The process of growing grapes has been familiar to man since ancient times. Many consider the fruits to be real berries of life, as they are tasty, simply incredibly useful, while the plant itself is able to effectively decorate a summer cottage. It is believed that grapes can be grown only in the south, but there are quite a few varieties that are adapted to grow in completely open ground in Russian settlements, moreover, even in the North-West. Subject to relatively simple technologies and taking into account advice, providing the plant with proper care in the country, anyone can grow grapes on their own, in any region of the country.

For competent cultivation of grapes in the country, you first need to choose the right variety that is best suited for certain climatic conditions. In the northernmost regions, it is worth using early, frost-resistant varieties:

• High-yielding and tasty Isabella;
• Grapes Nina, which is unpretentious;
• Madeleine Angevin - early variety;
• Chasselas white;
• Arcadia, which is suitable for regions in which there are no severe frosts.

Important! Many experts advise growing special complex-resistant varieties in summer cottages that are not afraid of a variety of fungal infections that occur in wet summers, as well as frosts in cold winters.

Such varieties are quite easy to grow healthy. In turn, the berries on well-groomed and uninfected, healthy bushes will be the most fragrant, tasty and beautiful. Among these varieties, it is necessary to note the Muromets, Moldova, Vostorg, Lydia, Russian Concord grapes.

Basic planting materials

Grapes in suburban areas can be effectively propagated through seeds, layering and cuttings. In the country, growing grapes using seed propagation is used infrequently; cuttings are more convenient for this purpose. The process of growing cuttings is carried out as follows:

1. It is necessary to take the middle or lower previously lignified part of the used shoot. Its length should be a little more than half a meter, and the thickness indicators should be 1 cm.
2. Cuttings are cut in autumn and then stored in a cold place until spring. At the same time, it is recommended to place them in boxes with pre-filled sand, bags are also suitable.
3. To ensure long-term storage of cuttings, it is better to pre-treat them from destructive mold with copper sulfate.
4. When spring comes, all saved cuttings are moved, the most well-groomed of them are suitable for planting. First, landing is carried out in special boxes, only after they get stronger, place them already in open ground.

If the method of propagation by layering was chosen, all the lower vines from the vine must first be freed from leaves, all small shoots and dug them into prepared grooves, the depth of which is 20 cm. After that, they are shed and mulched. This process should be done in the autumn, as in the spring the already deepened vine begins to take root.

After about a year, the sprouts can be separated from the main one - the carrier bush. This way you can lengthen the process of planting grape bushes, if, for example, productive varieties are already growing. In a situation where they are not there, you can purchase zoned seedlings ready for planting, and strictly from a previously verified seller.

The right choice of site for grapes

Grape bushes are quite thermophilic culture. The plant does not tolerate coolness, shade, humidity and dampness, as well as a draft. To get well-groomed healthy grape bushes for planting it is necessary to allocate a site that is well protected from the wind and sufficiently sunny.

Important! The south or southwest side, located next to the fence or building, is ideal. Grapes grow quite well in partial shade, but you can not count on getting a big harvest.

The process of planting grapes in the selected area must be carried out strictly in compliance with certain rules and conditions:

1. In the process of planting sprouts from the wall of the fence or from the fence, it is necessary to step back half a meter.
2. If dark grape varieties are planted, lighting plays a rather important role, that is, no partial shade.
3. The plant feels ideal on common sandy soils, but it may well grow in soil with a different composition.
4. It is necessary to ensure that there is a complete absence of stagnant water or the proximity of groundwater.
5. If the soil is not rich or very acidic, you must first fertilize it with manure or add lime.
6. It is better to immediately plant a pre-rooted cutting on an already prepared permanent place, since the roots grow quite quickly. In the process of transplanting, the roots may suffer, the seedling in this case will hurt.

If the plant is completely healthy, if it grows in a good place, it bears fruit for several decades.

Proper planting process

Planting grapes should be carried out when the soil is already very well warmed up, if there is no threat of frost. The exact time is usually characterized by the fact, depending on the region. You need to focus on approximately those numbers that are suitable for the process of planting tomatoes, usually June and May. You can plant grapes a little later, for example, in the first half of autumn. In this case, a small mound should be built above the planted sprouts. This way you can prevent freezing. If tall varieties, then planting should be carried out at a distance of about 2 meters.

Important! Each variety is grown strictly at a certain distance from each other.

In the process of disembarkation, it is necessary to follow a certain sequence of actions:

1. The cutting needs to be deepened by about 50 cm, and even less if the soil is clayey.
2. If you want to grow a healthy and fast-growing vine, you need to provide it with useful nutrients. For this purpose, it is necessary to make a small pit or trench, the depth of which is approximately 70-100 cm. A 10-centimeter layer of crushed stone is poured onto the bottom.

Important! So that this layer does not mix with the ground, it is worth laying small boards on it. And.

3. Soil is poured, previously enriched with vitamins and various nutrients. In this case, you can use fertile soil, which is pre-mixed with humus, manure or ash. Here, chemical as well as natural fertilizers are optimally suited.

4. As soon as the pit is half filled, about a third, in the middle it needs to be covered with a small soil mound.

5. The seedling is placed on it and only then the roots are straightened around, which are pre-cut by about 10 cm. All upper and damaged shoots are completely removed. Some believe that the roots can be dipped in a special mixture of clay and mullein. The top is covered with paraffin or wax.

6. After that, the soil is filled up to the level so that the shoots rise by about 4 cm.

7. The soil must be shed very well with warm water, crush the earth a little and add the amount to the very previous level.

It is advisable to pre-mulch young sprouts. It is worth making sure that there are no more than two sprouts on numerous shoots. If this is how to equip the pits, the plants will not need to be fed for the first year. The roots will find all the useful substances necessary for growth from the depths and will develop very actively.

There is one important trick that can make the process of growing grapes more comfortable. After the hole has been dug, a small pipe, 10 cm in diameter, should be placed in it. Its installation is carried out directly on the drainage. At the same time, the pipe should stand vertically and next to the seedling itself or slightly elevated above it, and even after the dug hole is filled up. With this pipe, grapes can be fed and watered. Everything necessary for growth in this case will go directly to the roots. The pipe allows you to reduce the time of irrigation, the water evaporates much less, to protect the pipes so that debris does not get into them, it is better to cover the pipe with a stone.

Proper grape care

In order to grow healthy and rich grape bushes, it is necessary not only to plant them correctly, but also to take proper care of them. Here you can highlight such rules as:

1. As soon as the plant gives the first shoots, some of them need to be broken off. Only two shoots should leave the cutting, and about three or four of them. So you can form a convenient fan-shaped bush. Pruning will help you get by with one tier of stakes and wire, but if the plant becomes lush, you will need two.
2. It is important to carry out not only pruning, but also pinching, that is, in the spring, remove all unnecessary and weak shoots. The fruits usually grow on annual shoots, so some of them must be left.
3. Necessary care - the tops need to be pinched every year.
4. In the process of forming clusters, they should be freed from excess foliage, which will provide better lighting.
5. In autumn, all young shoots are cut off, and those that have already become woody are shortened.
6. It is necessary to take care of the near-stem circles, they must be loosened and completely free from weeds. Mulching will effectively cope with this task.
7. It is necessary to ensure regular watering, young plants. Watering in the second half of summer is not required, unless there is a sufficiently severe drought. If there was a little rain in the fall, you can water the plants abundantly before the onset of cold weather.
8. Plant nutrition deserves special attention. Adults need to be fertilized about three times a year - in late spring, before the color set and when the berries have reached the size of peas.

Important! When fertilizing, avoid formulations containing a large number of nitrogenous components. Nitrates may appear in the berries, and the plant will begin to bloom magnificently, taking the juice from the fruit. Ideal for ash, compost or manure.

Growing all sorts of grapes in Russia is quite a risky business. For this reason, it is better to carefully cover the grapes for the winter. The vine simply bends a little to the soil with branches, and then sprinkles with sawdust, humus or peat. At the onset of spring, as soon as the temperature becomes more or less constant, the plant is opened. This process must be carried out gradually, first branches and on a cloudy day, then everything else on a warm sunny day.

How to deal with pests

From a variety of diseases, grapes can suffer from fungi, which include powdery mildew or more harmful fruit rot. Bushes are especially affected during the period of humid and hot summers. Spraying, as a care, only slows down the spread of the fungus, and in order to improve processing, it will be necessary to carry out this process immediately after rain.

Spores of dangerous microbes, as a rule, hibernate on the ground, among the numerous remains of leaves. It is for this reason that all fallen leaves must be removed, and the surface of the soil should be sprinkled with a new layer of mulch. There are certain tips, the observance of which will help to effectively protect the plant from the fungus:

1. It is better to choose varieties that are disease resistant.
2. Grapes need to be well cared for in order to successfully resist fungal diseases.
3. Pruning will help to avoid strong thickening of the plant, fruits and branches should be very well lit.
4. It is very effective to regularly feed the bushes with ash, which not only nourishes the grapes with useful potassium, but also completely removes the fungus in the soil.

In addition to the fungus, the plant and crop may suffer due to wasps. To prevent this trouble, it is necessary to completely destroy all wasp nests on the territory. You can avoid wasp attacks by hanging traps from plastic bottles filled with honey or a sweet solution. If you keep the plants healthy and well-groomed, you can protect the plant from phylloxera, from felt mites, and from bacterial cancer.

Harmful and useful neighbors

Some plants next to grapes can harm him

In the process of planting other plants next to grapes, it is necessary to pay attention to the fact that certain species are able to seriously harm it. At the same time, it can be noted that there are plants that, on the contrary, contribute to the development and growth of grapes, accelerating its growth by 30%. Among the most useful crops for grapes are sorrel, peas, onions, celandine, radishes, beets, and spinach. Dangerous plants include parsley, nettle, couch grass, marigold, pepper. More importantly, the grapes do not tolerate the presence of grapes nearby, that is, it is categorically not recommended to plant young bushes where the same grapes previously grew.

fruit picking

Clusters of grapes in the country are removed gradually, that is, strictly as they ripen. If the crop is very large, the brushes can be cut off and then placed in baskets or special storage boxes.

Important! You need to know that unripe bunches are not able to ripen like tomatoes or bananas. There is also no need to wait for overripe, the berries quickly deteriorate and become tasteless.

Harvest is not recommended to be harvested in the rain, as well as a day after it. The reason is that the berries will be unsweetened. It is better to transfer the collection process to the evening or morning time of the usual summer sunny day. Damaged brushes should be consumed or processed immediately, while whole ones can be stored for some time.

It is not difficult to grow grapes in the country and take care of them. The most important thing is to find the best grape varieties, plant them correctly and care for them correctly. This is the only way to count on the rapid growth of grapes, their development, on getting unreal pleasure from delicious ripe grapes.

In gardens and home gardens, you can choose a warmer place for planting grapes, for example, on the sunny side of the house, garden pavilion, veranda. It is recommended to plant grapes along the border of the site. The vines formed in one line will not take up much space and at the same time will be well lit from all sides. Near buildings, grapes should be placed so that water flowing from the roofs does not fall on it. On level ground, it is necessary to make ridges with good drainage due to drainage furrows.

Some gardeners, following the experience of their colleagues in the western regions of the country, dig deep planting holes and fill them with organic fertilizers and fertilized soil. Pits dug in waterproof clay are a kind of closed vessel that fills with water during the monsoon rains. In fertile land, the root system of grapes develops well at first, but as soon as waterlogging begins, it suffocates. Deep pits can play a positive role in soils where good natural drainage is provided, the subsoil is permeable, or reclamation artificial drainage is possible.

Grapes are planted in the spring, when the soil dries up and warms up: in the southern regions - from May 5 to 20, in the northern regions - from May 15 to 30. In gardens, if it is planned to allocate a separate plot and plant grapes in several rows, you can limit yourself to distances of 2 m between rows and 1.5 m in a row. Berry bushes are planted on each site and fruit trees contributing to snow retention in winter. Therefore, the grapes will have additional protection.

For planting, one-year or two-year-old grape seedlings with a well-developed root system and mature (more than three internodes) shoots are used. Before boarding

shorten to 15 cm all the main roots that have developed in the lower part of the cutting (heel), diseased and frozen roots are removed completely. If the calcaneal roots are poorly developed, leave the roots from the node. In order not to reduce the root system, especially if it is underdeveloped, it is recommended to leave roots at all nodes, while using an inclined landing. Simultaneously with the roots, the shoot is cut off, leaving 3-4 well-ripened lower buds on it. After pruning, the roots are dipped in a mash or kept in a bucket of water until planting.

Before planting grapes, rows are marked and holes are prepared 80-100 cm wide and deep to the full thickness of the root layer, but do not affect the underlying horizon. It is better to loosen it on a full bayonet of a shovel and add finely broken brick, gravel, sand or some other material to it. A mound is thrown at the bottom of the pit, consisting of excavated earth filled with 10 kg of humus or compost, 300 g of superphosphate and 100 g of potassium chloride, or potassium salt, or fertile structural soil brought from the forest. At the top of the mound, the roots of a grape seedling are installed, distributed in all directions along the mound, a bucket of water is poured out and covered with fertilized soil until the planting pit is completely filled.

The lower bud of the grape seedling should be at the level of the soil surface. After planting, it is watered again to settle the soil to the roots, the upper part of the seedling (remaining above the surface) is spudded with the same fertilized soil 3-5 cm above the shoot cut, and at the same time the irrigation hole is sprinkled with earth. Near each planted plant, a stake is installed, to which the growing shoots are tied.

With proper planting of grapes, plants take root well and after a while give young roots and shoots. By the time the buds open (after 10-15 days), the bushes are unraveled. Growing shoots are tied to stakes.

Grape care

Further care of the grapes consists in re-watering if dry weather sets in. To enhance growth, it is useful to combine watering with top dressing slurry, diluted five times with water, or nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilizers (70 g garden or other mixture per bucket of water). For better ripening of the vine, the stepchildren that appear are broken out, and the tops are pinched in early September.

In grafted bushes, the roots formed on the scion are removed at the place of their adhesion with the stock. In the future, they are removed as they appear. To do this, lightly rake the ground at the base of the trunk and cut off the resulting roots on the grafted part at the very base.

In the first year, it is important to grow one or two strong, thick enough shoots to form a bush the next year. If there are more, you can leave four. Weak shoots are cut off at the base.

Formation of a grape bush

A grape plant without human intervention forms many shoots randomly located in space. Such grape bushes use light, heat, air and nutrients inefficiently for harvest, have a lot of extra barren shoots to the detriment of fruit-bearing ones.

In gardens, formations in the form of vertical trellises with a visor, wall and gazebo are more suitable. The formation of a grape bush begins from the first year by breeding no more than two healthy shoots, which will make up its base - the shoulders. Extra shoots, as well as stepchildren, formed in the axils of the leaves of the left shoots, are broken out. In the spring of the second year, three buds are left for each shoot, the rest of the vines are removed. During the summer, two or three shoots are taken out of every three buds, and in total on a bush - at least four shoots. In the third year in the spring, two or three of the strongest shoots are left on each shoulder, which are cut off by 30-50 cm, and the rest are removed. These shoots will make up the sleeve of the bush. Over the summer, two or three shoots are grown on each of the four sleeves, or 8-12 shoots on the entire bush.

In the fourth year in spring, on each sleeve, the upper shoot is left for fruiting: it is cut into 10-15 buds, and the lower one, left for replacement, into three buds. The sleeve, together with the shoots of fruiting and replacement, makes up the fruit link. In total, thus, four to six fruit links are left on the bush. Fruiting shoots next year will develop fruitful shoots from the buds, which will yield grapes, and replacement shoots - two or three shoots to replace those that bear fruit.

In subsequent years, pruning of grapes is carried out in the same order, that is, one of the shoots grown for replacement is cut off by about 10-15 buds for fruiting, and the other - by two or three buds for growing shoots for replacement next year. The bushes are pruned in two terms - in the fall before digging and in the spring after digging. In the process of pruning, it is important to leave a sufficient number of overwintered healthy fruitful buds on the bush. For this purpose, so many annual shoots are left for fruiting so that they have at least 60-100 developing buds with an inflorescence germ. There are more buds on strong bushes, less on weak ones.

In the spring, replacement shoots are cut into two or three buds. The first time the vines are tied to the trellis in the spring after digging and pruning. Sleeves and fruit-bearing vines are tied horizontally to the first two rows of wire, and shoots that grow in summer are tied vertically.

During the summer, all extra stepchildren and some of the shoots that have developed from one bud or dormant buds on the shoulders and sleeves are removed on the vine bush. In the event that there are not enough branches on the bush or there are weak ones, they are replenished by shoots that have grown from dormant buds on perennial sleeves.

The size of the harvest and the quality of the bunches of grapes are greatly influenced by the pinching of the fruiting shoots. This operation consists in removing the tops of the shoots above the fourth or fifth leaf of the last brush at the beginning of flowering. On replacement knots, shoots are not pinched. For better maturation of the vines, chasing is carried out in early September by removing the upper part of the shoots to a length of three to five internodes. Minting should not be carried out too early, during the intensive growth of shoots, since this forms a large number of stepchildren.

For the wall and pavilion culture of grapes, the supporting walls of terraces, pavilions, buildings, fences from their south, well-lit side are used. There is more warmth and protection from the winds, which contributes to the good ripening of vines and grapes. Formation of grapes can be carried out according to the system described above. However, depending on the height of the building, pruning of shoots may be longer. For arbors, Amur grapes are more often used without pruning and removing vines for the winter.

The first clusters of grapes appear in the second year, in the third - there are more of them, in the fourth year a normally formed bush enters the time of mass fruiting.

Annual care for a fruit-bearing grape bush begins with its release from the earthen tire. In spring, cold weather prevails in most regions of the Far East, often accompanied by precipitation in the form of rain and snow. Grapes are a heat-loving crop, its sap flow begins at a soil temperature of 8-9 °C. In the southern regions, this temperature is set approximately in the first decade of May. Early open vines dry out, their fruit buds die. You should not be late with this operation, since the kidneys that have begun to grow can support, and when the tire is removed, they can break off.

Following the opening, they start pruning the grapes and the first “dry” garter: they tie the sleeves to the bottom wire of the trellis, and then fruit vines to the first and second wires. For this purpose, you can use thick hemp twine, cloth, or plastic tape. The shoots are tied up not with a figure eight, but in the form of a loop and winding.

Before the "dry" garter, pruning is carried out in order to form fruiting links. In this case, the load of the bush is determined. Depending on the varietal characteristics and strength of the bush, they are left for fruiting: for vigorous varieties (Alpha, Taiga emerald, Khasansky Bousa, etc.) at least 70 eyes, for undersized and medium-sized ones (Shasla Ramminga, Far Eastern Ramminga, etc.) - 40-60 peepholes. More precisely, living eyes for fruiting can be determined by their swelling and germination. Immediately after opening, the vines, as a rule, do not yet show signs of vegetation, and therefore it is difficult to determine the number of live fruiting buds.

The fruit link for the current year's harvest is formed from grape shoots grown on a replacement knot. On four-armed bushes, 6-8 fruit links are left. To do this, two of the strongest low-lying shoots are left on the replacement knots. One of them, located above, is cut into 15 or more eyes, the second - into 4-5 eyes (replacement knot). When forming a fruit link, one should strive to leave lower-lying shoots so as not to increase the height of the old parts of the bush. This subsequently greatly complicates the digging of the bush.

To reduce the grape bush, it is recommended to use coppice shoots growing from the underground or lower part of the above-ground trunk. Cut the bushes with a pruner, folding garden saw, sickle-shaped or. curved knife. The best time for preliminary autumn pruning is when removing the vines from the trellis for digging, in spring - during the swelling period - the beginning of bud break.

A cut of annual shoots must be done through a knot with a tendril, the remaining internode dries up, it is cut out as close as possible to living wood.

In gardens with limited plot sizes, you need to make better use of vertical space. Moreover, when planting near a garden house, long vines are better used. heat from the heating of the walls and roof, and also serve decorative purposes - to create shady arbors under the tent of vines and hanging clusters. The high location of the clusters protects them from rotting during the monsoon rains, high humidity and soil. In years with insufficient heat tension, the clusters located high will be in better conditions than the lower ones, since at the soil surface the temperature is much lower at night and frosts occur earlier.

During the growing season, it is necessary to remove individual parts of the grape bush in a green state, which adversely affect the formation and maturation of clusters, as well as fruitful vines for the next year's harvest. Such green operations include: debris, pinching the tops of the shoots, pinching and chasing.

The fragment consists in the removal of shoots that have grown from dormant buds on old wood, as well as “twin” “tee” shoots that have formed from buds on weak shoots and replacement knots. These shoots tend to grow inside the bush, intercepting nutrients and giving it a lot of shade. Break out shoots immediately after regrowth. On heavily frozen bushes, in order to replace obsolete sleeves or reduce the trunk, the strongest shoots are left for the development of the bush.

Pinching shoots on a grape bush

Pinching shoots is carried out by removing the top of the shoot 5 cm above the third or fourth leaf above the flower brush. This technique is especially effective in years with cold and rainy weather, when flowering is delayed.

Pinch-topped vines produce larger, better-shaped bunches of grapes, resulting in higher yields. Stepchildren grow in the axils of the remaining leaves after pinching. They are also pinched, leaving two or three leaves. The stepson formed in the axil of the upper leaf is left to grow to form the future vine.

Grown for thousands of years, grapes have undergone major changes over the past couple of centuries. Many new varieties have appeared that regularly yield crops even in those regions where they had not heard of the wine berry before. Breeders have bred not only winter-hardy varieties, but also species that are little affected by diseases dangerous to the culture, giving super-large brushes and incredibly tasty berries, completely pitted. And yet, wine growers know that it is possible to get a decent return on a bush of even the most productive and unpretentious variety by investing a lot of labor and skill in growing and caring.

The first, after planting the seedlings in the ground, the contribution to the future harvest is the formation of a grape bush, starting from the first year of the plant's life and, together with the shape of the crown of the plant, determining its fruiting.

With a competent approach, by the fourth year the bush takes on its final form, but this does not mean that the winegrower's work is completed.

Formation of a grape bush

The choice of the shape of the vine bush that defines it appearance, structure and number of 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 the grape bush is:

• regular and, in accordance with varietal characteristics, a plentiful harvest;
• high-quality growth at the end of the growing season;
• a plant that tolerates winter without problems and does not suffer from grape diseases common in the area and its pests;
• providing simple care for grape seedlings;
• facilitating vine trimming and watering, rejuvenation and adjustment of the existing load.

When wondering how to grow grapes, some novice gardeners act on a whim without paying due attention. However, there are many well-established options and types of forms that allow you to get good results in a wide variety of farming conditions. With the help of spring pruning, a grape bush is formed with or without a trunk of various heights.

Most often, growers give rooting grape seedlings:

• a capitate form without perennial sleeves, but with a thickened upper part of the trunk, from which, thanks to 1–2 eyes or a ring, a mass of new shoots grows;
• cup-shaped with sleeves of various lengths extending from the trunk, resting on stakes;
• a form with fruit links directed in one or two directions, the entire growth on which is distributed on a vertical trellis;
• cordon form with one or more perennial cordons, along which fruit links or branches are distributed. This option is convenient in growing and caring for grapes, gives high yields, but is more common in regions with a warm climate, where the vine does not require shelter for the winter;
• fan and semi-fan shape, based on a tapestry and having several sleeves of different lengths and strengths.

It is the various variants and combinations of the fan that have received the greatest recognition from winegrowers in Russia, since such a grape bush is easy to care for.

The bush, if desired, can be adjusted, and when the trellis is arranged, the plants receive enough air, light and nutrition, give consistently high yields, and 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, excess and excessively growing shoots and stepchildren break off, garter and other procedures are carried out aimed at maintaining fruiting and the planned shape of the plant.

Since grapes are a vigorous vine, in most cases, a reliable and convenient support is necessary for its cultivation and ease of care. The presence of such structures is especially important with a stemless crown shape and the cultivation of vigorous varieties, as well as when grapes are used for landscaping canopies and other buildings.

Walls, installed poles, stakes, and even trees growing next to the bushes can serve as a support for the vine, but the best solution would be to install a special one.

In amateur gardening, two types of construction are most common:

• vertical trellis, where the shoots of grapes are located in the same plane;
• inclined trellis, on which the shoots are spaced into two planes at an angle to each other.

In both cases, reliable pillars serve as the supports of the structure, rows of strong wire are stretched between them, which will have to withstand not only the weight of the shoots, but also the weight of the pouring brushes. A single-plane trellis for grapes is easier to set up and much cheaper, but for obtaining high yields from a bush, a two-plane version is more convenient, providing a large area to support fruit-bearing shoots and withstanding the serious weight of the vine.

To simplify the cultivation and care of grapes, aisles are provided between the trellises, sufficient to remove the bushes and shelter them during the cold season, as well as to provide the plantings with sufficient lighting, and the rows did not overlap each other. It is better if the trellis for grapes is located on the site from north to south. At the same time, 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 grapes

As the grapes grow during the growing season, the shoots are tied several times to the horizontal rows of the trellis or fixed to other types of supports. At the same time, the garter, during which the shoots are evenly distributed in one or two planes, serves to solve several problems:

1. The plant is provided with the best light and air regime.
2. It is easier to trim and normalize green mass and ovaries.
3. It facilitates foliar top dressing of grapes, as well as the implementation of "green pruning".
4. Vertically located shoots grow and ripen better.
5. The risk of developing grape diseases and pests is reduced.
6. A beginner grower should know when and how to tie grapes.

The first time you need to fix the position of the shoots when they are about 40–50 cm long and reach the bottom row on the trellis. Then, as they grow, the stems are tied sequentially to all rows.

As a garter material, it is better to take scraps of textiles or knitwear, natural twine or twine, that is, products that do not compress or pinch growing shoots. It is convenient to use a special tool for tying a grape seedling, which freely fixes the shoots with a plastic clip. On trellises, where the wire is stretched in two parallel rows, the shoots only lead into such a gap, and the resulting mustache is firmly fixed on the support over time. If grapes grown on a gazebo or canopy are cared for, where free twisting of growth is provided, then such shoots do not need to be tied up.

Pasynkovanie grapes

If in regions with a short summer, stepchildren of grapes consist in the complete removal of shoots already at the initial stages of development, then in the south, especially when growing early varieties, stepchildren are only shortened in order to get an additional crop of sweet berries by autumn.

And in some cases, for example, when the vine suffers from frost or hail, the grapes are not pinched at all. Stepchildren replace the lack of green mass on the bush and help resume the development of the bush.

Preventive 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 grower the opportunity to use foliar feeding of grapes, an effective source of additional nutrition and minerals.

The grape bushes experience the greatest need for such dressings:

• before flowering and after it;
• during the period when the coloring of the berries begins;
• a few days before harvest.

To feed grape seedlings and adult bushes, a solution containing 5%, 0.5% ammonium sulfate and 1% potassium salts is used. When the berries begin to ripen, the vine no longer needs nitrogen, but microelements, such as zinc and boron, can be added to the top dressing.

After flowering, the bushes are treated with a 1% solution of boric acid in combination with a fungicide that prevents the development of downy mildew, a disease that occurs in conditions of high humidity and has a detrimental effect not only on the future crop, but on the entire grape plant. The final foliar feeding of grapes can be carried out on the basis of wood ash infusion. The introduction of such dressings, as well as spraying the bushes with fungicides and insecticides, is carried out in the afternoon, when the temperature drops, the sun cannot burn the leaves and inflorescences, or in cloudy weather. The longer the drops of the product remain on the green, the greater effect provides the procedure.

How to treat grapes after rains, when fungicides and microelement solutions are washed away?

In case of heavy rainfall, the treatment is repeated as soon as possible, paying attention to spraying the bushes with Ridomil, especially during the period when flowering has already been completed, and mildew is likely to develop.

An equally dangerous disease for grapes is oidium, which often develops 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, the treatment of grapes with soda and potassium permanganate in the form of a slightly pink solution will be a fairly effective remedy for powdery mildew.

At the same time, one should not forget that the effectiveness of top dressing and protective equipment is really high if all the rules for growing and caring for grapes are followed, weeds and extra shoots are removed in time, air and nutrition are provided to all shoots.

All about planting and growing grapes - video

Grapes are small berries obtained from the plant of the same name, a crop popular in many regions of the world with a warm climate. Depending on the variety, they can have a spherical or ellipsoidal shape. The color also depends on the variety of the plant and varies in a very wide range of colors, ranging from yellow to dark, almost black shades.

To date, breeders have bred more than 20 thousand varieties of grapes, each of which has its own unique taste and special effect on the human body. But it is known for sure that absolutely all varieties of this culture have a positive effect on the internal organs and their functioning.

The content of the article:

When are grapes planted?

Grapes are planted both in spring, from late March to late June, and in autumn. From the end of March to mid-May, lignified seedlings are planted, and green, vegetative ones are planted later, from mid-May to the end of June. Seedlings usually go on sale in the fall, and there is no need to keep them until spring, since they can become moldy, dry out, and mice can eat them.

How to choose the right place for a vineyard?

It is best to choose places for organizing a vineyard where the soil has the following indicators: in terms of fertility, it should be black soil or forest soil. In terms of mechanical properties, these are light loamy soils and sandy loam (loose rock with a high concentration of sand). The depth of the humus layer should be 0.6-1 m. More attention will be required to care for the grapes if they are planted in sandy soil or soil with high density.

Marshy and saline soils are generally not recommended for use as places for vineyards, as well as land with high acidity. Grapes love well-lit areas, you should always pay attention to this when choosing a plot of land for a vineyard.

It is worth paying attention to the level of slope of the soil where the site for the vineyard is chosen.

If there is a slight slope, then it should be leveled when digging the earth. If the slope is more than 12-15 degrees, then you need to do something like terraces, horizontal stepped platforms. This practice is actively used in hilly areas and in the foothills, where the vineyard site is often located on the southern slope of the hill.

Terraces should have a width of 1.5 - 3 meters and a slight slope to the sides of the wall above the site. It is strictly forbidden to plant grapes on plots with a slope above 25 degrees, without additional "smoothing" or terraces.

When choosing a site for a vineyard, it is necessary to take into account the factor of the depth of groundwater. The depth of their location should reach 2.5-3 m.

If groundwater is at a depth of no more than 1.5 m, then it is worth fearing for the survival and development of grapes. If there are no more favorable places, in areas with a high occurrence of groundwater, the method of planting grapes by embankment of ridges is used.

Planting hole preparation

The preparation of planting pits should be carried out either in the fall, or 3-6 weeks before planting the cuttings. During this time, the pit will settle, and the fertilizers introduced into it will be absorbed by the soil and distributed over it.

A properly dug hole, as indicated by the grape planting scheme (photo below), should have parameters of 60x60x60 cm or more. When a hole is dug, the fertile layer of earth should be set aside to fertilize.

This is easy to do by mixing soil with humus and a can of ash. The bottom layer is mixed with crushed stone and sand and placed on the bottom of the pit for 20-25 cm. The next layer is a fertile fertilized mixture for another 20-25 cm. After that, planting material should be prepared.

Collection and storage of cuttings

Grape chubuki for growing at home, you can buy or prepare yourself. If you chose the second option, you should follow a few simple rules:

• for the selection of cuttings, it is necessary to choose a healthy vine that brings a large crop of quality fruits;
• it is better to harvest chibouks from shoots that are located in the middle part of the fruit arrow or on the replacement knot;
• for a chubuk, a shoot with a diameter of about 8-10 mm is suitable.

To get a quality grape chubuk for planting, you must:

• cut off the selected shoot and separate the vegetative organs - leaves, mustache, top;
• cut the cuttings into 3-4 eyes long, while in the upper part the cut should be made obliquely from the kidney at a distance of about 2 cm from it, in the lower part - 3-4 cm from the lower eye also obliquely, at an angle of 45 degrees;
• make several cuts on the bark at the bottom;
• soak the cuttings for 12 hours in water, then soak them for 1.5 hours in a three to four percent solution of copper sulfate to disinfect;
• After that, the cuttings should be dried at room temperature.

The cuttings prepared in this way must be hermetically sealed and stored in a cool place. For this, the lower shelf of the refrigerator, cellar or basement is suitable. Please note that some of the chibouks may not take root and die, so they must be harvested with a margin. It is necessary to plant cuttings at home in late February or early March.

Proper preparation and storage of chibouks is a key point, if everything was done correctly, the further process will not cause great difficulties.

Preparing containers for planting vines

For planting cuttings, you need to prepare containers for seedlings with a substrate. Usually, plastic bottles with a cut off top are used for this. You can also take simple plastic cups. A good substrate for germinating grape cuttings can be obtained by mixing the earth with sand, humus and sawdust.

There should be no excess moisture, watering will be done through the pan, so it is necessary to make holes in the bottom of the cup with an awl for its outflow.

Preparing cuttings for planting

Before planting, we check the safety of the cutting. We press on it with secateurs:

• if a little moisture is released from the cross section, the cutting is alive and ready for planting;
• if a lot of water is released, the shank is rotten;
• if there is no moisture at all, the cutting is dry and also unsuitable for planting.

Also, the safety of the grape stem can be checked by cutting it: a good seedling has a fresh cut of a light green color, an unusable one will have black specks.

We soak cuttings suitable for planting in water for several days. Then for a day we put it in a tub with a root formation stimulator.

Sprouting cuttings in a jar of water

The chibouks prepared in this way are first placed in jars of water in order for the roots to sprout. You can put a 2-3 cm layer of cotton wool on the bottom of the jar and pour the same layer of water on top. Roots should appear in a few weeks.

The room in which the containers with seedlings are located should be well lit. Usually they are placed on the windowsill in a room that is best lit by the sun. Precisely because sunny weather usually comes along with spring, it is recommended to plant grape cuttings no earlier than the end of February.

To make the seedlings grow faster, you can install fluorescent lamps above the containers with planted cuttings.

Method of kilchevaniye for germinating grape cuttings

In order to ensure best growth grape cuttings planted in containers can be used kilchevanie: if the lower part of the chubuk is warm, roots form faster than buds. If the glasses with seedlings are on the windowsill, under which there is a radiator, the easiest way is to remove heat from it. To do this, you can put two bars on the windowsill, and place a piece of plywood on top of them so that it protrudes beyond the edge of the windowsill.

Containers are placed on plywood. It will be heated by the air rising from the battery, and due to this, the lower parts of the containers will be warm. There are more complex options: for example, you can use a heater for a terrarium as a kilchevator. In any case, it is necessary to ensure that the temperature at the roots of the cutting is not higher than 30-35 ° C.

Transfer to the substrate

After the roots sprout, the cuttings must be planted in glasses with a substrate. It is necessary to plant to a depth of up to 5-6 cm. If tall glasses made from plastic bottles are used, the substrate can be added to them in such an amount that the upper kidney of the chubuk is at the level of the upper edge of the glass. You can water every day or every two days.

To do this, it is better to use warm water, pouring it into the pan. Another option is to water every five days, adding a glass of water (about 100 ml) at a time to the container. In addition to regular watering, it is necessary to periodically loosen the soil and sometimes fertilize. As noted above, some of the chibouks may not take root and die.

Planting chibouks in the garden

Seedlings sprouted at home can be planted in a permanent place in May. It will be better if you harden the shank for 5 days before planting, exposing them to the street. After planting the cuttings, the soil should be watered regularly so that it remains constantly moist. Grapes are propagated by cuttings very well.

If you act according to these recommendations, you will be able to grow strong and healthy seedlings at home, ready to be transferred to the soil. By autumn, vines with a strong root system will grow from cuttings planted in the garden.

How to grow grapes (Video)

Grape care after planting

It is important to properly care for young cuttings:

• Grapes love loose soil with good ventilation, so you need to loosen the ground often.
• Watering should be done only under the root, so that subsidence of the soil does not occur. In the first two weeks after planting, the plant especially needs watering. Since he needs to adapt to the new environment. Watering should be frequent and plentiful, especially if the weather is dry.
• It is important to ensure that young seedlings do not shade anything, as they need a lot of sunlight for rapid growth.
• Young leaves require additional feeding, which can be produced with urea. The first spraying is carried out as soon as the leaves are formed, the next - after 2 weeks, when the intensive growth of the vine starts. Further spraying scheme: every 30 days until mid-September. By performing these simple steps regularly, after 2 years you can get strong and healthy bushes, and on the third to harvest a solid crop.

Disease and pest control

Prevention. In order for young grape bushes to grow fully, they should be protected from pests and diseases, especially from mildew. Young bushes should be sprayed in the spring with a solution of copper sulfate at the rate of 100 g per 10 liters of water. In summer, spraying is carried out with a solution (25 g per 10 l of water) of polychrome for prevention and after each rain. This precaution will protect plants from rot and fungal diseases.

FUNGAL DEFECTS

mildew (downy mildew)

Symptoms: on the upper side of the leaf blades, an oily yellow spot appears, which turns brown over time. A whitish coating (mycelium) is visible from the bottom of the foliage. Leaves, flowers, ovaries dry out.

Provoking factors:

• damp, hot weather;
• overfeeding with nitrogen.

Prevention:

• fungicide treatment ( Horus, Ridomil Gold, Strobe) before and after flowering.

Treatment:

• HOM, Oksihom, Abiga Peak: 3-6 treatments weekly, waiting time before harvest - 1 month. The preparations are washed off by rains, repeated application may be required.

Oidium (powdery mildew)

Symptoms: a grayish-white coating is visible on the foliage, which is easily erased with a finger. The ovaries seem to be sprinkled with flour. The fruits crack, dry or rot with the smell of rotten fish.

Provoking factors:

• dry heat;
• sudden changes in humidity.

Prevention (spraying with fungicides):

• Thiovit Jet(an analogue of colloidal sulfur, the safest for the environment) - May-June;
• Topaz(after flowering);
• strobi or Quadris(in the phase of closing ovaries in bunches).

Treatment:

• Thiovit Jet every 10 days (the waiting period before picking berries is 3 days).

hardy varieties: Lydia, Odessa Muscat, Magarach's Firstborn, Stepnyak, Pink Tyfi.

Alternariosis

Symptoms: silvery or brownish spots on foliage and vines; berries acquire a silvery sheen, wrinkle, and are poorly stored.

Provoking factor: humid heat.

Prevention and treatment:

• fungicides: Ridomil Gold, Bordeaux liquid (1–2%);
• biological preparation Trichoderma Veride.

Anthracnose (harmful in some southern areas)

Symptoms: Brown or gray spots, sores on leaves, inflorescences, stalks, berries, shoots. On the berry there are ulcers with a dark border and a light (pinkish) center. Blackness and death of shoots, clusters.

Provoking factors:

• damp and cool start of the season;
• showers, hail

Prevention:

• copper-containing fungicides (spring and after flowering);
• biopreparation Phytosporin.

Treatment:

• removal of affected areas;
• fungicides: copper-containing preparations - HOM, Oxyhom, Abiga-Peak, Bordeaux liquid 1%(weekly, subject to waiting times as instructed).

hardy varieties: there is no complete immunity, Arcadia, Brigantine, Rapture, Cabernet Sauvignon, Kodryanka, Riesling, Saperavi have good resistance.

Black spot (Phomopsis)

Symptoms: small black bumpy spots on the young vine, black-brown spots on the nodes and lower leaves; in autumn or spring the bark is off-white with black dots; dying off of sleeves, darkening and spoilage of berries.

Provoking factor: damp.

Prevention:

• copper-containing products;
• fungicide Ridomil Gold before flowering.

Treatment: copper preparations.

cercosporosis

Symptoms: In the second half of the growing season, an olive coating forms on the underside of the leaf plates, dry spots and premature leaf fall appear; the fruits turn blue, harden, wrinkle, fall off.

Prevention: treatment with copper-containing preparations in the first half of the growing season.

Esca (apoplexy)

Symptoms(old bushes get sick more often): the lower leaves change color between the veins, dry out from the edges; fruits wrinkle and darken; wood becomes rotten; sometimes there is a rapid death of the plant.

The provoking factor wounds.

Prevention - instrument disinfection.

Treatment: sometimes rejuvenation of the bush helps by completely trimming the old wood.

Dry sleeve (spotted necrosis)

Symptoms: gradual death of the tissues of the sleeves, weak shoots, drying out of parts of the bush.

Provoking factor: wintering under damp shelter.

Prevention: processing before wintering (5% iron sulphate); dry cover.

eutipos

Symptoms: gradually darkens inside and the wood dies off in places where adult bushes are pruned (in foci); sleeves develop poorly; at first, the disease is not visible, later dark growths bulge out on the trunks (after 5 years, on dead wood).

Control measures: discovered affected areas are cut out (and burned) at the beginning of the season.

Prevention: the use of multi-arm and two-stem formations.

Verticillosis

Symptoms: rapid wilting and death of parts of the plant; on the sections, the darkening of the affected vessels is visible. The fungus penetrates from the infected earth through wounds.

Treatments no, only the destruction of the diseased instance.

root rot

Symptoms: powdery coating on the roots and root neck, wet rot and delamination of the roots; bushes lag behind in growth, turn pale, die. Affected specimens must be destroyed.

Provoking factors: heavy and waterlogged soils; excess humus in the soil.

Botrytis (gray rot)

Symptoms: brownish spots and gray fluffy coating on buds, foliage, inflorescences, clusters, berries.

The provoking factor dampness.

Prevention and treatment: biological agents - Alirin, Trichoderma Veride, Fitosporin.

Hardy varieties are early and with a dense skin; relatively stable: Augustine, Rapture, Cabernet Sauvignon, Kodryanka, Levokumsky Steady, Nadezhda AZOS, Magarach's Firstborn, Russian Amber, Early Purple, Chocolate.

Berries in the hands are also affected black rotten (black mouth) and other varieties of rot (white, aspergillus, etc.). The fruits dry out or rot, darken or wrinkle, acquire an unpleasant taste, and are poorly stored. Control measures are the same as for other fungal diseases (for prevention: Topaz, Ridomil Gold, copper-containing and biological fungicides).

BACTERIA

bacterial cancer

Symptoms: On perennial branches - light tumors, yellowish or brownish blistering growths.

Infection comes from diseased seedlings, infected soil and tools - through wounds. Immunocompromised specimens are susceptible.

Prevention:

• grafting on resistant rootstocks;
• disinfection of cutting tools with potassium permanganate or alcohol;
• protection of bushes from mechanical damage (especially near the ground); laying for wintering without circular twisting of the vine;
• periodic rejuvenation of bushes;
• crop rotation.

There is no cure: Affected plants are dug up and burned. Sometimes cutting out diseased branches and tumors helps (with cauterization of wounds with a 5% solution of iron or copper sulphate, pharmacy iodine). In many cases, the disease does not reduce yields.

Oleiron disease (bacterial necrosis, bacterial wilt)

Symptoms: black depressed ulcers on perennial branches, dryness and brittleness in the nodes; young vines are ugly, some of the buds in the brush turn black; some sleeves are fading.

Provoking factor- cold and damp spring.

Prevention and control: spraying with Bordeaux liquid before bud break (5% concentration) and in the third leaf growth phase (2%).

Hardy some hybrids with American "blood".

Bacterial spotting

Symptoms: yellow and brown depressed spots on racemes and fruits; falling off of flowers and fruits.

Treatment:

• removal of affected brushes and berries;
• spraying with biopreparations: Fitolavin, Fitosporin.

There are many viral and mycoplasmal diseases of grapes, the symptoms of which are clear from their names: yellow mosaic, viral infectious chlorosis, vein fringing, leaf curl, short knot, wood striation and etc.

Diseases are carried by sucking insects (scale insects, mites, nematodes, etc.), transmitted through tools and with grafting, and introduced with infected seedlings. Plants lag behind in development, bear fruit poorly, gradually (over several years) die or wither.

PESTS

wasps

Insects suck out the pulp of grape fruits, causing severe damage to the crop.

To catch them, bottles with meat or special poisoned baits are set in the vineyard. It is necessary to find and destroy wasp nests.

Birds

Thrushes and starlings hollow out the pouring berries, sometimes flying in huge flocks. Scarecrows and rattles do not save.

Shiny ribbons, stretched black and white threads, special nets work more successfully.

Phylloxera

This is a special grape aphid, one of the most terrible pests of grapes (originally from America).

It develops in two forms: root and leaf. Insects are tiny in size: from 0.3 to 1.35 mm. Voracious larvae suck the juices from the roots, and swellings and nodules form there. Plants are depleted, oppressed and die (after 3–5 years or later). On plantations, it spreads in circles, in pockets.

Transferred by: wind, water, animals, with planting material; crawls underground, on the ground and flies through the air. During the season it produces several generations, lays hundreds of eggs. There are still no successful methods of destruction (except for total burning out). So far, the distribution area is southern; no phylloxera were noted in areas where the sum of active temperatures is less than 2500 degrees.

Protective measures:

• grafting on phylloxera-resistant rootstocks;
• deep planting and rolling (cutting the upper roots);
• planting relatively resistant hybrids (Bukovinka, Gurzufsky pink, Danko, Livadia black, Amateur, Muscat Bessarabsky, Muscat Livadia, Oleg, Risus, Rkatsiteli, Rubin Golodrigi, Takveri Magaracha, Citron Magaracha, Chocolate, Anniversary of Moldova).

Grape itch and other mites

Itch (felt mite) just the size 0.15–0.2 mm sucks juices, piercing the foliage from the underside. The pest itself is not visible, but swellings appear at the place of its feeding (visible from the upper side of the leaf) - yellowish, brownish or reddish. Felt cobwebs accumulate in the pits below. First, the lower leaves are infected, then the upper ones; gradually they dry out.

Sometimes clusters are wrapped in felt. The bush suffers, the yield is significantly reduced. The pest gradually develops more northern regions.

Other varieties of mites are active in the vineyard - spider, leaf, etc.

Control measures:

• garter shoots higher from the ground;
• timely removal of infected foliage;
• spraying with acaricides: Thiovit Jet, Akarin, Kleschevit, Fitoverm; these drugs have a very short waiting time and can be used throughout the season.

hardy varieties: Pineapple, Consul, Moldova, In memory of Negrul.

leaf rollers

Grapes are attacked by several species of moths 1–3 cm in size. Their caterpillars eat buds, foliage, ovaries, fruits; pupate in cobwebs.

Control measures:

• collection and destruction of plant residues;
• spraying before flowering and immediately after it with insecticides (Fufanon-Nova, Aliot, Inta-Vir, Decis, Alatar).

Mealybug

Small insects (3 mm) and their larvae suck juices from leaves, shoots, clusters.

Sticky discharge is visible on the affected areas. Several generations are hatched per season. The development of bushes is inhibited, the clusters dry; there is a risk of losing up to 70% of the crop.

pillowcase

In spring, pests emit a whitish fluff. They feed on the underside of young leaf blades.

Control measures:

• cleaning the trunk from the old bark;
• washing off pests with soapy water, infusion of tobacco or garlic;
• with a strong population: treatment with insecticides in compliance with the waiting periods (Aliot, Konfidor, Aktara).

Folk methods of treatment

Experienced winegrowers give advice on processing grapes with improvised, home-made means. It is necessary to observe the recommended proportions so that there are no burns.

1. Weekly infusion of cow manure (1-2 liters per bucket of water) or rotten straw: spray every 7-10 days (from a complex of diseases).
2. A glass of chopped garlic insist day in a liter of water, add 50 g household. soap, 50 g of iodized salt, 7 liters of water, potassium permanganate until pink; strain: sprinkle 2 times during the summer from diseases.
3. 1 liter of natural milk (fat content 2.5%) + 15 drops of pharmaceutical iodine (at a concentration of 5%) + 7 liters of water: spray in the evening (after 19 hours) once a week from oidium.
4. Laundry soap (100 g diluted) in 10 liters of water: from gray rot along the ovaries.
5. 60 g of soda, 5 g of potassium permanganate per 10 liters of water: from oidium along the ovaries and ripening berries.
6. Weekly infusion of wood ash (1 liter) in a bucket of water + 50 g household. soaps: on the ovaries and pouring berries every 10 days (for diseases + top dressing).
7. Dilute tar soap in water and rinse the vines before wintering: from scale insects.

Harvest and storage

Harvesting

The clusters on the bush do not ripen at the same time, so they need to be collected selectively, and it is better to remove the very first clusters early, then the rest will ripen faster. First of all, we remove the lower clusters - they will not be stored for a long time. Usually very early and early varieties are harvested slightly unripe, as the quality of the crop decreases when overripe. You should not leave bunches of early varieties for long-term storage, and their value lies precisely in the possibility of fresh consumption.

Rain and fog are not the best conditions for harvesting grapes, try to do it in dry sunny weather, because you do not want the crop to rot quickly? Clusters are carefully cut with secateurs or scissors, so that the berries do not crumble and are not damaged. In general, try not to touch the berries with your hands and do not erase the wax coating - this greatly reduces the keeping quality. If the bunches are supposed to be stored fresh, then it is necessary to remove dry, rotten and damaged berries from them.

Picking grapes in buckets is not the best best idea. In order not to crush the berries, the clusters are stacked in one layer in boxes or baskets.

Naturally, during the grape harvest it is impossible to treat the vineyard with chemistry. Since after treatment with systemic fungicides, 10-40 days should pass. It is much easier with biological products - most of them do not have a waiting period at all, that is, you can use grapes on the day of treatment with "Trichodermin", "Phytosporin" - it is enough to wash the berries with water.

Manufacturers of insecticides "bitoxibacillin", "lepidocide" talk about a waiting period of 5 days. Organic toxins "Aktofit" decompose to safe carbohydrates within 48 hours - you must admit, this is not 10, much less 40 days.

Storage of grapes

Grapes are a seasonal crop, but I would like to be able to use it not only for a month or two. Not all varieties of berries are suitable for fresh storage of grapes, moreover, a lot depends on the storage method and conditions. Fluctuations in temperature and humidity, sunlight and Fresh air indoors reduce the shelf life and quality of the grapes.

Optimal conditions - temperature 1-4°C and moderate humidity. Obviously, a refrigerator for storing grapes is ideal, but household refrigerators have something to store besides grapes, and large-capacity devices cost accordingly.

Now it is not difficult to find wooden or plastic boxes in which grapes are sold on the market - they provide good ventilation for the bunches, and the racks in the corners allow you to stack the boxes on top of each other. The easiest way is to put the bunches in such boxes in one layer and regularly remove those that begin to deteriorate. Sometimes it is recommended to pour the bunches with dry leaves or sawdust - this can increase the shelf life.

A common way to keep grapes fresh is to hang the bunches on hooks, or cut the bunch with part of the shoot and tie it to a crossbar or wire. Although it is even easier to spread paper on the floor and spread the bunches in one layer. Over time, the berries shrivel and the ridges become brittle, but it's better than nothing.

The bunches will be stored longer and better if, when harvesting, the shoot is cut off two internodes below and one above the bunch, without touching the berries with your hands, dip the top cut in paraffin and put the entire “branch” in a bottle of water.

It is recommended to add a few activated charcoal tablets to the water, and close the neck of the bottle with a cotton plug so that the water does not evaporate and the humidity in the room does not increase. The bottles are set obliquely, and the clusters should not touch each other. Every week, the bunches are looked through, removing rotting berries with scissors along with the stalk. Periodically, you need to update the lower sections and change the bottled water.

Supports and trellises

Since grapes are naturally vines, vertical and horizontal structures or trellises should be used for its proper growth. They can be made independently, and for decorative varieties, various arched structures are on sale.

What is vaccination and the main methods?

Grafting is a method of obtaining new varieties of grapes by introducing part of one plant into another. The new variety obtained in this way combines the positive properties of both varieties.

Vaccination is performed in one of three ways:

• into a live escape;
• in a split;
• to the root system.

pruning

A grape bush can form a large number of extra shoots, so vine pruning is considered one of the most important procedures in viticulture.

If the bush is not cut, then the root system will not be able to provide such a number of shoots with good nutrition. This entails a decrease in yield, peaing of berries and, in the end, the death of the plant.

Popular grape varieties

Arcadia. Created by Ukrainian breeders from crossing Moldova and Cardinal Arcadia, today it is recognized as one of the best varieties grapes in many parts of the country where viticulture is developed. The variety belongs to table varieties and yields 115–120 days after the start of the growing season.

The plant forms a vigorous, early maturing vine with a powerful root system and good survival. Arcadia shows an average result in grape disease resistance, in order to protect the vine from mildew, two preventive treatments are needed, and protection from powdery mildew is also required. The variety tolerates frosts down to -21 ° С. With changes in humidity, the berries sometimes crack, which affects the quality of the crop.

Kishmish is radiant. Seedless berries of medium-early Kishmish Radiant grapes are well known to consumers. The variety, bred in Moldova from crossing the grapes Cardinal and Kishmish pink, ripens in 125-130 days and is distinguished by high yields, ripening on medium or vigorous bushes.

Kishmish Radiant does not differ in high frost resistance and is susceptible to infections of this crop. At the same time, the variety is demanding of the grower's attention, and with proper care it compensates for the efforts, gives large and medium berries of golden and red-pink colors, up to 2.5 cm long and weighing up to 4 grams.

Hadji Murat. The basis for the work of Tajik scientists in the breeding of Hadji Murat grapes was the Zabalkansky and Muscat Hamburg variety. As a result, the variety became one of the contenders for the title of the best grape variety for the market, while the berries on vigorous bushes ripen in 125-135 days.

The Hadji Murat grape survives frosts down to -22 ° C, but feels better in a greenhouse or under winter shelter. Fruiting shoots of this variety mature by 75% or more, withstanding extremely large clusters weighing from 800 to 2500 grams and retaining their properties well during storage and transportation. The variety is high-yielding, tending to form a large number of ovaries, therefore, to ensure the quality of the berries, it is necessary to ration the future harvest.

The Hadji Murat grapes have an even conical shape and medium density. Ripe oval berries can weigh from 15 to 25 grams, have a thick almost black color, are covered with a bluish wax coating and have a decent taste.

Gorgeous. It takes from 110 to 110 days for the beautiful berries of the Krasotka grape variety to ripen, dark pink with a dense purple tip. Beauty has bushes of medium growth strength, well-ripening fruit-bearing shoots and even, weighing about 500-700 grams of the brush. The variety shows average resistance to common infections and pests.

The clusters contain elongated, about 3 cm long and weighing up to 6 grams of berries with a good fresh taste, juicy and rather fleshy pulp and a skin that is hardly noticeable when biting. Berries of grapes Beauty with an excess of moisture at the ripening stage can sometimes burst. The fruits of this variety gain sweetness well, but they cannot compete with the brightness of taste with varieties for personal use.

Galahad. Extremely early hybrid Galahad grapes on the territory of Kuban and in other regions of viticulture gives a harvest within 95–100 days after the start of the growing season. The plant received the title of the best grape variety for the market due to the highest palatability, good growth force of bushes, the ability to winter at air temperatures down to -25 ° C, as well as noteworthy resistance to harmful fungi and rot.

Grapes give beautiful, weighing up to 1.1 kg, medium-density bunches of conical shape. The average length of oval, large amber berries is 2.6 cm. The weight of a fleshy with a pleasant texture and sweet berries reaches 12 grams.

Super extra. The hybrid of early maturity obtained by E. Pavlovsky gives a harvest in 100–110 days after the appearance of the first leaves. By the end of July, on the vigorous bushes of Super-Extra grapes, you can see large, up to 1.5 kg in weight, bunches of medium looseness. The variety is high-yielding, so the grower must deal with the rationing of the ovary and inflorescences.

According to the description and photo of the Super-Extra grapes, the brushes consist of oval or ovoid large berries weighing 7-8 grams. The color of the berry is white or light amber. The berries gain sweetness very quickly, their pulp is pleasant, dense with a sufficient amount of juice.

buffet. Bearing fruit 115–125 days after the start of the growing season, Furshetny grapes were bred in Ukraine by breeder V.V. Zagorulko from the variety Kuban and Gift to Zaporozhye. According to the data obtained by winegrowers who have already managed to get acquainted with this grape, Furshetny has an average resistance to fungal attack and successfully winters at a temperature of -22 ° C. Powerful bushes of this species actively form shoots, almost completely ripening by autumn.

Brushes on the bushes are dense, closer to cylindrical in shape. The weight of a bunch, consisting of oval berries weighing up to 16 grams, is from 600 to 800 grams. The length of an individual berry is about 3.5 cm, the color is dark, reddish-violet with a pronounced waxy coating. One of the best grape varieties has a great taste with notes of raisins and ripe mulberries.

Conclusion

Growing grapes is a rather complicated undertaking, especially if it is done in the conditions of central Russia. In addition to the fact that it is necessary to create optimal conditions during the summer season, it is important to ensure that the grape bushes can survive the frosty winter well.

However, today there are many different varieties of grapes, among which you can find many frost-resistant ones that are ideal for such areas. The main attention should be paid to care during the growing season.

Growing grapes is not as difficult as it is commonly believed. Large clusters with juicy fruits will decorate your vineyard if you strictly follow the basic rules, taking into account the advice of experienced winegrowers.

What should be considered before growing grapes?

Photograph of the vineyard

Why does not every gardener manage to grow good grapes on his plot so that he does not freeze over the winter, does not rot in the summer and brings a bountiful harvest of decent quality? The fact is that the cultivation of this culture must be approached seriously.

First of all, you should choose the right grape variety that will feel comfortable in your area. Eg, grape growing in the middle lane gives good results only when using winter-hardy varieties with early dates maturation. Among the new varieties you will find many excellent options that are resistant to fungal diseases, pests and severe frosts, with high yields and the ability to ripen even in cloudy short summers.

Video about growing grapes

Chokeberry varieties generally require more sunlight and warmth than pale grapes, although fairly hardy black varieties are also found.

Pay special attention to the appearance of the seedling when buying. Look for mechanical damage, signs of drying or strange spots on the plant? Healthy grape seedlings should have at least three well-developed roots and a shoot about half a meter high. In order not to doubt the quality of planting material, buy seedlings in a nursery, and preferably in a container - this way the plant will take root better.

It will be easier for a novice gardener to plant a finished grape seedling, especially if you want to create a vineyard from scratch. Experienced growers can easily handle cuttings, but those who are not afraid to experiment can try to grow grapes from seed.

In the photo, grape seedlings

Step-by-step technology for growing grapes

When starting to create a vineyard, it is important to take into account climatic features: if the region has little snowy winters and severe frosts, it would be preferable to plant grapes in trenches or pits, but if there is enough snow in winter, but the summer is too short and cold, it is better to plant seedlings in bulk ridges. In the pits, the root system will be reliably protected from freezing, and in the ridges, the roots will receive more heat during the summer months.

You can plant grapes both in spring and autumn, depending on which planting material you have chosen. Consider the most common and simplest option - the autumn planting of grapes with seedlings in planting holes.

Pictured is planting grapes

Stages of planting a grape seedling:

• choose a well-lit, flat place for planting, where there are no drafts and excessive moisture;
• dig a planting hole according to the size of the root system, with a depth of 0.2 to 0.5 m (less for clay soil, deeper for sandy soil);
• mix the soil from the pit with organic and complex mineral fertilizers;
• pour a layer of gravel at the bottom of the hole, and put branches or planks on top;
• install a pipe with a diameter of 10 cm or more to water the grapes through it and fertilize the soil;
• form a small mound of prepared earth over a layer of gravel and branches;
• before planting, dip the roots of the grape seedling into a solution of clay and rotted mullein (twice as much clay as mullein);
• cut the shoots into a couple of buds and dip in melted paraffin;
• place the seedling in the hole, straightening its roots;
• fill the hole with the remaining soil and gently tamp;
• pour grapes with warm water;
• Mulch the hole with compost or rotted manure.

Photo of watering grapes

If you are going to plant several bushes of grapes, leave at least one and a half meters between them. In this case, it is recommended to arrange plants from south to north.

How to grow grapes and care for them?

For the correct formation of grape bushes, it is necessary to install a strong trellis. The simplest design is two metal or wooden poles with several rows of wire between them. As the vines grow, they are carefully tied to the wire, setting them in the right direction.

Pictured grapes

In the first three years, pay especially much attention to planting: carefully loosen the ground two days after rain or watering, prevent the leaves from wilting and the soil from drying out from lack of moisture, destroy weeds. Starting from the fourth year, it is enough to water the vineyard three to four times per season during the most important phases of development.

Periodically, vine bushes should be fed through drainage tubes and along the leaves, and pests and diseases should be treated with suitable fungicides. Carefully inspect the plants more often in order to start the fight against dangerous enemies of the grapes in time and prevent the death of the entire vineyard!

Video about the technology of growing grapes

Every fall, after leaf fall, prune the grapes. With the onset of the first night frosts, remove the vines from the supports, pin them to the ground with brackets, treat with a solution of copper sulfate and cover with plastic wrap. In the spring, do not rush to open the grapes until frost and sudden changes in temperature stop.

Following the technology of growing grapes given in this article, you can create your own vineyard and enjoy delicious, juicy fruits every year.

Grown for thousands of years, grapes have undergone major changes over the past couple of centuries. Many new varieties have appeared that regularly yield crops even in those regions where they had not heard of the wine berry before. Breeders have bred not only winter-hardy varieties, but also species that are little affected by diseases dangerous to the culture, giving super-large brushes and incredibly tasty berries, completely pitted. And yet, wine growers know that it is possible to get a decent return on a bush of even the most productive and unpretentious variety by investing a lot of work and skill in growing and caring for grapes.

The first, after planting the seedlings in the ground, the contribution to the future harvest is the formation of a grape bush, starting from the first year of the plant's life and, together with the shape of the crown of the plant, determining its fruiting.

With a competent approach, by the fourth year the bush takes on its final form, but this does not mean that the winegrower's work is completed.

Formation of a grape bush

The choice of the form of a grape bush, which determines its appearance, structure and quantity, both new shoots and green mass, depends on the climatic conditions of growth, soil fertility and the characteristics of the plant variety.

The result of the correct formation of the grape bush is:

• regular and, in accordance with varietal characteristics, a plentiful harvest;
• high-quality growth at the end of the growing season;
• a plant that tolerates winter without problems and does not suffer from grape diseases common in the area and its pests;
• providing simple care for grape seedlings;
• facilitating vine trimming and watering, rejuvenation and adjustment of the existing load.

When wondering how to grow grapes, some novice gardeners act on a whim, not paying due attention to pruning a bush. However, there are many well-established options and types of forms that allow you to get good results in a wide variety of farming conditions. With the help of spring pruning, a grape bush is formed with or without a trunk of various heights.

Most often, growers give rooting grape seedlings:

• a capitate form without perennial sleeves, but with a thickened upper part of the stem, from which, due to pruning for 1–2 eyes or a ring, a mass of new shoots grows;
• cup-shaped with sleeves of various lengths extending from the trunk, resting on stakes;
• a form with fruit links directed in one or two directions, the entire growth on which is distributed on a vertical trellis;
• cordon form with one or more perennial cordons, along which fruit links or branches are distributed. This option is convenient in growing and caring for grapes, gives high yields, but is more common in regions with a warm climate, where the vine does not require shelter for the winter;
• fan and semi-fan shape, based on a tapestry and having several sleeves of different lengths and strengths.

It is the various variants and combinations of the fan that have received the greatest recognition from winegrowers in Russia, since such a grape bush is easy to care for.

The bush, if desired, can be adjusted, and when the trellis is arranged, the plants receive enough air, light and nutrition, give consistently high yields, and 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, excess and excessively growing shoots and stepchildren break off, garter and other procedures are carried out aimed at maintaining fruiting and the planned shape of the plant.

Trellis for grapes

Since grapes are a vigorous vine, in most cases, a reliable and convenient support is necessary for its cultivation and ease of care. The presence of such structures is especially important with a stemless crown shape and the cultivation of vigorous varieties, as well as when grapes are used for landscaping canopies, arbors and other buildings.

Walls, poles, stakes and even trees growing next to the bushes can serve as a support for the vine, but the best solution would be to install a special trellis for grapes.

In amateur gardening, two types of construction are most common.

• vertical trellis, where the shoots of grapes are located in the same plane;
• inclined trellis, on which the shoots are spaced into two planes at an angle to each other.

In both cases, reliable pillars serve as the supports of the structure, rows of strong wire are stretched between them, which will have to withstand not only the weight of the shoots, but also the weight of the pouring brushes. A single-plane trellis for grapes is easier to set up and much cheaper, but for obtaining high yields from a bush, a two-plane version is more convenient, providing a large area to support fruit-bearing shoots and withstanding the serious weight of the vine.

To simplify the cultivation and care of grapes, aisles are provided between the trellises, sufficient to remove the bushes and shelter them during the cold season, as well as to provide the plantings with sufficient lighting, and the rows did not overlap each other. It is better if the trellis for grapes is located on the site from north to south. At the same time, 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 grapes

As the grapes grow during the growing season, the shoots are tied several times to the horizontal rows of the trellis or fixed to other types of supports. At the same time, the garter, during which the shoots are evenly distributed in one or two planes, serves to solve several problems:

1. The plant is provided with the best light and air regime.
2. It is easier to trim and normalize green mass and ovaries.
3. It facilitates foliar top dressing of grapes, as well as the implementation of "green pruning".
4. Vertically located shoots grow and ripen better.
5. The risk of developing grape diseases and pests is reduced.
6. A beginner grower should know when and how to tie grapes.

The first time you need to fix the position of the shoots when they are about 40–50 cm long and reach the bottom row on the trellis. Then, as they grow, the stems are tied sequentially to all rows.

As a garter material, it is better to take scraps of textiles or knitwear, natural twine or twine, that is, products that do not compress or pinch growing shoots. It is convenient to use a special tool for tying a grape seedling, which freely fixes the shoots with a plastic clip. On trellises, where the wire is stretched in two parallel rows, the shoots only lead into such a gap, and the resulting mustache is firmly fixed on the support over time. If grapes grown on a gazebo or canopy are cared for, where free twisting of growth is provided, then such shoots do not need to be tied up.

Pasynkovanie grapes

If in regions with a short summer, stepchildren of grapes consist in the complete removal of shoots already at the initial stages of development, then in the south, especially when growing early varieties, stepchildren are only shortened in order to get an additional crop of sweet berries by autumn.

And in some cases, for example, when the vine suffers from frost or hail, the grapes are not pinched at all. Stepchildren replace the lack of green mass on the bush and help resume the development of the bush.

Preventive 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 grower the opportunity to use foliar feeding of grapes, an effective source of additional nutrition and minerals.

The grape bushes experience the greatest need for such dressings:

• before flowering and after it;
• during the period when the coloring of the berries begins;
• a few days before harvest.

To feed grape seedlings and adult bushes, a solution containing 5% superphosphate, 0.5% ammonium sulfate and 1% potassium salts is used. When the berries begin to ripen, the vine no longer needs nitrogen, but microelements, such as zinc and boron, can be added to the top dressing.

After flowering, the bushes are treated with a 1% solution of boric acid in combination with a fungicide that prevents the development of downy mildew, a disease that occurs in conditions of high humidity and has a detrimental effect not only on the future crop, but on the entire grape plant. The final foliar feeding of grapes can be carried out on the basis of wood ash infusion. The introduction of such dressings, as well as spraying the bushes with fungicides and insecticides, is carried out in the afternoon, when the temperature drops, the sun cannot burn the leaves and inflorescences, or in cloudy weather. The longer the drops of the product remain on the green, the greater the effect of the procedure.

How to treat grapes after rains, when fungicides and microelement solutions are washed away?

In case of heavy rainfall, the treatment is repeated as soon as possible, paying attention to spraying the bushes with Ridomil, especially during the period when flowering has already been completed, and mildew is likely to develop.

An equally dangerous disease for grapes is oidium, which often develops 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, the treatment of grapes with soda and potassium permanganate in the form of a slightly pink solution will be a fairly effective remedy for powdery mildew.

At the same time, one should not forget that the effectiveness of top dressing and protective equipment is really high if all the rules for growing and caring for grapes are followed, weeds and extra shoots are removed in time, air and nutrition are provided to all shoots.

All about planting and growing grapes - video

The extreme climate of the sunny berry is not a hindrance. And getting a good harvest of grapes in the second or third year after planting is an achievable goal even for beginners. So, how to stop dreaming and start growing grapes…

First, let's decide on the two most important tasks when growing grapes - we will choose a place for planting grapes and varieties that we will plant. In principle, the vine will grow almost anywhere (except in solid shade), and if you take care of it, at the very least bear fruit. However, proper planting in the right place will allow you to get really good yields with much less effort. Remember that planting a vineyard with seedlings of poor quality varieties will take you time, effort and good mood. You may be undeservedly disappointed in grapes, although the mistake will be entirely yours.

Place for planting grapes

The site for planting grapes should be sunny and protected from the wind, for example, against the south wall of the house, a barn or a fence facing south, with well-drained soil. If there is a minimum slope on the site, plant grapes on a gentle southern or southwestern slope, orienting the row in the direction "south - north". If the site is flat and the southern walls are occupied, make room for your grapes by building a pretty solid fence 1.8–2 m high, oriented along the east-west line, in any convenient place on the site. And you will immediately understand the secret of the monastery vineyards! You can also use dense hedges or screens made from improvised materials, such as vines or reeds, for this purpose.

The method of planting grapes depends on the type of soil. Variants are possible, but usually on sandy soils it is recommended to plant grapes in trenches, and on poorly warmed loams and clays and in areas with close groundwater, it is recommended to plant on ridges, which in the old days were called "created".

For watering and fertilizing grapes, I install plastic bottles with a cut bottom between the seedlings. In table varieties, as the bushes mature, I replace them with scraps of asbestos-cement pipes, and in three years I remove them altogether from “techies” (wine varieties). Mature wine grapes themselves must get water from the soil, and the deeper its roots, the better the wine from its berries.

Do not rush to plant seedlings "for permanent residence", especially if these varieties are on trial. Let them live until the first signal brushes in the school (where it is easier to hide). Some northern winegrowers in the first year do not plant seedlings in open ground at all, but keep them there in mobile containers (for example, in buckets), half buried in the ground. In autumn, 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 vines are not spot planted, vineyard planning is essential. 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 specify the growth strength of the selected varieties in order to correctly calculate the right place. Grouping varieties by maturity and frost resistance will facilitate the care of grapes. You will not need to spray and cover everything to the maximum.

Do not plant grafted seedlings (from European and southern nurseries) vertically, but place them practically lying down at the highest possible angle, otherwise there will be problems with the maturation of the vine. Gradually transfer them to your own roots.

• Don't forget that grapes have the property of vertical polarity. When opening, tie a fruitful arrow on a trellis or stakes only horizontally - then all annual green shoots will grow the same. With a vertical garter, shoots grow intensively only from the upper eyes, and from the lower ones they grow weakly or do not grow.

Limit watering. Only watering of young vines is required for the first 2 years and water-charging watering common for all varieties in the fall. Stop watering 7-10 days before the expected flowering, as excessive moisture causes the color to fall off 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 spacing no closer than 30-50 cm to the base of the bush. Grapes do not like wet leaves and damp ground. If possible, arrange a canopy over the grape bushes.

Carry out green operations sparingly and on time. It is unacceptable to simultaneously remove all points of growth on the shoot: both chasing the top and pinching the stepchildren. After all, there is a danger that the wintering buds of the bush will start to grow and its potential will sharply weaken. Stepchildren do not break out completely, leave 1-2 sheets. Minting is carried out in August, immediately after the crown is straightened.

Pruning grapes is necessary, otherwise the berries are crushed, and the bush will grow unnecessarily. But in the year of planting, no pruning, except for the removal of unripened green parts of the shoots in the fall. From the 3rd year, cut the shoots according to the recommendations (short or long pruning), but do not mindlessly follow the recommended total load, as your conditions - topography, soil, sum of active temperatures (CAT) - will adjust it. Write down, starting from which bud fruit-bearing shoots grow specifically for you.

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 "weeping" of the vine (leakage) weakens the plant.

Read more: How to stop the weeping vine >.

In the north, it is more reliable to use non-stem formations of a fan or half-fan type, rather than high-stem formations, including for arbors.

Read more: Cordon shaping and pruning of grapes.

Read more: Formation of 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 autumn, shoots are removed and covered with a two-three-layer air-dry shelter. As a bedding - spruce branches or boards, over the seedlings - a layer of spunbond or corrugated cardboard and a film on top (roofing sheet, old linoleum). Snow will do the rest. Leave gaps at the ends of the shelter for ventilation.

Do not remove the shelter in the spring immediately and completely. And when removed, leave a couple of layers of spunbond or lutrasil nearby in case of frost.

• Record the timing and features of planting, flowering, ripening, pruning and loading of grapes in the diary. Otherwise, the most valuable information for analysis by variety testing will be forgotten and lost. And you need it so much, and the next generation of northern winegrowers, who will definitely come after you.

How to grow grapes in the middle lane.

Winter-hardy grape varieties

The most necessary requirements for grape varieties in the Moscow region and to the north are frost resistance, the ripening period of the crop and vines. But you should not prioritize the so-called "non-covering". This concept is relative and does not depend on the variety, but on what are the minimum temperatures in winter at your dacha. At the first stage, choose the earliest of the frost-resistant varieties. Later, with experience, the understanding will come that northern viticulture also provides us with certain bonuses, for example, in the form of a long daylight hours, which partially compensates for the lack of warmth for the grapes. And then you can try to grow later varieties.

In addition, there are practically no diseases and pests of grapes in the north. However, it is always better to prevent danger. There are so-called complex-resistant grape varieties - with high resistance to frost and disease.

Read more about grape diseases and how to treat them.

Determine also the purpose of the grapes. Why do you need it: for a table, for juice and wine, for decorating a gazebo, or just “to be”? Today there are more than 15,000 grape varieties, so there is plenty to choose from.

For beginners, I will advise delicious and unpretentious table varieties ‘Agat Donskoy’, ‘Aleshenkin’, ‘Jubilee Novgorod’, universal ‘Platovsky’, ‘Crystal’, ultra-early table varieties ‘Nikopol Beauty’, as well as some universal Amur hybrids A.I. Potapenko and F.I. Shatilova. Those who have children should pay attention to the super-early and soft-sweet varieties ‘Liepaja Yantar’ and ‘Early Ciravsky’ (selected by G.E. Vesminsha), as well as the variety ‘Krasa Severa’ with a high content of useful folic acid. From the listed grape varieties, select no more than four or five for the first planting.

How to buy grape seedlings and cuttings for rooting

The most reliable sources of planting material are winegrowers' clubs and forums, where enthusiastic and experienced gardeners and collectors communicate, as well as MOIP and TSHA. You should not buy seedlings and cuttings at spontaneous roadside markets and at exhibitions (of course, this does not apply to the stands of well-known nurseries).

How to buy grapes and choose a good seedling.

You can learn how to grow other plants, what kind of gardening and gardening work you need to plan from other articles on our site. Also, please pay attention to the information block to the left of the text. The links in it lead to related articles.

Grapes are called the berry of life, because they are not only very tasty, but also healthy. There is no such gardener who would not like to have this beautiful plant on his site, but growing grapes is not an easy task. The experience of its cultivation comes over the years, but you have to start somewhere, and those who spare no effort and effort achieve excellent results.

Some believe that this culture is unpretentious, quickly takes root and bears abundant fruit. How delusional they are! Not so simple grapes. Planting and caring for it require increased attention. There are quite a lot of specifics that need to be dealt with before starting cultivation.

Variety selection

The main condition is to choose a grape variety that adapts well to local conditions. The further north the region, the more early and frost-resistant the variety should be. Some of the most popular varieties, characterized by high yields and excellent taste, are the Isabella, Nina and Madeleine Angevin varieties.

Complex-resistant varieties take root well and do not require too careful care. They are distinguished by resistance to cold and frost, as well as resistance to fungal diseases. The most delicious and enduring among them are Moldova, Lydia and Rapture.

In addition, when choosing a variety, one should pay attention to such a factor as growth force. For beginners, medium and low-growing grapes are better suited, planting and caring for which do not present significant difficulties. These are varieties Anniversary of Moldova, Timur and Novinka.

planting material

It is better to buy seedlings in autumn in special nurseries. This will make it possible to visually determine the selected variety externally and to taste and have a guarantee that high-quality and healthy material for planting has been purchased.

Grape seedlings planted in autumn usually begin active vegetation the next year and are significantly ahead of those planted in spring in development.

If you prefer spring planting, then purchase only vegetative seedlings. Their quality can be immediately assessed by their appearance. Their growth is at least 25 cm with a thickness of about 5 mm. They already have several developed bright green leaves (4-6 pieces) and several roots.

How to choose a place to land

Since grapes are a very heat-loving crop, the place for it should be sunny, without shade, drafts and dampness. Growing grapes will be effective if the south or southwest side is chosen along the fence or building, or slopes oriented to the same cardinal points. It is recommended to retreat from trees and shrubs at least 3 m, and from buildings and fences - at least 0.5 m.

The plant feels great on loamy and sandy soils. With proper care, it can also be grown on stony, clay and gristly soils.

You should know that on saline, waterlogged soils and those where groundwater rises close to the surface, grapes will not grow.

How to plant grapes

If you want grape seedlings to develop well and grow healthy, then before planting, you need to create a supply of nutrients in the soil for them. Planting holes should be at least 80 x 80 cm in size and the same depth. They are prepared two months before planting.

The upper fertile layer taken out of the pit, taken to a depth of 30 cm, is mixed with wood ash and manure, taken in 2 buckets, as well as with 0.5 kg of superphosphate. If the soil in the pit is clayey below 30 cm, then it is diluted with sand. The finished hole is half filled with the prepared soil mixture and left to shrink.

To grow great grapes, planting and care must be right from the start. Therefore, do not skimp on the size of the pits and nutrient mixture. Start planting immediately after the seedlings are purchased so that the roots do not dry out.

Previously, the seedling is soaked in water for a day, after which it is taken out, the roots and shoot are cut a little.

The roots and lower part of the bole are dipped into a clay mash and planted.

• a small mound is poured onto a layer of nutrient soil in the pit;
• put a seedling on it, straightening the roots, lightly sprinkling them with soil;
• The "heel" of the seedling is located at a depth of at least 50 cm;
• then the pit is covered with ordinary earth, which was dug from the lower layers, and compacted;
• watered abundantly, and after shrinkage, more earth is added to the level of growth;
• the resulting hole should be 25-30 cm deep.

If spring planting is carried out, then the seedling is protected from direct sunlight by placing a box or a wooden shield.

During autumn planting, before the onset of frost, the grape stalk is covered with a plastic bottle in which holes are made. The hole is mulched by sprinkling peat. And before the onset of cold weather, the pit is completely filled up and a mound up to 30 cm high is formed on top.

Grape care

There are a few general rules that must now be followed in order for the grapes to develop well. Planting and care are not difficult, even a novice gardener can handle them. The new stage is cultivation. The first 3-4 years it is necessary to carry out mandatory procedures:

• the soil is constantly loosened and weeds are destroyed;
• every spring, they carry out a cataract, for this purpose they dig up a bole to a depth of 20 cm, remove thin (dew) roots, and again fall asleep;
• in order to prevent diseases, before the start of active growth, the plants are sprayed with Bordeaux mixture (3%);
• as soon as the growing season begins, the grapes should be heavily watered.

Formation of grapes

As the vine grows and sprouts, it begins to form.

To prevent neglect of the plant, young shoots up to 3 cm long are broken off. To regulate the optimal ratio of fruitful and sterile shoots, they are pinched off when they reach a length of 10-15 cm. This helps to prevent depletion and overload of the plant.

When the shoots grow to a length of 50-80 cm, in the first year they are tied to pegs, and the next they are led along the trellis in the right direction.

summer pruning grapes

Pruning grapes in the summer is actually not pruning in the full sense of the word. It comes down to pinching shoots, pinching and removing unnecessary branches. It is carried out to ensure favorable conditions for the growth of bushes - better ventilation, access to sunlight to the clusters, faster ripening of berries.

When the vine enters the period of fruiting, it is necessary to pinch the fruitful shoots. This procedure is carried out about a week before flowering. Such pinching of the growth point on the shoots provides an influx of nutrients to the inflorescences, so that the flowers and ovary do not crumble.

Stepping, namely the removal of processes growing in the sinuses, is a mandatory procedure. It is carried out in July, when flowering ends.

In August, they start chasing young shoots. It differs from pinching in that most of the shoot is removed - about 40 cm, but so that approximately 14-15 leaves remain on each shoot. This contributes to faster ripening of berries.

The pruning of grapes usually ends in the summer with a clarification stage. Its essence lies in the fact that excess foliage is removed. It is carried out during the ripening period of the clusters, thereby providing good ventilation.

Proper watering

As soon as the grapes enter the vegetative stage, they must be watered regularly. At least 4 times per season, 12-15 buckets of water are poured under each bush. good option pipes are buried in the ground between the bushes, where they pour water. This not only reduces its consumption, but also allows good access of moisture to the roots.

How to feed grapes

With the beginning of the fruiting period, regular feeding of the grapes is required. It is desirable to carry it out 3 times per season. Moreover, it should be noted that the first passes before flowering, and the second 2 weeks after it. For this, mineral and organic fertilizers are used. They are bred in water and the bushes are watered with the resulting solution.

The third top dressing of grapes should be carried out before the berries begin to ripen. It completely eliminates the use of organic matter, which is replaced by wood ash.

Why process grapes?

When the harvest of juicy berries is harvested, a new task is on the agenda of gardeners - the processing of grapes. Its essence is to carry out measures to combat plant diseases, as well as to prevent infection of healthy bushes.

This is necessary so that the plant does not go into wintering, affected by diseases. After all, some pathogens will destroy it even under snow, and in the spring such it will be very weakened and will not grow well.

That is why the processing of grapes before wintering is necessary. It consists in spraying infected plants with fungicides. This will help reduce exposure to pathogens and give the vine a chance to store more nutrients.

Diseases

Grapes can be susceptible to two types of diseases - infectious and non-infectious. And although bushes affected by a non-communicable disease are not infectious to their neighbors, they become very weak, with reduced yields.

Experienced gardeners in the appearance of plants distinguish grape diseases. Describing them will help you determine the condition of the bushes and heal them.

• grape anthracnose is immediately visible on the leaves, they are covered with brown spots, turning into ulcers;
• powdery mildew (false) appears on the leaves, which abound in round spots, as if sprinkled with white dust, it also affects shoots, inflorescences and fruits;
• oidium is very similar to the previous disease, only it manifests itself even more strongly: at first the plant is simply strewn with whitish spots, and then the affected parts begin to die off;
• rot (gray and white) affects the stems and berries, which are covered with brown-purple spots and soon dry out.

To combat these infections, there are now many agents suitable for different kind diseases. Among them are copper or iron sulfate, Bordeaux mixture, Antrakol, Ridomir and others.

A well-groomed vineyard will delight its owner for many years with both an abundance of harvest and appearance. The most important thing is to make every effort and knowledge to ensure that the plant grows healthy, strong and resistant to climatic fluctuations.

As you can see, there is enough trouble with growing grapes. But even beginners, following all the rules of care, will be able to grow it and enjoy the fruits of their labor.