Grapes should be cared for throughout the summer season. Only proper watering, top dressing, as well as timely pruning will allow you to harvest a rich harvest and prepare the vine for the winter dormancy period. We will talk about all this in our article.
Watering
Throughout the summer, young grape seedlings require abundant moisture. Irrigation will be especially important at the stage of bud break, at the time of formation of ovaries and ripening of berries. At this stage, the plant needs 40-60 liters of water, and when growing vines on sandy and sandy soils, the volume of liquid is increased. Immediately before flowering, abundant watering is not recommended, since excessive irrigation can lead to dropping flowers.
Also, watering is suspended in the second half of August, 2-3 weeks before the fruits reach full ripeness. At this point, the plant has enough rain moisture. But if the weather is dry, then you can add liquid in small portions. However, this applies exclusively to young bushes, as well as late-ripening grape varieties. Adult bushes and early-ripening grapes finish watering in the second half of August, regardless of weather factors. If you continue to water at the ripening stage, this can lead to the appearance of cracks and the development of putrefactive diseases.
You need to focus on the condition of the berries: they should be soft, and the skin should be of a characteristic varietal shade.
Additional fertilizing
In the process of cultivation, grapes of any variety need to be fertilized. The growth and development of the vine, the formation of the root system directly depend on the quality and volume of the introduced micro- and macroelements. Proper feeding also affects the size of the crop. The main nutrient solutions are supplied through the roots. To do this, at a distance of 50-80 cm from the main stem, they dig a small trench 30-50 cm deep. It is in it that all nutrient mixtures are laid. This site is located in the area of the main roots, so as needed, the grapes will absorb all the nutrients.
Fertilizer is produced in three stages. The first is in early spring. In the summer, the culture is fed twice. The first dressing is given in late June-early July 10-14 days before the flowers appear. In this case, the plant must be fertilized with a mixture of 30-40 g of potassium sulfate, 50 g of urea or other nitrogen supplement and 50 g of superphosphate. As an alternative to mineral complexes at this stage, you can make chicken manure, as well as slurry. The second time the grapes need to be fed in the early stages of fruit ripening. At this point, nitrogen fertilizing should be excluded; only potash and phosphorus compounds are used here: 2 tablespoons per adult plant. Fans of folk remedies can use ash instead of ready-made mineral compounds. In this case, the dose of fertilizer should be increased by 5-8 times.
A good addition to the basic fertilization will be foliar top dressing. The first time the vine is sprayed shortly before flowering, the second – immediately after its completion, at the beginning of the formation of ovaries. The third treatment is carried out at the end of August.
For spraying, an ash infusion or the preparations “Aquarin”, “Plantafol” and “Novofert” are used. Any type of spraying is performed in the evening or in cloudy, but not rainy weather.
Trimming
Experienced growers know how important pruning is for this crop. Without it, it is simply impossible to achieve a rich harvest. Pruning contributes to the proper formation of the vine and normalizes the load. These measures sparse plantings and free up free space for unhindered access to sunlight. In addition, during pruning, all excess growth is removed, which prevents the full growth and development of grapes.
Pruning includes several agricultural techniques.
- Dry garter of grapes – the initial stage in the care of the vine in the summer. In the south of the country, the garter can be done earlier, in the second half of May. At this stage, the vine is fixed to supports or trellises, giving it a comfortable direction for future development.
- Sanitary pruning. This technique consists in removing all weak, thickening, as well as barren shoots. Any doubles and tees must be thinned out, leaving only one (the most powerful).
- Fragment. The purpose of this technique is to regulate the load of the bush. The fragment is produced until the length of annual shoots has reached 15-20 cm. If you use a pruner at this moment, you can cause serious harm to the plant.
- Pinch. Reception consists in pinching the tops of two-year-old shoots. It is performed 3-4 days before flowering or at the first stage of bud opening. This treatment allows you to slow down the growth of young stems. This measure reduces the risk of ovary shedding and facilitates the pollination process. Particularly susceptible to these manipulations are varieties prone to the formation of female flowers and shedding. To properly pinch the shoot, it is necessary to leave 5-7 leaves above the bunch, and remove everything else.
- Normalization of inflorescences. It is carried out to increase the quantity and quality of the future crop. In addition, it helps to reduce the weight load of fruits on the vine. The caring procedure is performed according to the results of a visual inspection until the stage of the appearance of flowers. Inexperienced gardeners remove extra clusters after the grapes have faded. In any case, on vines with a mass of clusters exceeding 800 g, leave 1 brush, and if the weight of the vine is from 500 to 800 g, then two brushes. On technical and wine varieties, you can leave 3 or more.
- Pasynkovanie grapes. Assumes full or partial shortening of shoots of the second order. Processing is carried out from mid-July to the end of August, its purpose is to reduce the number of lateral shoots of the main stem. Such manipulations contribute to the full redistribution of useful macronutrients. Depending on the varietal characteristics and the condition of the vine, the procedure is performed two or three times. Removing branches completely is not recommended. It is advisable to leave 2-4 leaves on each stepson.
- Grape minting. This type of processing consists in cutting off the upper parts of the shoots with all the leaves growing there. This improves the nutrition of the grapes and speeds up the process of fruit ripening, and also serves as a way to increase the yield. During minting, 10-14 leaves are left, everything else is cut off. Perform manipulations at the beginning of the last month of summer.
- Leaf thinning. Leaves are thinned 2-3 weeks before harvest. This measure ensures maximum ventilation of the vineyards and accelerates the ripening of fruits, and helps prevent the development of putrefactive diseases. At this stage, it is necessary to cut off all old and damaged leaves.
Treatment of diseases and pests
Any fungal and viral infections most often end badly for grapes. Therefore, preventive measures are the most effective. In the early stages of the growing season, fungicides show good results. In the northern regions of Siberia, as well as in Belarus and the Baltic states, the last chemical treatment is carried out in the first half of August. Most antifungal medications have a waiting time of 3 weeks. At the stage of fruit formation and their ripening, chemical preparations are replaced with folk remedies. To treat the fungus, make solutions of iodine, soda, soap or tobacco. Biopreparations give a good effect.
An important step in crop protection is the fight against wasps and birds, which are considered the most common pests. Their populations are capable of destroying the entire crop in a matter of weeks; no chemical treatments can save them. That is why preference is given to the creation of physical obstacles.
To do this, a net is stretched around the vine or bags are put on bunches of grapes.
