Q – What is the recommended method of pruning ornamental grapes grown on an arbor or need they be pruned at all? R. S., Kansas.
Grapes grown on an arbor for ornamental purposes should be pruned and as a result of this pruning should produce better grapes and longer ornamental canes. For ornamental purposes prune away any canes growing where not wanted. Leave the heavy one-year-old canes where you want new growths to originate but cut them back until the total bud count on all the canes left totals only about 50 buds. This looks like a severe case of pruning but by mid-summer the new growths will cover everything within a distance of 10 to 20 feet. Do this pruning in late winter or very early spring.
