DIY Network

Pruning, Training and Watering Kelly Givens and her guest explain the care of grapevines. From "Fresh From the Orchard" episode DFFO-110

A visit to a backyard vineyard is huge inspiration. The owner, Jack Mandula, has allowed his hobby of growing grapes to develop into a passion, and he now grows more than 2,000 pounds of grapes a year on his half-acre lot. Together he and Kelly take some of the mystery out of how to prune grape vines and explain why a drip irrigation system is an excellent choice for a grape-grower.

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Pruning and Training Grapevines

Your pruning method depends on your climate and types of grapes, so consult your local extension service or a book on grapes to learn the best method. Even then, be prepared to learn from your mistakes for the first year or two.

As with most fruit plants, proper pruning techniques can make or break the success of your orchard. Jack Mandula uses a training method called a double-split trellis system. In this system, the vine is trained by "splitting" it, with part going to the left and part going to the right.

Note on the Cooperative Extension Services

You may have noticed that we often refer you to your local cooperative extension service for additional information. Why? Because extension service agents are local experts, the ones right in your own neighborhood. They understand your local climate and growing conditions better than anyone else.

If you don't know how to get in contact with your local extension service, here is a website that will help you easily locate the extension service nearest you: www. csrees.usda.gov/Extension/.

When training the vines to the trellis wires (figure A), you can use a loose tie wrap (figure B) or a tape gun (figure C). Especially if you're working with a large number of grapevines, the tape gun makes for speedy work.

Figure A

Figure B

Figure C

Part of the training involves thinning, or removing some of the flower clusters in the spring to prevent overcropping. Flower clusters are typically thinned to one or two flower cluster per shoot, except for in the first year, when no flower clusters are allowed to develop into fruit.

Irrigation

Figure D

Young vines need a fair amount of water when they're getting established; older vines don't require as much water. Drip irrigation (figure D) is best, since it keeps the foliage dry and thereby reduces the incidence of disease. Drip systems are easy to install and are relatively inexpensive.

For mature vine, too little water is better than too much water: overwatering causes fruit split. Interestingly, wines have a better quality and taste when produced with grapes grown in dry conditions.