About pruning grapes in the fall or how to achieve an amazing harvest in summer

Forming a grape bush has always been considered difficult. Indeed, depending on the region, variety and season and age of the plant, it is necessary to cut it according to certain rules. Pruning grapes in autumn is one of the main agricultural techniques. The article informs when to prune grapes in the fall and how to do it correctly so that the vineyards will delight you with a bountiful and rich harvest.

Correctly pruning grapes, first of all, is necessary to increase the volume of the harvested crop. In addition, after pruning, the size of the berries and their taste increase, which becomes richer due to the greater influx of beneficial nutrients. An uncut bush will spend all its energy on growth - it will have a long vine, but small clusters with unsweetened berries.

In the middle lane, where cover viticulture is practiced, grapes are traditionally pruned in autumn, primarily because such care protects the vineyards from frost. Also, more berries appear on the branch shortened during this period.

In the middle lane, where covering viticulture is practiced, grapes are traditionally pruned in the fall.

Pruning in the spring is not recommended. The vine takes a long time to heal wounds, and if you still cut off some of the branches at the beginning of the period of sap flow, such wounds will begin to "cry", which can lead to the death of the entire plant. In March, when the constant air temperature no longer drops below +5 degrees Celsius, you can carefully cut off young grapes that have not yet borne fruit, or cut the seedlings planted in the fall.

In summer, the grape bushes are not touched, but only preventive measures are taken to increase the flow of nutrients and to ripen the bunches: pinching, breaking out branches, chasing, pinching, thinning leaves.

Autumn pruning is correct at the end of the season, but at above-zero temperatures. Night frosts, even down to -12 degrees Celsius, are not terrible for the vine. By letting the grapes hang longer, we contribute to the fact that more nutrients are transferred to the roots of the plant, and these reserves are necessary for growth and successful fruiting next year. But it's not worth delaying the circumcision either - you need to be guided by the weather.

Pruning instruction

There are a lot of options for forming a grape bush, but they are all divided into two main types: covering and non-covering. Covering are carried out in regions with frosty winters, where it is customary to cover the vine under the snow, these include fan and cordon schemes. Non-covering are used in areas of traditional viticulture (Crimea, southern regions). These include standard and arbor schemes. Also, such pruning is carried out in the middle lane, but only for frost-resistant varieties.

Fan

The fanless standard pattern is used in the northern regions with a covering type of viticulture. This pruning forms several arms, the number of which can be adjusted, growing vertically from the base of the bush, but at different angles and forming a fan. Such branches can be easily moved in order to shelter from winter frosts. The fan pattern contributes to the rapid rejuvenation of the plant without reducing the yield.

The fan pattern contributes to the rapid rejuvenation of the plant without reducing the yield.

With fan formation, the task is to grow several arms, which will be the basis for a fruiting vine.We begin to form a scheme already in the first year of growth of the seedling, cutting it in the fall by 2-3 buds (it is possible for two, but the third goes as a spare in case of freezing). If in the spring all three eyes began to grow, then we pinch one sprout, leaving two young ones on different sides of the main shoot. By the fall, a two-year-old seedling gives two already strong enough shoots, which must be cut off for a replacement knot, leaving 3-4 eyes.

Fan pruning schemes

In the third year, we begin to form sleeves at the seedling. In the spring, when the buds begin to grow, we leave 2 young shoots on each of the two strong shoots. Moreover, it is necessary to make sure that the lower sprout looks outward of the shoot. With the onset of autumn, these sprouts will already get stronger - they grow up to 1 meter in length and 6-10 mm in diameter. Future sleeves are cut off, leaving at least 50 cm branches and tied to a stretched wire at a height of 30 cm from the ground. It is necessary to cut correctly so that the inner sleeves of the resulting fan are shorter than the outer ones.

On the sleeves formed in this way, during the growing season, break out all annual shoots, except for the top 2-3, forming a fertile vine, which must be tied vertically to the trellis. At this stage, the formation of the fan ends.

Further, on each of the sleeves in the fall of next year, it is necessary to properly cut off the processes: the upper one is usually cut into 7-8 buds (fruitful), and the lower one - into 2-3 buds (replacement knot), thus forming a fruit link. After trimming, the fan will have four arms and four fruit links.

Then, every autumn, the fruit bearing vine should be pruned and a new fruit link should be formed from the young shoots that have grown from the replacement knot.

The fan pattern promotes slow growth of the sleeves. For their rejuvenation, it is better to cut off the old one on a knot of restoration, leaving 2-3 buds at the base of the plant.

Video "Pruning grapes in the fall"

This video will show you how to fan cropping.

Stamper

This scheme is used by winegrowers when pruning non-covering grape varieties mainly in the southern regions and the Crimea.

The first autumn pruning of a young seedling leaves 2-3 eyes above the ground. Further, from the two shoots, the strongest is chosen, from which they will form a stem (trunk), the second is also saved as a reserve. In autumn, the main sprout is shortened by 2-3 buds, and the reserve sprout is cut into a replacement knot, keeping 2 buds. At this stage, all other young shoots break out. In the second year, the growth point of the stem is pinched (allowing it to mature), while all the stepsons are also removed. In the third year, the stem must be cut to the desired height, while removing all the processes, but keeping the two upper ones - they are cut off, leaving 2 buds on each. These branches will be the shoulders of the cordon. At their level, a wire is pulled and future sleeves are tied to it. The reserve shoot is also shortened, keeping the two strongest shoots, one of which we leave 2 buds (replacement knot), and the second - 4-6 buds.

In the fourth year of formation, according to the characteristics of the variety, the shoulders are shortened, excess shoots break off so that there is a distance of about 20 cm between the remaining ones: the so-called "horns" are laid, which will be the bases of the fruit links.

In the fifth year, 2-3 eyes are retained on each grown shoot, the rest is cut off. In September of the sixth year, on the grown annual shoots, we correctly form fruit links, cutting off the upper shoot by 6-7 buds (fruit vine), and the lower one - by a replacement knot (2-3 buds). At this stage, the formation of the standard scheme ends. In subsequent years, the formation is only maintained: every autumn, a fruitful vine is cut off, and a new fruit link is formed from the shoots of the replacement knot.

Features of age pruning

The life cycle of each grape bush can be divided into three stages:

• growing vegetative mass;
• fruiting;
• extinction of life cycles.

Pruning during each of these cycles has its own specific goals and has some specific features.

Young bushes

Young grape bushes up to 5-6 years old accumulate vegetative mass and prepare for fruiting, so the main purpose of pruning at this time is the correct approach to the formation of the bush, its skeleton and shape, so that it begins to bear fruit faster and more abundantly.

Vine pruning scheme

Pruning begins from the first year of the seedling's life and comes down to the annual cutting off of excess shoots, forming the main sleeves, which will be the basis of the fruit links.

The main rule when forming a young vineyard, which should be learned by all beginners - the vine should not "fatten".

The main rule when forming a young vineyard, which should be learned by all beginners - the vine should not "fatten". Such a vine sheds inflorescences, respectively, gives less yield, while the quality of the berries also deteriorates.

Mature bushes

Pruning of grapes during the fruiting period, which can last for 20-25 years, is primarily aimed at preserving the pattern of the formation of the bush, its fruiting and growth regulation. At this time, the plant can hurt, so pruning helps to get rid of dry, dead, diseased shoots, replacing them with young ones.

The main purpose of pruning a neglected old bush is to form fruit links on the shoulders or sleeves, which are the basis of high yields. During pruning, up to 70-90% of the vine can be removed.

Pruning grapes in the fall promotes high yields. By applying the optimal pruning scheme suitable for the climate of your region, you can not only increase the fruiting of grapes, protecting them from frost and sudden temperature changes, but also improve the taste of berries that will decorate your table.