Cutting grapes in autumn: instructions and recommendations

Every person who has a vineyard wants to see his personal garden fruitful and beautiful. But this is impossible without certain procedures. One of the most important is pruning grapes in autumn. Why is it needed? The volume and quality of the crop depend on the event. In addition, pruning makes it easier for plants to survive the winter and resist pests. But the procedure itself often seems to beginners difficult and incomprehensible. Our article will help you understand the most important basics of this business, introduce you tips from experienced growers, and provide detailed instructions.

Autumn or spring pruning?

We will begin to consider the topic "Cutting grapes in autumn for beginners" by defining the most important concept. Pruning is an activity aimed at removing or shortening both annual and perennial shoots.

And now about the grapes. When is it better to produce it - in the fall or in the spring? Experienced gardeners will answer what exactly in the fall. Why? The answer will be several reasons:

• Pruning grapes in the fall facilitates the process of warming plantings for the winter.
• Wounds after this procedure at this time of the year heal faster. And this has a positive effect on future bearing.

Autumn pruning is done immediately after the leaves fall! Procrastination threatens with a decrease in the number of berries and an overgrowth of the vegetative part of the plant.

But spring pruning, on the contrary, leads to the fact that a "grape tear" will drip from the cut for a long time. And along with this liquid, the plant leaves the nutrients and trace elements it needs. “Crying grapes” is fraught with a decrease in volume and a deterioration in the quality of the future crop. Its most deplorable consequence is the death of a bush.

If grapes were not trimmed in autumn, then in extreme cases the procedure can be transferred to the beginning of spring. Air should be warmed up to +5 ° . Plants under three years of age should be exposed to the procedure. Be prepared for the fact that it can lead to the drying of the vine and the death of the entire bush.

But if you prune an adult (over 3 years old) grapes, then this threatens kidney acidification for him. That is why experienced gardeners are trying to have time to perform the procedure in the fall.

Nevertheless, the vine growers also form the bush during the ripening of the berries - pinch the shoots, remove unnecessary vines, cut off the leaves that interfere with the bunches.

Pruning targets

Before pruning the grapes, it is important to decide why this procedure is needed. Autumn event is held for the following purposes:

• Removing old and excess shoots.
• Giving the bush a shape conducive to its directed development, greater productivity.
• Analysis of the general condition of the plant.

How to trim?

No need to purchase specialized tools such as trellis for grapes. Trimming is done with practically available tools:

• Secateurs. It is used mainly for young bushes. They can also be cut at the time of harvest.
• Hacksaw or special secateurs designed to remove knots. It is used for "elderly" bushes, for which pruning is recommended for rejuvenation purposes.
• Secateurs with two sharp blades. Needed to get an even cut. It is used for small sleeves, vines of a young plant, the thickness of which is not more than 1.5 cm.
• Hacksaw, bow saw on wood. These tools are for thick shoots, perennial vines whose trunk diameter does not exceed 8 cm.
• The delimbers are one of the most convenient varieties of pruning shears that allows you to remove hard-to-reach branches.

All tools should be sharpened and must be sanitized. For the last procedure, any composition with a high alcohol content is used.

Bush age and pruning

The age of the plant also affects the conduct of this procedure:

• Pruning of young grapes (3-5 years). The procedure is carried out since the plant reaches the age of one year.
• Fruiting adult bush. It is cut annually in order to give it a suitable shape, as well as to improve the quality of the crop.
• Pruning of old grapes in autumn is carried out to increase the period of fruiting.

Suitable time for the procedure

Specific dates are difficult to identify. Pruning, as well as grafting, is influenced by the varietal characteristics of plants and weather conditions in a particular region. But we can suggest an approximate work schedule:

• Pre-cropping. It is carried out strictly until the first frost. The approximate dates are the initial decade of October. It only affects green shades! Be careful - brown or dark brown trunks, characteristically crispy when bent, cannot be trimmed at this time.
• The main stage. October (mid or already the end of the month), immediately after the first frost. It is advisable that after preliminary trimming a couple of weeks have passed. First of all, the gardener conducts a thorough analysis of the bush - you need to remove only thin, dried and defective shoots. And then go to pruning developed vines.

Trimming Types

As well as grape grafting, pruning can be of several types. Here are the most necessary of them:

• Formative. It is characteristic only for the first years of a plant's life. Its essence is that the gardener removes all vines that are not included in the planned shape of the bush. Fragile, unripe and weak stems are also cut. It is this pruning that contributes to the formation of the base of the bush. But it applies only to grapes not older than 4 years.
• Annual. Standard grape pruning in the fall of each calendar year. Its purpose is to maintain the established form of the plant throughout its life.
• Anti-aging. Removal of rotten, old and dried shoots contributes to the development of young and fresh.

How to trim

Before carrying out the procedure, we strongly recommend that you familiarize yourself with these practical tips:

1. Always start processing from the top of the bush.
2. If you have a multi-year sleeve in front of you, then it needs to be cleaned of all young shoots that are extended more than 0.5 m from the ground level.
3. If the height of the grapes is more than 80 cm in length, then you should cut off the top of it at a distance of about 10% of this vine.
4. As soon as the leaves fall, you need to decide the fate of the most developed shoots, as well as those stems whose length is not more than 80 cm from the dirt half.
5. The lowest shoot (the one that is formed from the outer part) must be cut so that there are 3 eyes. This is necessary so that there remains a knot for substitution.
6. On the opposite side, the first shoot is already removed. It is important to leave 5-10 eyes - the so-called fruit arrows.
7. Do not forget about "winter insurance" - on the knot for replacement, leave 5 kidneys, and on the fruit arrow - 10-15.
   

Autumn pruning pattern

From all that has been said it is better to form a certain algorithm, which is simple to adhere to when processing each bush. This is the following sequence of actions:

1. First of all, remove all the shoots that have already proclaimed.
2. Along the way, do not forget to trim the weak and deformed vines, “tops”, shoots that impede the development of more promising parts of the plant. How to determine that a branch is weak? This is a vine with fewer than 7-10 eyes.
3. Trimming must necessarily include the removal of the entire number of extra bends. Experienced gardeners do not leave more than 8 shoots - those that are guaranteed to bring a good harvest for next year.
4. In "older" bushes, to top it all off, annual shoots must be removed. At the same time, one should keep this calculation in mind: after the procedure, at least 30 eyes should remain on the plant. If there are more kidneys, then it is permissible to reduce their number by removing the whole sleeve.
5. Do not forget to shorten the fruitful arrows by about 10%. Also, they must remove all stepsons.
6. From developed branches we will form knots of substitution, necessarily alternating them with fruitful arrows. Remember that substitution knots are formed only from shoots older than 5 years. To do this, simply shorten the skeletal and main branches of the vine bush from above.

Cutting scheme for better fruiting

Many winegrowers are turning to autumn pruning to increase the yield of their orchard. To do this, you must adhere to the following scheme:

1. Immediately after planting a bush, form two main shoots on it.
2. Next year, shorten the shoots by 2 eyes. All summer you need to pinch their tops. This is done so that the young plant is more likely to gain strength.
3. In the third year, finally form a bush by removing the tops and stepsons. One can adhere to a simple rule: all bends without a strong and healthy vine are superfluous.

Plant care after pruning

After the procedure, it is important to ensure proper vineyard care. It includes the following:

• Treat plantings with special solutions that help protect the grapes from characteristic diseases and pests.
• Prepare the vine for shelter for the winter. To do this, the young shoots just bend and shower with soil. Such a shelter will protect the plantings from frost to -15 ° C. If you live in a more severe climate, it is advisable to additionally use pieces of roofing material or wooden boxes.
• Mature plants are protected from frost in several stages. At first, the plant simply bends to the ground - the gardener covers it with coniferous branches. A dense plastic film is applied on top - do not forget to fix it on the edges.

Note that in areas with a mild climate, frost-resistant grape varieties do not need pruning or shelter for the winter.

Tips from experienced growers

We also offer you to get acquainted with secrets from professionals:

1. In some grape varieties, it is advisable to completely remove the deflated branches. They are replaced by young ones directed horizontally. In addition, unproductive “stumps” are also removed.
2. The number of eyes left on the fruiting branch should be equal to its diameter.
3. Slices must be done towards the inside of the vine bush.
4. Try to remove the vine with one sharp secateurs. It is important that an even cut remains.
5. It will greatly simplify autumn pruning summer analysis. Decide in advance at this time which branches will go to knots of substitution and fruitful vines.
6. How to simply mark the branches that you want to send for removal? Leave a bunch of berries on the vine.
7. Remember that only the strongest shoots leave for fruiting.
8. Shape the horns. To do this, cut a strong branch to 1-2 buds. From the shoots that form from them, select the strongest. Cutting the vine, it is important not to touch the swollen nodule that carries the kidney.
9. Despite the distance between the bushes of grapes, clusters sometimes lack direct sunlight. And you can not do without it, especially in a cool climate. Therefore, during the summer, it is necessary to remove leaves and young shoots that overshadow the clusters with fruits.

So we sorted out all the schemes, features, nuances and secrets of how to cut grapes in the fall. This pruning helps not only to form the appearance of the plant, improve its "well-being" and productivity, but is also considered the most favorable for grape planting.