How to prune vitis vinifera

Mid-winter (December–January in the northern hemisphere), when fully dormant. For rod-and-spur: shorten each lateral to 2 buds from the main rod. For Guyot: retain one or two strong new canes from the base, tie horizontally, and remove the old fruited canes entirely. Always cut cleanly just above a bud. Thin bunches to 1 per lateral in summer for quality fruit.

Annually in mid-winter; summer bunch-thinning as needed. Grapevine requires disciplined annual pruning — this is non-negotiable for decent fruit yields and vine health. Most garden and greenhouse vines are trained on the Guyot or rod-and-spur system. Prune hard in mid-winter when the vine is fully dormant; leaving it too late causes 'bleeding' from cut stems.

For rod-and-spur: shorten each lateral to 2 buds from the main rod. For Guyot: retain one or two strong new canes from the base, tie horizontally, and remove the old fruited canes entirely. Always cut cleanly just above a bud. Thin bunches to 1 per lateral in summer for quality fruit.