Increasingly, gardeners are fascinated by the topic of grapes. Moreover, it is not difficult even for a beginner to get quite a decent harvest. You just need to follow the rules for caring for this culture. Growing grapes has its own nuances that must be taken into account. For example, is it possible to water the grapes during flowering, and what are the consequences.
Why can’t you water?
Some gardeners do not react too much to the flowering conditions of this crop, and, of course, they do not remain without a crop. Nevertheless, experienced winegrowers, who strictly follow all the instructions and are guided solely by their observations, are 100% sure: in no case should you water the grapes during flowering, and even more so spray, feed, treat and carry out any manipulations. It is believed that during this period it is better, in general, to leave the plants alone, only observing from the outside what is happening.
This situation is due to the fact that grapes during flowering are very vulnerable. Fragile and delicate inflorescences can be easily damaged, they can simply crumble even from careless movement. That is why even there is no question of touching the bushes with your hands, pushing them apart, pouring water. All this will not benefit the grapes. While it blooms, all it needs is rest.
But when the berries form, watering will be needed, but also neat. And you always need to focus on the weather, the condition of the soil and plants.
But, of course, there are emergency situations when you need to act based on the circumstances that have arisen. Consider them in more detail.
If you ensure proper watering before flowering, then this period can be experienced painlessly for the plant. But with a severe drought, you still have to provide the grapes with moisture. Then you just need to very carefully pour the bushes with warm water, tearing out small trenches around the planting and pouring water into it. In this case, you need to try to act so that moisture does not get on the inflorescences and leaves.
In the event of a sudden occurrence of some dangerous disease or an invasion of insects, you canโt wait a long time, you will have to take action. Otherwise, you can be completely without a harvest. Both disease and insects spread very quickly, moving from a diseased bush to a healthy one, infecting the entire vineyard. Therefore, the bushes need to be periodically inspected in order to respond quickly. In this case, you will have to very carefully spray the medicinal solution onto the leaves, bypassing the inflorescence.
Of course, natural phenomena that can cause damage are not ruled out – these include showers and strong winds. But this is hard to deal with. The only thing that can soften the blow in this case is well-equipped trellises, on which the vine will be securely fastened.
Possible consequences
If you ignore the advice of gardeners that you canโt touch the grapes during flowering, you can lose part of the future harvest, and sometimes there is a risk of being completely left without it. The fact is that no matter how carefully you act, the vine will still be hurt, some of the inflorescences may simply crumble.
Cases are not excluded when the reaction of the plant is to stop or slow down development. This is especially true if you water the plants with cold water during the flowering period in the heat. In some cases, inflorescences may fall off.
Recommendations for proper watering
So that nothing bad happens, the grapes are juicy and sweet, bring a good harvest, you just need to follow the simple rules of watering.
In the spring, you need to moisten the soil very well so that this stock is enough for the flowering time, when the grapes cannot be touched. But at the same time, you need to control the level of moisture so that it does not stagnate. Mulch placed under the bushes will help maintain the desired level of moisture.
When the first fruits appear, the plant needs water to make the berries juicy and sweet. But watering should be moderate.
After harvesting in anticipation of winter, the plants should be well watered. Moist soil is more resistant to frost. If it rains, then this need is no longer necessary.
In any season, during watering, water should be avoided on leaves and fruits. It is necessary to pour water exclusively under the bush. It is better to make trenches for this, which should be filled with water. Of course, in cases where it is necessary to treat the plant, you will have to spray the medicinal solution on the leaves. The rest of the time this procedure will not bring any benefit.
Most often, experienced gardeners advise organizing a drip irrigation system for grapes. Then, even during flowering, in emergency cases, it will be possible to water the bushes without any damage to future fruits. To do this, you can place it on the surface or slightly deepen it into the ground by digging trenches. Everyone chooses the most convenient option.
Another very important nuance is that it is better to water the grapes with warm water – cold water can provoke stress in the plant, which leads to various unpleasant surprises, for example, the appearance of fungal diseases.
