Outdoor Grapevine…pruning

watts.trevor

We have two grapevines about 15years old growing on a pergola. 

My question is; how do prune the side shoots growing upwards..when to cut shoot back e.g. after the first grape has appeared?.
Help…all advice is welcome 

Dovefromabove

I cut back to two leaves beyond the first bunch of grapes, when the grapes begin to form. 

bertrand-mabel

Ours are cut back in the winter and we then wait for new growths in the Spring. Any growths down the sides are removed only allowing growth from the upper sections.

They are trained up posts and rails and have been going for about 30 years now. Lost 2 but managed to replace them a few years ago.

Any pruning whilst in full growth is to cut back to the last grapes and keep cutting back excessive foliage to allow air flow through the vines.

watts.trevor

Many thanks to both Dovefromabove & bertrand-mabel.

One further question: any tips on how best to train new horizontal runners over the pergola

bertrand-mabel

@watts.trevor  our vines are allowed to grow upright with all the new growths on the vertical rubbed out only allowing those near the upright supports to continue.

In the first years these new growths were then attached by wire (carefully) to the horizontal supports. After many years of doing this the vines established and all we need to do now is to rub out those lower down as they show. Did this today.

watts.trevor

Many thanks Bertrand-Mabel, your advice is very helpful and appreciated. Hopefully one last question: I have on a lot of the bud joints several shoots/buds coming out. Should I only have one shoot per bud joint and rub out the others?. Sorry if this seems a stupid question