To take good care of the land, it is very important to know the timing for pruning the vineyard, how to prune a vine, the different types of pruning… in other words, basic training in vine pruning is needed.

What is the best time to prune the vine?

Normalment, la poda de les vinyes la situem en el període del repòs vegetatiu, és a dir, el repòs de la planta. D’aquesta manera, la poda de vinya es farà abans que aquesta recuperi la seva activitat, ja que pot afeblir-se i perdre energia a causa de la falta de nutrients emmagatzemats. Per aquesta raó, localitzem la temporada de la poda entre el final de l’hivern i el principi de la primavera.

What is late pruning? It's pruning carried out after the plant has already started to sprout. This period is not usually when vines are pruned, due to the large amount of reserves removed when cutting it.

What happens if the vine is pruned before the plant enters dormancy? In this case, we end up with a plant without carbohydrate reserves; by not letting it rest, budding will be late and the plant will lack vigour.

Points to keep in mind:

CLIMATE

La fusta de la vinya i les seves branques poden arribar a tenir malalties, en el moment de la poda es poden causar ferides en la fusta que afavoreixen l’entrada d’aquestes. És important evitar els dies de pluja, boira i alta humitat, ja que afavoreixen la transmissió de fongs.

AGE OF THE PLANT

S’ha de ser conscient que no és el mateix podar parres joves que aquelles que són ja adultes. Les plantes més joves són més sensibles a les gelades i com és d’esperar, no tenen una gran capacitat per a recuperar-se dels seus efectes. Aquest és el motiu pel qual la poda de la vinya jove s’haurà de retardar per a dur-ho a terme una vegada passat el fred de l’hivern.

How to prune a vine or vineyard?

Should we take the lunar phase into account? Is there a specific date for pruning the vine? Well, depending on the age of the vineyard, either formation pruning or fruiting pruning will be carried out.

PRUNING OF YOUNG VINES

In the early years of a vineyard's life, we tend to opt for formation pruning, since its aim is to give a certain shape and structure suited to the still-young plant.

As for what will be the first pruning, we'll need to take into account the following steps:

1. Turn the straightest and strongest branch into the main branch.
2. Prune down to the base all branches that are weak.
3. Prune the main shoot

• Red grape vineyard: leave 2 buds
• White grape vineyard: leave 3 buds

If you find yourself in the following pruning, the steps will be different:

1. Choose the strongest shoot again.
2. Cut all the shoots except the one we chose earlier.
3. We'll leave the strongest shoot at a length of 30 centimetres.
4. Tie this same shoot to a guide or support.
5. When it reaches the length of the support, it must be tipped so that it branches out.
6. A year later you'll need to tip these branches at a length of 25 centimetres.

PRUNING OF OLD VINES

Una vegada tinguem una vinya amb l’estructura desitjada va ser quan aquesta ja sigui una vinya vella. En aquest moment realitzarem la poda de fructificació. L’objectiu serà el manteniment de la vinya en la qual s’ha de cuidar d’eliminar aquelles parts que estiguin en mal estat o impedeixin la bona salut d’unes altres.

The branches you must remove to favour the continuous growth of the vine are as follows:

1. Prune the oldest branches that don't produce new shoots.
2. Prune those that are in poor condition, mainly the diseased ones.
3. Prune new shoots that block the passage of light or cross with the main branches.

And do you know what the vine shoots from pruning can be used for? Do you like «calçots»? Well, the pruned vine shoots are used to light the fire to cook this typical seasonal dish.

Grape harvesting

La recol·lecció del raïm o verema dependrà de les condicions en les quals es trobi la parra i la poda que hagi triat seguir la persona que la cuida. Per tant, hauràs de tenir en compte el moment de la poda de la vinya, la temporada, la zona i les condicions climatològiques que tot això comporta.

That said, it's most common to harvest the grapes once summer has already begun, around July, extending it until September.