table of contents
- Why summer pruning on wine?
- Best time
- Summer pruning instructions
- Sort out the grapes
- Defoliate
- Size correction
- frequently asked Questions
A summer pruning is essential for ideal growth of wine (vitis). The guide provides detailed instructions for easy implementation and provides information about everything you need to know.
In a nutshell
- Summer pruning required for improved berry development
- Remove stinging shoots and shorten long vine shoots
- Defoliation is part of the annual summer care
Why summer pruning on wine?
Depending on the variety, vines bloom between May and July. After that, the fruit clusters of the (future) grapes form mainly up to midsummer. Because grapevines, as a rule, are very fast growing growth can have a strong negative impact on fruit development. An enormous amount of energy is put into the formation of new shoots, so that no energy remains in sufficient quantities for the fruit to ripen. In addition, too dense and overhanging foliage provides shade on and in the vines. If no or too little sunlight gets to the fruits, the development is disturbed, they become more susceptible to diseases and pests and the crop yield decreases.
Best time
According to the calendar, summer extends from mid-June to mid-September. However, the best time for the summer pruning of stingy and ranches on the wine is in midsummer between the beginning of July and mid-August. Long fruit shoots are an exception. These should be "trimmed" as early as the beginning of June.
Summer pruning instructions
First of all, the fruit shoots have to be cut off a few centimeters at the tip. This ensures a surge in energy and nutrients. This also benefits the fruit stands on the shoots, which develop more vigorously as a result. In addition, proceed as follows:
- Cut off fruit shoots four to five leaves above the last fruit heads
- attach to tendrils so that increasing fruit weight can be supported
- Remove the dried leaves from the fruit shoot
- Pluck out dried buds
With these instructions, the summer pruning succeeds in the wine:
- Tear out shoots below grafts; if possible do not cut off
- new, young shoots break out green on the lower trunk; only cut off thicker, stubborn new shoots
- Remove very long, strong stinging shoots in leaf axils
- Break off shoots that are too close together as deep as necessary
- Shorten excessively long fruit shoots again six to eight leaves above the last fruit heads
- Cut back dried tendrils down to the healthy tissue - if necessary up to the roots
- Troublemakers and torrents break out
Tip: Basically, breaking out shoots is a better approach compared to cutting them off. By breaking out, no new shoots grow back at the point, which is significantly more beneficial for the further growth of the grapes.
Sort out the grapes
In order to save wasted energy, it is also useful to sort out certain grapes. This includes those that are far behind the contemporary level of development of the other fruits as well withered, stunted, mushy, damaged by birds or pests, or simply weak Growth forms. Please note the following:
- always use disinfected cutting tools
- Ideally: pull the grapes with the stalk
- If there is rot or other visible fruit damage, look closely at neighboring grapes and remove them if necessary
Tip: Always collect fallen grapes quickly from the ground. Not only can they attract pests, but they can also cause life-threatening symptoms of poisoning in pets after consumption.
Defoliate
In addition to cutting off various shoots and shoot tips, defoliation follows. This is an important task so that enough sun gets to the fruits and they can grow strong and healthy. If they are completely in the shade of leaves, the moisture is retained better underneath, which favors fungal infections and, above all, gray mold, and provides an optimal “breeding ground” for pests. The following instructions describe how defoliation works correctly and what to look out for:
- Carry out defoliation over a period of two to three weeks in order to avoid sunburn on "shadow grapes"
- Late-ripe varieties defoliate particularly slowly on sunny south-facing sides
- Remove leaves from around the grape areas bit by bit
- Remove the stems as well
- Leave some shady leaves to protect from the sun
- Pay attention to uniform lighting conditions on the vines so that all grapes are ready for harvest at the same time
Tip: The defoliation is carried out in midsummer, but the view already during the flowering period and Especially with the first fruit formation, obscuring foliage can be recognized at an early stage and remove. This reduces the risk of many development deficiencies and bad grapes.
Size correction
If a grapevine shows an undesirable height and / or width in summer, the summer pruning can also be carried out to adjust the height and width of your choice. However, fruits start to form from the second or third year of planting. When pruning in summer, there is a high risk of cutting off fruit buds, fruit clusters and / or grapes that are still unripe. Therefore some details should be considered:
- ideal: correct the height / width of early-ripening varieties after harvesting in June in midsummer
- Only cut back the height and width of late varieties in an "emergency" if tendrils damage gutters or facades, for example
- Height and width corrections, if too many grapes interfere with growth, then cut off the side and tall grape vines including the shoots
- by illness or pest infestation on severely weakened vines: pruning possible at any frost-free season
frequently asked Questions
In the first year of planting, young vines need sufficient time to root, to set and to relieve the stress caused by the change of location. A summer cut in the same year would therefore mean another strain and, in the worst case, disrupt the acclimatization process. Only a parenting cut in the first autumn is advisable, through which shape and size can be “educated” at a young age. Summer cuts on wine should only be made from the age of two or three.
No. When pruning, the aim is to reduce wood formation on the plants. This requires cutting outside of the active growing season. The suitable time for pruning is therefore between February and March. The summer pruning is mainly about fruit optimization and a lush harvest of aromatic grapes.
The cause is often the abundance of grapes. If a large number of grapes grow, the plant can usually not supply all of them equally. Existing supplies have to be shared among all, which in turn leads to an undersupply and correspondingly underdeveloped, small grapes. Here you can only reduce the stock and purchase grapes as part of the summer pruning. The plant tolerates well up to a remaining stock of 30 percent. The remaining fruits should then grow faster.