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Grapes have always been considered a southern inhabitant, very demanding to heat. Under the conditions of a short Ural and Siberian summer, it was not a promising agrarian culture. However, in recent decades, breeders have bred new varieties that can tolerate severe frosts without damage. These varieties have become very popular among enthusiasts, growers of the Urals and Siberia.
Ural is located in two climatic zones: temperate and subarctic. Winter temperatures in the region range from -16 ° C in the South Urals to -24 ° C in the Subpolar region. The summer is short, it can be dry and hot, but it can be rainy and cold. Due to such instability of climate, the Urals belongs to the zone of risk farming. However, with the observance of agrotechnical rules and here you can get good yields of sunny berries.
Selection of a grape variety for growing in the Urals.
The success of planting and growing grapes in the Urals depends not only on the proper farming practices, but also on the choice of variety. Varieties should be selected only zoned, winter-hardy. It is necessary to firmly understand the difference between frost resistance and winter resistance. Unfortunately, even manufacturers of planting material sometimes allow liberties in the use of these terms. The frost resistance of a variety is its ability to tolerate short-term freezing without damage. Winter hardiness - the ability to survive without loss until spring with significant winter temperature drops. The higher the winter hardiness of grape varieties, the more to the north it can be grown.
According to the maturity date for the Urals, it is necessary to choose early grape varieties( 90-110 days) and medium-early grapes( 115-130 days).The following varieties proved themselves to be the best in the Ural climatic conditions:
- In memory of Dombrovskaya - early( 90-100 days).Clusters up to 400 g, black berries, without stones.
- In memory of Shatilova - early( 100 days), very winter-hardy. Berries are bright.
- Muscat pink early - 110 days, the berries are pink, fragrant. Cluster to 700 g.
- Samokhvalovich - early( 110 days).Cluster up to 200 g, dense. Berries are fragrant, pinkish-green.
- Olga or Krasa Severa - early( 110 days).Cluster up to 600 g, berries amber-yellow.
- Aleshenkin or Alyosha - medium early( 115 days).Cluster up to 700 g, berries are bright, amber.
- Negrit - medium early( 125 days).Cluster up to 600 g, brown berries, tasty.
- Lydia - medium early( 125 days).A bunch of up to 200 g, yellow-pink berries, fragrant.
- Muscat Shatilova white - medium early( 130 days).Clusters grow up to 1 kg, berries are light yellow, fragrant. Very productive variety.
Experienced winegrowers in the Ural region are advised to start with the varieties "In memory of Shatilova", "In memory of Dombrovskaya", "Aleshenkin".These varieties are the most unpretentious, easy to maintain and hardy.
Planting and growing
Planting seedlings is best done in the second half of June — in July, when the threat of frost is over and the soil warms to +15 ˚C.For planting you need to choose the sunniest place on the site where the sun does not go all day. At the site of planting grapes soil should be loose, nutritious, moisture-and breathable.
For each bush include a power zone of at least 1 m2.Single bushes can be planted in pits of size 1 X 1 X 1 m. If you plan to plant bushes in a row, you must prepare a trench 1 m wide and deep. Its length is calculated by the number of bushes: not less than 1 m per plant. The best location for the trench is from north to south. At the bottom of the pit or trench, it is necessary to arrange drainage: lay 20-30 cm of large stones, cobblestones. Pour a layer of 10-15 cm of expanded clay or crushed stone on them. Fill the rest of the pit with a mixture of sand( or vermiculite), mature humus and garden soil. In this mixture, you can add phosphate and potash fertilizers, wood ash.
The landing pit is prepared 2 months before planting, approximately March-April. The pit needs to be watered several times so that the ground in it is a donkey and compacted. The soil should not reach the edge by 20 cm. The following year, the pit will have to fill the soil to the top and at the same time spud grapes to a height of 30 cm. Bushes growing in a trench should be spud in the manner of potatoes - comb. This technique will allow to accumulate heat in the soil around the bushes.
For a seedling in the middle of a prepared pit, they dig a small hole, pour it with water and plant grapes. The earth around the seedling is compacted. Water as the soil dries, but not very plentiful. When the seedling starts to grow, watering stops - the grapes have enough water in the soil. In total for summer it is necessary to make 2-3 plentiful watering.
Stationary greenhouses should not be used for planting grapes, as the plant requires a snow cover for successful wintering.
In the first, and sometimes in the second, year, the saplings of the grapes are not pruned. They must gain root mass and increase 1-2 vines with a length of at least one meter. To do this, the seedlings choose the strongest shoots, and the rest break out as they appear. It is possible to leave one additional runoff until autumn - the reserve one. In the fall, the weakest vine is removed.
If only one shoot was left on the cutting, then a strong stepson should be left closer to the base and pinch it along with the main vine. The following year, this stepson will catch up with the vine in growth. On the plant you should always leave one male shoot for pollination.
Processing of grapes in the summer includes watering, pasynkovanie, chasing( pinching the tops of the vines), mulching the soil. Watering should be done under the root with plenty of water so that the soil is well soaked. Do not water the grapes on top of the foliage, especially in the heat. It is very good to sow siderats near the bushes; you can leave the grown grass to be left right there for mulching the soil - this is very much in favor of grapes. In July, work in the vineyard should be aimed at protecting plants from fungal diseases. At the beginning of the month, fertilizing should be done with complex fertilizer.
Grapes always form much more buds and fruit brushes than they can feed. If they are allowed to ripen all of them, the bush will quickly weaken and the berries on it will become small. And for the short summer of the Urals, they simply will not mature in time. Therefore, some of the brushes from the grapes must be removed. Usually leave 3-4 ovaries on the vine. If two brushes have grown alongside - remove smaller and weaker ones. Or you can allow all brushes to pollinate and tangle, and only then remove weak and rare clusters.
During the ripening of the berries, they should be carefully inspected and removed the damaged and diseased. In September, the leaves should be gradually removed from the fruit vine in order to open the berries to the sun. It is not necessary to tear off all the leaves at once - this can lead to sunburn of the bunch and the vine.
As the vines grow and the berries ripen, the grapes are strengthened on a support. It can be a pole with crossbeams, a trellis, an arbor.
Pruning of grapes
Pruning of vines is necessary to increase yields, as well as to better prepare for the winter. Pruning done throughout the season( breaking out stepchildren) in the fall. Autumn pruning done after harvest, with the onset of the first frost.
Many novice growers ask a question: how to cut the grapes in the summer? Summer pruning includes:
- Pruning vines dried in the winter;
- Removal of weak and rare ovaries.
- Regular removal of stepsons and weak shoots.
- Coinage( pinching) from mid-July to late August.
- Separation of the crown in September - removal of part of the leaves. Removed leaves, shading ripening brush, bottom, as well as old and diseased leaves.
Using autumn pruning, fruit vines( sleeves) and replacement shoots are formed. For the Ural region, the most optimal is a four-arm stepped fan pruning. On the trunk, four vines are formed with a fruit zone and shoots( knots) of substitution at the base.
For the first time, the vines and the abandoned stepson( if any) are cut to a length of 4-6 buds, removing all the stepsons, antennae, leaves. Then the vines are horizontally pinned above the ground for shelter for the winter.
In the second year of the left buds, new shoots will develop. Of them leave 4 of the strongest( 2 on each vine), and the rest are removed. By the fall of these shoots will develop young vines, which next year will be able to please the first harvest.
The most productive part of the fruit vine is in its middle. This should be remembered when doing autumn short pruning, and leave them on 8-10 buds. In the spring, at the base of each such vine, it is necessary to leave a strong shoot, which over the summer will develop and become a replacement shoot for the spawn. Vines after 3-4 years of fruiting in the fall cut out, leaving a small stump, and replace them left young knots. Thus, 3-4-year-old vines of grapes can grow on well-developed roots, with a duration of two to three decades.
summer cottage You can see the procedure for pruning grapes in the fall on the video:
Grape shelter for the winter
Grape shelter for the winter is a responsible matter. The quality of the shelter depends on the safety of the bushes and the harvest for the coming year. Covering the grapes too wound can not, because with the warming of the kidneys can form mold and destroy them. It is necessary to cover the grapes when the air temperature drops to -5 ˚С and the top layer of soil freezes. In the southern Urals, it is usually mid-November. The buds of grapes, especially zoned varieties, are able to withstand frost down to -20 ˚С, and therefore will quietly live to this period.
The vines cannot be laid directly on the ground, otherwise in spring they can be soaked when the soil thaws. It is best to lay them on a wooden lattice or on a layer of dry pine needles. From above they should be closed with pine or fir branches, nonwoven fabric in several layers, a tarpaulin. If the bushes are small, then you can use the following method of covering: roll the vines into a ring, lay on a layer of dry pine needles and cover with a wooden box or bucket on top. Top box throw over the spruce branches or a thick layer of straw.
The topmost covering layer is a film, roofing felt or slate. After that, it remains to wait for the snow. The Ural winter can bring snow both in abundance and deficiency. In any case, by the time of severe frosts, the thickness of the snow cover on the grape shelter should be at least 40 cm. Such a snow level will allow to keep the constant temperature in the shelter. If it is not enough snow, then it is better to load it to the vineyard. 
In the spring, immediately after the snow melts, the shelter must be opened to provide fresh air to the vines. Grape buds before the start of sap flow are not terrible frost, but from sunburn should be covered with non-woven material or lapnik.
With the start of sap flow, the grapes must be covered again, especially at night. Juice-overflowing vines can die if the frost turns them into ice. Shelter should be completely removed only after the end of the return frost. At this point, new shoots on the vines have time to grow by 15-20 cm. When strengthening the vines on the trellis, some of the young shoots may be broken off. Therefore, when autumn short pruning should be left for 2-3 buds more - for insurance.
Despite the harsh winter and short summer, the Urals today are a good place to grow grapes. Through the efforts of lovers of solar berries in the region can get quite high yields.
