Care of grapes

Grape care for many summer residents seems to be something difficult, especially for those living in colder regions. In fact, things are somewhat different. One has only to understand some of the nuances and it is quite possible to grow a fruit-bearing vine on your site.

Care of grapes

How to cut?

Caring for grapes in the open field includes such an important aspect as shaping. This is a mandatory procedure, because without it the grapes will grow very quickly, and the harvest will be poor. Moreover, the thickets do not look so attractive, even if it is decorative grapes, and the purpose of cultivation is simply to decorate the site.

Formation is required for the vine, regardless of the region in which the grapes are grown – in the south, in the Moscow region or Siberia. Moreover, each month this procedure has its own characteristics.

Care of grapes

In the spring

Already in early March, it is worth carefully examining the bushes, provided that these are uncovered grapes and are grown in warm regions. Immediately it is necessary to remove frozen and dry branches. And then you need to decide how many main sleeves the grapes should have. You can leave two, three or four. It all depends on what condition they are in.

If the grapes were covered for the winter, then the shelter should be gradually removed, especially if it is a cold region. For example, open for the day, cover again at night.

Such events begin at the end of March, closer to mid-April, they finally open and trim.

Care of grapes

Lettom

In June and July, the grapes are rapidly gaining green mass, and this process needs to be controlled. If there is no desire to wrap a gazebo with greenery or wrap around an arch, then it is imperative to examine the vine once a week. Unnecessary shoots that did not form inflorescences must be removed. This is done so that the plant directs its forces to the formation of fruits, and not to an increase in green mass. In addition, all dry and damaged leaves should also be removed. Due to the thickened plantings, the grapes become vulnerable to diseases and pests.

When the clusters ripen, it is worth removing the extra leaves to ensure light access to the fruits.

Care of grapes

In the autumn

With the onset of autumn, when all the fruits are removed, you can prepare the grapes for the winter. It is worth cutting in advance before the onset of frost, and the cut points will need to be treated with garden pitch. Start the procedure when the foliage has completely fallen off. It is collected and burned, because it can contain bacteria and pests, and it is definitely not necessary to winter this foliage under grapes. Then remove all damaged, extra shoots, as well as fruiting vines. Unripe shoots are also removed. On the remaining ones, at least 7 eyes are left, but not more than 12.

Pruning is done in dry, clear weather.

Care of grapes

Feeding

Properly caring for grapes means making sure that it receives all the necessary components that it needs for active growth and ripening of bunches, developing immunity from pests and diseases, and increasing the yield.

It should be noted right away that the grapes need to be fed in June, and July, and in August, and in September after harvest. But do not overfeed the plants unnecessarily, this can cause the opposite effect. It is enough to do this once a month.

During the growing season, the vine needs to be fed. For this urea, superphosphate and potassium sulfate are very well suited, they combine these substances in an amount of 90/60/50 grams. They are diluted with water in a volume of 40 liters.

Care of grapes

Care of grapes

During the flowering period, the bushes can be fertilized with manure (10% solution) or chicken droppings. At the same time, you need to be very careful with these components. It is clear that they are not used fresh. It is best to purchase ready-made granules or solutions adapted to work with plants. Usually, the packages contain detailed instructions that will not make a mistake and harm the vine.

Top dressing can be applied both under the root and by spraying the foliage. Most often, summer residents prefer to feed under the root, all nutrients are absorbed by the roots and help the plant get them.

Spraying the leaves helps to increase the immunity of plants and more intensively resist diseases and pests.

Care of grapes

After flowering, you need to focus on fertilizers that contain potassium and phosphorus. This helps to improve the quality of fruits and their quantity. Of course, it should be borne in mind that top dressing is not done separately. They are combined with irrigation. Therefore, care is always complex.

If we talk about folk remedies, then ammonia, ash solution, whey are suitable for grapes both as a spray and as a fertilizer under the root. In the last months of the season, nitrogen should not be used as a fertilizer. To feed the bushes before winter, it is better to focus on potassium and phosphorus. Moreover, the last top dressing must be done before frost for at least two weeks.

Care of grapes

Watering

Growing grapes in the country in the open field or in a greenhouse requires regular watering. This is especially true for newly planted grapes. To grow healthy fruit-bearing grapes, it is necessary not only to feed it regularly, but also to water it in a timely manner. It is clear that when it rains, plants do not need watering. On normal sunny days, the vine should be watered once every two weeks. Under each bush should be poured 30 liters of water. At the same time, this should be done carefully, watering the near-stem circle. You should be especially careful when inflorescences appear on the vine. They are quite fragile, and you should not disturb them once again, all procedures should be carried out very carefully. The same applies to the ripening period of the grapes.

When the seedlings were just sent to the open ground, they need to be watered every week, 10-15 liters per bush.

Care of grapes

Mature grapes older than three years old can easily withstand drought, and even for a month. But overdoing it with watering is dangerous. From an excess of moisture, various diseases can begin, and the roots can simply begin to rot.

Before preparing for winter, the grapes require moisture-charging watering. Usually, all these events take place in early October, but in the southern regions this period may shift to the beginning or middle of November. Everything depends on weather conditions. In the northern regions, preparations for winter may begin as early as the end of September. Watering is carried out in the amount of 100-120 liters of water for each bush. The next one will be made in the spring, after the snow melts. In the southern regions, where there is practically no snow in winter, the first watering can be carried out if there was no rain before, in late March – early April.

Care of grapes

Tying

It is worth immediately knowing such a nuance that the grapes must be tied up. This information is especially relevant for beginner growers. While the grapes are small, they can grow even if they are planted in autumn. Most often, growers use this time of year for planting. When the vine is 1 year old, a garter is required. For this, trellises are installed. They can be metal or wood, less often plastic, but the plastic must be very durable.

Tapestries are a structure in the form of sticks, arranged vertically at a distance of a meter from each other. A twine or fishing line is pulled between them, it is better if it is three tiers. Lower at a distance of 10 cm from the ground, then middle and upper. The vine will then be guided along these strings. When all the proper care for one-year-old grapes has been carried out, pruning has been done, it is worth controlling the growth of the grapes and placing the vine so that the bush grows correctly, the clusters receive the optimal amount of light and at the same time do not interfere with each other.

If you plan to place the vine on a gazebo or a special arch, the situation is even simpler. Grapes need to be planted near the gazebo or on both sides of the arch, then you just need to guide the vine along the supports, and as a result you will get a cozy green corner.

Care of grapes

Shelter

It is necessary to cover the grapes for the winter at home only after all the work is completed: all the extra shoots are cut, the leaves are removed, watering is done, and the last top dressing is done. Ash can be used as the latter. Besides, if the grapes were sick during the season, it must be watered finally with a solution of copper sulfate. The earth can be mulched with compost, hay or sawdust. In the southern regions, grapes are not covered, and it will feel great anyway. But where frosts occur, and abundant snow falls, grapes simply will not survive without shelter. Therefore, the vine is carefully removed from the trellis, laid on the ground, previously covered with mulch. Then a covering material is placed on top, then you can cover it with a layer of branches and hay.

When snow falls, it is thrown over the vines placed under the covering material. In this state, the grapes usually overwinter well.

Care of grapes

Diseases and pests

The garden plot is one way or another exposed to pests and diseases, and grapes are no exception. So at their summer cottage there should always be an arsenal of tools that can be used. And it is best to produce preventive spraying to avoid infection of the vine or active reproduction of insects. It also happens that when the disease is running, it is already difficult to cope with it.

Most often, grapes are affected by diseases such as oidium and downy mildew. To prevent the disease, you should spray the grapes with Fitosporin. Be sure to treat the vine with Bordeaux liquid in the spring and water the soil with it. This will prevent the growth of harmful fungi. From folk remedies, you can choose soda, diluting it with water in a proportion of 100 grams per 10 liters.

Care of grapes

As for insects, spider mites and aphids are especially unpleasant in this regard. Aphids settle in whole colonies on the inside of the leaf, drinking all the juices from the plant. The tick also begins its invasion from the inner plate of the leaf, it very quickly occupies the territory. As a result, the leaves become covered with white spots, then they turn yellow and dry. Following this, the grapes dry up. From insects, bushes can be treated with drugs such as Fitoverm, Fufanon-Nova, Apollo, Aliot.

Care of grapes

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Anna Evans

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