Grape in January: monthly care

Grapevines require two distinct pruning sessions each year, and getting both right is essential for a good crop. The main prune happens in January or February while the vine is fully dormant. Use clean, sharp secateurs or loppers and be prepared to remove a lot of growth—up to 90 per cent of the previous year's wood. Establish a permanent framework of one or two main stems (the rod or rods) trained along your wires, then prune back all the side shoots (laterals) that grew the previous summer to one or two buds from the main rod. These short spurs will produce the fruiting shoots in the coming season. Cut just above a bud at a slight angle. Vines bleed sap if pruned too late, so finish by mid-February at the latest. The second prune is a summer trim in June or July, once the vine is in active growth and flowering or fruiting. Pinch or cut back the green side shoots to two leaves beyond each developing bunch of grapes. This concentrates the plant's energy into ripening fruit rather than making excessive leafy growth, and improves air circulation around the bunches, reducing the risk of fungal disease. Also remove any shoots that aren't carrying fruit, cutting them back to five or six leaves. If your vine is young and not yet fruiting, simply shorten all side shoots to five leaves to build the framework without exhausting the plant.