The goal in pruning is to leave an appropriate number of one-year-old fruiting branches (spurs or canes) to provide optimum fruit production without excessively dense vegetative growth. Pruning also aids in balancing vegetative growth and fruit production. Grapes are pruned while vines are dormant. See What Varieties are Best for My Backyard? to understand the reasons for using spur vs. cane pruning, and which varieties receive which method.

How do I . . .

• train and prune mature vines?
  • cordon train and spur prune?
  • cane prune?
    • head train and cane prune on a trellis?
    • prune to match vine vigor?
    • cordon train and cane prune on an arbor?
  • prune or trim shoots in the summer?
  • prune overgrown vines?