Grapes are a kind of “berry of life”. Its nutritional, dietary and even medicinal properties are widely known throughout the world since ancient times. Grapes contain fructose and glucose, as well as many organic acids. Each berry is 1.5% composed of valuable trace elements and vitamins. A harmonious combination of sour and sweet taste forever ensured that grapes are one of the places on top of the gastronomic Olympus, and wine connoisseurs are out of the question. Today we will discuss grape care in the suburbs. Yes, this valuable product can be obtained almost in the middle zone of our country!
Basic Botanical Information
Belongs to the Grape family. “Grape” is called not only the vine, but also its fruits - large, fragrant and sweet berries known to everyone. After planting the seeds of this plant in the soil, they quickly germinate and give quite large shoots, which are theoretically able to bear fruit in the first year. At first, lateral shoots quickly begin to leave and develop from the leaf sinuses, but by the end of the first or second year, almost 90% of the lower processes die off, forming the usual form of the vine. The vine blooms not too noticeably, the flowers are small and collected in "clusters" of inflorescences. The color of the fruit is highly dependent on both the variety and the conditions of the particular area.
General features of growing
What should provide for grape care in the suburbs? Firstly, it is imperative to remember the photophilousness of the vine, its propensity to freeze out on a platform open to all winds. Simply put, grapes need a fairly warm, well-lit place, sheltered from the wind. Oddly enough, but it is these simplest conditions that provide excellent results for the cultivation of this plant throughout the Moscow region. Remember that varieties with dark berries require more heat than their lighter "counterparts".
And therefore, in our region it is most often cultivated that it is light varieties, since it is easier to care for them. For grapes in the summer in the suburbs you need to constantly look after, sheltering from possible early frosts, so that black varieties rarely take root with us.
About the soil conditions and the location of the vines
In general, despite the myths cultivated by some, the vine is quite tolerant of many types of soil, but a couple of conditions must be met: firstly, the soil layer must be deep enough, drainage is mandatory. The pH value is in the range of 6.5-7.0. Also, do not plant grapes on purely calcareous soils, as it is often affected by diseases. Much more important and more difficult to choose the right place in terms of light and wind protection.
Ideally, you need a slope facing south or south-west: so grape care in the summer in the suburbs will be easier, since you only need to occasionally water the vine. In our conditions, the wall of the house is directed in the same direction. Never plant vines in small and enclosed courtyards, where snow lays for a long time and the soil does not warm up for a long time.
How to prepare a place for landing?
We have already talked about drainage. At the slightest likelihood that the soil in the selected area may become too wet, it is mandatory. Grapes do not tolerate such conditions in principle. About three weeks before the vine is planted in open ground, it is necessary to dig the ridges on two bayonet shovels. If the soil is acidic, apply lime at a rate of 200 grams per square meter. It is very important to fertilize poor soil: about a pair of humus carcasses on the same area. Isabella grapes are especially sensitive to this. In the suburbs, planting and care for this variety must necessarily include good fertilizer, since without this work you will not succeed.
Please note that grapes must have vertical supports. When growing vines near the wall of a house, ropes or wire should be placed at a distance of approximately 30-35 cm from each other. If it is possible to cultivate grapes in an open area, two-meter-long poles are taken, they are dug into the soil to a depth of 60 cm. The interval between them should be about two meters (up to three inclusive). Extreme props are best placed on metal stepsons or pouring. Of course, if you have the means, it is better to immediately make the supports "stationary", since in our conditions the pillars will not stand in the soil for a long time. Pull one rope at a height of 40 cm, above it, every 30 cm, transverse “crossbars” extend. At each future hole, put a pole: it will be easier to determine the place of digging and fertilizing.
About proper fit
In the southern regions, this crop is planted between October and March. Of course, in our conditions this is somewhat unacceptable ... But because we will plant grapes in early spring, before buds open. In any case, the earth at a depth of landing should warm up to a temperature of 10-11 ° C. Note that it is desirable to withstand the vine all winter in a cold greenhouse, isolated from frost by a layer of snow. So it adapts better when planting in open ground. This condition is extremely important if you plan to grow Isabella grapes. In the suburbs, planting and caring for this variety is rather complicated, and therefore it is worth taking care of getting stable and strong plants.
When planting near the wall, back away from it by a distance of 40 cm, and plant the grapes every 1.3 m. In the open, the distance between the vine should be at least one and a half meters. If there are rows between them, they also maintain a gap of one and a half to two meters. Be sure to ensure that in the grafted bushes the place of grafting is necessarily above the soil level. Do not forget to tie the grapes to the support. After planting, the vine is well watered and mulched with rotted humus.
Feeding and watering
The calendar for grape care in the Moscow Region begins in early spring. At this time, the introduction of complex mineral fertilizers is mandatory. In the same period, mulch the soil with decayed foliage. The thickness of the mulch layer should be at least three centimeters. You should know that grapes are extremely sensitive to a small amount of magnesium in the soil. With its shortage, the vine can not only not give a crop at all, but also die, since in this case the plant is very quickly affected by various pests and diseases. To prevent this, take 250 grams of magnesium sulfate, dissolve in a bucket of water and spray the vine. After two weeks, you need to repeat.
Remember that grape care in the spring in the suburbs involves weekly dressing with liquid mineral fertilizers, performed before the ripening of the berries. If you grow a vine near the wall of your house, do not forget to water it regularly. However, do not get carried away and swamp the soil, since in this case the plants quickly begin to rot and the roots die.
How and when to harvest correctly?
Remember that even with the full color of the berries, they are not yet fully ripe. Fruits need to accumulate a certain amount of sugars, as a result of which they acquire a delicate taste and aroma familiar to everyone. For early varieties, this period is about five weeks, but later varieties can ripen up to two months. Please note that when harvesting grapes with your bare hands, you destroy the protective wax film, which leads to quick spoilage of the product. Therefore, be sure to work with gloves, try to hold the bunches by the "stump", and cut them with a pruner.
Berries collected in this way can be stored for a very long time, ripening along the way. The latter is extremely important in the conditions of the Moscow Region and the entire Middle Strip, since grapes do not ripen everywhere. Planting and care (in the suburbs) is very important to perform correctly, but if you can make mistakes during cultivation, then poor pruning will put an end to the vine!
Pruning rules
Pruning is an extremely important point when caring for grapes. Remember that the shoots left on the vine must meet several important requirements at once:
- They should not have any mechanical damage, signs of damage by diseases and pests. In addition, it is recommended to leave only shoots of normal length, with a uniform green color.
- It is advisable to leave new shoots if their diameter is 6-12 mm. Of course, in a young vine they can be thinner. If the stem is too thin, then it simply did not have time to accumulate the required amount of nutrients, and therefore is weak and can die at any time. In the case of excessively thick shoots, there is also nothing good: they bend poorly, have too short internodes, and age earlier.
- Very important! When pruning and other events (especially when harvesting), we strongly recommend that you protect the stems with all their strength from damage, cuts and chips, since such defects on the vine do not overgrow and are not tightened with resin.
If productivity and taste qualities of the resulting berries are really important to you, we recommend that you leave no more than 10-12 eyes per square meter of the space that one vine occupies. Try not to mix the bushes and cut the vine completely. In the case when one of the vines for some reason poorly overwintered and weakened, it is necessary to reduce the number of shoots left on it, but their number can be increased on neighboring bushes. What else could suggest grape care in the suburbs?
Pruning after freezing (unsuccessful wintering)
Damage to grapes in winter frosts - the situation in our area is not uncommon. Before eliminating the consequences of the elements, it is necessary to at least assess the extent of damage by eye.
If eye freezing occurs, how to care for grapes? In the suburbs, pruning is the only way to save the situation. At the same time, they try to leave more eyes on young shoots. Of course, you should not get carried away especially, because otherwise, multiple sprouts will simply stretch out all the juices from the damaged bush. In the case when the entire upper part of the vine was damaged due to frost, they cut it off, trying to form more shoots from the remaining hemp. If a sufficient number of tops of shoots is formed, there will not be any special difficulties with this.
By the way, are there grapes as resistant to freezing as possible for the Moscow Region? Varieties for which undisguised care is possible: Alpha, Fox Berry, Kay Gray.
How to prune grapes?
Remember one important thing: a successful pruning can only be done if you use a new and as sharp pruning shears as possible, giving an even and clean cut. The older the shoot, the more straight the cropping angle should be. This will minimize the area of damage received by the plant, which will favorably affect its survival in the winter. If we talk about young shoots, it is customary to cut them strictly above the eye, retreating from it by three centimeters. So you get a great grape: planting and care in the suburbs, pruning and fertilizing - quite hard work, but they are worth it!
Major plant diseases and pests
Please note that grape diseases are difficult to diagnose, as different pathologies may exhibit similar symptoms. So for an accurate definition of adversity, you need to carefully monitor the pathological process and notice the most characteristic signs. All diseases of the vine are usually divided into two varieties:
- Chronic variety.
- Seasonal type.
The causative agents of the "chronicle" include: esca, excorioz, eutipiosis, as well as diseases of a bacterial and viral nature. All of them are extremely dangerous in that they practically do not give in to standard pesticides and for a long time can go completely unnoticed, being in a latent state. Most often, infections are spread when leaving, with the help of tools. Insects should not be discounted, and in some cases, the disease can quickly cover the entire vineyard, falling with the pollen of plants on the grapes. Landing and leaving in the suburbs (photo is in the article), all these hard work, can be lost in vain if at least one pest takes root on the vine!
Seasonal diseases include mildew, oidium, gray rot, anthracnose. Rubella and white rot are ranked in the same category. Such seasonal pathologies are called because they appear at the very beginning of the vegetative season. Their appearance is predetermined by improper agricultural technology and the negligence of the winegrower, when the latter does not engage in high-quality autumn harvesting of the vineyard, leaving a lot of garbage. Pathogens of vines diseases, as well as pest larvae, winter well in it. Thus, grape care in the fall in the suburbs provides for mandatory cleaning of the territory with subsequent burning of garbage.
Downy mildew
Mildew (downy mildew). It is dangerous in that it develops throughout the entire growing season, and it affects almost all green parts of the plant. Infection very quickly occurs in wet and rainy weather, at an ambient temperature of no higher than 13 degrees Celsius. A sign of the onset of the disease is the appearance of oily spots of various shapes on the leaf blades. Gradually, they become covered with a well-visible mycelium, resembling white threads. Lydia grapes are especially sensitive to this pathogen: in the Moscow Region, planting and caring for this variety are relatively simple, but you should never forget about this circumstance!
As soon as such a raid appears, it can be considered that the entire bush is affected. At the site of the lesion, the leaf tissue quickly crumbles, drying out, and with a severe lesion, the entire leaf blade simply disappears. The same fate befell young shoots, berries and buds. Older shoots are far behind in growth. Practice shows that with the first outbreak of downy mildew, up to 80% of the total crop is lost, many bushes die. In wet and humid weather, the development of the disease occurs almost instantly, killing almost all grapes. Growing and caring for him in the Moscow region is complicated by just the unstable climate!
Pathogen Information
The disease has a fungal nature. Peculiar "capsules" containing many spores of the pathogen are formed in late autumn, being attached to the lower leaf blade. They are excellently preserved not only in the upper soil layer, but also on its surface. In spring, these formations sprout and give rise to the mycelium, which falls on young leaves during heavy rains, which "shower" the vine with soil particles. Note that the spores in the first stage are completely unaffected by antifungal drugs, as they are covered with a thick and very dense shell. As a rule, the incubation period does not exceed a couple of weeks, after which all the same spots appear on the leaves.
Note that cases of infection are recorded only during wet, rainy weather. Since there are often fogs in some areas of the Moscow Region, downy mildew produces real devastation, “knocking out” whole grape plantings. To prevent such a sad outcome, it is necessary to create the best conditions for airing the bushes without narrowing the gaps between the rows and individual vines. We remind you once again that the Isabella grapes are especially sensitive to this. In the suburbs, caring for it involves a double treatment of the plant with a Bordeaux mixture or its substitutes. This must be done at least twice. If it is not possible to purchase or make Bordeaux liquid yourself, you can use its substitutes, the range of which in modern gardening stores is extremely wide.
Powdery mildew
Also called Oidium. As in the past case, it can hit all the green parts of the vine as soon as possible. Primary infection occurs long before flowering, since the pathogen sits in last year's shoots. Determining their harmful nature is very simple: infected sprouts quickly become covered with a whitish, powdery coating. As for the leaves, the mycelium, as a rule, develops on the upper part of the leaf blade. If the degree of damage is very strong, the entire sheet is involved in the process, which falls off very quickly. Almost all affected shoots do not have time to accumulate the required amount of nutrients, and therefore they freeze in the winter.
Affected berries literally tear from the inside so that the seeds become easily distinguishable. A characteristic sign of this disease is the disgusting smell of rotten fish, which is clearly noticeable near the affected bushes. The disease not only leads to a significant percentage of freezing of the vineyards, but also to a very low commercial quality of the berries, which become small and sour. Unlike the previous disease, oidium develops best without precipitation, but this pathogen also likes the increased humidity of the surrounding air. The incubation time is only five to seven days, and over this period more than 80% of the total crop is irretrievably lost.
How to counteract infection?
As in the past case, try to create conditions that are most conducive to airing the aisles and spaces between the bushes. In order to reliably destroy the pathogen, all the foci identified on the plants are treated twice (with an interval of about a week) with Bordeaux liquid. Two more treatments - before flowering and immediately after it. During the growing season, you must carefully monitor the vine bushes. If symptoms of infection reappear, the vine is sprayed again. You can recommend using specialized compounds that are available in gardening stores.
If you follow our tips, which you could read about in this article, the vine will always delight you and your guests, bringing a rich harvest of juicy, fragrant and sweet berries! This is how grape care is carried out in the suburbs.