How to prune grapevines in spring

1. Wipe the buds

When the grape vines sprout, they need to be properly budded. The purpose is to reduce nutrient consumption and effectively increase the fruit setting rate. Bud removal is usually carried out when the bud eyes grow to 2-4 cm. The thick and larger buds are retained, and the weak and small buds are removed. If there are multiple buds in one bud eye, only keep one. On weaker branches, leave only one bud at each node.

2. Determine the shoot

After the new buds grow leaves, it is time to start determining the shoots. The first shoot determination is done 20 days after the leaves unfold, when the new shoot grows to 10 cm. The main thing is to cut off the weaker new shoots, and also remove the new shoots with smaller growth space. The second time of pinning is carried out when the new shoots are 15-20 cm long. The new shoots without inflorescences are removed, leaving only thick branches with inflorescences.

3. Pinching

Pinching can inhibit the growth of the apex, promote the differentiation of flower buds, and increase the fruit setting rate. The time of pinching is related to the thickness of the branches. Thinner branches should be pinched earlier and a few leaves should be cut off, while thicker branches should be pinched later. Only one inflorescence is needed on each fruiting branch, and weaker branches should not be pinched.

4. Flower Thinning

When the grapes bloom, they should be thinned out appropriately. This will concentrate the nutrient supply, increase the fruit set rate, and increase the size of the fruit. Flower thinning should be based on the strength of the branches. Strong branches should have more inflorescences left and less thinning, while weak branches should not have any inflorescences left. In addition, you can also lengthen the inflorescence appropriately so that the fruits are not too crowded.