Grape care in the fall or how to prepare for the cold

Grapes need proper care and agronomic measures throughout the year. The nature of these events will be determined depending on the season. After reading this article, you will find out what kind of grape care a summer resident needs in the fall and how to properly prepare it for winter.

Features of autumn care

In the fall, summer residents will have to work hard. Indeed, the grape harvest next year will depend on the quality of the work performed. In addition, autumn is that time of the year when every gardener must carry out a number of activities to prepare the plant for winter. Before starting the planned work, note for yourself that the vine, which has brought you a generous harvest, has spent all its strength and nutrients on it, and as a result, it has become weak. To give the vine strength and allow it to recover, your main actions should be as follows:

• watering;
• top dressing;
• loosening;
• pruning;
• pest control;
• shelter for the winter.

Let's consider each of these agrotechnical methods of running a plant in more detail.

Watering and fertilizing

After harvesting ripe grapes, watering the plant can be suspended until mid-autumn. An exception if the weather is very dry and hot outside. But with the arrival of October, make sure that watering is sufficient and abundant. The soil should be well moistened, and the root system should receive the required amount of moisture. The following tip will help you water properly. Use a shovel to dig grooves around the perimeter of the plant and water directly into them. The effectiveness of the method lies in the fact that water enters directly into the root system. Another plus of such irrigation is that the water will be absorbed compactly directly under the base of the vine, and this contributes to the absence of dirt on the site. Irrigating the grapes abundantly will help them prepare for the cold weather.

Use a shovel to dig grooves around the perimeter of the plant and water directly into them.

Don't forget about the soil - it also needs proper maintenance. Any most correct watering will not bring the desired effect if the surface of the earth is compacted. To keep moisture in the soil as long as possible, loosen it in a timely manner. This is another factor that contributes to the successful overwintering of the grape bush.

When grooming and preparing for winter, remember the importance of feeding in the fall. Start foliar feeding in September. Add 20 g of superphosphate and 10 g of potassium salt to the soil. It is also recommended to add such trace elements as boric acid (2.5 g), manganese sulfate (2 g), zinc sulfate (2 g). Fertilizers are applied both dissolved and dry. The optimum digging depth is 20 cm.

Some gardeners advise fertilizing in October when the soil dries up a little. Organic fertilizers are recommended for this purpose. Good results are obtained by introducing small amounts of wood ash. Many summer residents of the Moscow region advise mulching the ground around the base using compost or manure.

In the last month of autumn, once every three years, it is advisable to fertilize with potassium-phosphorus fertilizer (25 g of potassium sulfate and superphosphate each).

Pruning

Autumn is the optimal time to form the vines. You need to start this procedure 2 weeks after all the foliage has fallen from the plant.It is not recommended to prune before the specified time. Ignoring this requirement and starting early pruning can disrupt the process of accumulating nutrients and preparing the plant for winter. But do not delay pruning, waiting for frosts, because they adversely affect the vine - it will become fragile and, even very carefully pruning, you can injure it or contribute to the breakage of grape shoots.

When pruning in the fall, remove diseased, deformed and old shoots. Leave only the healthiest sprouts. In the climate of the Moscow region, when pruning, it is recommended to leave a supply of eyes in case of freezing. If necessary, they can be removed in the spring, when the plant has overwintered and all the consequences of overwintering will be visible. For a reserve, it is advisable to leave a third of the branches that could be cut in the fall.

Treatment

In the fall, do not forget about pests. To combat them during this period of the year, you can safely use chemicals. After all, the bunches of grapes by this time will have already been harvested. Use a 3% solution of copper sulfate or 4% solution of ferrous sulfate. Excellent results in the fight against parasites are obtained by the fungicidal preparation "Hom" (contains copper). Spray the branches and soil under the plant bush with these preparations.

If gray rot is found, use Horus, Rovral and Euparen.

If the plant suffers from the bunchy leafworm, spray the vines and leaves with a decoction of chamomile. Also use the drug "Rovikurt".

Shelter

Since grapes are a southern culture, a frosty winter for him is stress and an ordeal. Shelter is recommended to be carried out in the northern regions (Moscow region, Middle lane) for most varieties. You can skip this procedure, unless you have a frost-resistant variety. It is necessary to start insulation during the pruning period. For most varieties in cool regions where severe frosts are frequent, a covering scheme for forming a bush is used, in which the vine can be painlessly bent to the surface of the ground.

For insulation, summer residents often use ordinary plastic wrap. But be aware that this is not the best material for insulation. During thaws, the temperature under the film will begin to rise and, as a result, the humidity will rise. The creation of such greenhouse conditions will contribute to the appearance and development of mold and fungi. For the same reasons, it is not advised to carry out insulation using leaves and sawdust.

The ideal and correct material for insulation is spruce branches. The thickness of the autumn shelter should be at least 20 cm. The fir tree shelter protects from frost, provides sufficient ventilation and can successfully trap snow. The combination of all these factors makes spruce branches the best material for sheltering vines for the winter, which our grandfathers have used with success. A grape bush covered in this way may not be afraid of severe frosts and winter thaws.

For most varieties in cool regions where severe frosts are frequent, a covering scheme for forming a bush is used, in which the vine can be painlessly bent to the surface of the ground.

You can also cover the grapes by hilling or partial covering. Hilling is desirable for annual seedlings. Mature shrubs do not need hilling, unless you live in warm southern areas. When hilling, only the adhesion site and the lower part of the shoot are covered. First, carry out the treatment with drugs against pests and various diseases, water the soil abundantly and surround the grapes with a shaft of earth, the height of which is 25-30 cm.

With partial covering, only a small area of ​​the bush is covered with earth, which is located near the soil. The rest of the plant is covered with improvised means. For this, straw or lightweight fabric is suitable.The materials used should be carefully secured and the grapes should be wrapped in a layer that is at least 3 cm thick.Using this method of shelter, be aware that if the winters in your climatic zone are very frosty and cold, then it will not protect your plant and it can be severely affected by low temperatures ...

Now you know what needs to be done with a grape bush in the fall, and what kind of care it needs. Adhering to the above measures, you can count on the fact that grapes next year will delight you with an excellent harvest of fragrant and juicy berries, which will become even tastier and larger.

Video "Preparing for winter and sheltering grapes"

This video will show you how to properly prepare your grapes for winter.