Surely, many people know about the cultivation of this crop in general terms. To put it briefly, grapes can be grown not only in southern regions, but also, for example, in central Russia. And one can talk almost endlessly about taking care of grapes…
Let’s go into the matter together!
There is a certain trick in growing grapes. We are happy to share it with you. Experienced winegrowers use an interesting method to temper bushes and accelerate the ripening of the vine, the effectiveness of which is proven by time and experience. They break through the soil with a sharp blow of a metal bar or rod at a distance of about 10-15 cm from the head of a bush, thereby breaking the integrity of surface roots and channeling the vigor in a different direction.
But it is not enough to temper grape bushes; you also need to protect them from severe frosts, properly preparing for winter, pruning and covering them.
We have prepared for you instructions to be followed on your way towards an excellent harvest:
1. Gather absolutely all the harvest. There is no point in leaving some grapes for birds to eat in winter.
It is already early October. If you have not yet cut off the berries, hurry up. Now, because of you, the bush is wasting its supply of nutrients that it will need for wintering and growing in early spring. For this reason, the grapes will not have time to ripen next season.
By the way, if you do not take off all the berries (even the smallest ones), next year they will be smaller and there will be fewer of them.
2. Water the bushes until the first frost. You should saturate the soil with water to a sufficient depth. This will ensure good spring growth. In winter, water in the form of steam will rise through the pores in the ground and warm the roots of the plant.
3. Remove the vines from the trellises and cut off all the non-fructifying (very old) and weak shoots, leaves and unripe shoots. They will no longer be of any use, but they take the vital force from the plant for nothing. For spring rooting, make cuttings from the ripened part of the vine.
All these operations need to be carried out before the onset of sub-zero temperatures; otherwise, you will damage the vineyard, because in the cold, the vines become very fragile and vulnerable.
4. Tie the vines into loose bunches. We recommend using special spunbond garden bands. Press the tied vines to the ground with staples at a level of 10–20 cm above the ground, preliminary putting planks or dry spruce branches at the bottom.
5. Spray the vines with a 3-5% solution of iron vitriol (300-500 grams per 10 liters of water); for young shoots, use a lower concentration. This treatment will protect the grapes from pests, mold and other plant diseases.
6. Do not hurry to cover the bushes on top. The grapes need to be “wrapped up” on a dry day in the second half of October, when the first frosts have already come (-5…-7° C), but constant negative temperatures have not yet set in.
The air-dry method is the best for covering grapes, as it helps to provide the optimal level of optimal level of heat and dryness, which protects the bushes from freezing and damping out. The unwoven material for winter covering of roses will help you to achieve the best result. When covering the grapes, do not forget about their roots, for not only the vines, but the whole bush from top to bottom should be under the material.
