Updated at: 08-06-2022 - By: Sienna Lewis

Most juices are prepared from the Concord grape (Vitis labrusca ‘Concord,’ USDA plant hardiness zones 5–9), which also provides grape juice, grape jelly, and grape soda their distinctive grape flavors. Concord grapes may be found in USDA plant hardiness zones 5–9. The most vigorous of the grape kinds, Concords require a great deal of pruning, but most home gardeners fail to do it to the extent necessary to ensure a large harvest.

How to Prune Concord Grapes - Gardenerdy

Home gardeners love Concord grapes because they may be used both as a table fruit and for juice pressing. A hardy grape, it is the most cultivated grape east of the Rocky Mountains. The key to a bumper crop of grapes is mastering the art of pruning. For the optimum harvest, vines must be pruned with extreme care and precision. Without regular pruning, grapevines can quickly turn into tangled, fruitless mess.

Step 1

The vines remain dormant in late December and early January, so this is the best time to complete your trimming. Pruning should be avoided during periods of severe frost or when the sap has begun to flow. Pruning the current year’s growth is unnecessary, as grapes are grown on the current year’s wood.

Step 2

Look for the rotting timber. It’s easy to identify since it’s so rough. Using the new growth as a starting point, walk back along the vine until you reach the thicker bark.

Step 3

Four or five buds should emerge from the old growth before the vine is pruned with pruning shears.

Step 4

In the spring, do another round of pruning. Pruning can begin again in the spring once the new leaves have grown in. Only the strongest new growth should remain after the weaker ones have been removed.

Step 5

Re-prune in the summertime. The vines should be pruned to the third or fourth leaf after harvesting. Leave the grape-covered stalks alone. Make sure the fruit is getting as much sunlight as possible by removing any new growth and removing any leaves that are shading the fruit clusters.

Grape Growth Cycle

In the fall and spring, grapevines go into dormancy. The USDA Cooperative Extension notes that as spring temperatures warm, the starch stored in the roots moves through the vine, and then new buds begin to open. In the spring, as new stems sprout, they grow quickly and soon form blossoms. Grapefruits begin to form after pollination of the flowers.

How to Prune Concord Grapes - Gardenerdy

Grape ripening is called “veraison” by growers. After about five to seven weeks of fruiting, veraison begins on the vine. As the grapes ripen, they grow larger, softer, and their color begins to deepen. There are four to six weeks of ripening before the fruits can be harvested. Harvesting must be left undisturbed so that the vines can store their nutrients for the following year’s growth. Until the first frost, grapevines will continue to photosynthesize and store energy.

Grape Pruning Techniques

According to the University of Minnesota Extension, the first year of trimming grapes is to encourage strong roots and a straight trunk. Your grapes’ training system will dictate how you prune them after the first year. In the absence of proper pruning and training, grapes will quickly turn unruly and yield few grapes with an abundance of foliage. If you employ a training system for your grapevines, the pruning methods you apply will be determined by that system.

Pruning begins in January and lasts into March, when the grapevines shed their leaves following harvest. OSU Extension describes cane pruning and spur pruning as the two forms of grape pruning. Each vine should have between two and four fresh fruiting canes selected during cane pruning. Each of these canes should have roughly 15 buds on it.

In order to perform a spur prune, cut along the main canes to leave two to three bud spurs, each spaced four to six inches apart. Depending on the kind of grape, don’t leave more than 20 to 80 buds per plant. Remove all wood that is more than a year old. A lack of pruning or pruning in the wrong technique might result in a low yield and a poor quality fruit.

Pruning Concord Grapes

If you’re expecting a late frost, you might want to consider trimming your grapes after bud break to minimize their exposure to the cold. The growing tips of canes are the first to experience the onset of bud break. If you wait until the new growth is 3 to 4 inches long before pruning, you’ll be able to avoid damaging your plant’s new growth from cold.

Among the most vigorous grapevines is the Concord grape variety. Cane-pruning Concord grapes, which are considered table grapes, will give the most high-quality fruit. In order to get the maximum fruit out of the canes, they must be at least a year old and have been exposed to sunlight throughout the season.

New cane growth is almost often a sign of a neglected or old Concord grapevine in your yard. According to USDA Cooperative Extension, the best canes from the previous season should be left on the plant while the weaker canes should be pruned.

How do you prune an old Concord grapevine to get it to produce grapes?

It is necessary to prune Concord grapes each year in order to keep their size and output in check. Detailed instructions on how to prune grapes can be found in these two publications: Pruning Backyard Grapevines in Kentucky and Growing Grapes.

Old, neglected vines (typically seen in tiny home gardens) tend to be weak, with a number of crooked trunks, and a significant amount of old wood. Pruning these vines can help restore their health and vitality. The vine is covered in new canes. Most of the older timber, as well as some of the trunks and newer canes, should probably be disposed of. The best canes for fruit production are those with wood and buds that have grown and ripened from the previous season. Anywhere on the vines is a good place to look for these. If you want to keep the vine under control, save a sufficient number of the best canes near the base, or at the very least on a central stem.

Facts About Concord Grapes

Hence the name Concord grapes: they were first grown in Concord, MA. In the Vitis labrusca vine family, which includes the fox grape, they come from.

Concord grapes are commonly used to make both juice and table grapes. Concord grapes have a candy-like sweetness that makes them a popular choice for winemaking, but many people prefer the taste of wine made from other grape varieties. Sacramental wine, Kosher wine, grape pies, grape-flavored candies, soft beverages, jams, and jellies are all made with these grapes due to their overly sweet flavor.

Tips on How to Prune Concord Grapevines

Concord grape pruning is critical since it involves removing any plants that won’t provide fruit in the upcoming season. If you don’t prune your concord grapes properly, you can expect a large yield of high-quality grapes. In the event you have no idea how to prune Concord grapevines, here are some pointers:

Tip #1: Start planting in the spring

Early April is the best time to plant grapevines. Choosing a site where grapevines can get the maximum sunshine can help them thrive.

Keeping in mind that the canes that are exposed to sunlight will produce the most fruits It’s important to keep in mind that canes normally start bearing fruit after a year or two of growth.

Tip #2: Prune when the plant is dormant

First-year grape growers should focus on building a strong root system and maintaining a straight trunk, according to the University of Minnesota Extension. They should also cut their vines when they’re dormant. Typically, this is done in late winter or early spring.

For further protection against frost damage, avoid trimming during periods of severe frost. When the leaves have fully matured in the spring, perform a second pruning and remove any weak sprouts.

A summer pruning is another option, but only if you leave some grape-bearing shoots behind. It is also important to remove any new growth or leaves that may be blocking the fruit’s access to sunlight.

How to Prune Concord Grapes - Gardenerdy

Tip #3: Cane prune for concord grapevines

In grapevine pruning, spur pruning and cane pruning are two distinct methods. The buds near the base of one-year-old canes bear fruit when they are pruned with a spur. Blush Seedless, Autumn Royal, and New York Muscat are just a few examples of grapes whose spurs are commonly clipped.

Cane trimmed grapevines, on the other hand, yield fruit at the end of the canes that have been in the ground for one year. American grapevines, particularly concord grapevines, are commonly pruned with canes. Using this strategy, Concord grapevines yield more high-quality fruit.

It’s a good idea to prune old concord grapevines in your yard so that you’re left with only the strong, mature canes and wood from last season’s harvest.

Tip #4: No pruning, poor quality grapes

Remember that if you don’t prune your grapes, you’ll get less or lower-quality grapes. When pruning isn’t done correctly, you’ll only have a few low-quality grapes to harvest.

Advantages of Having Your Own Hobby Greenhouse

In order to safeguard your tender plants from harsh weather and the continual fear of pest infestations, cultivate them in your very own hobby greenhouse! To protect your plants from severe rains, high winds, snow, ice, hail, and other adverse weather conditions in a greenhouse isn’t necessary as it is in traditional outdoor gardening.

In addition, your greenhouse serves as a barrier against pests and vermin that could wreak havoc on your growing efforts. Finally, if you have a hobby greenhouse, you can simply establish an optimal growth environment because you can manage the temperature and moisture levels that your plants are exposed to.

Try Growing Grapevines in Hobby Greenhouses!

Pruning Concord grapevines is a rewarding experience, but growing these grapes in a backyard hobby greenhouse is much more rewarding. It’s time to reap the rewards of your very own botanical haven. Try out greenhouse gardening today!