Correct winter pruning on table grapes is essential for optimized production and proper growth of the plant and will undoubtedly influence the final quality of the grape.
The objective is to achieve in our table grape cultivation a proportional growth of wood and fruits and obtain an ideal distribution of the load on the plant.
In the case of table grapes, this pruning must always be focused on the quality of the grape, since it requires more conditions (taste, texture, size, coloration, etc.) than the wine grape.
Pruning the vine is usually done twice a year, in winter and spring.
Winter pruning is usually carried out during the months of December and January, since at this time the plant has lost its leaves and when it rests, the sap descends towards the trunk. The correct execution of this action will determine its production and quality in the following season.
Winter pruning should be carried out during the winter resting stage. If we carry out the pruning when the plant has begun budding, we will eliminate the reserves already mobilized by the vine, which delays a new sprouting and weakens the plants.
We must also take into account the ideal production for each plant, and from the analysis of its fertility in relation to the buds and their production of bunches, limit the buds growth. For these reasons, pruning in winter is never the same from one year to the next due to the development of the vine and the productive needs we have.
This winter work could be classified into two types: long pruning and short pruning, depending above all on the variety of the vine and its fertility.
In varieties that need a greater number of buds to achieve the desired production, long pruning is used, in which the ideal is to leave between 8 and 11 buds per cane.
If, on the other hand, the vine offers us a large production for each bud, the ideal is to keep about 3 or 4 per charger. This type of pruning is called short pruning. Keep in mind that the fewer fruits you demand from the plant, the more quality they will have.
The productive history of the vine will indicate the ideal pruning, since if it has had a good production and the plant is strong, it will be enough to leave the same type of buds and cane as the previous year.
It is very important not to perform winter pruning during frost, because if the scars produced freeze they will seriously affect the vine.
Once the pruning is finished, the most important work is the sealing of the scars produced (also called painting the cuts).
It is convenient to eliminate the branches where there is greater density or intersect between them, the purpose is to get the vine to obtain a better aeration and an exposure to the sun's rays more uniform in all its leaves.
Optimal winter pruning will decrease the need for green pruning.
While the dried branches of the vine do not influence its production, it is very important to remove them as it helps to protect the plant from diseases. At the same time that we eliminate these branches, we must do the same with the damaged parts in the bark of the vine for the same reason.
Through winter pruning we will be able to renew the wood of the plant and that it is prepared for the winter vegetative stop.
Through the guide cables we will define the future growth and disposition of the chargers. Preventing some from growing on top of others and each one having the necessary space for its development.
Pruning a vine will always weaken it, there is no choice but to apply some kind of treatment. Wounds as a result of pruning can create fungal diseases and weakening in budding (chlorosis), which will irretrievably reduce its lifespan and naturally its production.
To avoid or reduce this problem it is advisable to paint with a copper-based compound, in combination with micro-elements with acidic pH, which facilitate the cauterization of the wound, not being necessary then the addition of iron sulfate for this acidification.
In very thick cuts, the use of sealing products or healing pastes is recommended. These treatments for after pruning are really very cheap, so it is worth not neglecting it and using the best products we find on the market.
As we have seen, pruning and subsequent treatments in table grape crops are the main tool for the regulation, management and balance of the vine. Through pruning we can regulate its production and find the perfect balance between the plant, the soil and the climate.
Photos: Agronotips
The content of this article in our Agronotips section was prepared by www.fertilizante.info, which was revised and republished by The Grape Reporter/FreshFruitPortal.com.
