This training method is widely used in vineyards, large and small, with the grapevines grown in rows along post-and-wire supports. It can also be adapted for larger gardens and allotments that have space for one or more rows of vines, to produce substantial harvests.

This is a ‘renewal’ training system, where the fruiting side-branches (arms) are pruned out every winter, and new ones trained horizontally to replace them and carry the coming summer’s crop.

A double Guyot vine has two side-branches, or arms, trained along the lowest wire   (photo: RHS/Tim Sandall)

A single Guyot, with one arm, is useful at the end of a row. (photo: RHS/Tim Sandall)

• Early winter (late Nov/Dec) is the main pruning time, when the vines are fully dormant. Pruning later than this can cause the cuts to bleed sap, which can weaken plants. But in sites prone to spring frosts, you could consider delaying pruning until early spring – see FAQs, below

• Spring and summer – train the new growth

With this method of training, the vines are planted in a row (or several rows) with sturdy post-and-wire supports. The supports should be put in place before planting, and should ideally run north to south. Allow 1.5–1.8m (5–8ft) between the rows.

Make sure the posts are firmly anchored in the ground. They should stand 1.6–1.8m (6–8ft) tall, with one every 4–6m (13–18ft), depending on the vine spacing and row length. Give the end posts a bracing support on the inner side at a 45° angle, to keep the posts vertical when the horizontal wires are tightened. For longer rows, use guy wires to secure the end posts. 

Guy wires help to keep the end posts upright   (photo: RHS/Lenka Cooke)

Chains on the end of the wires allow them to be unhooked during winter pruning   (photo: RHS/Lenka Cooke)

On the intermediate posts, secure the upper wires with hooks so they can be released   (photo: RHS/Lenka Cooke)

When and how to plant

Plant the vines during the dormant season (late autumn to early spring). Planting in early to mid-spring is generally preferable, to avoid winter damage.

• When planting a bare-root vine, position it so the first roots are just below the soil surface – look for the soil mark at the base of the stem as a guide. If the plant is grafted, make sure the graft point on the stem is kept well above the soil surface

• When planting a container-grown vine, position it at the same soil level it was growing in the pot

For more on planting and growing grapevines, see our guide:

Grapes: outdoor cultivation

Grapes: outdoor cultivation

Spacing

Space the vines 65–100cm (27–39in) apart for a single Guyot system (one fruiting arm) and 1.2–1.5m (4–5ft) apart for a double Guyot (two fruiting arms).

If you’re planting more than one row, space the rows 1.5–1.8m (5–6ft) apart. There should be a 45–60cm (1½–2ft) band of bare soil at the base of the vines, with the vines in the centre.

It takes several years to establish vines for this training method, as follows.

Year 1 – winter after planting

1. Tie the stem to a 1.8m (6ft) bamboo cane that is fixed to the horizontal wires

2. Cut back the main stem to two strong buds above the graft point or to about 15cm (6in) above the ground if the plant was grown from a cutting rather than grafted

Year 1 – first spring and summer

1. Select one strong shoot growing from the topmost bud and tie it vertically up the cane

2. Cut back any side-shoots from this main (leading) shoot to five leaves 

3. Remove any vigorous shoots that may be competing with the chosen main shoot

4. Remove any shoots growing from the original part of the stem as soon as you see them, including any from below the graft point

 
Year 2 – winter

1. Cut back the main shoot to just below the lowest wire. Make sure you retain at least three healthy-looking buds (two for a single Guyot)

Year 2 – spring and summer

1. Train three shoots (two for a single Guyot) growing from the selected top buds up the cane, tying them in loosely. Cut back any side-shoots to one leaf

2. Prune out any other shoots growing from the main stems as soon as you see them throughout the growing season

Year 3 – winter

1. Prune back the central shoot to three strong buds (two for a single Guyot)

2. For a double Guyot, gently bend one shoot to the left and one to the right to form arched shaped arms and tie them to the lowest wire. For a single Guyot, tie down one single shoot to the left or the right. This will reduce apical dominance and stimulate production of new growth that will flower and fruit evenly all along the arms

3. Cut back the arms to 60–90cm (2–3ft) long. Make sure they don’t overlap the arms of the neighbouring vines

A young Guyot-trained vine after winter pruning  (photo: RHS/John Trenholm)
 

Year 3 – spring and summer

1. Let only three shoots develop (two for a single Guyot) from the central shoot stub and train them vertically up the central cane

2. Train the new shoots growing from the arch shaped arms vertically on the wires (or guide them between double wires) 

3. Cut them back to three leaves above the top wires

4. Prune back any side-shoots to one leaf

5. Keep the main stem (leg) clear, pruning out any shoots that appear. Promptly remove any suckers growing from below the graft point

From here onwards, use the pruning method for established vines, below.

Year 4 and onwards – winter

Illustration: RHS/Chris Lane

1. Remove the horizontal arm(s) that produced fruiting shoots, close to the permanent short stem

2. Free the two or three shoots that were tied to the cane in the centre. For a double Guyot, gently bend one shoot to the left and one to the right to form arched shape arms and tie them to the lowest horizontal wire. For a single Guyot, tie down one single shoot to the left or the right. This will reduce apical dominance and stimulate production of new growth that will flower and fruit evenly all along the arms.

3. Cut back the arms to 60–90cm (2–3ft) long. Make sure they don’t overlap the arms of the neighbouring vines

4. Cut the remaining central shoot back to three strong buds (two for a single Guyot)

A Guyot-trained grapevine before winter pruning  (photo: RHS/Tim Sandall)

A Guyot-trained vine after winter pruning  (photo: RHS/Tim Sandall)

Year 4 onwards – spring and summer

1. Let only three shoots (two for a single Guyot) develop from the central shoot stub and train them vertically up the central cane. Remove the tops when they reached about 1.5m (5ft). Prune back any side-shoots to one leaf

2. Train the fruit-carrying shoots growing from the arched shape arms, tying them vertically onto the wires (or guide them through double wires), spacing them about 15cm (5in) apart

3. Remove surplus shoots

4. Cut back the vertical shoots to three leaves above the top wires

5. Prune back any side-shoots to one leaf

6. Keep the main stem (leg) clear, pruning out any shoots that appear. Promptly remove any suckers growing from below the graft point

Leaf removal 

In early September, remove some of the leaves around the grape bunches to expose them to more sunshine and help them ripen. This will also improve air circulation around the fruit, deterring fungal diseases. But take care not to remove too many leaves, you don’t want to defoliate the plant.

Renovation pruning

After six or eight years, the stub on the top of the main stem (leg), from which the replacement arms are trained, is likely to have become too tall or unproductive, so consider renovation.

To renovate the tall ‘stub’, prune to a shoot lower down, using a pruning saw. Alternatively, select a well-placed shoot on the top of the ‘leg’ as a replacement. Make sure there is a suitable replacement shoot or shoots with healthy-looking buds before pruning, as grapevines don’t readily produce new growth from old wood.

The old stubs have been removed and new shoots selected as replacements  (photo: RHS/Tim Sandall)

My Guyot-trained vine didn’t produce enough replacement shoots in the centre. What should I do?
If you don’t have enough replacement shoots, use one of the vertical shoots growing from the horizontal arms nearest to the centre as a replacement shoot. Be careful when removing the arms in winter that you don’t remove this alternative replacement shoot.

Why did my grapevine bleed after pruning?
If pruned late, in January or beyond, when the sap is starting to rise, grapevines are prone to bleeding sap from pruning cuts. This particularly affects plants growing in a greenhouse or if you make large pruning cuts into older wood. There is nothing you can do to halt the bleeding – it will stop naturally when the vine starts growing. In future years, finish pruning by mid-winter. 

My grapevine’s new shoots often get damaged by frosts – should I delay pruning?
Yes, in sites prone to frost in spring, delay pruning until March or early April, so the buds burst later and new shoots are less likely to be hit by frost. The resulting bleeding won’t usually have a significant effect on a healthy vine. However, if you want to make any larger cuts into older wood, do it when the vine is fully dormant, by the middle of winter. 
 

More on pruning grapes  

The following RHS books are widely available to buy, or can be borrowed by RHS Members from the RHS Lindley Library:

• Grapes: indoors and out by Harry Baker and Ray Waite

• RHS Pruning & Training by Christopher Brickell & David Joyce

Also see our pruning guides:

Bleeding from pruning cuts

Bleeding from pruning cuts

Grapes: pruning and training

Grapes: pruning and training

Grapes: rod and spur (cordon) pruning and training

Grapes: rod and spur (cordon) pruning and training

Grapes: training as a standard

Grapes: training as a standard