How Do You Prune Muscadine Grapes?
Muscadines are popular in home gardens in the southeast and gulf states. They sometimes grow wild and require little maintenance to survive, but proper pruning produces a better crop. Pruning muscadines serves three purposes: to train the grapes, to remove dead wood and to revitalize the vine. Give the grapes plenty of room, about 20 feet of running space per vine. Train the muscadine vine and do touch-up pruning during the growing season. Major pruning happens in mid-January, when the vine is dormant. Use sharp hand clippers, lopping shears or a small hand saw for larger vines. Prune muscadine grapes to one stem with two to three buds after planting. Wait for new growth to appear and choose the most vigorous shoot, cutting away the remaining shoots. Loosely tie the muscadine grape vine to a fence, arbor, trellis or training stake using cotton twine. Continue pruning away side shoots weekly and tying the vine to the support. Cut the growing tip of the muscadine vine when it reaches the
