultivating grapes for over 8,000 years! With all that history and accumulated human knowledge, grape growing has developed into a complex art that may be intimidating to home growers. Contrary to popular belief, grapes are not that hard to maintain, but many people overcomplicate the process. This complete guide will simplify grape care so you can grow better, healthier grape plants right at home.

Even if you have old, overgrown vines on an arbor that have been neglected, you can learn how to prune with confidence. I’ll teach you the anatomy of a grape plant, when to prune grapes, and detail how to prune grape vines correctly (with a demonstrative video) so you can grow bigger!

Grow Like a Pro

Growing grapes is so rewarding. As vines grow into lush, fruit-bearing plants, I look forward to harvesting homegrown fresh grapes.

If you’re ready to successfully grow grapes, use this pruning guide and these other guides to help you grow grapes like a pro: how to build a grape vine trellis, how to grow grapes, how to use organic soil amendments, and how to use intercropping to reduce pests.

The Importance of Pruning Grape Vines

You can’t just plant grapes, let them grow wild and still expect much from them. They do take some hands-on maintenance.

Proper pruning is crucial to successful viticulture. First, it improves airflow and dries out the foliage, which prevents disease. Second, it allows more sunlight to reach the fruit to promote ripening.

It also extends the vine’s longevity by removing unproductive wood and diseased or damaged parts. And, it makes the vine easier for you to manage in the future.

When To Prune Grape Vines

The best time to prune grape vines is when they are dormant. This is usually done in late winter to early spring.

In the summer, you can trim to manage the vine's growth.

Anatomy of a Grape Vine

It is important to understand the anatomy of a grape plant before you begin pruning. When you are looking at a grape plant, it can look a bit confusing and overwhelming.

Especially if you have an established grapevine that has been neglected, it might look wild and crazy growing up a trellis or up the side of a fence. But once you understand the anatomy, it will help you assess that mess and start pruning correctly.

Here are the terms I will use to explain grapevine anatomy:

• Roots - Roots are the part of the plant buried in the ground that absorbs water and nutrients for the rest of the plant. 

• Trunk - The grapevine's trunk is the base and backbone of the plant, linking the roots to the rest of the growth. 

• Leaves - Leaves grow along the vine and are essential for photosynthesis.

• Clusters - Grape clusters are the fruit. Did you know, grapes are classified as berries?

Vine growth above the trunk can be broken down into two main classifications:

• Ladders - Ladders are vertical growth points that will eventually give you fruit. 

• Runs - Runs grow horizontally off of the ladders.

Pro-Tip: Installing a wire grape vine trellis can really help keep the grape plant nice and orderly, with the ladders and runs more easily defined and identifiable. Whereas growing grapes on a fence or lattice trellis allows the grapevine to grow sprawling out everywhere.

How to Prune Grape Vines

Use patience when growing grapes because it takes time! If you think you can plant grapes the first year and instantly have a trellis full, you will be sorely mistaken.

It will take years to achieve a nice, well-maintained, full plant. Pro-Tip: Don’t be afraid to prune heavily. It requires a lot of energy to keep a large mass of plant alive and send energy to the fruit forming far off in the distance. By keeping the plant more compact, the energy is directed into growing more high-quality and greater quantities of grapes.

Supplies Needed for Pruning

Having the right equipment helps you prune well and keep the plant healthy. Here's what you need to start:

• Pruning Shears - First, get a good, sharp pair of pruning shears. Make sure your tools are clean and sterile to prevent diseases from spreading.

• Gloves - Gardening gloves can protect hands from cuts and scratches, but they are not necessary and are a matter of personal preference.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Pruning

Let’s demystify how to prune grape vines!

1. One Trunk - The main growth stem coming up from the roots is the trunk. It will expand over time, much like a tree's trunk. You really only want ONE trunk coming up from the roots on each grapevine! Prune off any others.

2. First Two Runs - From the trunk, the plant will grow up and find the first wire on your trellis and the first runs will grow horizontally along that. Prioritize two of those first runs, one growing in each direction, and everything else can be pruned off!

3. Prune Run Length - Once you have the first two runs growing along the first wire of your trellis, prune them back to within a 5-foot span every year. Like the trunk, they will also get thicker with age.

4. Form New Ladders - In the next year, the lateral runs on the first wire will form new ladders reaching vertically to the next wire on your trellis. Some of those ladders will form fruit.

5. Prune Back to One Ladder - When you know which ladders will form fruit, you can select the best of those and prune off the others. Choose one ladder growing from each of the lateral runs on the first wire up to the second wire on the trellis. Prune off all the other ladders between the first and second trellis wires.

6. Second Two Runs - Prune those two ladders so each has a fork with two runs on the second wire.

7. Prune Run Length - Every year, prune the main runs on each wire back to within a 5-foot span and prune off any other runs and side shoots.

8. Continue This Process - Repeat steps 4 through 7 each year, allowing ladders to grow up to every wire on your trellis. Prune the runs to a 5-foot span. The vine will take 4 or 5 years to fill up the trellis.

If it seems like you will be pruning a lot of foliage off, you are correct. When it comes to grapevines, you can very easily prune off 60% or more because they produce so much excess growth.

Pro-Tip: Too much foliage might look healthy on domesticated grapes, but it is not. If you don’t prune and maintain a grapevine, it will become feral and grow everywhere. You might think you’re growing grapes well, but there is a reason that the pros don’t do it that way!

How to Maintain Grape Vines Post-Pruning

After pruning, continue caring for grapevines properly to ensure they stay healthy and produce well.