In recent years, breeders have bred a lot of frost-resistant grape varieties that can produce large crops, including in the cold regions of the country. And since this culture has gained popularity in such areas relatively recently, many summer residents of the Urals, Siberia, and the middle strip have not had too much experience in cultivating it yet.
Such activities for the care of vines, such as watering and feeding, in principle, are nothing complicated. In this regard, gardeners usually do not have any difficulties. However, unfortunately, far from all summer residents of cold regions know about how to prune grapes correctly. Meanwhile, it is impossible to violate the required technologies when performing this procedure in any case. Mistakes made by pruning beginners can lead not only to a decrease in the yield of vines, but even to their death.
The timing
We will talk about how to prune grapes correctly below. To begin with, let's figure out what period is best to perform this operation. Most garden fruit crops are pruned, of course, either in spring or autumn. Grapes are an exception in this regard. Pruning of this culture is carried out not only in the off-season, but also in the summer.
Of course, many summer residents are interested in including how to prune old grapes in spring, long growing on the site or young. For the first time in a season, this operation is usually performed on bushes in March. At the same time, only dried up thick shoots and small, very short branches that do not give a crop are removed.
In summer, grapes are cut in order to preserve its strength and completely redirect them to the formation of clusters. Of course, too much overgrowth is not removed from this crop in the warm season. In most cases, in summer, summer residents simply remove unnecessary, actively growing green shoots from the vines.
In late August or early fall, among other things, they also perform such a procedure as chasing grapes. This operation, despite its somewhat unusual name, is nothing complicated. Technologically, this procedure resembles a simple pinch. That is, when chasing, summer residents simply remove the tops of green shoots.
In autumn, grapes are cleaned of old dry, as well as rotted and diseased shoots. That is, they perform exactly the same operation as in the spring. Of course, twice a year the bushes of this crop are not subjected to main pruning. The choice of season for this procedure depends mainly on the variety of grapes.
Is formation necessary?
Some inexperienced summer residents unknowingly believe that to get a good grape harvest it is enough to plant several bushes and in the future just let the sprouts grow up the trellis. But this, unfortunately, is far from the case.
Of course, this is how vines grow in the wild. However, with the fact that initially it was not a part of the “duty” of grapes to feed a person with their delicious fruits, one certainly cannot disagree. Of course, wild vines do not differ in too high yields.
They will not give a large number of high-quality clusters in the event that the summer resident let everything go by itself, and modern varieties of this culture. Form grapes in the countryside should be mandatory. Moreover, it is necessary to perform this procedure with the exact observance of all the required technologies. A summer resident should definitely have an idea of ​​how to prune grapes correctly for the winter, spring, and summer.
All schemes used to form such plants are divided into two main categories:
Technologies for the formation of varieties that require warming for the winter and are able to tolerate cold without this procedure can vary greatly. And to understand all this variety of pruning schemes for inexperienced gardeners, of course, it can be difficult. Therefore, below and consider specifically for beginners, how to prune the grapes of both of these varieties.
Formation of non-covering varieties
Such grapes are popular among summer residents, of course, the most popular. Varieties of this group are able to tolerate cold well and they do not have to hide for the winter. There are several ways to form such grapes:
unsupported standard;
gazebo;
sleeveless.
Using such schemes, for example, such varieties as Fox berries, Seneca, Kat Gray, etc. are cut. It is still quite difficult to tolerate winters without additional warming for plants of this group. Therefore, non-covering grapes are cut in most cases in the spring.
Non-standard trimming
When using this technology, a long-term high bole is left on the plant. In this case, the crown of grapes is formed in such a way that in the upper part of the trunk in a circle symmetrically arranged sleeves with green fruiting shoots.
The main advantage of this method of pruning is primarily that in this case, the vines can not be tied to the supports. That is, trellises in the planting of grapes formed in this way do not need to be installed.
Arbor trimming
With this molding, the vines are grown on arched high supports. Industrial planting of grapes using this method creates the likeness of long green tunnels. Yields from plants grown using this technology can be quite large. In suburban areas, this method is often used including to create shadows - green “arbors” or “canopies”.
The answer to the question of how to prune young or old grapes correctly when choosing such a scheme is the following technology:
at the end of summer, all young shoots grown below the level of the first wire are removed from the bushes;
in branches growing above the second wire, the top is cut off to a tenth of the entire length of the shoot;
in the fall, after the leaves fall, they cut the bushes, leaving a pair of the best processes at the height of the second wire (5-12 eyes and 3-4).
Sleeveless cropping
This method of formation is characterized by the absence of very old shoots on the bushes. When pruning grapes using this technology, 3-4 long vines are left on the plant on the branches of two-year-old wood and about 6 knots for 4 eyes on the head of the bush. The following year, these processes are used to form fruit shoots.
Annual pruning when applying this scheme is done as follows:
from the bushes remove the prolific vines along with three-year pieces of wood;
form new fruit arches from shoots grown on last year's knots, as well as in the head of the bush.
The main advantage of this method of formation is that in this case, the landing takes up very little space on the site.
Ways to prune cover grapes
Such varieties are grown in suburban areas, of course, a little less than winter-hardy. But the vines of this variety are also quite popular among summer residents. Therefore, many gardeners are interested in including how to prune grapes of such varieties correctly. This procedure is performed on such bushes, usually in autumn. After that, the grapes are immediately covered for the winter.
For varieties of this group, the following formation schemes are most often used:
It is these methods of forming bushes that are the best answer to the question of how to correctly cut the grapes from Moldova, Potapenko, Adele, Crystal, etc.
Fan formation of cover varieties
When using this scheme, grapes are cut so that each fruit link is in its “sleeve”, coming from the main trunk. As a result, when applying this method, each plant in the grape planting takes the form of a “fan”.
The advantages of this cropping scheme include, among other things:
compactness of landings;
convenience in shelter.
Such forming of grapes can vary both in the length of the sleeves and in their quantity. But the pruning principle itself always remains the same anyway.
Features of cordon pruning
This method of forming grapes is used less often than fan. But such pruning among summer residents is quite popular. Cordon formation is divided, in turn, into horizontal and vertical. When growing grapes in private gardens, in most cases, the first type of pruning is used. When performing cordon horizontal formation on the plant, 2-3 short perennial sleeves with a fruit link are most often left on one shoulder.
The main advantage of the cordon pruning method is that in this case quite a lot of old wood remains on the bushes. And this, in turn, allows you to grow a very powerful plant with huge fruit potential.
What method of formation to use
Thus, the choice of technology for pruning the grapes depends primarily on what kind of variety is grown in the suburban area - frost-resistant or covering.
In any case, the grapes of the first variety, domestic summer residents are grown mostly in an arched, fan or cordon way. At the same time, the latest technology is used most often when individual bushes are planted at a distance of at least 3 m from each other.
If the grapes are planted on a plot in increments of 1.5 to 3 m, it is usually formed with a four-arm fan, and if less than 1.5 m - with a two-arm. The arched method of planting can be used both for dense plantings of grapes, and for rare ones. But most often, such a scheme for the formation of bushes is used in those cases when plants are located on the site quite close to each other.
What rules should be observed when pruning grapes
To remove shoots and green shoots from the bushes of this culture, of course, you need to correctly. First of all, pruning should, of course, be done using only sharpened tools. Small branches in most cases are removed from the vine bushes using secateurs.
Problems with the removal of shoots from young bushes in summer residents usually do not arise. Perennial vines can have a significant thickness. Over time, they begin to die, and they have to be removed. And of course, any gardener should know how to prune old grapes properly. Perennial shoots from such bushes, depending on their thickness, are cut using a conventional hacksaw with small or large teeth.
The minting of grapes in most cases is done without any tools at all. The tops of young vines are usually very thin and fragile. Therefore, when chasing them, they simply pinch off.
Also, the answer to the question of how to prune grapes correctly is the following recommendations:
the weaker and thinner the shoot, the more it is shortened;
the number of eyes left on the vines is calculated taking into account the fact that in winter some of them may be damaged.
Many summer residents are interested in including how to prune grapes in the fall. At this time of the year, old dry and diseased branches should be removed only after the leaves fall. During this period, the plant “hides” all the nutrients in the rhizome. And therefore, cutting the shoots does not do any harm to the bushes. At the same time, pruning bushes in the fall must be done before the onset of frost.
Why the vine is "crying"
About how to prune grapes in the spring, we found out above in the article. In most cases, pruning at this time of year does not harm plants in any way. However, often after such a procedure, in March, the so-called "tears" can be seen on the vines. From the wounds caused during trimming, the juice begins to flow in small droplets resembling tears.
In principle, the “crying” of the vine does not constitute anything terrible. On the contrary, the presence of “tears” on the bushes after pruning indicates that the right place with sufficiently moist and nutritious soil was chosen for grape planting. However, experienced summer residents believe that the “crying” of the vines should not be too strong. The abundant flow of juice, among other things, can lead to depletion of the plant and, as a result, to a decrease in its yield. If the grapes are planted in a very humid area, it is recommended to prune it not in March, but during the period of budding in the buds. At this time, the pressure of sap flow decreases, and the vines do not “cry” too much.
In some cases, the “tears” resulting from cutting wounds can burn the adjacent kidneys. Therefore, many summer residents are also interested in how to prune grapes in the spring, so that this does not happen. In order for the juice to corrode the tissues of the vines as little as possible, shoots from plants should be removed so that the wounds are directed inside the bush.
Harvesting cuttings
Performing autumn pruning, many gardeners simultaneously harvest and planting material of this crop. The answer to the question of how to prune grape cuttings correctly is basically straightforward.
Cutting such planting material, of course, is necessary from the most healthy and productive bushes. Each cuttings intended for planting should have at least 3-4 developed buds. Harvesting material thus prepared is bundled and placed in water for two days.
Next, the cuttings are disinfected with copper sulfate and stored for storage in a cold place - a cellar or a refrigerator. Previously, the bundles are dried and wrapped in a plastic film.