Grapes are considered unpretentious plants. It can grow in the wild without human intervention. But to get a high yield with good quality fruits for the vine you need regular and proper care, which takes a lot of time and effort. How to care for grapes? How to properly water, feed, trim, tie, read the article.
Grape year one: how to care?
This crop needs careful and regular care, which must be started immediately after planting. So the plants quickly take root and begin to bear fruit earlier. Special care during this period is not required, it is enough to regularly loosen the soil, water, and carry out the formation of vines. During this period, it is important that the bushes are less damaged by pests and diseases, since they have not yet managed to get stronger. To do this, the grapes are treated for prophylactic purposes with the following preparations: Profit Gold, Cuprolux, and Abiga Peak. Plants should be sprayed every seven days and be sure after the rain has passed. About how to care for grapes as a preventive measure, read below.
- In the period of buds' revival, the soil loosens under young plants, weeds are removed.
- When the leaves begin to bloom, the stem is released from the ground.
- Holes are made in the radius of the bush. They are needed so that it is more convenient to remove surface roots that are formed on the trunk in those parts that are sprinkled with soil, as well as for their hardening. Otherwise, the roots will be underdeveloped and begin to freeze.
- In June, shoots form, you need to leave the three or four of the strongest, the rest removed.
- In order for plants to take root, they need to be watered: a bucket of water for each with a frequency of one week. If the weather is hot - as needed.
- Watering should be combined with top dressing. For this, superphosphate and nitrogen fertilizers are used. With this nutrition, green mass grows faster.
When to take cover?
This must be done in the spring, when the weather has finally settled and there will be no threat of freezing frost. The air should warm up to five degrees heat. If the weather is unstable, any vagaries can be expected from it. It is better to play it safe and not to open all plants at once, but to do it gradually.
If the protection of the bushes is removed prematurely, the buds will bloom ahead of time, which is undesirable for grapes. It is easy to determine the readiness of plants to break free from shelter. If shoots formed on the vine, then the time has come.
Watering
How to care for grapes after liberation from shelter? Plants are immediately watered with water, but only warm, so that the soil warms up, and the roots are awakened from hibernation. In the future, care must be taken. Grapes are not a moisture-loving crop, so it is better to not add water than to pour.
Plants feel comfortable when watering as necessary, when the soil begins to dry out. It should not be forgotten that the root system of grapes lies deep, from where it takes moisture to nourish fruits, leaves, stems. Mandatory watering should be carried out before the flowering period, which occurs in May, and during the ripening of fruits. Water from wells, wells are not suitable. It is necessary to defend it and warm it up in the sun. How to water grapes? At least one bucket of water is introduced under each bush.
Top dressing
In the process of growth, at different stages of development, the grape needs nutrition with a certain composition of trace elements and vitamins. This is an important factor to consider when applying fertilizer. For annual plants, top dressing is carried out twice a year:
- The first time that young shoots reach a height of 10-15 cm. For this, nitrophosk in the amount of 16-18 g is dissolved in a bucket of water and water the plants under the root.
- Secondary dressing occurs in July or August. Superphosphate - 20 g, and potassium sulfate - 12 g are dissolved in the same amount of water.
Mature bushes that have reached fruiting are fed three times a season:
- The first feeding takes place in May, the middle of the month, when flowering has not yet begun, and two weeks remain before this period. Plants are in dire need of nitrogen. Top dressing is combined with watering. The best fertilizer is an infusion of organic fertilizers or ammonium nitrate in 10 liters of water.
- Secondary dressing is performed when the ovary is formed. In order for grapes to show high yields, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium cannot be dispensed with, they are mixed in a ratio of 3: 2: 1. A solution is made: 30 g of the mixture is taken on a bucket of water, everything mixes well.
- The third time the grapes are fed in July, from the middle of the month, until the first half of August. At this time, the berries ripen, gaining color. To do this, dissolve superphosphate in an amount of 50-75 g in a bucket of water and potassium sulfate - 25 g.
If grapes are fed in the fall, then in spring the amount of organic fertilizers is halved. In order for the nutrition to benefit the plants, it needs to be fed quickly to the roots. To do this, holes in the depths of 40-50 cm are made in the basal circles, fertilizers are applied in them in liquid form.
Spraying
This procedure to prevent disease is carried out in the spring, when the plants are free from winter shelter. During the first spraying, the soil under the bushes and their tree-like part are treated. To do this, use:
- Bordeaux fluid.
- Inkstone.
- The drug "Ridomil."
The first and last solutions are 3%, the average is 1%. If grapes are grown in small areas, the Fitosporin preparation is affordable and safe. It kills pathogenic fungi and bacterial infections.
For prophylactic treatment, dry weather is selected. For disinfection, the same means are used. It is carried out when four to five leaflets appear on the plants. In the future, it all depends on the weather and the state of the vine. A half a month before the flowering period, treatment is again carried out for prevention. The solution should fall not only on the shoots and leaves, but also deep into the crown. If the grapes have formed an ovary, the last spraying is carried out 21 days before removing the brushes from the vine.
Crying vines
This is the condition when juice is secreted from the wounds at the end of pruning. The process is considered normal if the fluid flows in moderation. In addition, this is additional evidence that metabolic processes and plant health are good.
The amount of juice depends on the size of the bush, and is 0.3–2 liters. If this process continues for a long time, the soil is depleted and dehydrated, so it must be controlled. If necessary, stop the allocation of juice in the soil should be applied 5-10 g of organic fertilizing, loosen the earth, and water the plants.
Garter
For annual plants, pegs are enough, but in the future we need a strong structure. For the manufacture of trellis at a distance of three meters, supports are dug in. These can be columns two meters high and 15 cm thick. Three rows of wire are stretched between two supports with gaps between them and from the soil surface of 40 cm. Grapes can be tied to trellises at an angle. In this case, the plants will receive more light. Two-plane trellis is a design in the form of the letter "Y".
Tie grapes in the spring, when the shelter is removed and the temperature is set above zero degrees. But plants need to be given time to ventilate for several days.
Immediately after winter, a dry tie is enough. For this, the fruiting stems and shoots of substitution must be bent to the bottom row of wire. So the kidneys will be well lit, and the shoots will develop. The tie that is made when reaching a new vine 30 cm long is called "green". In this case, all the stems are arranged evenly so that they receive a lot of light and there is an opportunity for pollination. When growing up, the vine is tied to a wire located above the previous row, and so on throughout the growing season. In one season, plants need three to four garters. It so happens that shoots grow above the last row of wire. In this case, they are horizontally laid or clipped so that they no longer extend upward.
Pruning
A mandatory step in plant life is pruning. It must be carried out regularly and correctly, if the question arises of how to care for grapes. The quality of the procedure determines the further growth, development of the bush. Grape pruning is carried out in order to obtain a high yield. This can only be achieved with proper care. Trimming makes the process easier. When removing or shortening the shoots, fruiting branches grow and bear fruit better. In addition, plants are formed during pruning, which gives the site an aesthetic appearance. Grape pruning is of several types.
- Short - for gardeners, it is called "a bitch." Its meaning is to remove most of the shoots, each leaving two to four eyes. Short cuts are knots of substitution. Their function is anti-aging.
- Medium pruning - layering is left at the level of eight eyes, on the plant there are only 50 pieces. The purpose of this procedure is to maintain low temperature resistant layering.
- Long pruning - 15 eyes are left on the shoots. Its goal is to increase fruitfulness. But not all varieties need such pruning.
- Mixed - considered the most popular, short and long trim are combined. Its meaning is that some shoots are trimmed “in a bitch”, and the other part is only shortened. The purpose of the procedure is to constantly update them.
Shelter of grapes for the winter
The growing regions of grapes are different, the climate, respectively, is also different. For some varieties, the middle band is suitable, where the temperature drops to 32 ° C and below, and the grapes are not covered in the cold season. Others, growing in the south, withstand frost up to 25 ° C and also do not need it. But this applies to adult bushes and cultivars growing in warm climates. But young plants, whose age reaches only one year, must be sheltered for the winter. This must be done before the onset of frost, otherwise the elasticity of the wood will be lost, it will be difficult to bend the stems to the ground, they may break.
The vine can be covered with any materials, even soil that can be taken from the aisles. First, they dig a trench, then shoots are laid in it, pin them to the surface of the soil and fall asleep. Instead of soil, a film or any covering material is used to warm the vines: needles, ruberoid, corrugated cardboard, tarpaulin. Fallen snow is given the role of additional protection.
Grape varieties
This culture, among other species, enjoys well-deserved respect among gardeners. Vine growers grow old, time-tested varieties and new hybrid forms created by the efforts of breeders. Some plants need shelter for a period of cold weather, others do not. In some varieties, the berries are large, fruiting is weak. In others, on the contrary, small fruits bring large yields. Description of grape varieties is presented below in the article.
Amur
It is the most frost-resistant, hardy, deciduous culture, its homeland is China, Korea. Characteristics of grapes are high: abundant fruiting, strong growth, unpretentiousness. The quality of the berries is much better if the plant is grown in lighted areas. Ripening occurs in mid-September. The berries are round, collected in clusters having a cylindrical or conical shape. The fruits of different bushes differ in taste. The color of the berries is purple or black with a bluish tinge. The pulp is juicy, the peel is thick, weight is 50-70 g, in some instances - 250.
Victoria
For the cultivation of a hybrid suitable northern areas. This is possible due to early ripening. Before full ripeness, the berries need only four months. The yield is excellent. The bushes are underdeveloped; other plants blooming simultaneously with grapes are needed for pollination. Resists frosts at 27 ° C. Immunity is high.
The clusters are conical in shape, they are large and not quite dense. The weight of one brush is 500-700 g. If the place of growth is the lower part of the bush, then this figure is lower. Fragrant berries have a red-raspberry color and a nutmeg taste, weigh six to seven grams. This grape variety is loved not only by humans, but also by wasps.
Sofia
Grapes of early ripening conquer all the weight of brushes, they are gigantic in size, their mass reaches two kilograms. The berries are large, the taste is bright, nutmeg, they are very tender and sweet. Dense clusters have a conical shape, there is no peeling. Grapes tolerates frosts well up to 21 ° C, has excellent immunity.
The berries have an egg-shaped form, their mass is 10-16 g. The flesh is fleshy, juicy, the skin is tender, few seeds are one or two. All these characteristics make this variety one of the best among its kind of crops. Deficiencies, of course, exist, but they are insignificant. Berries crumble when ripe, and also poorly tolerate transportation.