spurpruned

Spurpruned refers to a grapevine pruning system in which the permanent cordon is kept and new growth is routinely shortened to short fruiting spurs along the cordon. Each spur carries a small number of buds, typically one to three, which will form the next season’s fruiting shoots. The method is a form of spur pruning, a common alternative to cane pruning in many vineyards.

In practice, spurpruned vines are trained on one or more horizontal arms (cordons) along a trellis. During winter pruning, growers remove most of the previous year’s growth and position the remaining buds onto designated spurs at regular intervals. The number of buds per spur and the spacing along the cordon are adjusted to vine vigor, climate, and grape variety. Spurring is often used to simplify pruning, produce predictable yields, and facilitate canopy management and mechanization.

Spur pruning is one of the two primary pruning philosophies used in viticulture, the other being cane pruning. Spurpruned systems are favored in regions with moderate to high vigor or where uniform bud fruiting and reduced winter pruning labor are priorities. Variants include single and multiple spur configurations, as well as different bud counts per spur to suit particular varieties and vineyard goals.

Maintenance considerations include monitoring spur health and vigor, replacing overextended or damaged spurs, and maintaining even bud distribution along the cordon. Spurpruned vineyards often require consistent annual pruning discipline and careful attention to canopy balance to sustain fruit quality and vine longevity. Synonyms include spur pruning and spur-pruned systems.