Care for grapes in summer: main rules and the right time for pruning

Grapes are an unpretentious crop, but they require proper care to produce a quality harvest. The plant needs special care during the warm season when the foundation for the future harvest is laid.

In summer, when the vine is actively growing and developing, it is important to follow certain rules. The agronomist told us about them in more detail.

Watering

Like any other crop, grapes need regular watering. This is especially important when it's hot outside and the soil dries out quickly.

Grapes should be watered in the evening. During the formation of inflorescences, each bush should be watered twice with two or three buckets of water at a time. When the clusters begin to fill and ripen, the grapes can be watered once every 1.5-2 weeks with two buckets of water.

Fertilizing

If necessary, you can treat grapes with mineral fertilizers during watering. Also, in the period from mid-June to mid-July, a number of fertilizing treatments are required. Experts recommend using a solution prepared with 10 liters of water, 20 grams of nitrophosphate, 30 grams of superphosphate, 50 grams of wood ash and mullein infusion in a ratio of 1:5.

Pests and diseases

Check grapes for pests and diseases regularly. Healthy leaves should be smooth on the back and have a greenish color, so if you notice a white coating on them, you should immediately remove all affected leaves, if there are few, or spray the bushes with special preparations for powdery mildew and grape mites.

If this does not help, and white and yellow spots appear on the plant, then you need to immediately treat the entire vineyard for downy mildew.

The first treatment against pests is usually carried out before flowering, and the second is done when the berries are the size of peas.

Pruning

It is very important to remove side shoots in a timely manner so that they do not interfere with the plant's ability to direct nutrients to grow vines and berries.

It is also necessary to prune the vine properly because otherwise the grapes will lose their taste and start producing fewer fruits. In addition, proper and timely pruning reduces the risk of disease.

To begin with, it is worth knowing that only last year's vine yields fruit, so the fruiting vine of the current season should be removed completely. And the fruiting vine is cut to 8-10 buds. This is usually done in the fall, and in the spring it is tied to the trunk. In general, at least fifty buds should be left on the bush.

Two vines usually grow on the stump left from the cut vine, one of which will need to be cut to 2-3 buds, and the second a little less because it will bear fruit next year.

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