Grape Care in the Spring: Tips for the Gardener

The content of the article

• Stages of grape care in the spring
• Vine opening
• Watering
• Loosening and mulching
• Trimming and shaping bushes
• Disease and Pest Treatment
• Top dressing
• How to care for grapes in spring
• In March
• In April
• In May
• Video

Grapes on a personal garden plot are a source of ecologically clean berries. In order to collect a high crop, the winegrower will need in-depth knowledge about the phases of the vegetative development of the culture and painstaking work. The fundamental period in viticulture is spring, because proper watering, pruning, processing, and top dressing affects yield.

Stages of grape care in the spring

Processing of grapes after winter is designed to direct its vegetative processes in such a way that the plant develops correctly and gives a high yield. Spring agricultural technology in viticulture is one of the important stages, which includes the following steps:

• vine opening;
• watering;
• loosening and mulching;
• pruning and forming bushes;
• treatment for diseases and pests;
• top dressing.

Vine opening

Grape care in the spring begins with the removal of winter shelter. You need to do this when the time of night frost has passed. Kidneys that have grown in growth will die if they are exposed to frost. In regions for which frost returns on the soil are not characteristic at night, the vine can be opened after the average daily temperature is set at not lower than + 5 ° C. In an area with changeable weather in the spring, there are two dangers for grapes:

• Condensation collects under the shelter, which can lead to mildew in high daytime temperatures..
• A sharp daily temperature fluctuation threatens the death of actively developing kidneys.

To prevent a negative development of events, the shelter from the rod must be removed gradually, making ventilation holes in the protective film. Early spring care for grapes located in the lowland begins with the construction of special grooves at the bush to divert water in order to avoid waterlogging and rot formation. Processing the culture with iron sulfate will delay vegetative growth by 10-14 days and at the same time will serve as a disease prevention.

Watering

Early spring grape care includes watering. Natural moisture located in the ground in springtime is not always enough for budding and shoot growth. After winter, the plant is not yet able to produce many useful substances for life, it uses the accumulated resources in the stems and root system. To use these reserves, the moisture capacity of the soil adjacent to the roots should be at the level of 80–90%.

The first spring watering of the vineyard is carried out to stimulate the awakening of the vine, start its active growth or delay the dissolution of the buds for a while. If there is no threat of night frost, grapes are watered with warm water. This will help speed up the process of awakening the bush. To achieve vegetation retardation, cold water is used for irrigation. The required volume in both cases is 200-300 liters per bush. In order to ensure deep saturation of the soil with moisture, drainage holes are made.

For their equipment, four holes with a depth of 1 m are drilled along the perimeter of the site at a distance of 50–80 cm from the stem with a drill. Sewer plastic pipes with a diameter of 7–15 cm are inserted into the holes. Watering is carried out through them. Less expensive way: along the perimeter of the site adjacent to the bush, at a distance of 50–80 cm from the stem, they dig trenches to the depth of the shovel’s bayonet and pour water during irrigation. The drainage method of moistening the soil is deep. It is more effective, since moisture in the earth is stored for a period of one to several months, depending on the structure of the soil.

Further watering is carried out every 10-14 days. To do this, use no more than 20-30 liters of water. In the second decade of May, another water-charging irrigation (200 l) is carried out, after which the site’s hydration is temporarily reduced to a minimum. Too wet soil before flowering grapes can trigger the discharge of inflorescences by the plant, which will affect yield. Later, fertilizer solution is introduced through drainage wells..

Loosening and mulching

Grape care in the spring involves cultivating the soil around the bush. Her loosen and mulch. Loose soil improves aeration (saturation of the roots with oxygen), water permeability and air permeability of the earth. Often loosening the soil is not worth it, so as not to disrupt the natural processes occurring in it. Loosening in the spring is carried out twice: immediately after removing the winter shelter from the grapes and before flowering.

The first time the earth around the bush needs to be dug to a depth of 20 cm, later – 10 cm. Mulching is called coating the soil with various materials to protect and improve its properties. There are 14 reasons for using mulch:

1. After rain, no peel forms around the vine bush.
2. The soil under the mulch retains moisture better.
3. Under the influence of direct sunlight, the roots adjacent to the surface of the earth do not overheat and do not dry out..
4. Under the mulch, the soil remains loose for a long time.
5. During rain (watering), particles of soil do not fall on the lower leaves and stems of the bush, and with them the causative agents of grape diseases.
6. Pathogenic spores and microorganisms do not spread with evaporating moisture.
7. The lower leaves (clusters) of grapes will not be dirty after rain, less will become covered with dust.
8. The wind does not carry away particles of the fertile layer of the earth.
9. Organic mulch turns into fertilizer over time, forming humus – a fertile layer of soil.
10. Preservation of moisture under the organic layer promotes the growth of beneficial microorganisms and earthworms in the earth, which improves the growth and fruiting of the culture.
11. Weeds do not grow around the bush, because it is more difficult for them to break through the mulch. A small amount of sunlight slows their growth.
12. Improving the aesthetic appearance of the vineyard.
13. Mulching is not a laborious process. It is carried out in the spring. Mulch – does not require large material costs. For mulching, natural materials are used: straw, sawdust, wood chips, bark, needles, cones, etc..

Trimming and shaping bushes

Proper grape care in the spring includes mandatory sanitary and crown-forming pruning. To do this, use a special grape pruner, a garden saw (for thick branches). The blades (blade) of the garden tool should be sharp, without damage, disinfected. This contributes to the rapid healing of plant wounds. For disinfection use methods:

• calcination: gas burner or household lighter;
• soaking in solutions: potassium permanganate or 10% iron sulfate;
• rubbing with an alcohol-containing solution.

Spring grape care includes sanitary pruning: removal of dry, damaged, sick, frozen branches. The cut should be smooth, without burrs and splits, with a minimum area of ​​damage to the vine. Trimming must be done at right angles. For grape varieties that need to be sheltered for the winter, the stemless bush formation is most often used. Perform it according to this scheme:

• Annual shoots. If the young plant consists of two shoots, each vine is cut 2 cm above the second eye. When there is only one sprout, leave a stem with four main buds.
• Two year old grape. On each new branch, two eyes are left to stimulate branching and a cut is made 2 cm higher from them.
• Spring of the third year of the bush. The main sprout of grapes should have 4 large shoots (at least 5 mm in diameter). Two of them (the so-called replacement knots) are left on two of them (those closest to the root). In summer, new fruit links will form on them. The remaining vines leave 7-15 main buds.
• Care in subsequent years. In the spring, only sanitary pruning is performed, and “fruiting” pruning is done every fall.

Disease and Pest Treatment

Spring care involves treating the vineyard from diseases and pests, with the arrival of heat awakening from hibernation. It is carried out in the form of prevention and as an effective measure immediately after the detection of foci of the disease (damage by harmful insects). Processing grapes from diseases and pests in the spring is spraying plants with solutions of chemicals: fungicide (against fungal diseases) and insecticide (from harmful insects).

The best time for drug irrigation is evening time. Treated leaves during the day can get burns when exposed to sunlight. Morning hours are not suitable for this event due to the fact that dew will make the chemical solution less effective. For the same reason, it is impossible to process the vineyard before the rain. The main stages of the protection of culture:

• Opening the vine and raising the plant on the trellis. Fungicides are used during this period. They process not only the plant, but also the surface of the earth, on which harmful microorganisms can persist for a long time. With special care, it is necessary to process the bends of the stem and the forks, because there may be the largest accumulation of pathogens.

• The establishment of high temperatures in the spring. To prevent damage to the culture by harmful insects, an insecticide is sprayed. From pests, first of all, blooming buds suffer, which negatively affects the crop. This period often occurs at the end of April. If infection of the bush with pests is noticed, repeated spraying with insecticide is required after 10 days.
• After flowering culture (third decade of May). The final treatment is carried out with a mixture of fungicide and insecticide solutions. It is important to choose compatible drugs, guided by their instructions for use.

To help winegrowers, the industry produces drugs that cope well with diseases and pests of grapes. All means for processing grapes are divided into three groups:

Top dressing

For the normal development and fruiting of the grape bush requires a lot of nutrients that it receives from the soil. Over time, the land is depleted, so the grapes need top dressing. Without fertilizing the soil, the plant will become weakened, it will often hurt, and will yield a poor crop. Spring top dressing is introduced based on the vegetation phase according to the scheme:

• Mid april. The bush is still at a dormant stage..
• The end of the second decade of May. Embryos of grape brushes appear.
• The beginning of June. Formed ovaries.

Grape care in the spring includes the application of chemical and organic fertilizers. According to the method of feeding, they are divided into root and extra root. Chemical solution for a single top dressing:

1. In 10 l of warm water dissolve 2 tbsp. tablespoons of superphosphate, 1 tbsp. tablespoon of ammonium nitrate and a teaspoon of potassium sulfate.
2. The solution is thoroughly mixed, left for 2 hours to activate chemicals.
3. The amount of fertilizer prepared is divided into 4 equal parts, poured through drainage holes under each bush.
4. If there are no irrigation holes, top dressing is evenly poured into grooves around the perimeter of the basal land.

The industry offers ready-made complex fertilizers: Aquarin, Novofert, Mortar, Florovit, Kristallon. They are introduced as described above, prepared according to the instructions of the drug. Organic fertilizers include manure (cow, horse) and compost, which include nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and other useful elements. These top dressings can be applied in dry form, sealed in soil by 25-30 cm. Slurry is used in liquid form:

1. 1 part of manure is poured with 2 parts of water.
2. Leave to insist 10 days.
3. The finished mixture is diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 6.
4. Pour once in a recess near each bush in a volume of 10 l.

Organic manure is also chicken manure. In dry form, it can not be applied to the soil – you can burn the root system of the plant. To obtain organic nutrition, they act as follows:

1. A liter can of dry manure is poured into a container, pour 4 liters of water.
2. Left to roam for 2 weeks.
3. The resulting mixture is diluted with water, so that the total volume is 10 l.
4. 2 liters of organic fertilizer are poured into the hole (under each bush), after moistening the ground well with water.

Foliar top dressing is an addition to the root. For spraying using spray guns, you can use ready-made preparations Master, Florovit, Biopon. Urea is often used at the rate of 2 g per 1 liter of water. Experienced growers prepare a solution for leaf irrigation of the following components:

• water – 10 l;
• superphosphate – 150 g;
• ammonium nitrate – 60 g;
• potassium chloride – 60 g;
• manganese sulfate – 15 g;
• zinc sulfate – 10 g;
• boric acid – 0.5 g;
• sodium chromate – 0.5 g;
• manganese sulfate – 10 g;
• cobalt sulfate – 0.5 g.

The first time fertilizers for foliar dressing are used before budding (early May), the second – after flowering (early June). Spraying is carried out in the early morning or at sunset to avoid sunburn of leaves. 50 g of sugar or 30 g of glycerol is added to the prepared solutions to improve the absorption of fertilizer from the leaves and prevent its rapid evaporation from the leaf blade.

How to care for grapes in spring

In the spring, at the beginning of the growing season of culture, it is very important to carry out all agricultural activities correctly and on time. Each spring month is distinguished by special events for the care of grape bushes. The development of fruiting grapes has six main phases. In the spring months are:

• vine awakening time;
• stage of the appearance of leaves, inflorescences, antennae;
• flowering phase and laying the future crop.

In March

When warm days are set in March, you can begin to open the vineyard (temporary or permanent). Pruning should be carried out at the beginning of the month before the swelling of the kidneys to prevent “crying of the vine” – leakage of cell juice to the surface of the wood. If for some reason this procedure could not be done on time and juice began to stand out, you can use the “artificial bark” preparation or treat the slices with oil paint, which includes natural drying oil.

In April

When positive temperatures are set in April, the trellises are renewed and grapes are mounted on them: woody vines growing from the head of the vine bush, more than 35 cm long, called “sleeves” – at an angle, and fruit arrows – horizontally. They clean the space from last year’s foliage, dig the earth, lay mulch. Carry out water-charging irrigation. The middle of the second decade of the month is the time of feeding the grapes. At the end of April, the vine and adjacent land are treated with an insecticide.

In May

Grapes enter active growth phase in May. At this time, they tie the vine to the second level of the trellis. They remove stepchildren and upper inflorescences, break off weak shoots, pinch the tops of new stems to redirect nutrients to the inflorescences. In the second decade of May, grape bushes are fed again, using root and foliar feeding. Third decade – treatment time for diseases and parasites with a mixture of fungicide and insecticide.

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