Caring for grapes from beginner to professional. Planting, fertilizing, seasonal care.

When do you need to remove the cover from grapes and how to properly cut them? How to feed grapes from spring to autumn? What preparations should be used to treat crops against diseases and pests? You will find answers to these and other questions in our calendar.

During the growing season, grapes constantly require the attention of the summer resident. Annual treatments, fertilizing and pruning, systematic grafting and cuttings, regulated watering and proper shelter - it is quite difficult to constantly keep in mind the frequency of all these activities. Therefore, in order not to forget anything, we have collected all the mandatory work related to growing grapes in one material.

Personal experience of growing grapes

I have never considered grapes to be a typical or easy crop to grow in Russia.
My mother-in-law tried to grow a small crop when I was young, and I don't remember her efforts literally bearing fruit. Therefore, growing grapes seemed terribly difficult for the average gardener. Only after retirement, when I had a lot of free time, I decided to try.

Since then, I have been engaged in viticulture for ten years and can boast of obvious successes, as well as give some useful tips to beginners.

Home gardeners can succeed in growing grapes if they choose to:

• the right varieties;
• correct area;
• optimal watering and good fertilizing;
• optimal design of supports;
• effective measures to combat diseases and pests;
• annual competent pruning of vines.

Sheltering grapes for the winter

To cover the grapes for winter, if necessary, or in a trench, the vine is first pruned and then carefully placed in it. The trench itself is covered with glazed or covered with durable film wooden frames that fit into the grooves of the rubble. Insulation materials are laid on top of them: mats, old blankets, old outerwear, etc. On top of all this equipment is covered with a durable film, which must be securely fastened so as not to be blown away by strong winds.

Grapevines growing in open ground are removed from the trellis, laid along a row on the ground and covered until spring with a layer of soil up to 10-15 centimeters, and in the spring they are returned to their place with all the correct measures.

Grapes growing in open ground, in areas where snow falls early and covers the ground in a thick layer throughout the frosty period, new winter-hardy varieties of the latest selection, after pinching to the soil, can be safely left for the winter under the snow cover.

What are the varieties of grapes?

Grape varieties available on the Russian market can be of three main types:

• American;
• European;
• hybrid.

There are both foreign and domestic hybrids that are best suited for growing conditions in central Russia, because they are the most winter-hardy.

Depending on the varieties chosen, the vine produces berries that can be red, blue, white (greenish-yellow), purple or black with a distinctive aroma. Both seeded and seedless varieties are now available.

In Russia, the earliest varieties ripen around mid-August, while the later ones ripen from late September to early October.

Useful properties of grapes

It has long been recognized that grapes are a tasty, nutritious, healthy and healing berry that contains glucose, fructose, tartaric, citric and malic acid; tannins; vitamins A, B1, B2, C, enzymes and carotenoids. Grapes are indicated in the diet for the treatment of bronchial asthma, pulmonary tuberculosis, bronchitis and pleurisy, anemia, nervous exhaustion, chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, heart disease, liver, kidney disease, gout and hemorrhoids.

Few people know that naturose, produced from grape juice, is used to save people from death through intravenous injections in case of shock or collapse. Grape sugar (glucose) is considered an effective antidote for poisoning by many toxic substances: arsenic, strychnine, morphine, sodium nitrite and other dangerous toxic substances.

When eating grapes, you need to remember that they also have dietary restrictions. With extreme caution and, like all fruits, it can be eaten in the first half of the day in small quantities, constantly checking with your internal sensations, for people suffering from diabetes, heart failure, gastrointestinal ulcers, for the reason that it contains a high degree of carbohydrates , and also promotes increased fermentation in the intestines and can even contribute to obesity.

These berries are eaten fresh. You can make fresh juice from grapes, compote, grape kvass, vinegar and jam. Its berries are pickled, dried, frozen in the freezer and stored fresh in whole bunches using a special technology.

How to choose varieties?

European grapes are generally not recommended for home planting because they are not winter hardy.
In our country it is unlikely to grow and bear fruit, except in cases where winegrowers are ready to provide winter protection, which is quite difficult.

Most of the failures of gardeners who try to grow grapes are due to the fact that they choose European varieties.

There is an opinion among amateurs that only they are suitable for wine, although in fact this is far from the case.

It is necessary to choose grape varieties not only with excellent taste, but also with good disease tolerance.

This is another important factor to consider, as wet springs and hot, humid summers tend to favor common diseases affecting grapes.

Try to choose vines that are least susceptible to disease, although there are no 100% resistant varieties.

By selecting and planting different varieties at home, a gardener can spread the harvest over several weeks. This strategy is also good for beginners because it makes it possible to determine which variety suits him best.

However, an experienced winegrower can grow only what he likes without worrying about having to plant different varieties.

Selecting a Resistant Variety

The main obstacle to enjoying the fruits of your own vines is insufficient lighting and temperature. These factors prevent the berries from ripening and reduce their nutritional value. This problem is being successfully solved by breeders in different regions of Russia. For each climatic zone, new hybrids are created that can compete in taste and yield with southern grapes.

For berries of these varieties, a temperature of +20-24 °C is sufficient for ripening. The sugar content of properly grown grapes in the non-Black Earth region, Moscow region or in the north-west can reach 20%, which corresponds to high levels of table varieties. The problem of low winter temperatures is also gradually fading into the background. The vines of the newest uncovered varieties are able to tolerate cold temperatures below -30 °C.

Russian complex-resistant grape varieties are both not afraid of frost and are immune to most typical diseases (mildew, oidium, anthracnose and even phylloxera). Many of the early species mature well in northern conditions. Sugar content and taste with proper care are equal to or higher than European hybrids.

Popular varieties:

• Super early - Delight, Kodryanka, Elegia, Muromets and their hybrids.
• Early ones - Friendship, Christina, Kesha, Laura, Fantasy, Arcadia.
• Medium - Kishmish radiant, Kantemirovsky, Sputnik, Lyana.
• Late - Consul, Autumn Black, Flamingo.

Various hybrids of classic varieties of Soviet selection with European ones create a huge palette of species, which can be difficult to understand. To purchase truly elite grapes, you should contact special nurseries or experienced gardeners and breeders.

Varieties have different resistance to diseases. Before purchasing plants, you should study the performance of a single hybrid. Particular attention is paid to the quality of planting material; the survival rate of the bush, the timing of development and entry into fruiting depend on it.

It has been noted that abnormal frosts have one advantage: the main pests and many diseases of grapes do not survive in harsh winter conditions. The need for chemical treatment of bushes is reduced to a minimum, and it becomes possible to grow environmentally friendly berries.

Interestingly, winter-hardy varieties may not perform well in the south. In the heat, the clusters stop forming, the berries do not enlarge, they become peas. Several large grapes ripen in the entire cluster, some without seeds. Choosing a hybrid is important even in warm climates.

Varieties I would recommend to you

For winter hardiness. For resistance to disease and taste, the best for me turned out to be the American hybrid “Lydia” and the domestic “Golubok”. By the way, they make good homemade wine.

Pros and cons of "Lydia":

• high yield - up to 30 kg of berries from one bush;
• beautiful appearance;
• good quality wine.

• in harsh winters it still needs shelter;
• the taste is not too good.

Pros and cons of "Dove":

• unpretentiousness;
• possibility of making delicious homemade wine.

• berries are affected by gray rot only during epiphytoty years;
• productivity is not above average.

Almost all vines available to gardeners are self-pollinating (self-fertile). Bees are not needed to pollinate them.

Fertilizer and treatment

Grapes need regular feeding: at each stage of development they require different nutrients.

Stage	Fertilizer
Before opening the bushes	ammonium nitrate, superphosphate and potassium sulfur
2 weeks before flowering	compost and bird droppings diluted in water
During berry ripening (2 pcs.)	superphosphate and potassium salt / wood ash
After harvest	potassium

Plant treatment involves the use of special preparations, as well as special agrotechnical procedures, and is aimed at combating diseases and pests.

In the spring, it is carried out in 5 stages: during the removal of cover, during the swelling and opening of buds, during the process of budding and flowering. During this period, the main purpose of treatment is to prevent infection with oidium, mildew, spots, mites and leaf rollers.

In summer, the bushes should be processed twice: when the berries become the size of a pea, and when the clusters begin to close. These procedures are performed only if there is any infection. Autumn processing is the stage of preparation for wintering. It is aimed at preventing diseases, as well as destroying fungi and insects overwintering in the soil and bark.

Landing

Early spring (March) is the best time to plant grapevines.
I would not recommend autumn planting, because in the first winter the plants may die from heaving. During the first year, the soil is prepared for planting, varieties are selected, vines are planted, mulched, fertilized and protected from weeds, insects and diseases. Trim broken or dead parts of branches and roots.

During the first year, the vines are usually staked to keep them off the ground to prevent damage and make spraying more effective.

When not to prune grapes

The vigor and productivity of grapes in the future depends on compliance with the timing of pruning. It is not recommended to cut out shoots of any age:

• upon the onset of the first prolonged frosts in autumn;
• with the beginning of active bud break in the spring.

In order not to lose the grape bush, when pruning it is necessary to follow the rules and not neglect the prohibitions

When planting in autumn, young seedlings are not pruned (with the exception of reverse growth). Lack of nutrients and moisture before the end of the growing season can cause the death of the plant.

Watering

Watering the vine is required immediately after planting. If the planting season is dry, additional watering is necessary to keep the vines growing. It is important to achieve good growth during the first year.

Young grapes require 12 to 25 mm of water weekly in a 1 square meter area around the vine.

It is also necessary to remember that, according to the FAO, grapevines require from 500 to 1200 mm of rainfall during the growing season, so vineyards of any age need to be irrigated during drought.

Under no circumstances should you spray water on the leaves when watering. This leads to wasteful consumption of moisture and plant disease. I water at the root using a hose.

In May, it is better to water with fertilizing: 0.5 liters of infused chicken manure per 50 liters of water for each vine.

Features of grape growth

It will be easier for beginners to understand the principles of viticulture if you understand the characteristics of plant growth . This will allow you to understand what care the shrub needs at different times of the year.

The lifespan of grapes depends on its variety and method of propagation. Thus, wild specimens grown from seeds are capable of growing and bearing fruit for more than 400 years. Plants grown vegetatively continue to bear fruit for 25 to 150 years.

How quickly the plant begins to bear fruit also depends on the growing method. With the seed planting method, the plant produces fruits 5-6 years after planting. When growing grapes from cuttings, the first harvest will be harvested within 2-3 years. When using layering and grafting, berries will appear in the first year.

From the germination of the grape seed to the end of the growing season, the plant goes through a long development cycle, which is divided into stages:

1. Height. The shortest period, the duration of which ranges from 1 year to 5 years. At this time, the plant is developing, preparing for fruiting.
2. Development and fruiting. The longest period. It lasts longer than 25 years.
3. Weakening of productive and growth function . This is expressed in the absence of new shoots and an increase in the size of the plant, a gradual decrease in yield, up to the complete absence of fruits.

During their life, grapes go through a small cycle that repeats annually. It consists of a dormant and vegetative phase.

The resting phase of the shrub occurs only in regions with severe winter cold snaps. During this period, leaf fall is observed. Young shoots ripen, acquiring a dark color. Unripe parts of the plant fall off. Several layers near the core, as well as the bark of the root system, are converted into cork tissue, protecting the living parts of the plant from frost. Growth stops. All life processes in plant tissues slow down or stop.

The second phase is vegetation . It lasts from the beginning of spring to the end of autumn. At this time, the grapes are actively growing, throwing out new shoots, blooming and bearing fruit. It is during this period that the plant requires increased attention and care.

Top dressing

It is recommended to conduct a soil test on a potential grape planting site to obtain fertilizer and lime recommendations. Grapes generally do best when the soil pH is between 5.0 and 6.0.

Apply lime only when a soil test indicates it is needed.

Typically, the recommended fertilization rate for planting grapes is 250 grams of standard fruit crop fertilizer per plant seven days after planting. Increase the amount of fertilizer to 500 grams in the second year and 750 grams in the third and subsequent years. It is better to apply fertilizers approximately 30 days before the start of the growing season.

Expert opinion

Gavrilyak Evgeniy Leonidovich

has been growing grapes for 25 years

Do not concentrate fertilizers at the base of the trunk, otherwise it may cause the vine to wilt. Sprinkle fertilizer 15-24 cm from the trunks and distribute it evenly throughout the vineyard.

Planting grapes in open ground

The process of growing grapes begins with planting them in a permanent growing location. The further development of the grape bush and the level of the harvest largely depend on the correctness and timeliness of this event.

What time to plant grapes

Using the recommendations of leading winegrowers in our country, we can determine two dates for planting grape seedlings:

• in the spring (third ten days of March – third ten days of May);
• in the fall (the first ten days of October - before the onset of stable freezing of the soil).

Before planting, it is necessary to prepare the seedling. Its survival rate and subsequent intensity of development largely depend on this. To do this, it is necessary to soak the root system in clean water a day before planting. To stimulate the development of the root system, you can add the drug Kornevin to the water (5 ml per 9-10 liters of water). In addition, it is necessary to trim lignified shoots at the level of three eyes.

Planting grapes in spring

When planting in black soil or loam, it is necessary to prepare a planting hole measuring 75 x 75 x 75 cm in advance. If the soil is sandy, then the hole must be dug in the fall and its depth should be increased to 1 m. In the process of digging the hole, the turf layer and fertile soil should be laid separately soil. After digging a hole, you need to fill it with a fertile layer in the following sequence:

• a drainage layer of crushed stone or broken brick 10-15 cm thick is placed at the bottom of the pit;
• a plastic pipe (diameter of at least 5 cm) is placed in the hole so that the upper part rises 12-15 cm above the soil surface;
• a layer of fertile chernozem 15 cm thick is poured;
• the following fertilizers are added: potassium nitrate (120-150 g), simple superphosphate (200-210 g);
• 10-12 kg are poured. fertile soil and mixed with fertilizer.

After filling the fertile soil into the planting hole, 40-50 liters are poured into it. water.

After waiting for the water to be completely absorbed in the center of the hole, a small mound is made and the root system of the seedling is placed on it. In this case, the seedling itself should be positioned in such a way that the buds are directed to the north, and the root heels are directed to the south.

After this, the roots are covered with fertile soil, which is slightly compacted. The top of the planting hole is covered with plastic film, and a cut plastic bottle is placed on the seedling itself.

Planting grapes in autumn

The technology for planting grapes in autumn is practically no different from spring. The main difference is the need to mulch the soil around the seedling with agrofibre or earth. Using straw, hay or sunflower husks for this purpose is not suitable, since mice often settle in such a layer. The planting hole should be dug 3-4 weeks before planting time. This requirement is explained by the fact that it takes a certain time for the soil to settle well in the hole.

Trimming

While the vine is still dormant (December to March) make the first pruning and leave only two to three nodes on each stem. After the shoots begin to grow, pruning can be continued.

When pruning grapevines, it is important to think about next year's fruiting and stem regeneration.

Longer shoots are more likely to bear fruit, while spurs with one or two buds will produce long shoots without clusters of fruit.

These spurs are called renewal spurs and will serve as fruiting shoots for the third year. Gardeners should first prune all long stems to five buds, and the rest to one or two buds. Grapevines can look completely different before and after pruning.

How to prune grapes correctly

Before starting the procedure, prepare for pruning and stock up on the necessary tools. Before you begin this responsible event, you should:

• determine the age of the plant;
• decide on the support for the fruit shoots;
• choose the crown formation option.

When pruning in autumn and spring, from 50 to 80% of the shoots of the grape bush are ultimately removed.

Video: how to prune grapes correctly

Preparing the bush for pruning

Before pruning, the base of the trunk is first cleaned of old foliage and weeds, and the surface dew roots are cut off. After partial removal of the vines that grow inside the bush, and thin immature and fattening shoots, the vines are removed from the support and carefully laid on the ground (in autumn). When pruning in spring, overwintered grapes are first secured to a support, then the excess vines are removed using pruning shears.

Basic Rules

In order for the fruit shoots to develop correctly and the yield not to decrease, it is necessary to study some of the features of pruning the grapevine.

1. Select young shoots on which the replacement knot is located on the outside. In its absence, shoots are formed on developed last year's vines.
2. Cut the fruit shoot along the internode 3 cm above the eye.
3. The load on the shoot can be from 4 to 16 buds, on the entire plant - from 25 to 30; on vigorous varieties - up to 45 buds.
4. In autumn, shoots are cut perpendicularly or at an angle, in spring - always obliquely, so that the sap (sticky, viscous liquid secreted by plants when the shoot is damaged) does not flood the buds.
5. When making a cut, the pruning shears are placed with a sharp blade towards the remaining part, and a wide stationary knife (stop) is directed towards the part to be removed.
6. Pruning is always done from the outside of the bush so as not to disturb the natural flow of sap.
7. To avoid breaking off shortened shoots under insulation (in winter) or under the load of bunches (in summer), they are bent at an angle to the stump.

Neglecting the rules for pruning a grapevine is unlikely to destroy the plant, but you can easily lose the harvest

How to form a fruit link

The main purpose of pruning is to correctly form the perennial skeletal part of the grapevine, on which the fruiting link is located - last year's grapevine, consisting of:

1. A replacement knot is a short shoot, pruned into 2–3 buds, from which the fruit link of the future growing season is formed.
2. The eyes are the buds from which bearing shoots will grow with this year's harvest.
3. Fruit shoot - last year's shoot, cut according to varietal characteristics into a certain number of eyes. It is this shoot that bears the main load of the harvest.

Using the example of the formation of a fruiting link on bushes with four arms, it can be seen that each lash consists of a replacement knot and a fruiting frog

When pruning a replacement knot, always make an oblique cut from the outside of the branch, leaving 2-3 buds.

Video: pruning grapes for fruiting

To form a fruiting unit, shoots of different lengths are pruned, taking into account the fruitfulness of the selected vines: in the lower, middle or upper part of the vine.

• Short pruning - 4-6 buds is chosen for grapes with the most productive lower eyes. Often this pruning is used for greenhouse varieties and for vines with a high trunk.
• Medium pruning - 8–10 buds is suitable for medium-sized varieties, the main harvest of which falls on the central part of the shoot.
• Long pruning - 10–12 buds is more often used for vigorous, powerful bushes of dessert grapes, as well as for pruning most technical varieties.
• Mixed pruning is carried out, for example, when forming a reinforced fruit unit: the upper vine is cut longer (for example, by 10–16 buds) - it will bear an increased load of bunches, the lower vine (leaving 4, 8 or 10 buds) - according to the biological characteristics of the variety , this escape loads according to the norm. This pruning is suitable for grapes that have well-developed bushes and can safely bear the additional load of the crop.

The figure shows a variant of mixed pruning of grapes, in which short pruning is used for knot replacement (1) and medium pruning (in the center of the bush), long pruning (on the sides) for fruit-bearing shoots (2)

Seasonal grape care schedule

So, in short:

• December - preparing the soil for the beginning of the growing season and planting new vines, applying fertilizers;
• March - planting and first watering of young vines, first pruning before the growing season;
• April - loosening and mulching the soil, tying up vines on trellises and preventively treating them with iron sulfate;
• May - treatment with anti-pest drugs, watering and fertilizing;
• June - break in work during flowering;
• July - removal of antennae and stepsons, if necessary - watering, combined with fertilizing with chicken droppings and mineral fertilizers;
• August - pest control, gartering of young bushes;
• September-October - harvesting.

From my personal experience, I can conclude that if you follow all the recommendations listed above, you can harvest a good harvest of table and wine grape varieties even in the harsh Russian climate.

Tips for a new winegrower

• The method of planting grapes depends on the type of soil. Options are possible, but usually on sandy soils it is recommended to plant grapes in trenches, and on poorly heated loams and clays and in areas with close groundwater, it is recommended to plant them on ridges, which in the old days were called “tvorila”.

To water and fertilize grapes, I place plastic bottles with the bottom cut off between the seedlings. For table varieties, as the bushes mature, I replace them with cuttings of asbestos-cement pipes, and for “techie” varieties (wine varieties), after three years I remove them altogether. Mature wine grapes must get their own water from the soil, and the deeper its roots, the better the quality of the wine from its berries.

• Don’t rush into planting seedlings “for permanent residence,” especially if these varieties are being tested. Let them live until the first signal brushes in the school (where it is easier to cover). Some northern winegrowers do not plant seedlings in open ground at all in the first year, but keep them there in mobile containers (for example, buckets), half buried in the ground. In the fall, containers with seedlings are moved to the basement and planted in late spring. Such seedlings begin to bear fruit earlier.

• Do not plant vines spontaneously. If your grape bushes are not in “spot” planting, planning a grape plot is necessary. Group varieties by purpose, as they have different planting intervals. The distance between bushes of juice and wine varieties is 0.8 m, table varieties - at least 1.5 m, between rows - 2–2.5 m. It is advisable to check the growth vigor of the selected varieties in order to correctly calculate the right location. Grouping varieties by ripening time and frost resistance will make caring for grapes easier. There will be no need to spray and cover everything to the maximum.
• Do not plant grafted grape seedlings (from European and southern nurseries) vertically, but place them almost lying down at the maximum possible angle, otherwise there will be problems with the ripening of the vine. Gradually transfer them to your own roots.
• Don't forget that grapes have the property of vertical polarity. When opening, tie the fruiting shoot to a trellis or stakes only horizontally - then all annual green shoots will grow equally. With a vertical garter, shoots grow intensively only from the upper eyes, and from the lower ones they grow weakly or not at all.
• Limit watering of grapes. It is only necessary to water young vines for the first 2 years and water-recharging watering in the fall, common to all varieties. Stop watering 7–10 days before the expected flowering, as excess moisture causes color shedding and delays the ripening of the crop.
• Do not use sprinkling, otherwise you will provoke diseases. Arrange drainage channels and place irrigation pipes on the side of the row no closer than 30–50 cm to the base of the bush. Grapes do not like wet leaves and wet soil. If possible, arrange a canopy over the grape bushes.
• Carry out green operations sparingly and on time. The simultaneous removal of all growth points on the shoot is unacceptable: both chasing the top and pinching the stepsons. After all, there is a danger that the wintering buds of the bush will begin to grow and its potential will sharply weaken. Do not break out the stepsons completely, leave 1-2 sheets. Carry out the chasing in August, immediately after straightening the crown.
• Pruning is necessary for grapes, otherwise the berries will be crushed and the bush will grow excessively. But in the year of planting, there is no pruning, except for the removal of immature green parts of the shoots in the fall.
  From the 3rd year, prune the shoots according to the recommendations (short or long pruning), but do not mindlessly follow the recommended total load, as your conditions - relief, soil, sum of active temperatures (SAT) - will correct it. Write down starting from which bud the fruiting shoots grow in your particular area. Read more: Pruning grapes for beginners >>> .
• Do not carry out autumn pruning before natural leaf fall or the establishment of negative night temperatures (early November).
  Do not prune in the spring, as the “crying” of the vine (expiration of sap) weakens the plant. Read more: How to stop the weeping vine >>>>.
• In the north, it is more reliable to use fan- or semi-fan-type bell-standard formations rather than high-standard ones, including for gazebos.

Read more: Cordon formation and pruning of grapes >>>.

Read more: Forming grapes for growing on a gazebo >>>>.

• All seedlings need winter shelter for the first 2–3 years. The first year the grapes grow tied to a temporary trellis. In the fall, shoots are removed and covered with two or three layers of air-dry shelter. As bedding - spruce branches or boards, on top of the seedlings - a layer of spunbond or corrugated cardboard and on top of a film (roofing felt, old linoleum). The rest will be completed by snow. Leave gaps at the ends of the shelter for ventilation.

• Do not remove the cover immediately and completely in the spring. And when you remove it, leave a couple of layers of spunbond or lutrasil nearby in case of frost.
• Record the timing and characteristics of planting, flowering, ripening, pruning and loading of grapes in a diary. Otherwise, the most valuable information for variety testing analysis will be forgotten and lost. And both you and the next generation of northern winegrowers, which will definitely come after you, need it so much.

How to grow grapes in the middle zone >>>.

Spring events

Frost-resistant varieties can be pruned in March. The main work begins when the air temperature reaches + 5 Cº and above.

First, the grapes are freed from winter films. The bush is watered abundantly. Before the buds swell, begin pruning: weakened or frost-damaged branches are removed.

On a note. If the work coincides with the time of movement of juices through the vine, the cuts are protected from drying out with a mixture of natural drying oil and boric acid. Or they use special means (“Artificial bark”, etc.).

Within a month, trellises (special crossbars for tying vines) are prepared. Treat the plant with a solution of copper sulfate (3%). This ensures protection from diseases and pests.

From mid-April they begin to garter the vines. Follow the rules:

• The main sleeves are fixed at an angle;
• Young shooters are positioned horizontally;
• Every 14 days (as the vine grows) the procedure is repeated.

In May, the upper inflorescences and stepsons (secondary growth) begin to be removed. Such measures direct more energy to the bulk of the grapes and have a positive effect on the quality of the harvest.

Important. Green cuttings can be prepared from cut shoots. In the fall these will be ready-made seedlings.

During May, the plant may be affected by diseases. We need to start the fight immediately. An effective method is treatment with fungicides. But this work is carried out before flowering begins.

Abundant watering is required (once a week).

Autumn work

• The harvest continues in September. Unripe bunches are removed. Fertilizers are applied for feeding.
• Watering stops in the autumn season.
• At the beginning of October, autumn planting of seedlings is carried out (the scheme is identical to spring work).
• They wait for the leaves to fall from the grapes and prune them after 14 days (usually at the end of October). Only young, immature shoots are pruned.
• At the same time, you can remove the vine from the trellis. Then they dig up the ground around the vine and treat it with iron sulfate. Add fertilizer (manure, compost).

Formation of a grape bush

A suitable grape bush is formed by proper pruning. In the first season, one strong vine is left, three other vines grow from it at a distance of at least 80 cm. The bush must be actively formed from the third year; for this purpose, all the buds on the main vine are removed, only the strongest buds remain on other shoots. Further formation of the bush involves, if necessary, partial removal of new shoots.

How and when to open a vineyard after wintering?

The shelter is removed from the vineyard only after a stable above-zero temperature has been established and the top layer of soil has dried.

Untimely removal of grapes from under the shelter threatens buds sprouting under the bush and breaking the vine during tying it up.

One of the signals that the optimal time to remove the cover has come is the condition of the vine. If there are sprouting shoots and not swollen sprouts, this means that everything is in order and you can safely remove the protection.

Remember that immediately after removing the cover, you need to warm up the ground around the bush as soon as possible and awaken the root system. This is done by watering with warm water and mulching with black film.

How to successfully overwinter a plant?

After winter, be sure to evaluate the condition of the vineyard. One of the most common problems is the death of a huge number of eyes.

To reduce the risk of bush death, it is recommended:

• plant grape varieties that have high frost resistance;
• optimally form plants and plant them correctly;
• cover in a timely manner for the winter;
• provide feeding;
• open the protection in time in the spring.

How to deal with diseases and pests

At the end of spring, red spots may appear on the leaves, which indicates a lack of potassium. At the first signs of such spots, plants should be sprayed with a solution of potassium nitrate, and the leaves should be treated with Bordeaux mixture.

Brown or gray plaque indicates the appearance of gray rot, which should be combated with a solution of potassium permanganate. A light coating indicates infection with oidium, against which colloidal sulfur is used. As a folk remedy, it is possible to use ash infusion (about a kilogram of ash is dissolved in 10 liters of water).

Watering, loosening and mulching the soil

In order to provide the vine with moisture in the spring, you need to proceed according to the following instructions:

1. In early spring, an adult bush requires abundant watering. To do this you will need 200-300 liters of water. It is enough for two months.
2. It is necessary to water every two weeks. For such irrigation, it is enough to use 20-30 liters of water.
3. Three weeks before flowering begins, another abundant watering is done.

Water should be poured onto the ground half a meter before the plant.

After the winter protection has been removed, the soil is loosened to a depth of 20-25 cm. Immediately before the flowers begin to appear, the soil is loosened to a depth of 10 cm.

For mulching, you can use straw, sawdust, chopped bark and other materials.

Watering