Grape vine
Vitis vinifera
A fruit, planted November to March.
In September: take some leaves off the grape vine and pick the crop.
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Grape vine, month by month
Bar: the usual months. Sprout: this month.
| Sowing, planting or job | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | 2027Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plant a pot-grown grape vine. | none | none | usual | usual | usual | usual | usual | none | none | none | none | none |
| Plant a bare-root grape vine. | none | none | usual | usual | usual | usual | usual | none | none | none | none | none |
| Take the flowers off the grape vine. | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual | usual | none | none |
| Thin the bunches and berries on the grape vine. | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual | usual | none |
| Tap the flowers on the grape vine (plants grown indoors only). | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | none | none | none |
| Pinch out the shoot tips and sideshoots on the grape vine (rod-and-spur trained plants only). | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual | usual | usual |
| Take some leaves off the grape vine. | usual | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual |
| Pick the grapes. | usual | usual | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual |
| Winter-prune the grape vine (rod-and-spur trained plants only). | none | none | usual | usual | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none |
What to do, and when
The usual months for a UK garden. Your own plan gives the week.
Planting
Plant a pot-grown grape vine November to March, 1.2 to 1.5m apart, rows 1.5 to 1.8m apart. Strong source: RHS.
Plant a bare-root grape vine November to March, 1.2 to 1.5m apart, rows 1.5 to 1.8m apart. Strong source: RHS.
Take the flowers off the grape vine
For the first two years after planting, remove all the flowers so the vine puts its energy into establishing.
Usually April to June. Strong source: RHS.
Thin the bunches and berries on the grape vine
With vine or nail scissors, snip off about one in three grapes in each bunch.
Usually May to July. Strong sources: RHS and Gardeners’ World.
Tap the flowers on the grape vine
For plants grown indoors only.
Around midday on a dry, sunny day, shake the stems or stroke a cupped hand over each bunch.
Pinch out the shoot tips and sideshoots on the grape vine
For rod-and-spur trained plants only.
Cut each flowering side-shoot back to two leaves past its developing flower cluster.
Usually May to August. Strong source: RHS.
Take some leaves off the grape vine
Gardeners call this de-leafing.
Remove some leaves around the bunches to let in sun and air, but not too many.
Usually July to September. Strong source: RHS.
Pick the grapes
Usually August to October. Strong source: RHS.
Winter-prune the grape vine
For rod-and-spur trained plants only.
Cut every side-shoot back to one strong, plump bud, or two if the first looks weak.
Usually November to December. Strong source: RHS.
What the source words mean
Strong: the RHS page for this plant is among them.
Every line above names the page it comes from. Where we found no good source for a job, we left it out. Where the name “Grape vine” comes from.