Grape vine pruning

Dani has asked if I could post a close up shot of my grape vine pruning. Your wish is my command but this is my way of pruning and the vine still produces fruit for me. Basically I prune for me rather than the grape vine. The greenhouse is not large and I want the vine to go where I want it to go rather than where it wants to go. There is one main stem which comes into the greenhouse from its planting position outside. Roots outside, stem inside. This bigger vine has survived transplanting from growing in our kitchen to growing in the greenhouse. Each year I prune it back to the bare bones - usually in spring. Throughout the growing period I am continually cutting back the pieces I don't want. On the bigger vine I have 2 main leads, one running down the centre of the greenhouse and one over to one side. I cut off all the side shoots in spring and then wait. Quite a lot of side shoots will grow from the main stems. Wait until you see a bunch of grapes and then cut off the side shoot one leaf after the bunch. More side shoots will grow - just keep cutting them off.

Here's my very last bunch of grapes.

Unfortunately I only ate about 3 of these as the rest are definitely 'past it'.

The vine leaves have started to fall.

This is a picture of our most recently planted vine - (planted about a year and a half ago). The roots were planted outside the greenhouse and the shoot trained in through a gap to the inside.

Our main vine comes in along the same wall. It's much thicker as it's much older. See the side shoots? They can be cut off.

The stem grows up to the middle of the roof of the greenhouse ...

... and travels the whole length. A side shoot off the main stem has been trained to run along one side of the greenhouse.

Here you see the side shoot. From these main stems other side shoots grow and on them grow the grapes. (Grew the grapes.)

All the leaves will eventually fall off and then I will be able to see the skeletal vine. From there I will start to prune back long and unwanted shoots.

To sum up - prune to however many leading stems you want. From those leading stems prune off any side shoots you don't want. The vine will grow like mad in the growing season. Keep pruning to keep it in check and in some form of order.

Hope this helps, Dani. I will post whenever I get out my secateurs so you can see the vine's progress over the year.

xx