Rejuvenating Overgrown Muscadine Vines

Inherited a tangled muscadine vine? Here's how to retrain it for maximum production. In late winter, trace each long, whip-like cane back to its origin. Count the first two buds from the base and cut just beyond the second bud. Repeat for all of last year's growth, leaving a series of short "staghorn" spurs along the main arms.

Vigorous new shoots will emerge from these spurs, and grapes will form near their base. Don't worry about mistakes—muscadines are forgiving and will recover from errant cuts. For visual guidance, see the pruning diagrams at bit.ly/grapeprune.