In spur-pruned pruning, a spur is cut back to how many buds?

In spur-pruned pruning, a spur is cut back to how many buds?

• A. One bud
• B. Two buds
• C. Three buds
• D. Four buds

Answer: (B)

Two buds. In spur pruning, the idea is to keep a very short spur with just enough buds to balance fruit production and vine vigor. Cutting back to two buds provides renewal wood for next year while still giving a reliable fruiting potential, without inviting excessive vegetative growth that can come from leaving more buds or, conversely, too little growth from a single bud. Three or four buds would push growth too far toward canes and shade, making canopy management and ripening less predictable.

Two buds. In spur pruning, the idea is to keep a very short spur with just enough buds to balance fruit production and vine vigor. Cutting back to two buds provides renewal wood for next year while still giving a reliable fruiting potential, without inviting excessive vegetative growth that can come from leaving more buds or, conversely, too little growth from a single bud. Three or four buds would push growth too far toward canes and shade, making canopy management and ripening less predictable.