Caring for grapes in spring
Spring... This season is associated with the awakening of nature. For winegrowers, this means caring for grapes in the spring. It's crucial to properly lay the foundation for the further development of the vines and a high-quality harvest. This video will describe the work carried out in the vineyard in April.
Contents:
Inspecting and repairing support structures
Uncovering grape vines after winter
Dry staking of grapes in April
Planting grape seedlings in April
Inspecting and repairing support structures
Before working with grape vines, you need to ensure the structures for the future placement of the shoots are in place. This can be temporary for young vines or a permanent structure for mature vines.
It's important to check the trellis for breakage, trimming, or loosening of the wire strings. During the growing season, grape plants gain weight and bear a heavy load, especially if there are several vines.
Once you've verified the integrity of your structures, we move on to the next step: removing the vines from their coverings.
Pruning Grapes in April
If for some reason you missed pruning your vineyard in the fall and didn't cover it, don't despair; let's start saving what's left. Pruning should be done before sap flow begins, which can be identified by the characteristic release of moisture from the cuts of last year's shoots, the so-called "vine weeping."
Unlike fall pruning, in the spring it's necessary to check the health and viability of each shoot, and in such cases, it may be necessary to deviate from the desired vine formation guidelines.
Otherwise, pruning grapes in April is no different from fall pruning.
Uncovering Grape Vines After Winter
In early April, with the melting of the snow and the arrival of moderately warm temperatures, we begin uncovering our grape vines. For me, like many others, the signal to uncover the vineyard after winter is the swelling of the buds on Jupiter. This variety is one of the first to begin growing in uncovered cultivation. Around this time, buds on covered vines begin to open.
Winter shelters come in various forms: they can be covered with a solid layer of soil, or they can be dry-sheltered, where the vines are simply covered with wooden balusters, reed mats, or straw.
Once the vines are completely uncovered, we tie them up according to the desired vine shape, for example, to the lower strings of a trellis.
Bud Swelling on Grapes
Dry Staking of Grapes in April
Now it's time to tie up the vines. This process shouldn't be delayed, as once the buds swell, they can be damaged or broken off during staking.
It's best to tie up the vines immediately after uncovering them. This will allow the shoots to breathe better, and even if mold is noticed, it will disappear within a few days.
When growing grapes on a trellis, it's important to consider the polarity of shoot growth. First of all, grapes are vines that grow toward the sun. If last year's vines are placed vertically on the trellis, most of the growth energy will be directed toward the upper buds, while the lower buds will be weak or not open at all. Therefore, we place the fruiting link horizontally on the bottom wire of the trellis, tying it to it. In this case, there won't be much difference in shoot growth. An exception might be a short pruning to 2-3 buds.
For tying, use rope and wire with a soft wrapping. You can lightly wrap the vine around the taut wire to improve its hold.
When tying, it's important to inspect the vines and buds for signs of death after winter. If you left some shoot length as a reserve, you can trim the excess with pruning shears.
You can determine the health of the vine by the weeping sound of the vine, when sap begins to ooze from the cut. This indicates that the root system and aboveground portion of the vine are well preserved.
Fertilizing Grapes in April
Before applying fertilizer to our vineyard, we need to determine the types and purposes.
There are organic and mineral fertilizers.
Applying Organic Fertilizers
Applying Mineral Fertilizers
Nitrogen is applied precisely at the initial stage of shoot growth, which occurs in April. Over time, the amount of nitrogen applied should be reduced, and closer to July, it should be eliminated from the fertilizer list altogether.
Caring for grapes in spring and summer,
Caring for grapes in the spring in the second year,
Caring for grapes in spring in the Urals,
Vegetable care in spring,
Caring for grapes in spring after winter,
Caring for grapes in spring in the central part of the country,
Spring grape care: spraying,
Caring for grapes in spring in Ukraine,
Caring for young grapes in spring,
Caring for grapes in autumn: useful tips,
Caring for grapes in early spring
#grapes #springgrapes #grapecare