Soil for grapes - which one you like, acidic or alkaline, what you need when planting, soil and soil

Sooner or later, every gardener considers the opportunity to grow grapes on his plot.. Delicious fruits can be collected starting from July (taking into account the region and variety); it is possible to plant several varieties on one bush. The grape itself is a fairly unpretentious crop, but in order for it to grow well, you need to choose the right place, use good soil and, if necessary, take measures to improve the quality of the soil. You will learn more about the requirements for soil used for growing different varieties in this review.

Soil for grape seedlings at home

To plant cuttings and seedlings, you need to start preparing the soil in the fall. First, the soil is thoroughly dug up and fertilizing is applied. Chubuki are transplanted into special containers and transferred to a greenhouse or for growing from cuttings at home on a windowsill. You can use a mixture of humus and peat (1:1) or earth, peat and sand (1:2:1). For watering, use a solution of nitrate and superphosphate. When the cuttings grow to 30 cm, they can be transferred to open ground. Be sure to wait until spring when the air becomes warmer. Table varieties (Augustine, Harold) develop best in soil made of sand and crushed stone. This composition improves nutrition of the root system and accelerates the development of bushes, allowing the fruits to gain sweetness and aroma.

To ensure that the soil settles normally by spring, trenches or holes are dug.

For technical varieties, soil composition is very important. The taste properties of wines directly depend on the quality of the soil.

Soil for planting grape cuttings and seedlings

Planting grape cuttings has a peculiarity. This is the case when, for a seedling with roots of 5-10 cm, a planting hole with a total size of up to 100 × 100 × 100 cm is prepared and filled with the expectation of 2-3 years of growth.

The so-called “planting” of the site is carried out: deep (up to 1 m) digging with improvement of the structural composition of the soil to meet the requirements of the grapes.
To enrich the soil with nutrients, organic matter and mineral additives are added before digging at planting depths. For 10 m² of area they give: humus - 30-40 kg on chernozems (60-80 kg on sand), superphosphate - 0.5-1.0 kg.
The soil must “settle” so that after planting the subsiding soil does not tear off the roots of the seedlings. The optimal period is 2-3 months. The area prepared for grapes in the fall will be saturated with winter moisture and averaged in elemental composition.

If it was not possible to prepare an area for planting grapes in the fall, all work is carried out in the spring, and the planting holes are filled with water (literally) so that the ground subsides.

Criteria for determining suitable soil

To get a luxurious vineyard, you need to choose the right soil composition. Grapes grow best in light soils that provide the roots with oxygen and water. The best options are loams, clay, chernozems, sand and sandy loam mixtures.

Good composition for seedlings

The best soil for growing grapes is a mixture of stones, clay, sand, minerals and organic matter. Heavy clay soils practically do not conduct air and water, so they are not suitable for planting a vineyard. Sandy ones quickly give up moisture and freeze in cold weather, which leads to the death of young plants. Also, the soil must contain iron, nitrogen, calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus - a deficiency of these elements negatively affects plant growth. Read how to take grape cuttings in the fall here.

Acidity and alkalinity, which chibouk likes

The next important soil indicator is the pH level. It can be neutral, acidic or alkaline. For grapes, the optimal range is 4-8. Avoid soils with high acidity - in them the roots do not absorb nutrients well, and there is a need for additional soil fertilization.

Lime can be used to reduce soil acidity.

Soil composition

It is customary to pay special attention to the chemical composition of the soil, since the presence or absence of substances useful for grapes will immediately affect the intensity of growth, development and further fruiting of the crop.

This culture needs:

Nitrogen. Affects the growth of culture. With its deficiency, the plant lags behind in development, with excess, it produces a lot of green mass, which negatively affects the quality of the fruit.
Iron. Stimulates the release of chlorophyll, which is necessary for proper nutrition of plants.
Potassium. Responsible for the taste of grapes: the less this mineral in the soil, the more sour the fruit. It is potassium that responds to metabolic processes and the general immunity of southern culture.
Calcium. Promotes the development of a powerful root system. (Excess calcium in the soil leads to the development of chlorosis).
Magnesium. Participates in the formation of chlorophyll. If this substance is not enough, the foliage quickly turns yellow and falls off.
Phosphorus. Without this element, normal grape fruiting is impossible. If there is more phosphorus in the soil than normal, the growing season is noticeably shortened and the process of cluster formation accelerates.
Sulfur. Serves as a constituent component of proteins. Perfectly dissolves mineral additives in the soil, helping the grapes to be fully nourished.

Improvement measures

All soil types can be improved if necessary. The nutritious dressing stimulates the processes of root formation in layering; to grow grapes from seed, it is recommended to use a mixture of humus and sand. It is recommended to fill the pots with the substrate and then place them in a well-lit, warm place. When propagating by cuttings, compost and garden soil are mixed in equal parts.

Measures to improve different types of soil are given in the table.

The soil	Enhancer	Dosage
Clay	Coarse sand Bottom peat	60 kg/m2 2 buckets per m2
Medium loam	Coarse sand Bottom peat Compost	25 kg/m2 2 buckets 0.5 buckets
Sandy loam	Chernozem Bottom peat Manure	30 kg/m2 1 bucket per m2 4-6 kg/m2
Sandy	Complete replacement with purchased soil	—

What to look for when choosing soil

When deciding on a site for planting vines, they note what indicator plants grow there and how deep the groundwater is. The vine will reach the lower moisture-bearing horizons on its own, putting out long roots; in the case of a superficial location, the situation is worse. It may be necessary to drain the fluid, install a drain, or choose another location.

How to determine which soil is suitable for the acidity threshold

You can determine the optimal acidity of the soil using chalk, litmus paper, or by carefully looking at the plants growing on the site. Fireweed, horsetail, sorrel, millet, buttercup, violet, sardella, plantain, and sedum grow on acidic soil. Lime is loved by bindweed, larkspur, ulcer, mustard, bedstraw, quinoa, drowsiness, and poppy.

The most accurate way to determine soil acidity is litmus paper.

Litmus paper is easy to use - the indicator is dipped into a mixture of soil and water for a few seconds, and then the results are compared with the scale on the packaging. Do not use raw water for the test - distilled water is needed. Chalk is used according to the following scheme:

A couple of tablespoons of soil are poured into the bottle.
Add 5 tablespoons of water and a spoon of chalk.
Close with a fingertip (the air is removed first).
Wrap in paper and shake thoroughly.

Now look at the reaction - if the soil is acidic, then the fingertip will have to inflate.

Methods for protecting and restoring soil

Following numerous recommendations to keep the soil fallow between the rows leads to drying out of the soil and its weathering. To preserve soil moisture and restore soil fertility in a natural way, the use of green manure is effective, especially sowing legumes, which enrich the soil with nitrogen throughout the growing season.

To maintain conditions favorable for the functioning of soil microorganisms, it is recommended to cover the soil in tree trunk circles with a layer of mulch.

Such a protective layer of straw, dry or freshly cut grass:

regulates soil moisture and heat exchange;
protects against air erosion (weathering);
suppresses the growth of weeds.

Labor-intensive maintenance of the soil in a state of “black fallow” (loose surface layer) brings nothing but harm to the vineyard.

Determination of humidity before seedling planting, preparation

Before planting grapes, be sure to determine the moisture content of the soil - its ability to retain water after watering depends on this indicator. The best way to do this is to use a tensiometer. The device indicates numbers and colors that are characteristic of a certain type of soil. To carry out horse measurements, the device is immersed in the soil.

The color readings of the tensiometer are easy to understand. Green is normal, blue and cyan are a lot of moisture, yellow, orange, red are water deficiency.

You can also determine soil moisture from plants. Drought-resistant crops are saxifrage, sedum, crassula, sedum, thyme, and sedum. Moisture-loving plants - water pepper, sedge, marigold, buttercup, meadowsweet.

Read about growing grapes in a greenhouse here.

What you need to know about landing

Before planting young grape shoots in central Russia in a permanent place of growth, it is necessary to carry out preliminary procedures with them and prepare them for planting.

Preparation

Young shoots need to be hardened off before planting. For 14 days, seedlings must be constantly taken out into fresh air. On the first day, it is better to carry out such air procedures for no more than 15 minutes. Then increase the hardening time by half an hour daily.

For the first 7 days, young shoots require protection from exposure to sunlight. For the remaining three days of hardening, it is better to keep young grape shoots in the fresh air. The exception may be frost. Then it is better not to expose young grapes to sub-zero temperatures.

Tempering preliminary procedures are necessary. Unhardened young seedlings may either be poorly accepted or not accepted at all and will stop developing.

What soil to choose for planting grapes

Grapes are not a picky crop and can grow in central Russia on different soils. There are only two types of soil that are absolutely not suitable for grapes: saline and with a high groundwater content (swampy). The best option would be sandy and rocky soil. In such soil, water does not stagnate, which has a very beneficial effect on the growth and development of grapes. This culture does not like high humidity.

The grapes are resistant to winter cold and can withstand temperatures down to -15-18°C, and some types up to -25°C.

Selecting a location

When choosing a place to plant grapes, consider the following main points:

it is a sun-loving crop. An area with a constant source of light is ideal for planting grapes in the main place;
The place where you are going to plant grapes should not be blown by winds. This is especially true on the north side;
the southwest and west are the most successful sides for planting grapes in central Russia;
for cultivation it is better to choose flat places, but at the same time not very steep slopes (southern and southwestern) are acceptable. Lowlands and slopes on the north side are dangerous for grapes. In such places there is a high probability of damage to fruit buds by frost, which can occur in late spring;
When choosing a place for planting, keep in mind what used to grow in this area of the site. The best predecessors will be fruit plants. If grapes have previously grown in this place, then this part of the land is not suitable. First, vegetables and flowers should grow in this area for several years.

Pit preparation

Below are step-by-step instructions for preparing the planting hole:

Dig a hole measuring 60*60 cm. The depth of the recess should be 0.8-1 m.
Be sure to cover the bottom of the hole with drainage. Since grapes love rocky soil, the drainage should consist of small brick fragments, pebbles, and crushed stone.
After the drainage layer, fill the hole with a mixture of sand, gravel and fertile black soil. The proportions of the components making up the mixture are as follows: sand - 0.5 buckets, crushed stone - 1 bucket, black soil - 3 buckets.
When planting grapes, be sure to normalize the soil acidity level. Dolomite flour or ash will help you with this. They need to be added to the hole. If the soil is slightly acidic, then you will need 1 tbsp. dolomite flour and 1.5 tbsp. ash. For acidic soil, 2 and 3 tbsp.
Apply the last layer of 25 cm of fertile soil.
Don't throw everything into the pit at once. Do this gradually, watering each layer with water. At the same time, lightly compact it with your hands.

Planting scheme

Grapes do not like transplantation, so the first time you must choose a permanent planting site. Maintain the required distance between seedlings. It depends on the size of the vine:

3 m for long (from 2.5 m);
2 m for short (1.5 m);
1.5 m for plants with one vine.

The required distance should also be maintained between the rows: from 2-2.5 m. Other crops can be planted in these gaps. The best among grapes' neighbors are strawberries and greens.

Planting depth

The depth of planting seedlings will depend on the type of soil:

up to 45 cm if it is black soil or clay;
up to 60 cm if it is sandy soil;
up to 55 cm if it is loam or sandstone.

If on your site the groundwater level is close to the surface of the earth, then when planting, consider the following points:

make high earthen embankments (1.5 m width and 0.5 m height);
Cover the bottom of the planting hole with slate. Then the roots of the plant will rest against it and begin to grow to the sides. This will prevent the roots from growing deeper into the water;
build a special drainage system: dig two depressions 1-1.5 m deep. The grooves should be located on both sides of the plant at a distance of 1 m. Fill these depressions with bricks, pebbles, and crushed stone.

When planting, you should fertilize the soil with complex minerals. It is also good to add ash to the soil. This type of soil treatment will last you three years.

After the seedling is planted in the ground, it needs to be watered.

Important! Use only warm water to water grapes

Initially, after planting the plant in a permanent place, you need to use 1-2 buckets of water for watering. After the soil settles, fill the hole again with soil and do not compact it. The soil should remain loose. This will ensure good air exchange.

After planting, mulch. Fill the hole with dry leaves, straw, etc. This will retain moisture and prevent it from quickly evaporating.

Methods for increasing soil fertility, which one is best to choose

To increase soil fertility, mulching is usually carried out:

Straw is an ideal fertilizer for sandy soils.
Sapropel is a universal improver.

Sapropel should be used according to the instructions for its intended purpose - Category A is considered universal, B has an alkaline reaction, C is slightly acidic.

As part of basic preparation, purchased soil is mixed with the one already on the site in a one-to-one ratio. Mulch is made in a layer of 5 cm, which helps maintain soil fertility. You can prepare humus with earthworms or use three-tier structures in which fertilizers are removed as needed. Often the soil for vineyards is flavored with eggshells (it contains a lot of calcium).

Soil for replanting grapes

The transplanting process is a major stressor for the vines. Therefore, it is necessary to take care of proper soil preparation. This will help the plants adapt to new conditions faster. If there is a need to replant grapes, it is advisable to do this procedure in the fall, in October. Advantages of autumn transplantation:

During this season, the soil is usually well and deeply moistened due to rainfall. You will have to water less.
If we are talking about the southern regions, then the soil after replanting will not freeze to the depth of the root organs of the grapes.
The plant will be able to grow young root mass over the winter.
Vines transplanted in the spring may suffer from the intense summer heat because they do not have time to grow stronger. In autumn, such a risk is eliminated.

The soil is prepared at least 1 month before replanting. The pit will settle during this period. The soil should be systematically loosened, watered, and fertilized. Such actions will help create nutrient layers. The roots of the transplanted plants will subsequently rush towards them.

The land needs to be provided with 1-2 years of proper rest before planting with new grape bushes

Each bush is planted separately, strictly maintaining a 2-meter distance between them. The landing pit has dimensions of 0.5x0.5 m, its depth is from 0.6 to one meter. Fertilizer is added to the hole and mixed thoroughly with the soil. A bucket of clean water is poured, and clay, fertile soil, sand and gravel are poured into the bottom with a mound. Sometimes a handful of barley seeds is also added - this makes it easier for the roots to take root.

Traditional fertilizers, selection and preparation

It is absolutely not necessary to buy expensive chemicals, and you can choose folk fertilizers. Basic:

Manure – use 4 -6 kg/m2. Manure contains a full range of nutrients necessary for crops.
Bird droppings are a product rich in nitrogen, but in a rather aggressive form. Before use, the substance is infused in water.
Peat compost mixed with humus 3:1 - it is added in the spring at a rate of 3 - 4 kg/m2 after aging for 5-6 months. Please note that compost acidifies the soil (neutralization with chalk, dolomite flour, eggshells or ash is required).
Yeast – initiates the processes of rotting, fermentation, and oxidation of plant residues.

Read about currants and manure at the link.

Horse and horse manure are used for clay and loamy soils, cow and pig manure for sandy and sandy loam soils.

Answers to pressing questions

Question No. 1. How can you increase soil carrying capacity?

Sometimes broken brick, sand, and fine gravel are added to clay soils to improve its permeability properties.

Question No. 2. Will grapes grow well in clay soil?

Clay soil in its pure form is unsuitable for a vineyard. It is too heavy for him, almost does not allow water to pass through or accumulates it in the cavities. It has low air circulation.

Question No. 3. How can you determine the type of soil on your site?

A sample of soil is placed in a jar (1/3 capacity). Add water to the brim and mix everything. Then observe the reaction. The sand component will settle first, followed by silt, and clay last. If the sample has more than 70% of the soil at the bottom, then it is sandy. If more than a third at the top level is clayey or at the middle level it is silty.

Question No. 4. How much crushed stone/manure is added to improve soil quality?

To increase the throughput capacity and soil fertility, add 1 bucket of crushed stone and manure per 1 linear meter.

Question No. 5. How can you normalize soil acidity?

pH levels less than 6.0 are corrected with lime. If the pH is more than 8.0, the indicator is adjusted by adding gypsum to the soil.

So, correctly selected and rationally prepared soil is a decisive factor in viticulture. The condition of the plant, its resistance to cold and disease, as well as the quality and quantity of the harvest depend on the soil.

Necessary disinfection when growing grapes

If there was a fungus on the plantings during the warm season, in the fall the vines are treated with preparations containing iron or copper. They spray both the bushes themselves and the soil underneath them (many pathogens normally tolerate even the most severe frosts in the ground). Superphosphates are applied in the first half of March, growth stimulants at the end of April, and then every two weeks. If you plan to use bird droppings, apply them simultaneously with growth stimulants. It is enough to use ammonium nitrate once - in the first half of May. In the fall, phosphorus, potassium and humus with ash are added.

You can make the right choice of a product for soil disinfection using reviews.

How to choose a place

The choice of location for the future vineyard should be carried out according to the following criteria:

the soil must be fertile. Forest soil or black soil is suitable;
it must have the following mechanical qualities - sandy loam or light loamy soil;
the thickness of the humus layer is at least 60 centimeters, maximum – 1 meter;
the soil should not have a high density, it is not recommended to plant in sandy areas, it is forbidden to use saline or swampy soil for vineyards, as well as soil with high acidity.

For grapes, areas should be allocated that will be well illuminated by the sun, with a high concentration of moisture. The culture is very fond of water, which is necessary for the quality development of grapes.

Before planting, the selected area must be cleared of weeds.

Features of improving soil quality for a vineyard in different periods

Plantings grow well and bear fruit if the soil contains a sufficient amount of nutrients and is free of weeds and parasites. Read about the spring treatment of grapes from diseases and pests in this material.

The range of care measures largely depends on the time of year:

In the spring, the soil is dug up and leveled, nitrogen and/or ash are added. Remember that an excess of minerals is just as detrimental to crops as their deficiency. Treated against parasites.
In summer, the soil is regularly loosened, watering schedules are drawn up, and weeds are removed.
In the autumn, after the harvest is completed, the soil is dug up to 25 cm, the leaves and branches are removed. To retain moisture, do not break blocks of soil. You can apply potash fertilizers.

When preparing the holes, to avoid iron deficiency, nails or metal cans are placed on their bottom.

What you need to know about improving soil for mature bushes

The vine produces its first harvest 2 years after planting; a 3-4 year old bush is already considered an adult. During the first 2 years, the grapes use the nutrients from the planting hole. When the plant begins to bear fruit, this supply is depleted.

Vine growth and fruiting remove nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium from the soil.

To produce 1 kg of wine berries, the bush sucks from the soil (in terms of the net weight of the elements) 30 g of nitrogen along with potassium and 20 g of phosphorus.

These elements must be restored and added early in the spring:

loams - once every 4 years;
sandy soils - every 2-3 years.

To apply a dose of fertilizing closer to the roots themselves, even when planting the bush, install a piece of plastic pipe at the bottom of the hole. Liquid fertilizer is poured into the pipe. To reduce the concentration of the active substance, so as not to burn the roots, the grapes are watered through a pipe. The fertilizer goes directly into the root growth zone and is not wasted aimlessly on feeding weeds.

If pipes for feeding the roots are not installed, fertilizing can be applied to the cracks to a depth of 30-40 cm (the cracks are cut with a shovel).

If it is not possible to apply root fertilizing on time and correctly, during the first half of summer nitrogen and microelements are added to fungicides - treatment against fungal diseases is combined with foliar feeding of grape bushes.

Disembarkation methods

Various landing methods can be used. Their differences lie in different methods of preparing the seat with different planting materials.

Classic way

With this planting method, you should dig a hole measuring 80*80*60 in the fall. It is better to do this in advance so that the settling soil does not cut off the sprouts of seedlings.

Line the bottom of the pit with drainage made of broken bricks, crushed stone, and pebbles. The next layer should consist of sand, gravel and fertile soil (ratio: 1 bucket/0.5 bucket/3 buckets). Also be sure to adjust the acidity of the soil using dolomite flour and ash (described above).

Before planting, it is necessary to prune the cuttings. To do this, make an oblique cut at the bottom under the bud. In the upper part, the cut should be horizontal and located at a distance of 3-4 cm from the bud.

It would be useful to use drugs that stimulate root growth (Epin, Kornevin, etc.). Dissolve the stimulants in water in a bucket and leave the cuttings in it for 2 days. After this time, transfer the cuttings to jars with plain clean water. Within a month, the first root shoots should appear.

Important!

The water level in the jar with cuttings should not exceed 5 cm, otherwise the cuttings may suffocate.

After the first roots appear, the cuttings should be transplanted into a container for seedlings. Fill it with a layer of 5-7 cm of soil. Do not forget to lay out a 2-3 cm layer of drainage before the layer of soil (described above).

Be sure to water the planted cuttings. Watering should be frequent, but the amount of water should be small.

With the classic method, plant prepared cuttings in a permanent place of growth in May - June. Your main guideline should be the temperature of the ground. It should not be lower than 16°C. After planting, do not forget to water with 1-2 buckets of warm water (the amount of water is indicated per plant) and mulch with a mixture of sand, sawdust and dry earth.

On the trellis

The grape itself is a climbing plant. Therefore, it would be logical to use supports when growing it.

The essence of this growing method is as follows: place a support pole next to the planted bush. Stretch a wire between them.

You can choose the supports at your discretion. They can be wooden or metal. Wooden ones will last you about 20 years. But it is better to choose steel poles. The diameter of the pillars should be 50-100 mm, and the wire 2-5 mm.

On the ridges

This method is more suitable for northern territories.

If you are going to grow grapes this way, then you will need to do the following:

Dig a ditch of the following dimensions: length - 10 m; depth 30 cm; width - 100 cm.
Prepare the soil for planting using the method described above.
Fill the trench with prepared fertilized soil. The height of the bed above ground level should be 35 cm.
Plant young grape shoots in an earthen ridge to a depth of 45 cm.
To water and fertilize the plant, use a piece of pipe that is immersed in the ditch.

Greenhouse planting method

The greenhouse method of growing grapes will allow you to pick your first berries from the bushes earlier than usual. A warm climate promotes rapid fruiting. In order to plant a plant this way you need to know the following:

planting soil is prepared in the same way as with all other planting methods;
Before you plan to plant grapes in the greenhouse, first root the cuttings. Place them in a small bowl. They should remain there until the first root shoots appear. A warm environment has the most favorable effect on root formation, so keep the cuttings in a warm place;
When planting seedlings in a greenhouse, consider the distance between them. It should be at least 1.5 cm;
Water and fertilize once every 7 days.

Attention!

In the period preceding flowering, as well as before harvesting, the grapes do not require watering. This will only slow down the fruiting process.

Moldavian way

To plant grapes using this method, you will need a branch of at least 60 cm. Your actions should follow the scheme described below:

Twist the vine several times into a ring. Secure the turns with rope.
Dig a deep hole and place the twisted vine there so that 1-2 buds remain on top.
Water as needed. The main thing you must remember is that grapes do not like large amounts of water, but they will not tolerate drought either.

Planting using this method should be done in the spring.

If dry, hot weather prevails where you live, then you should take a closer look at the thickened planting method. Using this method, for 1 sq. m, up to 7-8 bushes are planted, which are not tied up as in other cases.

Attention!

This method of planting increases the chances of grapes being affected by fungal diseases. The risk of reduced fruiting increases.