Important factor for the yield and quality of a wine. Without pruning, the vine would proliferate uncontrollably and from the buds of each of last year's shoots build up new stocks every year, which would spread out in tiers, while the lower stocks would become woody. Since grapes are only ever formed on one-year-old wood, pruning ensures a balance (physiological equilibrium) between yield (generative growth) and growth (vegetative growth) without producing too much old, unproductive wood. The choice of the appropriate method depends on the soil type (fertile-barren), the vine training (single vine, wire frame, pergola), the climate (humid-dry), the grape variety (fertility, tendency to coulure), the rootstock, as well as specific local conditions.
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Markus J. Eser
Weinakademiker und Herausgeber „Der Weinkalender“