Pruning Muscadine Grapevines: A Comprehensive Guide
Muscadine grapevines are native to southern North America and have been cultivated for centuries. They produce delicious fruit, but to get the most out of your vines, you need to prune them properly. Pruning helps control growth, increases fruit production, and keeps your vines healthy.
Understanding Muscadine Grapevine Growth
Before you start pruning, it’s important to understand how muscadine grapevines grow. The vine consists of a trunk, cordons (arms), and fruiting spurs. New shoots, which bear fruit, grow from last season’s growth.
Pruning Basics
The best time to prune muscadine grapevines is during the dormant season, from January through February. When pruning, the goal is to develop short lateral shoots, or spurs, off the cordons. All shoot growth from the previous season should be cut back to spurs with two to four buds each.
Over time, as the spurs send out new shoots, the vines develop spur clusters. If the spur clusters become too large or numerous, the shoots will become weak and the fruit production will decline. When this happens, you should remove some of the spurs, especially those at the top of the trunk.
Pruning New Vines
For new vines, pruning begins as soon as the root is planted and continues through the first two growing seasons. Cut the trunk stem back to two or four buds and tie it to the trellis wire. Remove any side shoots that develop, but leave the leaf growth along the trunk.
In the second growing season, continue to remove unwanted growth and prune the terminal buds back to wire height. Allow the new topmost buds to develop into cordons. Trim back lateral growth on the cordons to one foot in length to encourage rapid growth.
Pruning Established Vines
Once the basic framework is established, pruning is used to maintain the vine’s structure and productivity. Remove any vigorous spurs that are found at the top of the trunk and prune back any overgrown spur clusters.
Pruning Overgrown Vines
If your muscadine grapevines have been neglected and are seriously overgrown, you can start from scratch and cut the vine all the way back to the original trunk. However, to keep the vines producing while you bring them back under control, you might consider pruning only one side of the trunk or one cordon at a time.
Additional Pruning Tips
- Remove any tendrils that are winding their way around the trunk or cordons, as they can strangle the vine.
- Vines may “bleed” at the pruned sight, but this is normal and will heal naturally.
- If you notice any girdling, where a tendril or other growth is constricting the trunk or cordon, remove it immediately.
Conclusion
Pruning muscadine grapevines is an essential task for maintaining healthy, productive vines. By following the tips in this guide, you can ensure that your vines produce abundant fruit for many years to come.
