How to care for grapes in summer: the secrets of a rich harvest

Grapes are not only a wonderful fruit plant, they can also be a great decoration for your garden. However, the vine needs proper care to keep it looking lush and producing a rich harvest.

Gardening experts know how to care for grapes in summer. OBOZ.UA asked them about their secrets and basic tips.

Watering

A good grape harvest is impossible without watering – grapes do not like drought. You need to water the vine in the evening when the sun is sinking below the horizon and the heat is subsiding. The optimal frequency of watering during the period when the berries are growing and ripening is about once every one and a half to two weeks, depending on the weather. You will need two buckets of water per plant.

Protection against parasites

Check the back of the grape leaves regularly. They should be pale green, uniform, and free of any pronounced spots or plaque. If you notice anything suspicious on the plant – spots, cobwebs, traces of fungus, insects – do not delay its treatment. Grapes are very susceptible to infections and parasites, quickly infecting neighboring plants and therefore need immediate treatment. Cut off the diseased parts, spray with a properly selected preparation for a particular disease. And don't forget about prevention. The first treatment for diseases is carried out before flowering, and the second - when the ovary has just formed.

Fertilizing

To make the berries sweet and juicy, grapes need to be fertilized. A combination of organic and mineral fertilizers works best. Take a mullein infusion in a ratio of 1:5, add 20 grams of nitrophosphate, 30 grams of superphosphate, and 50 grams of wood ash. Dissolve all this in 10 liters of water and pour this mixture over the vine.

Pruning

Grapevines grow quickly, so they need proper annual pruning. In addition, this procedure allows you to get a rich harvest – uncut grapes soon degenerate.

Only the vine that grew last season produces good fruit. Therefore, everything that yielded this year's harvest should be removed in the fall.

Find a bud on the vine from which a tendril grows. Cut the shoot a little higher than it. This will be the optimal height. You should leave 8-10 of these buds on the fruiting vine, and up to 50 on the plant as a whole. Then the grapes will give the new shoots maximum resources and strength.

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