Content of the article:
Grapes grown for thousands of years have undergone major changes over the past couple of centuries. A lot of new varieties appeared, regularly yielding harvests even in those regions where they had never heard of wine berries before. Breeders bred not only winter-hardy varieties, but also species that are little affected by diseases that are dangerous to culture, give super-large brushes and incredibly tasty berries, completely devoid of seeds. And yet, the winegrowers know that even the most productive and unpretentious variety can get a decent return from the bush by investing a lot of work and skills in growing and caring for grapes.
The first, after planting seedlings in the ground, the formation of a grape bush, starting from the first year of the plant’s life and determining its fruiting together with the crown form of the plant, is a contribution to the future crop.
With the right approach to the fourth year, the bush becomes final, but this does not mean that the work of the grower has been completed.
Formation of an
grape bush The choice of the shape of a grape bush that determines its appearance, structure and quantity, both new shoots and green mass, depends on the climatic conditions of growth, soil fertility and characteristics of the plant variety.
The result of the correct formation of a grape bush is:
- regular and, in accordance with the varietal characteristics, abundant harvest;
- qualitative growth at the end of the growing season;
- is a plant that tolerates the winter without any problems and does not suffer from the common diseases of the vine and its pests;
- provision of simple care for a seedling of grapes;
- facilitate the pruning of the vine and its irrigation, rejuvenation and adjustment of the existing load.
Wondering how to grow grapes, some novice gardeners act on a whim, not paying proper attention to pruning a bush. Nevertheless, there are many well-established options and types of forms that allow to get good results in a variety of farming conditions. With the help of spring pruning the grapevine is formed with a bole of various heights or without it.
The most often winegrowers attach to rooting seedlings of grapes:
- is a capitate without perennial sleeves, but with a thicker upper part of the trunk, from which, thanks to pruning, 1-2 shoots or a ring grows the mass of new shoots;
- cupped, with sleeves of various lengths extending from the trunk, resting on stakes;
- form with fruit links directed to one or two sides, the entire increase in which is distributed on a vertical trellis;
- cordon form with one or more perennial cordons, which are distributed fruit units or twigs. This option is convenient in the cultivation and care of grapes, gives high yields, but is more common in regions with warm climates, where the vine does not require shelter for the winter;
- fan-shaped and semi-fan-shaped, resting on the trellis and having several arms of different lengths and strengths.
It is precisely the various options and fan combinations that have received the greatest recognition of winegrowers in Russia, since it is easy to care for such a vine.
Shrub, if desired, is amenable to adjustment, and with the trellis device, plants get enough air, light and nutrition, give consistently high yields, can be removed and sheltered for the winter. The main part of the work on the formation of a grape bush is carried out in the spring, in the summer the excess and overgrowing shoots and stepchildren break off, the garter and other procedures aimed at maintaining the fruiting and conceived shape of the plant are carried out.
Trellis vine
Since grapes are a strong-growing liana, in most cases, reliable and convenient support is necessary to grow them. Especially important is the presence of such structures when beshtambovoy form of the crown and growing vigorous varieties, as well as when using grapes for landscaping canopies, gazebos and other buildings.
The walls, pillars, stakes and even trees growing near the bushes can serve as a support for the vine, but the best solution would be to install a special trellis for the grapes.
In amateur gardening, the two most common types of construction.
- vertical trellis, where the grape shoots are located in the same plane;
- sloping trellis, on which shoots are separated into two planes at an angle to each other.
In both cases, the pillars of the structure are robust pillars, between them stretch the rows of solid wire, which will have to withstand not only the weight of the shoots, but also the weight of the brushes being poured. Single-plane trellis for grapes is simpler in the device and much cheaper, but for obtaining high yields from the bush it is more convenient to use the two-plane version, which provides a large area to support fruit-bearing shoots and withstand heavy vine weight.
To simplify the cultivation and care of grapes, between the trellis provide inter-row spacing, sufficient to remove the bushes and their shelter during the cold weather, as well as to ensure adequate planting of lighting, and the rows do not overlap each other. It is better if the trellis for grapes will be located from north to south. In this case, the height of the structure is selected depending on the growth of the grower, the characteristics of the variety and the chosen form of the bush.
How to tie up
grapes As the grapes grow during the growing season, the shoots are tied several times to the horizontal rows of the trellis or attached to other types of supports. In this case, the garter, during which the shoots are evenly distributed in one or two planes, serves to solve several problems:
- The plant is provided with the best light and air regime.
- It is easier to prune and normalize green mass and ovary.
- Facilitates foliar fertilizing of grapes, as well as the implementation of "green pruning".
- Upright shoots grow and mature better.
- Reduces the risk of developing the disease of grapes and damage to its pests.
- A novice winegrower should know when and how to tie up grapes.
The first time to fix the position of the shoots is necessary when they are about 40–50 cm long and reach the lower row on the trellis. Then, as it grows, the stems are tied consistently to all rows.
As a garter, it is better to take trimming of textiles or knitwear, natural twine or string, that is, means that do not compress or pinch the growing shoots. It is convenient to use a special tool for garter sapling of grapes, which freely fix shoots with a plastic clip. On the trellis, where the wire is stretched in two parallel rows, the shoots only lead in such a gap, and the resulting whiskers are firmly fixed with time to the support. If you are caring for grapes grown on an arbor or a shed where free growth is planned, then you do not need to tie up such shoots.
Grazing of
In the summer months, growing and caring for grapes does not involve pruning perennial shoots, but some green parts of the plant cannot be removed. Depending on the grape variety, the load that the bush is experiencing, as well as the cultivation conditions, the plants may produce a significant number of second-order shoots from the buds on the shoots of the current year. If you do not remove such stepchildren, they take away the much needed nutrients from the future crop and shade the entire bush. Excessive bush density is a serious risk factor for the development of grape diseases such as mildew and powdery mildew. Therefore, waiting for the growth of parasitic shoots is not worth it.
If in grapes with a short summer grape grazing consists in completely removing shoots at the initial stages of development, in the south, especially when growing early varieties, stepchildren are only shortened to get an additional harvest of sweet berries by autumn.
And in some cases, for example, when the vine suffers from freezing or hail, the grape-stepping is not done at all. The ladders replace the lack of green mass on the bush and help to resume the development of the bush.
Prophylactic treatment and foliar feeding of grapes
Obtaining a high-quality and stable grape harvest is impossible without providing the plant with the proper amount of nutrients. Growing on a trellis gives the gardener the opportunity to use foliar fertilizing of grapes, an effective source of additional nutrition and minerals.
The greatest need for such dressings is that the bushes of grapes have:
- before flowering and after it;
- in the period when the coloring of the berries begins;
- a few days before harvest.
A solution containing 5% superphosphate, 0.5% ammonium sulphate and 1% potassium salts is used for fertilizing seedlings of grapes and adult bushes. When the berries begin to ripen, the vine no longer needs nitrogen, but it is possible to add trace elements to the top dressing, for example, zinc and boron.
After flowering, the bushes are treated with a 1% solution of boric acid in combination with a fungicide that prevents the development of downy powdery mildew, a disease that occurs in conditions of high humidity and has a detrimental effect not only on the future crop, but also on the entire grape plant. The final foliar top dressing of grapes can be carried out on the basis of infusion of wood ash. Making such dressings, as well as spraying the bushes with fungicides and insecticides, is carried out in the second half of the day, when the temperature decreases, the sun cannot burn leaves and inflorescences or in cloudy weather. The longer the drops of funds will remain on the green, the greater the effect the procedure has.
How to process grapes after rains when fungicides and trace element solutions are washed away?
In case of severe precipitation, as soon as possible, the treatment is repeated, paying attention to spraying the bushes with Ridomil, especially during the period when flowering has already been completed, and mildea is likely to develop.
Equally dangerous for grapes is oidium, often developing in dry hot weather. The first preventive treatment against this disease is carried out in the spring. If a light white fluff is found on the shoots, foliage and berries, at the initial stage, treating grapes with soda and potassium permanganate in the form of a slightly pink solution will be a rather effective remedy for powdery mildew.
Do not forget that the effectiveness of fertilizing and means of protection is really high, if all the rules of growing and caring for grapes are fulfilled, weeds and excess shoots are removed in time, air and nutrition are provided to all shoots.
