Pruning grapes: how and why to spend the spring, is it necessary to prune in other seasons?

Pruning grapes is an important part of the process of creating a vineyard, which will delight a large number of crops. Regular removal of excess shoots is necessary to control the growth of the vine. It is necessary to produce it regularly, observing the terms and rules.

Grapes should be cut in a period of rest and lack of sap flow, usually the end of winter. The most common mistake people make is the removal of an insufficient number of shoots.

Depending on the region, the timing of pruning grapes may vary.

The advantages of this technique are:

• the harvest is getting better;
• frost resistance of a plant improves;
• grapes ripen faster;
• Treated bush easier to cover.

In the autumn, pruning of grapes is necessary when the last leaf has fallen. In most regions where this crop grows, gardeners are taken for secateurs at the end of October. Experts do not recommend using the first frost as a guide.

In spring, the time from the first half of April to the beginning of May is ideal for pruning the vine. It is during this period that sap flow has not yet begun, and therefore the plant will be minimally damaged.

In summer, shoots are removed from June to August, when the most active growth of side branches can be traced that can braid everything around. Pysynki pinch as soon as they begin to appear on the vine.

In the cold regions of our country, it is imperative to cover the grapes, thereby protecting it from frost. Pruning in this case is carried out twice a year: in the fall and in the spring, and in the summer they only correct the plant.

Since autumn, more shoots are left, so that later you can choose those who overwintered well and are ready to produce in the new year. In April-May, you can trim the grapes, but before that check whether the shoots that are planned to be left for growth are not damaged.

In those regions where there is no need to cover the plant from frost, the timing of the procedure depends on the physiology of the grape variety. Proteins, sugar and starch are deposited under the bark in the second half of the summer. By the roots, they go closer to the fall.

If you hold pruning in December, then the first leaves of the plant will give a delay of four days from the due date. Very strongly inhibits foliage blooming, removal of branches when the buds are already swollen. After this procedure, the grapes will give greens for two weeks later. This is one of the reasons why in areas where late frosts are likely, pruning is done in the spring, just before the buds bloom. So you can save the plant from frost and save the crop.

In the fall, the grapes are dormant and can be formed, but do not do this on frosty days, because then the shoots will be too fragile and split when pruned. There is such a pattern that the later you remove unnecessary branches, the more yield will be next year, but then the bushes grow more slowly. Gardeners are advised to cut the grapes at a time when the buds are already beginning to swell, if you intend to intentionally retard the growth of the plant.

It is recommended before the beginning of winter to remove up to 90% of the shoots on the vine. The central trunk will eventually become covered with bark and become the basis, and it will be possible to start it up by the gazebo or around the house.

If you want to plant a plant, then it is worth cutting it just when there is a lot of starch inside, which will help to give roots. Spring is the perfect time for this.It is easy to determine the amount of this substance inside the grape branches - just drop one into the iodine solution, and if it turns black at the cut, then the escape is suitable for planting.

In the summer to trim the extra shoots should be with extreme caution. This should be done only if there is an urgent need for the plant not to spend its reserves on the formation of new branches. This culture is characterized by rapid growth, so gardeners must control its growth.

Summer pruning allows you to adjust the vine, send it in the right direction. Formation takes place without difficulty for the gardener. Due to the removal of excess branches, you can achieve a great harvest. This correction does not require the use of garden tools. It is better to prune young shoots by hand, simply by pinching them at the beginning of development.

Pruning is carried out using only one garden tool - pruner. It should be not only sharp, but also clean, the only way the plant will not get sick and calmly survive the removal of shoots.

Pruner provides the level of pruning, which allows you to cause minimal damage to the plant. It needs to be sharpened well. At the moment of complete closure of the blade leave smooth, not torn edges without a bevel.

You may also need:

• saw with small teeth;
• wire or twine;
• garden gloves;
• knife.

The procedure is carried out at a specific time, if the gardener plans to get a quality crop. Spring pruning is practiced mainly in the regions with severe winters.

The exact date when it is time to remove excess shoots, even a professional cannot say, it all depends on weather conditions. However, there are strict rules to follow:

• air temperature should not fall below the mark of 3 degrees;
• pruning is required before the start of sap flow.

If the gardener missed the moment, then it is better to remove only dried shoots. The only way to save the plant. When forming a young vineyard, all vines except the strongest are removed. On old bushes, they will have to be cut a lot, so they leave only two of the strongest shoots, one of which is shortened by 4 eyes from the bottom.

Regardless of the pruning scheme chosen, you must first remove the damaged and frozen frozen vine branches. Shoots should not be too long, 12 buds are enough to form a beautiful bush.

If the branch has already fruited in the past year, you should act carefully so as not to break it. From the perennial process, the cut is made at a distance of 5-7 mm. Shoots that are located close to a flat trunk, do not need to be removed, they are saved for the next year.

It is worth paying attention to the appearance on the spot cut juice. To close the damage, prepare a special paste. To do this, mix boric acid, red paint and chalk powder. To support the plant in the spring after pruning will help the mineral complex.

Determine the number of buds left for fruiting on last year's branches. Calculate their number and study the processes in diameter, length and quality.

If they are ideal in size and suitable for further fruiting, it is worthwhile to leave the same amount of buds for development. If the gardener has no experience and he does not know how many shoots should be cut, it is better to remove more than leave unnecessary ones. If the vine is weak, in addition do not load it with a large number of buds and branches.

Spring trimming has its advantages:

• protection against frost escapes;
• yield increase;
• improving the appearance and taste of the fruit;
• the best coverage of shoots.

Among the shortcomings can be identified dehydration of plants through open sections.

You should not hurry with pruning, because an early procedure can lead to frostbite of the bush. Not less attention is paid to the quality of the garden tools, which must be disinfected so that the fungus and bacteria, as well as the pest larvae do not fall into the cut.

Fundamental rules:

• remove all affected and dried branches;
• the tool should not make torn cuts;
• fruiting vine must be at least 6 mm in diameter.

There are two technologies that are used for spring pruning of grapes. Description step by step allows even a novice gardener to make out the scheme in detail and correctly cut the vine.

Technology can be:

• shtambovoy;
• beshtambovoy.

Bezshtambovaya is used in the cultivation of bushes culture, which is not required to cover for the winter. The grower proceeds to the formation of the vine from the first spring and bends it to the ground.

In the first year, if there is one shoot, they cut it by no more than four eyes. If there are two branches, then two. Upper old barrel is completely removed.

In the second year, the resulting shoots do not touch, and the shoots are removed for 2 buds. Already for 3 years only two vines from each perennial branch remain, which must be close to the root. Taking into account the diameter of the shoots, the top one is shortened by 7-15 buds, and the bottom one only by two.

Young grapes with good tassels can also be formed with stem cutting, which is ideal for plants that do not need to be covered for the period of frost.

In the first year there is no need to leave shoots, but this does not mean that they need to be removed completely, but only with two eyes each.

By the second year, they are looking at which of them develop best and leave only two. On one, only two buds are kept, and on the second, a branch is cut into three peepholes. Already in the summer, it will be necessary to tie the future grape trunk to the support.

A bush started and not cut in time will not give much fruit, therefore by the third year all shoots are cut so that their length is equal to the height of the central trunk. The rest of the vine should be removed, leaving only two appendages above, which reduce by two buds.

The formation does not end there. In the fourth year, the upper central vines will need to be removed. Between them there should be a distance without branches from 20 centimeters and more. All shoots that were formed by the fifth year are pruned in such a way that only 3 eyes are left on them.

And only by the sixth year the gardener proceeds to the formation of the fruit branch.

What to look for when choosing the basic terminal vines:

• young and healthy wood;
• each should have about 15 buds;
• look for a vine going in the right direction.

If it turns out that there is no healthy grape branch going in the right direction, it is quite easy to redirect the young vine. Gently move it and tie it to the support. As the bush grows, the antennae will cling to the base and support the branch in a new position.

Poor quality, poor pruning becomes the first reason that the berries are not only small but also tasteless. The purpose of pruning is to reach the vine, which grows only the right amount of branches. The grapes on a well-formed plant ripen faster, because it receives a sufficient amount of light and nutrients.

Too much shade from the vigorous growth of the leaves does not allow the plant to produce a sufficient amount of grapes, and the fruits are of lower quality. Cut the vine should be about 4-8 buds below the fruit branch, which should be no less than a standard pencil in thickness.

This is one of the most common mistakes novice gardeners.They seem to be afraid to leave the vine without branches, thereby only harming the future harvest. Removing from 50 to 90% of the shoots is normal, so the fruit clusters will receive moisture, and the grapes will be sweet enough.

In the spring, when all living organisms awaken, it is time to use the additional system to protect the vines from pests. This is a treatment, the main purpose of which is to prevent infection by insects and diseases.

The first spraying occurs at the beginning of April, when the vine rises on the trellis. Gardeners use fungicides that can cope with fungi. It affects not only the grapes, but also the soil around it, because there may be harmful disputes. Special attention should be paid to the forks and bends of the plant, where bacteria accumulate.

The second time the grapes are sprayed in mid-April, when insects begin to wake up. If you do not use the insecticide on time, the pests will damage the kidneys, respectively, the yield will be low.

The last spring treatment begins after the plant ceases to bloom. It happens at the end of May. For this, a mixture of insecticide and fungicide is used.

It requires grapes and top dressing, because it helps to quickly develop the fruits and get all the necessary elements from the soil for ripening the crop. Fertilizer must be applied before mid-summer. Later, its use can lead to the growth of additional shoots, whereas the plant should be at rest. Late activity can weaken the ability of the vine to survive the winter and affect its growth next year. Grapes planted in a balanced soil, you can not feed.

Grapes prefer a well-balanced fertilizer, which is not difficult to buy in the store. Look for the inscription on the package "10-10-10" or "15-15-15." Fertilizers can be applied in liquid and dry form.

Pruning is used for varieties with low natural fecundity on the basal branches. It requires the annual replacement of one-year-old branches, on which the buds produce shoots, where the harvest of this year is formed.

The first step is to identify the fruit of the vine for the next year. It is necessary to look for branches that are round, well ripened and developed, they are on top of the upper part of the vine. This is the best option since such shoots receive enough light during the growing season.

Pruning requires a high level of knowledge and takes time. The grower must be able to assess the quality of the vine in order to determine whether it will give him enough fruits in the coming year. Despite the complexity, if the procedure is carried out correctly, then it will be easy to assess later on how many advantages such work provides. Protection against frost and an increase in the number of grapes - not all the benefits of pruning.

The climate and fertility of the soil largely determine the rate at which the vine will grow. Every year pruning work becomes easier. There are several additional points that novice gardeners should be aware of:

• If you do not disinfect, then at least sterilize the tools after working on each vine. It is best to use a solution of isopropyl alcohol.
• Remove any diseased branches.
• Sections should be made at least one centimeter above the bud and at about a 45 degree angle.
• You can not cut the shoots on the same level, it will lead to the death of one of them.
• Try to remove those branches that grow inside and leave external ones.
• Tie shoots loosely to the trellis.

The secret of success: the vines produce fruits on one-year-old wood. This means that in the spring, when additional shoots begin to form on the main branch, it starts to become covered with bark.

In the second year, the main goal is to achieve a balanced vine, which contains only the required number of shoots. Too much of their accumulation gives a lot of shade, and she, in turn, does not allow the fruit to receive a sufficient amount of light, respectively, and the yield drops.

To determine which branches can no longer yield, that is, dead, it is enough to look at their color. From light gray to black shoots are already dried or dying, which need to be cut off so that the plant does not experience additional load. Healthy ones are usually colored red to brown.

Sometimes it is worth leaving a few branches from last year, especially if the plant is still young and only forms its vine. Stamp cutting is used for varieties that show high fecundity. This is the most effective and popular method. Grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are pruned most often.

To begin the procedure, you need to select the strongest stem of the vine, then using a secateur to remove all nearby branches at the base of the plant as close as possible to the trunk. The rest, which will serve as the basis, will need to be secured with wire or twine.

Removing excess branches in the first year is not a good idea. If nothing is done, the grapes will be able to strengthen the root system; afterwards, pruning will bring him less harm. It is better to start the procedure in the middle of the summer of the second year. During this period, it is necessary to cut off the upper part of the main trunk just when the vine has reached the desired height. This process is called pruning and allows you to grow new and healthy branches along the vine.

Pruning is an important task that the gardener must learn to perform. It is worth remembering that the more shoots, the tighter the branches, and this, in turn, does not allow the grapes to give enough light and space to grow. Cutting is an important task that the gardener must learn to perform.

Learn more about the process of cutting the grapes from the following video.