To look after grapes it is necessary all season, the spring is the most important period influencing further development of bush and also quality and quantity of harvest. Care for grapes includes disclosure of rod after the wintering, to scrap with the subsequent forming of bush in the spring and also fight against diseases and wreckers. It is extremely important to perform these operations in time as much as possible to provide the healthy and full-fledged growth of bush.
Opening of grapevine
Care for grapes right after the termination of hard frosts when air temperature does not fall below -5 °C begins in the spring. During this period it is necessary to exempt bush from ukryvny material or the earth which has powdered rod.
In unsuccessfully located places of landing of grapes, material needs to be removed regions which differ in late frosts or later and that the rod received necessary oxygen, it is necessary to make in it small openings. In that case ukryvny material is removed after awakening of kidneys.
In long spring and also in regions with cool climate for protection of grapes against frosts over bush construct small hotbed which will protect the coming to life rod from sharp temperature reduction. But in order that the rod received enough air and the sun, it is necessary to open hotbed in the afternoon.
Identification and fight against bacterial cancer
After bushes are opened, spring care for grapes needs to be continued by survey of rod on identification of the frozen, broken and sick branches. Availability of painful outgrowths on escapes can demonstrate defeat of plant bacterial cancer and need of acceptance of urgent measures. It is for this purpose recommended:
- to remove the sites affected with disease and to burn them;
- to process places of cut hydrogen peroxide or potassium permanganate;
- after their drying-out to cover the damaged sites with the garden thief;
- to reduce watering and fertilizing twice to strengthen work of the immune system of bush for fight against disease, and the active growth of grapes.
The correct care for grapes will allow to restore sick bushes in the spring and subsequently to receive from them good harvest.
Cutting of grapes
It is necessary to make for the active and healthy growth of the fructifying rod during the spring period cutting of grapes, exempting bush from old and unnecessary escapes. Care for grapes assumes cutting of old and last year's young escapes to 80% of total in the spring.
Basis of grape bush are sleeves – the long-term branches providing power supply of all bush. Their life cycle makes 4-6 years then they leave, and instead of them young branches of placement are used. On each sleeve it is necessary to leave on several strong young escapes which with growth will not interfere with each other. At the same time sleeve it is necessary to kill: top – to 12 kidneys, lower – to the 4th.
Cutting of rod is made by sharp secateurs to avoid stratification of cuts. Places of cuts are processed by the garden thief.
Spraying of grapes from diseases and wreckers
The next stage of spring care for grapes after cutting is spraying of plants for their protection against harmful insects and such widespread diseases as mildew, oidium, anthracnose and gray decay.
There are two types of medicines for spraying – chemical and biological. Many gardeners try to avoid use of chemical medicines which, according to them, can poison berry. However it not so, and at most, than they are harmful - it is toxic fumes at direct spraying that is easily remediable if to follow elementary safety rules. But the chemistry has indisputable advantage: more effective and fast spectrum of action. Biological medicines are not so poisonous, the effect of their use is reduced therefore processing from diseases and mean insects should be carried out several times.
Care for grapes means spraying of bushes before blooming of kidneys the following solutions in the spring:
- the Bordeaux mix – fight and prevention against diseases of fungal type;
- oksikhy – protection against tick and other harmful insects;
- carbophos – insecticide.
When spraying by the Bordeaux mix it is necessary to process not only bush, but also the soil around, at the same time temperature of solution has to be within 30 °C.
For processing of grapes biological solutions during the spring period it is possible to advise the medicines Biosporin, ""Baikal - EM1"" and Guapsin.
Only the correct care for grapes in the spring and timely performance of the specified actions will practically serve as guarantee of the subsequent collecting good harvest and abundance of ripe clusters.