Grapes have been grown in vineyards and backyards of homes and later been converted into wine.
This is a tradition that has been taking place for many years.
But it takes a lot of hard work and commitment in order to grow a grapevine successfully.
The weeds need to be removed periodically, the grapevines have to be kept away from pests and insects and the vines need to be pruned as well.
It takes three years for the first bunch of grapes to appear after the grapevine has been planted.
The grapevine needs to be maintained well during this time gap and also needs to be pruned.
Pruning helps to stimulate better growth.
Grapevines need to be maintained in such a way so that size and productivity of the plant are proper.
This process could take many years.
The grapevine starts taking some shape after the trellis has been installed and the grapevine has been planted on it.
Grapevines originate as a strong shoot directly from the roots.
The other extra shoots that grow from the roots are cut away.
The primary shoot is then tied onto the trellis.
Then the arms of the grapevine need to be developed.
The shoots that lie on the two sides of the main shoot will be tied to the trellis and also help to support the fruits that grow.
Once the basic shape of the grapevine has been attained, then the pruning of the grapevine will continue during the dormant period.
Pruning the grapevine is a very important part of the process of the production of grapes.
The method of pruning the grapevine is dependent on the kind of grapes that are grown there.
The hybrid variety of grapes was created because they had the ability to tolerate the harsh weather during the winter months and they had a greater capacity to fight against diseases.
The amount of foliage available in the hybrid variety of grapes is less than that of the traditional ones.
The process of pruning helps to remove the buds from the previous year.
Good healthy fruits will only grow on canes that are at least a year old.
Due to this, new canes should sprout from the grapevine every year.
Sometimes during the process of pruning, the buds that would later turn into good fruits get removed.
This in turn will reduce the amount of grapes that are produced.
Hence the buds, which have to be pruned, should be selected carefully.
When a large amount of the plant is pruned, it gives room for many more shoots to grow and this leads to more fruits and foliage being produced.
When the grapevine has a large amount of foliage, they form a kind of umbrella for the grapevine and hence reduce their exposure to sunlight.
This is not the kind of environment that is conducive to the growth of a grapevine.
Loppers, handsaws and hand pruners are normally used to prune grapes.
Pruning in a grapevine should be done without causing any excessive damage to the vine.
Hand pruners are very good tools that can be used while removing shoots that are around one year old.
A lopper or a handsaw should be used to cut a larger amount of wood.
Growing grapes is a task that requires a person to step into the dirty soil and start from scratch.
The pruning process while growing grapes is something that grapevines owners learn easily.
A lot of hard work and commitment gives a good harvest of grapes.