Top dressing of grapes in the spring is very important for the full growth and development of the vine and for a rich harvest. The fact is that fertilizers applied to the planting hole of seedlings are enough for no more than 3 years, after which the substrate is depleted. In our review, we will focus on the most effective fertilizers and popular folk remedies for vineyard care.
The need for a procedure
Every year, grapes direct a lot of energy and nutrients to the growth and ripening of fruits. To do this, it absorbs all useful micro- and macroelements from the soil, without which it will not be able to fully develop and bear fruit in future periods. With a lack of nutrients, the bush weakens, becomes vulnerable to infection and pests. As a result, the ovaries crumble, and the fruits ripen poorly.
A special role is played by the annual spring feeding. After winter, all plants come out of dormancy, the grapes are actively growing and gaining nutrition from the soil.
If the land is depleted, this will most adversely affect the vegetation of the vineyard.
Thus, fertilizing in the spring performs a number of important functions:
- when a sufficient amount of nutrition is received, the fruits grow large and have high taste characteristics;
- top dressing allows you to keep the inflorescences and formed brushes to the maximum;
- spring top dressing improves the condition of plants that are weak after the winter period;
- fertilizing strengthens the immunity of plants, therefore it acts as a preventive measure against fungal infections and parasites;
- with proper feeding, its cumulative effect can persist throughout the year.
It is very easy to determine that a plant is deficient in certain micronutrients by looking at the green parts. This allows you to adjust the volume and composition of useful dressings. So, with a deficit:
- nitrogen – the growth of the vine stops, the leaves change color to pale green;
- potassium – a brown border appears along the edge of the leaf plate;
- phosphorus – late flowering, brown-brown spots are visible on dark green leaf blades;
- iron – the leaves turn yellow, but the veins at the same time retain a bright saturated color;
- sulfur – the growth point dies off.
What fertilizers should be applied?
The base solution for spring fertilization of the vineyard is a mixture of 2 tbsp. l. superphosphate and 1 tbsp. l. ammonium nitrate with the addition of 1 tsp. potassium sulfate. Dry components are mixed and dissolved in a bucket of warm water, heated to 20-25 degrees. Cold is not recommended. This volume of the nutrient mixture is enough to fertilize one grape bush, it is poured into a special trench or into a pipe.
This solution is used for the first two dressings. When making the third, it is necessary to exclude nitrogen-containing components – urea and ammonium nitrate.
An excess of this trace element at the fruiting stage causes an active growth of green mass to the detriment of the growth of clusters and ripening of fruits.
For feeding grape bushes in the spring, you can use ready-made complex fertilizers, you can buy them at any store. They contain all the macro- and microelements necessary for the culture in optimal proportions. Experienced growers use “Aquarin”, “Mortar” or “Novofert”. These funds are dissolved in water in accordance with the instructions. Any change in dosage can lead to the most adverse consequences, since an excess of nutrients for a plant is just as dangerous as its deficiency.
In spring, grapes respond well to the introduction of organic matter into the ground. Such fertilizers can be used as a basic top dressing or as part of a complex along with mineral additives. However, it should be borne in mind that organic top dressing is applied exclusively in spring, before flowering begins. Working with organic matter is simple, convenient and profitable; natural and at the same time available substances can be used as a fertilizer.
Manure
An effective fertilizer for the vineyard, which can replace all other top dressings. It contains nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus and many other minerals. Grapevine fertilizer is produced according to the following scheme:
- in the aisles, the top layer of the earth is removed;
- rotted manure is placed in the resulting trench;
- fertilizer is sprinkled with earth;
- the earth in the near-trunk circle is carefully spilled.
This “sandwich” will serve as the main supplier of nutrients throughout the growing season.
Compost
A good top dressing in the spring for grapes will be rotted plant mass, it is prepared for 6-8 months. To do this, you will need unnecessary plant residues, earth, peat, manure, a little lime and water.
To prepare a compost heap in a remote part of the garden, it is necessary to lay out a layer of organic waste 20-30 cm thick. Sprinkle it with earth or manure on top, then lay another layer of compost and cover it again with soil. This “pie” is formed until the height of the pile is 1,5-2 m.
Every third layer in the process of work is sprinkled with lime and well spilled with water. On the sides and top, the pile is covered with garden soil or peat. If you do this in early autumn, then next spring you can get a nutritious top dressing for the vineyard.
Chicken droppings
It is considered one of the most effective folk remedies for enhanced growth and development of the vine. Its chemical composition corresponds to the level of manure, so it is in demand during the first spring feeding.
Important. It should be borne in mind that in an unprepared form, bird droppings are highly toxic and can cause burns to the roots and green parts of the plant.
Therefore, before fertilizing the vineyard, the litter must be diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 2 and the resulting slurry left for 2 weeks. After that, it is once again diluted with water, increasing the total amount of liquid by 5 times. Only after that you can use the composition to feed the vineyard. The nutrient composition is applied at a distance of 40-60 cm from the bole.
Herbal infusion
A good alternative to organic compounds will be green fertilizers. In this capacity, you can use annual lupine, peas, alfalfa, clover or nettle. The plant mass is stuffed into a bucket by 2⁄3, filled with water and left to ferment in a warm place for 5-7 days, after this period an unpleasant odor should appear. The resulting solution is decanted, diluted with a bucket of water and brought under the grape bushes during irrigation.
Any root top dressing must be supplemented with foliar. This is due to the fact that grape leaves have the ability to absorb micro and macro elements in liquid form. The nutrient solution for spraying is prepared from the same substances as for root fertilization, usually ammonium nitrate, urea, potassium sulfate, superphosphates and minerals are used. Copper, boron, zinc, selenium and other minerals must be added to the nutrient mixture.
To prevent evaporation, sugar is added to the resulting solution before use at the rate of 50 g per bucket of the drug. As a root dressing, you can use ready-made complex products “Master”, “Florovit”, as well as “Biopon”. It is important to observe the dosage, the manufacturer indicates it in the instructions.
Of the folk remedies for spraying, herbal infusions with the addition of ash powder are the most popular.
To prepare the nutrient mixture, the barrel is half filled with cut grass, filled with water to the top and left to ferment for 2 weeks. After this time, 500 g of ash is added to each liter of fermented infusion.
Application methods
Let us dwell in more detail on the rules for making root dressings.
Root
Experienced winegrowers, when planting young seedlings, usually dig a pipe into the hole, through which they subsequently water and feed their vineyard. For this, plastic or asbestos pipes with a diameter of 15-20 mm are suitable. They need to be placed at a distance of 50-80 cm from the bush and deepened by 40-50 cm.
If this has not been done, another technique can be used. To do this, a trench 50-60 cm deep is dug along the entire diameter of the vineyard at a distance of 40-60 cm from the bushes. It is there that useful solutions are poured from time to time, after which they are sprinkled with soil.
Advice. It is important to keep in mind that before each top dressing, the vineyard must be abundantly moistened, otherwise the roots will get a chemical burn.
The recommended depth of fertilization must be observed exactly. The nutrient mixture should be laid at the level of the main part of the roots – this is the basic rule for feeding the vineyard. Only in this case, all the micro and macro elements introduced will be absorbed in full and will benefit the bush. If top dressing is superficial, this stimulates the active growth of additional shoots, which, in turn, will slow down the development of grapes, worsen the growth and ripening of fruits.
Foliar
The first foliar treatment is carried out before the appearance of buds, in the Moscow region and other central regions this period falls on the beginning of May. The second top dressing is carried out after flowering, most often it corresponds to the first half of June, but in the Kuban and other southern territories, spraying is done at the end of spring. It is necessary to carry out processing in cloudy, but not rainy weather, on sunny days it is better to do this in the morning before sunrise or in the evening after sunset, when there is no aggressive exposure to ultraviolet radiation.
For to maximize the effect of the nutrient solution, vine bushes are irrigated every day with water from a spray bottle. In this case, the dried solution again takes a liquid form and is absorbed as much as possible by the green tissues of the plant. Thus, a prolonged effect of top dressing is maintained.
Feeding scheme
And in conclusion, consider the scheme of fertilizer application, which allows to achieve the maximum yield of the vineyard.
Mid April
The first portion of spring fertilizers is applied in early spring before the start of active vegetation, until the buds open on the shoots. In the central part of Russia, this time falls on April – the first decade of May. The greatest efficiency during this period is given by compositions based on phosphate fertilizers (50 g), nitrogen (40-50 g) and potash (30-40 g).
The dry mixture is introduced into the holes dug around the bush at a distance of 50-60 cm. After that, top dressing is sprinkled with earth. Thus, through the roots, the plants will be able to absorb the maximum of useful substances necessary for active vegetation.
At the same time, preventive spraying of the vines with solutions of copper or iron sulfate is carried out. This treatment will prevent plant damage by fungal infections.
The greatest result is the joint use of the processing of the ground part and the strait of the soil.
Before flowering
The second dressing is carried out 3-4 days before the opening of the flowers. In the southern regions of our country, this period corresponds to the end of May, in the northern regions it falls on the beginning of summer. At this time, top dressing should include a mixture of mineral and organic components:
- as natural formulations, a solution of bird droppings or mullein is used;
- mineral complexes are prepared on the basis of potassium preparations (30 g), nitrogen (40-50 g) and phosphates (50-60 g).
After fruit set
The third time the grapes need to be fed after the fruit set, when pea-sized berries appear en masse on the vine. At this stage, complex preparations give the greatest effect, they are diluted at the rate of 30 g per 10 liters of liquid. Such nutrition contributes to the maximum increase in the yield of grapes. Experienced viticulturists claim that if complex top dressing is performed correctly and all recommended dosages are observed, then yields can be increased by two or even three times.
At the initial stage of fruit ripening, the plant needs phosphorus and potassium. For those who prefer folk remedies, wood ash can be recommended – it will become an alternative to potash preparations. It is obtained by burning branches of grapes or fruit trees.
