Pruning

The pruning of grapevines marks the beginning of the season of work in the vineyard. Grapevine life cycle demands yearly pruning regulating growth, fertility, size and quality of grapes. Pruning was usually done in the end of February or the beginning of March, after the head of the grapevine was uncovered. The vines are pruned while dormant, when the one-year-old vines are shortened to the length determined by the number of fruit-bearing buds. Such pruning, done while the plant is dormant, is called “winter” pruning, unlike the “green” pruning, done during the growing season. The two main types of pruning are known – thinning out, or the removal of entire branches right to the vines, and heading, or cutting back the terminal portions of branches.

A pruning knife was the tool first used for the task. Following the phylloxera outbreak, as a result of spreading of the industrial technology, the pruning shears became widely used. In addition to a good pruning tool, high competence is required.

Pruning determines the quantity and the quality of the yield. If the winemakers wanted a high yield, it was known that they could not count on a high quality of grapes. If pruning was done in such a manner to decrease the yield, the sugar content in grapes was higher, which was a prerequisite for a higher quality of the future wine.

Source:

Károly, Lábadi: Drávaszögi ábécé, Eszék-Budapest, 1996

Károly, Lábadi: Boranyja, Beli Manastir, 2007

Private collection of Mrs. Margita Sabo from Zmajevac.