Having planted several bushes of grapes on their site, many novice growers do not always know how to properly care for them. But for a full-fledged harvest, it is necessary to take care of the crop, ensuring regular watering, spraying and other manipulations. If most winegrowers consider these procedures mandatory, then not everyone performs pinching or chasing, although without them it is not always easy to get a full-fledged harvest. About what constitutes the chasing of grapes, how to do the procedure correctly, and in what time frame it needs to be done, will be discussed further.
Advantages and disadvantages
Chasing is considered a recommended procedure, which is a shortening of the shoot to a length of up to 30 cm with 6-8 underdeveloped leaves on it. This is done by shortening the shoots to normal leaves. After a correctly performed procedure, there should be about 15-16 full-fledged leaves on the shoots.
At the same time, one should not forget that with excessively short pruning, leaving a small amount of leaves, the bunch of grapes is not able to get the necessary nutrients, which will directly affect the taste of berries and yield.
A novice grower needs to study all the subtleties of the procedure before carrying it out. Although this technique is similar to pinching, it also has differences, because in this case a significant removal of part of the shoot occurs.
The task of minting is to slow down active growth by 2-3 weeks, which leads to a redistribution of the supply of nutrients directly to the fruits.
It is generally accepted that for a good bunch weighing about 1 kg, 1 sq. meter of green mass, that is, an average of 25 leaves. The presence of a long shoot with a large number of leaves will allow you to get the necessary supply of nutrients for the entire bush. Concerning some growers prefer not to cut the shoots, but to lay them out, placing them on top of the top wire, believing that a large amount of foliage will increase the productivity of the bush. This option can be considered good, but only if if the trellis is quite high, that is, it has a height of more than 2,5 meters.
Yet most growers consider chasing a necessary procedure.
Thanks to its implementation:
there is an acceleration of the ripening of the vine with clusters;
the growth of young shoots slows down;
the bush becomes more illuminated, which facilitates the access of air and sunlight;
the quantity of the crop, its quality improves;
the plant is preparing for wintering.
It is advisable to carry out such manipulations on bushes that have an average ripening time, since it is they who have a predisposition to a rapid increase in green mass. At the same time, nutrients will be spent just on building greenery, and not on forming a bunch.
Work done incorrectly, or at the wrong time, can cause a deterioration in yield, a decrease in the taste of berries, and contribute to the development of diseases.
Dates
The timing of minting can be completely different and depend on the variety of grapes grown. Pruning is done at a time when the growth of a young vine stops. The signal for the procedure is the straightening of the shoots in their upper part. The active growth of the shoots leads to the tilt of the branch and the bending of the shoot.
For early varieties minting is recommended to be carried out in the summer – starting from mid-July and ending with the first ten days of August.
In August carry out manipulations on both mid-season and late varieties. Terms for mid-season varieties may vary between August 1-15.
For late varieties the most suitable dates for such a procedure are the numbers of August 10-20.
If grapes are grown in greenhouses or greenhouses, chasing on such bushes is carried out starting from mid-July, when the shoots grow more than 1 meter.
There are many recommendations on the timing of minting. According to the majority, it is better to carry out the procedure when the grapes have reached the top wire.
Subsequent pruning is carried out at the end of summer and autumn, in September. Carrying them out contributes to a more effective compaction of the post at the grapes.
How to mint?
Summer chasing can be called a forced sanitary measure that helps reduce the thickening of the vineyard.
Tips for beginner winegrowers will allow you to mint correctly. First of all, you should take care of the availability of a suitable tool in the form of a pruner. And you can also pinch the top of the shoot with your hands.
During the procedure, a number of actions must be performed.
Remove the upper part of the shoot, which has up to 19 leaves. There should be about 7 leaves on the removed segment.
Next, you should also pluck the foliage growing above the upper brushes. Due to this, the size of the berries will increase, their taste and color will improve.
Carry out the procedure at a right angle. The shoots should be cut to the height of an outstretched arm, that is, guided by the height of the trellis.
With double pinching, the buds remaining below the stepson will not bloom ahead of schedule.
You can carry out the procedure, guided by the Kurdyumov method. To do this, they take the tops of young shoots in their hands and determine their level of rigidity. Young, soft leaves are to be removed, and those that have already become hard are left.
Thanks to such actions, 2 weeks after the manipulation, the stepchildren will actively begin to develop. This will lead to the accumulation of juice and nutrients, which will be essential for the growth of dormant buds and their development.
What happens in case of incorrect coinage?
All manipulations in the vineyard must be carried out within the specified time, taking into account weather conditions. Failure to comply with the requirements can lead to crop loss, reduced fruit quality, and deterioration of their taste.
If the procedure is carried out too early, the stepchildren will begin to grow very quickly, which will lead to a weakening of the bush, a decrease in the ovary. Chasing made during the active development of shoots can lead to the direction of nutrients not for the development of clusters and strengthening the vine, but for the development of new shoots, which will have to be broken off in the future. A procedure carried out ahead of schedule can push the fertile buds saved for the next year to wake up, and they can begin to bloom already in the current season.
There is also no point in coining too late, since all the necessary substances that the vine received had already been used up, therefore you can’t redistribute them.
Coinage is also considered incorrect if winegrowers remove only the crown. When the growing point is removed, the still unformed leaves will take a lot of nutrition until they are fully formed. To prevent this from happening, it is recommended to remove part of the vine up to 40 cm along with the leaves.
Useful Tips
It is worth getting acquainted with the useful tips of experienced winegrowers, allowing you to achieve a good harvest. Although many growers consider chasing an important procedure, in some cases it is not recommended.
We will analyze in which cases it is not necessary to do manipulations.
In a very hot summer, without rain, as when shortening the shoots, traces of burns may appear on the leaves and clusters.
Minting is not carried out if grapes grow on arches or arbors. In this case, the plants receive enough light, are well ventilated, have strong and strong shoots. All these factors lead to good development and, as a result, to a decent harvest.
It is undesirable to make chasing for a young annual bush, since its shoots have not grown enough. Pruning can lead to the fact that the stock of necessary substances for young bushes may not be enough for the winter. On vigorous bushes, chasing is best done when the shoots begin to reach the ground.
It is also not recommended to shorten the shoots on wine varieties, since they usually have a minimum of green mass and grow small. In this case, chasing is more suitable for table varieties.
In addition, do not prune shoots weakened by diseases or attacks by insect pests.
After the manipulations, it is desirable to treat the vineyard with fungicidal preparations. In the last summer days or at the beginning of autumn, root and foliar potassium-phosphorus top dressing is carried out.
