middle lane. The main enemy of the culture here is fungal pathogens that cope with the treatment of grapes in spring with copper sulphate. The main problem of Russian amateur winegrowers is the insufficient duration of the warm period. In the spring of the vine, awakened from the rest of the winter, can get under a wave of returning cold. In this case, both growth buds, leaves, and buds of inflorescences suffer. The second half of summer, in some regions, burns with heat during the day, and at night it refreshes quite well.
Contrast temperatures, as well as the starting rain and dew, contribute to the development of fungal microflora, which has chosen the grapes as one of its main victims.
Features of the use of copper sulfate in viticulture
Grapes of cultivated varieties among summer residents are considered to be a difficult crop to grow. But with this statement it is possible to argue, if skillfully apply the means of controlling pests and pathogenic fungi. Copper sulfate for grapes is just a proven and consistently effective drug for the prevention and destruction of parasitic fungi.
The use of copper sulfate in viticulture is associated with:
- with the availability of a chemical:
- with its high antifungal activity;
- with the possibility of use as a therapeutic and prophylactic agent.
The beneficial properties of an inorganic fungicide have been noticed a long time ago, but along with this the growers noted the danger of treating grapes with copper sulphate in spring. Getting into the soil, salt copper sulfate can accumulate, reduce soil fertility and crop yields. In addition, the increased acidity of the compound causes burns on the greenery and ovaries, spoiling the quality of the grapes.
Today, a number of plant protection products have been created on the basis of copper sulfate, which contain substances that reduce the toxicity of a chemical, but not diminish its fungicidal qualities.
However, copper sulphate did not lose its relevance. If you follow the recommended dosages of copper sulfate in the processing of grapes in spring, as well as safety standards, spraying the vine will certainly give the desired effect and help you get a rich harvest from it.
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Spring processing of grapes with copper sulfate
Copper sulfate without neutralizing its acidity additives are used in early spring or autumn, when green foliage, flowers and ovaries cannot be harmed. In this case, a solution of blue powder is prepared, strictly adhering to the instructions, and the spraying is not repeated in order to avoid overdosing of the agent in the soil.
When and how to process grapes with copper sulfate in spring? The optimal moment for this in the southern regions comes in the middle of March, when the vine awakens after hibernation. North time for processing is chosen based on weather and climatic conditions, as well as from when the grapes were removed from the shelter. It is important that the chemical gets on the plant, while there is no greenery.
When spraying, the young foliage not only risks burning, but also blocks access to all parts of the crown.
Repeated treatments, when the buds are swollen and in the initial phase of flowering, it is safer to carry out not pure copper sulphate, but Bordeaux liquid. In this case, the slaked lime neutralizes the scorching effect of the acid salt. Similar properties have a Burgundy liquid, consisting of solutions of blue vitriol and soda ash.
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Before treating grapes with copper sulfate in the spring, plant residues are removed from under the vines, in which bacteria, pests, and fungal spores can hibernate. It is useful to loosen the surface layer of the soil and shed the fungicide solution in a safe concentration for plants.
Your efforts will not be in vain. Such treatment is an excellent prevention of fungal diseases, which are especially dangerous during berry filling. But what if brown spots or whitish mildew appeared on shoots already bearing ripening clusters?
Is it possible to spray grapes with copper sulfate in summer? In its pure form, this chemical should not be used, and it is possible to treat the vines with Bordeaux liquid until at least 3-4 weeks remain until the collection of brushes.
How to dilute the bluestone for spraying the grapes
For cultivating the soil and the grapevine, a solution of copper sulfate in the calculation of 50–100 grams of powder per 10 liters of water is used. Pre-conduct sanitary pruning of bushes and remove all plant residues and all remote shoots from under them. The blue powder is dissolved in a small volume of water, and then the liquid is saturated blue in color and diluted to the required concentration.
For better adhesion of the product with wood and soil, 100–150 grams of chopped household or liquid soap are added to the liquid.
Solution is not recommended to be stored. Therefore, before breeding the bluestone for spraying grapes, you need to make sure that the treatment will give the desired effect. Bushes are irrigated in dry, cool weather so that:
- the sun's rays do not provoke a burn of wood and leaves;
- rain did not wash away the chemical applied to the plants.
The treatment begins 2–4 hours after irrigation and, under favorable conditions, lasts for 1–2 weeks.
Excellent results are obtained in spring by the processing of grapes with copper sulfate in combination with hydrated lime. Such a solution is called Bordeaux liquid and is far more popular than pure remedy. The preparation of the fungicide has its own characteristics.
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The vitriol and lime are dissolved separately from each other in non-food, non-metallic containers. Combine the finished solutions, which are constantly stirred, and then defend within 3-4 hours and filtered.the treatment is carried out at air temperature from 15 to 25 ° C.
For spring and pre-winter processing of the vine and the soil beneath it, a 3% composition is used. If we are talking about spraying plants during the growing season, the content of active substances in the liquid is reduced to 1%.
A video about processing grapes in spring with copper sulfate will help to thoroughly study the process, get acquainted with the technology of mixing solutions to ensure a good harvest and to prevent annoying mistakes in practice.
The first processing of grapes by blue vitriol - video
