Pruning grapes - an obligatory stage of the garden work. The purpose of pruning is to increase the yield, facilitate the care of the vines (bushes), as well as the proper formation of the plant.
Pruning grapes: autumn or spring?
It depends on the climate zone where the vineyard grows. If the climate is mild, then spring pruning is no worse than autumn. But if we talk about the northern regions, where winters are harsh, then autumn is recommended, as it facilitates the wintering process for the plant, and the vineyard - the process of sheltering grapes for the winter.
Where winters are not so severe, autumn pruning is carried out before the onset of steady frosts. In the spring pruning of the bush in no case can not allow "tears of the grapes" - together with the juice the vine loses nutrients and trace elements, which reduces the amount of future harvest, and can also lead to the death of the bush.
For this reason, spring pruning should be carried out in early spring before the start of sap flow. Air temperature should be + 5. 
Necessary tool
For pruning need pruner, hacksaw and lopper. All tools must be sharp and clean. Secateurs pruned young vines, no thicker than one and a half centimeters, and small sleeves.
Lovers of grapes will be interested in reading about the beneficial properties of grape seed, grape leaves, grape juice, grapes, raisins, red wine.The hacksaw is designed for trimming thick shoots, as well as for neglected old bushes, which are processed for the purpose of rejuvenation. The delimber (a kind of pruner) is necessary for removing branches in remote and hard-to-reach places.
How and when to trim bushes
In the planned pruning of grapes, there is nothing difficult: young plants are cut to give them the shape, modeling the skeleton of the future bush. Mature - to enhance the fruiting and rejuvenation.
When to cut grapes (dates)
Terms of pruning grapes depend on the climatic conditions in which it is located. In southern latitudes, the grapes are pruned a couple of weeks after the leaves fall. In the colder, the procedure should be carried out until frost is stable.
We advise you to read about how to grow grapes from chubuk and seed.In mild climates (there is no need to cover the plant), pruning can be transferred to the spring. Also divided in terms of formative, annual or anti-aging pruning.
Forming pruning is designed to give the bush a given shape.
Depending on the type of shaping (bowl, cordon, fan, etc.), trimming techniques may vary. It is carried out before the arrival of the first frost. Remove undigested (green) shoots.
The main purpose is to maintain a high yield of a mature bush. It is at this time that the future fruit units and replacement knots for the next season form. The fruit link is the vine that will bear fruit next season.
A replacement knot is needed to plan the next fruit link through the season. Pruning should be carried out a few weeks after the first, but before the onset of sustained frost. When rejuvenating pruning, they replace not only the fruit vine, but also the sleeves, as it is exhausted after a few years.
Basic rules for pruning
There are short, long, medium and mixed pruning of grapes. Short, mainly used for the formation of young bushes. When using this type, only 1-2 eyes are left on the shoot at the base, the remaining length of the shoot is removed.
Check out the best varieties of early, nutmeg, white, pink, black, table, cold-resistant, unopened and technical grapes.
Long pruning involves working with adult plants (4-6 fruit links with 10-12 eyes are left on the bush). Medium pruning involves the formation of fruit vines with the number of eyes up to 3 to 10. 
Mixed pruning is a structure of short knots of substitution (for 1-2 buds) and a long fruit link consisting of 5-12 eyes. The choice of the length of the vines to cut depends on the method of wintering and the growth rate of the bush.
For all types of shaping the vine, you can outline the general rules:
- the cut should not be close to the eye (preferably 2-3 cm above);
- the cut must be level and directed inside the plant;
- it is advisable to thoroughly clean the instrument after each plant to prevent the possible transfer of viruses from one plant to another.
Important! Any pruning is stressful for the plant, so try to make the process as good as possible, since non-compliance with the rules of procedure can lead to the death of the grapes.
The correct technique of autumn pruning, depending on the age and the formation of grapes
When forming a grapevine, work is carried out both in spring and in autumn.
Video: pruning grapes in autumn
Depending on what stage of the formation is a bush, trimming techniques will vary. In the first years of life, pruning is carried out in such a way as to form the skeleton of the future shape.
In the following years, in the fall, all vines that bred off were pruned, leaving only the replacement knots. Once in 6-8 years spend replacing the sleeves.
We recommend reading about how to plant grapes with cuttings and saplings.
First year of life
For the formation of a cupped shape in the germ in the first year of life, only a plot with two buds is left at the shoot. At the cordon formation, 2-3 buds are also left on the shoot, the rest is cut off. For fan pruning in the first year they use the same principle as the first two. 
Second year of life
For the cupped form, the sapling is given the same position as when pruned in the first year, that is, the top shoot is removed, and 2 buds are left on the bottom. When cordon pruning on each of the shoots leave 3-4 buds, everything else is removed.
Did you know? It turns out to be worth sowing parsley under a bush of grapes. - she helps him cope with some pests.
For the fan formation in the second year, how many shoots formed by autumn have a big role:
- if 2, 3-4 buds are left on each;
- if 3, then the third one is deleted, and on the remaining ones everything is repeated, as in the previous case;
- if 4 - then leave 2-3 buds, the rest is removed.
Third year of life
In the third autumn, with a cupped formation, 3-4 knots are left, on which 3-4 external buds are left. When cordon formation the main work on the formation is carried out in the spring, by autumn the last shoot, as a rule, rests against the next bush, therefore at this stage the shaping of the shoulder ends.
The fan formation in the fall requires planning of fruit links - one fruit sprout is cut into 10 buds.
Fourth year
In the fall, the vines are also cut from 4 shoots to form 4 knots, which form the sleeves of the bowl. For the next year's cordon, a fruit arrow of 10–12 buds is formed, and from the second shoot, a replacement knot is made.
Video: Grape's Step-by-Step Mistake The grape bush with a fan formation this year has already actively fruited, therefore, the works of autumn are aimed at maintaining the bush - removing the links from which the harvest was gathered and the formation of new ones for the next season.
Fifth year
The bowl is already fully formed, so the autumn work is aimed at maintaining the fruiting bush. Leave a knot with 2 buds on each sleeve.
Find out the answers to such questions: how to plant grapes in spring, when and how to grape grapes, whether to care for grapes during flowering, how to transplant and not damage grapes, how to feed grapes in spring and autumn.The bush with cordon formation from the fifth autumn is also treated to maintain high fruiting - they leave 10-12 buds for the next tier, and the rest are cut off. The fan form of the bush for the fifth autumn requires the same works as in the previous period.
Sleeve replacement: how to cut grapes after 6 years
The reason for the replacement of the sleeve can serve not only the aging of the existing, but also the disease, frostbite. If it is impossible to prepare for the second and third options, then for the first one it’s worth preparing a replacement in advance. 
For the formation of a new sleeve will take 3-4 years, so you should calculate the time for replacement in such a way that there was no interruption in fruiting. How to determine the aging of the sleeves in each case?
It is worth paying attention to the quality of the harvest: the size of the clusters and berries, the intensity of growth while maintaining health. If the performance began to deteriorate, the sleeve becomes unusable and should be replaced. In this case, coppice shoots can be useful, as well as side shoots on the sleeves (tops).
Important!If there is nothing to replace the sleeve, at its base, the waist is made with copper or aluminum wire, thereby provoking dormant buds below the waist level for development. This is how a new sleeve is formed.
Features care after trimming
After pruning, when the sap flow finally stopped, it is worth thinking about preparing the grapes for wintering. 
For a start it is worth treating a bush from pests that could settle on the surface remaining after trimming. Next is to determine the shelter of the grapes.
If the plant is still small, the ground part can either be simply sprinkled with earth, or covered with a box or a plastic jar, insulated with roofing material. Leave one small hole so that the plant can be ventilated (it is closed only if the temperature drops below -15).
It will be useful for you to read about how to deal with various pests and diseases of grapes.
An adult plant should be removed from supports, spread out on the ground and insulated with polyethylene on top using conventional greenhouse arcs, on which the film is stretched. On the one hand, such a warming leaves a hole for hardening and ventilation of the rod. Close it, too, provided the temperature drops to -15 and below.
Video: shelter grapes for the winter
Novice bugs
When you start working with grapes, especially when forming the vine, it is difficult to avoid mistakes. Many actions are not well developed, not all principles of work are clear.
Here is a list of the major mistakes of newcomers to the grape business:
- Weak planting material - it is important to choose a strong and healthy seedling and keep it properly in the future. The bark of a quality seedling should be completely brown in color, without stains. Kidneys should have a healthy appearance, not have scuffs and stains.
- Improper pruning - it is insufficient and untimely. It is worth remembering that when there is insufficient pruning, the bush thickens with subsequent deterioration of fruiting. Pruning should be carried out in the autumn twice: preliminary and final. Pre-post harvest. The final one - after the sap flow stops, to steady frosts.
- Timing and frost resistance - non-compliance with the rules of care for different grape varieties, depending on the characteristics of the variety and the latitudes in which it is grown. If the variety is not frost-resistant, then it should be prepared for wintering as soon as possible, since the delay can be fraught with frostbite. Frost-resistant varieties should be prepared later, as they have a longer period of active sap flow. Early pruning and winterizing procedures can lead to sap expiration or decay. The admission of the above errors will lead at least to a noticeable reduction in yield, as a maximum - to the fact that the work on the planting and development of the vineyard will have to be carried out anew.
Did you know? In the Slovenian city of Maribor there is a vineyard with 400-year-old vines that still bear fruit.
Vine cutting is one of the most important works on the development of culture. The quality of this procedure will depend on the harvest of the next year.
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