How to properly prepare the vine for wintering. How to prepare vines for winter

Foreword

For many gardeners, winter becomes a real test, since frost can destroy all plantings, there is nothing to say about the harvest. And that is why it is so important to know how to prepare plants for the cold.

Necessary tools and materials

Staples

What harm can frost do to grapes?

From severe cold vines can be damaged varying degrees gravity. Naturally, this will lead to further problems with the development of plants and their yield.

Frosts can lead to the death of annual growth and perennial branches, due to which active growth will be observed only in coppice shoots;
Because of the cold, the above-ground part of the vineyard may die;
If they suffer from frost fruit buds, there will be no flowering of grapes in the new season, which means that you will receive the harvest at least in a year;
Severe cold can damage not only the entire aerial part, but also the root part, because of which the grapes will stop growing and producing crops.

By knowing how to store grapes in winter, these problems can be avoided. And the lack of shelter will lead to the death of both the young vine, and the branches, and the root system. As a result, you can lose almost the entire crop. Preparing grapes for winter - here's what to avoid severe frostbite.

How to Prepare Grapes for Winter: Vine Care

From March to November, it is necessary to constantly inspect the grapes, quickly and effectively eliminating diseased shoots, cutting out damaged or frozen branches. It is also carried out with the help of fungicides. After harvest, you can use an increased dose chemicals for processing, which will help the grapes to ripen and winter in a healthy state.

Growers know that plants under cover at warm temperatures expend a lot of nutrients to support the processes in the "organism". And so that the grape vines have enough nutrients for the winter and for the subsequent development of new shoots in the spring, the plant is fed with mineral and organic fertilizers. It should be remembered about foliar top dressing which is carried out several times during the summer.

Mandatory conditions for the care of the vineyard are:

Timely thinning of the vine and removal of unnecessary branches;
Supporting vine health by adding nutrients.

The second stage of preparation for winter - pruning and rolling

If you have been taking care of the grapes throughout the year, trying to keep the plants healthy, you can proceed to the next step -. However, before that, it is necessary to trim and cut (remove) part of the root system. Keep in mind that the branches are pruned some time after the grape harvest - the vine needs to get a little stronger, replenishing the supply of nutrients.

As growers say, early removal of shoots reduces the frost resistance of the plant - it is advisable to start these works when the first frosts come. Katharovka (removal of roots that grow near the ground) is carried out in order to strengthen the root system.

They work like this:

First, we dig a ditch around the stems up to 25 cm deep;
We cut the roots to the base and cover the slices with vitriol;
We fill the trench with sand from above;
We plant and water the bushes.

How to save grapes for the winter - choose a shelter

The most popular shelter methods are the dry version and covering the vines and shoots with earth. Sprinkling with soil is considered the most simple option, it is most suitable for young grapes. The cover goes like this:

We dig a trench to a depth of 20 cm, put a sleeve in it, cover the bottom with straw or fallen leaves with a layer of about 5 cm;
We remove the vine from the trellis and lay it in a trench, covering it with straw on top.

To carry out the dry shelter method, you will need polyethylene film and such dense material as mats, tarpaulin, agrofibre. To carry out shelter in this way, you do not need to dig a trench, since we will lay the branches on the mulch under the vine bushes, covering them with hay or straw on top with a layer of at least 30 cm. We put bags, a film on top of the material, fixing them with steel brackets.

When preparing a grape planting for the winter, it is very important to correctly carry out all the activities in the fall, which will help keep the berry crop without loss until spring, and will also allow you to get a rich and high-quality harvest next year.

Features of preparing grapes for winter in the Middle lane: how to cover, cut, process

Especially important proper care autumn for young planting of grapes. Saplings, as well as young bushes of this berry crop, regardless of the variety, have sufficient winter hardiness, therefore, with a frosty winter with little snow, the risk of freezing of the vine and grape leaves increases sharply. A recently planted seedling of this horticultural crop is especially susceptible to freezing.

The best covering materials

To date, gardeners practice several ways to shelter grapes on winter period.

Shelter method	Execution Technology	Application features
hilling	Creation of a mound above the plant with a height of 10 cm to 25 cm	Suitable for protecting the first year of life
half-cover	Creating a shelter for the sleeves, the head of the bush and the base of the shoots from straw or agrofibre	Protection of the part of the vine crown closest to the soil surface
full cover of bushes	Remove the vine from the trellis and defoliate with formative pruning. Bend the plant to the ground and then cover natural fabric and insulation film	In warm winters, ventilation should be provided in insulated structures to prevent the plant from steaming and premature bud opening.

Winter pruning rules

Winter pruning is recommended in the regions of covering viticulture and contributes to a more effective shelter of the plant before the onset of winter cold:

no more than four eyes should be left on replacement knots;
on fruitful vines, it is desirable to leave more than ten eyes;
cuts should face the inside of the plant;
all branches left must be strong and healthy;
it is recommended to remove non-fertile arrows;
replacement knots should be located as close as possible to the stem;
the cut section is desirable to be processed.

When pruning grape bushes, it is advisable to leave low stumps that will not allow wounds to heal for too long. Optimal time pruning depends on weather and soil-climatic conditions in the region of cultivation of grapes. All diseased and too old shoots are subject to mandatory removal during this period.

Top dressing, watering and other care in the fall

In autumn, water-charging irrigation is very important, which should be carried out along trenches that remain after covering the plants with soil and with the help of special drainage holes. If the soil remains dry, then winter frosts can penetrate deep into the soil, as a result of which there is often a rupture and death of the root system. AT rainy autumn with well-dug and loose soil, there is no need for water-charging irrigation.

After active growth and a productive phase, the grapes need to replenish their spent energy, which will allow them to prepare for the winter in the best possible way, as well as for the next fruiting season. In autumn, you should adhere to the following recommendations for feeding berry crops:

in early September, the first dressing accelerates the ripening of the vine and prepares the plant for winter;
for the first feeding, 20 g of superphosphate and 10 g of potassium salt are used for each square meter vineyard;
a good result is given by the addition of the first top dressing 1-2.5 g boric acid, 2 g of zinc sulfate and 2-2.5 g of manganese sulfate;
in the presence of sandy soil, 1 g of potassium iodine is added;
late autumn period top dressing is carried out by adding 25 g of potassium and 25 g of phosphorus per square meter of planting area.

All top dressing must be accompanied by the most abundant watering.

Protection of the vine from diseases and pests

Processing the vineyard in the autumn allows you to maintain the health of the berry crop and is carried out according to the following scheme:

conduct a visual inspection of the aerial parts of the plant to detect mildew damage;
if necessary, remove diseased shoots and process the vineyard chemicals;
for spraying, you can use Amistar, Mikal, Efal, Delan, Ditan-M45, Strobi, Novozir, Utan, Penkotseb, Acrobat, Ridomil-gold ”, “Kuproksat”, “Kartotsid”, “Sandofan”, “Copper oxychloride”, “Oxyhom”, “Agiba-Peak”, “Polyram”, “Avixil” or “Folpan”;
if a vineyard is affected by oidium, then the plant is treated with sulfur preparations;
with oidium, it is desirable to spray the aerial part of the grape bush with Colloidal Gray, Mikal, Fundazol, Amistar, Vectra, Topaz, Cumulus, Strobi, Kartocide, Thiovit-Jet , "Falcon" or "Impact";
similar preparations can be used to protect the vineyard from damage by phomopsis and anthracnose;
grape leaflet will be scared away by infusions based on tobacco and chamomile or the drug "Rovikurt";
in order to prevent cercosporosis, the drugs "Fundazol" or "Polyhom" are used.

It is very important to produce timely chasing and pinching, which allows to destroy ticks on the vine. Cropped grape bushes before wrapping for the winter are recommended to be treated with a 3-5% solution based on copper or iron sulphate.

How to cover grapes for the winter (video)

Late autumn landing in the Moscow region, in Ukraine, in Bashkiria

Landing technology:

the site should be open, well protected from cold winds and drafts;
planting grapes should not be located near tall fruit plantations garden trees;
quality seedling has a well-developed annual green shoot 40-50 cm high with a stem thickness of 7-8 mm;
on a well-developed grape seedling, there should be three or more light brown roots, 10-15 cm long and more than 2-3 mm thick;
shoots must have well-ripened buds, and immediately before planting they must be shortened by four eyes;
root system after refreshing pruning, it is recommended to immerse in a solution based on heteroauxin before planting;
a landing pit measuring 50x50x60 should be prepared in advance, providing high-quality drainage based on crushed stone or brick battle;
it is recommended to install a pipe in the center of the planting pit for liquid feeding and watering the plant;
the pit should be filled with fertile soil with the addition of nitroammophoska, wood ash and humus.

After planting, it is necessary to carry out abundant irrigation measures. autumn planting involves the obligatory high hilling of the plant with soil, as well as mulching with needles, sawdust or shavings.

Variety selection

In the autumn, it makes sense to plant only the most unpretentious, the most frost-resistant varieties, which are able to take root well before the onset of winter frosts. Currently, there are several such varieties, and all of them quite reasonably deserve the attention of amateur gardeners.

Variety	Category	Peculiarities	Frost resistance
"Riesling"	Technical (wine) variety	Undemanding to growing conditions	up to -26°С.
"Augustine"	hybrid form	Increased resistance to various diseases	up to -26°С.
"Alpha"	Complex hybrid form	Resistance to damage by gray mold and grape moth	up to -29°C
"Isabel"	Hybrid table-technical variety	Characterized by a strong and tall vine	up to -32°С
"Marinovsky"	hybrid view	Low percentage of sugar content ripe berries	up to -29°C
"Amur"	Variety of European-Amur origin.	Needs seasonal rationing of yields	up to -29°C

Storing grape cuttings until spring

Cuttings (chubuks) of grapes are quite well preserved until spring at home. As a rule, long-term storage of cuttings in the form of a blank of planting material for spring planting is carried out in a cellar or in a refrigerator according to the following recommendations:

bundled cuttings should be placed in a plastic bag, sprinkled with moistened sawdust. It is impossible to tie the bag tightly, as this can disrupt the air exchange and breathing of the planting material. A package with cuttings should be placed for long-term storage in a cellar at a temperature in the range of 2-4 ° C;
long-term storage of planting material can be carried out in special trenches 50 cm deep with an arbitrary length and width. In this case, cut cuttings must be tied into bundles, laid on the bottom of the sandy bottom of the trench, sprinkled with a layer of wet sand and soil.

Save planting material fresh can be in a regular household refrigerator. Cut cuttings should be wrapped in a damp and clean cloth, and then placed in plastic bags and placed on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.

How to keep grapes fresh longer

When harvesting, gardeners ask themselves questions about how to keep the berries and leaves of the cultivated crop longer with minimal losses. Of course, the longest-keeping late-ripening varieties are stored the longest, but certain rules should be followed when storing them.

Berry storage

Long-term storage of grapes involves some preparation of storage and implementation proper collection harvest:

in the room for storing grapes, there must be constant ventilation;
in winter, the temperature in the storage should not fall below 2 ° C, and the optimal indicators can vary within 0-5 ° C;
the storage should be completely free of pests and molds, so the visit should be subjected to pre-treatment.

Ripe bunches can be displayed on shelves, stored in wooden tubs or wicker baskets, or hung from the ceiling.

Leaf storage

Grape leaves for cooking dolma can be stored in several ways:

freezing of leaves;
marinating;
dry canning;
salting and dry salting.

Most often, washed and dried leaves are stacked in piles of up to thirty pieces and wrapped in cling film. Such a blank is perfectly stored in a household freezer.

How to prune grapes before wintering (video)

Currently, grapes are in demand in the same way as thousands of years ago. The berries and leaves of this crop are eaten fresh and serve as an excellent basis for harvesting. It is not too difficult to grow this valuable and popular plant in home gardening, it is enough to follow the technology and adhere to all the recommendations listed above.

Reviews and comments

Svetlana 25.10.2015

One must be careful with straw when sheltering grapes, especially if it contains spikelets with grain: mice can breed in it and arrange nests. Then they will gnaw the whole vine. So it was with me when I just started to deal with grapes. And before shelter, I sprinkle the vine with red pepper: mice do not like it.

Elena 08/30/2018

In the fall, we cover the grapes in two ways, or we dig trenches along the grapes, lay the vines there and sprinkle with earth, or simply bend the vines to the ground, fix them with brackets, cover them with oilcloth on top and also fix it with brackets. As far as I know, grapes are not as afraid of the cold as they are of icing.

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Hello to all lovers of homemade products, as well as those who love gardening!

In this article, I want to continue the topic of growing grapes on household plots in middle lane Russia.

And today I will talk about how to prepare a grape bush for wintering, which is undoubtedly a very important step in caring for grapes, since not only its harvest next year depends on a good wintering, but also the very fact of its survival and subsequent existence.

In principle, the preparation of a grape bush for winter can be slowly started immediately after harvesting in mid-late September. At this time, you can cut out individual weak or dried vines.

However, the main strong vines need to be left to mature for about a month. During this time, they better lignify, accumulate more nutrients, harden, and become more resistant to cold.

Already by about mid-October, the vines turn brown, indicating that they have matured well. At this time, you can start pruning, as well as harvesting cuttings from cut vines (if necessary).

So, here's what our grape bush looks like by mid-October.

As you can see, a lot of leaves still hang on it, but they are already dry and dead.

These leaves must be removed.

From the bush itself, the leaves are removed by simple tearing off. And to do this is very easy, because they barely hold on.

Fallen leaves must also be carefully removed from under the grape bush.

Then you can loosen a little upper layer soil under the grape bush with a chopper or rake.

Thus, it is possible to remove the remaining weeds, as well as break the earthen crust (if any).

This is what our bush looks like with the leaves and weeds removed.

Now you can start cutting out unnecessary vines.

To begin with, we cut with a knife the ties with which the vertical vines intended for removal were tied to the trellis.

Then we cut off the vertical vines themselves with secateurs.

These vines can be used to harvest cuttings. For information on how to prepare cuttings, see my article: "". If the cuttings are not needed, then the cut vines can, for example, be burned at the stake.

Then we cut off the horizontal vines, directly from which the vertical ones we cut grew.

The stumps left from the horizontal vines we cut are carefully covered with garden pitch, or another remedy for wounds.

We also remove the wooden pegs to which the horizontal vines were tied.

And here's what our grape bush looks like now.

As you can see, I left on it the seven most successful growing vertical vines at the very base of the bush. From these vines next year, in the spring, I will choose the most suitable ones and tie them horizontally to pegs. Just from them, new vertical vines will grow, on which the next year's crop will actually be formed.

In principle, depending on the age and strength of the bush, it is recommended to leave two to six of these vines on it, which will serve as horizontal arms next year.

Of the seven vines I have left, I will also use probably 4 to 6 vines, and the extra vines can be removed as early as next spring.

Now we can leave our grape bush in this form for another two, three weeks before the onset of stable cold and frost at night.

During this time, as a rule, in the second half of October, it is necessary to carry out pre-winter watering of our bush.

Moisture-charging watering makes the grape bush more tenacious and resistant to frost and generally better adapted to wintering.

Moreover, it is desirable to produce such watering, even if the autumn is quite damp and rainy. In this case, it is enough to pour 50-60 liters of water under the bush. If the autumn is dry, then the amount of water should be increased to 70-80 liters.

So, we produce moisture-charging watering of our grape bush.

It is necessary to water the bush gradually and evenly, that is, after we pour one watering, we need to wait two or three minutes for the water to be well absorbed, and then water again until we pour everything required amount water.

Now we leave our grape bush alone for a while.

When more significant cold sets in, and the temperature at night drops to -2, -3 degrees, it will be necessary to cover the base of the bush with two or three buckets of earth or humus.

In this form, our bush will be until the very moment of its shelter for the winter.

As a rule, the final shelter of the grape bush is made closer to mid-November. But of course it all depends on the specific weather conditions. If from the long-term weather forecast it becomes known about the onset of severe cold weather, as well as frosts down to -5, -6 degrees and below, then the bush must be covered.

Before sheltering the grape bush (best in advance), you need to prepare spruce branches and hooks for pinning the vines to the ground.

These hooks can be made from planks of wood or wire, but the easiest option, which I have been using for a long time, is to cut these hooks with pruning shears from various branches left after autumn pruning garden.

So, to finally shelter the grape bush for the winter, we perform the following operations:

We take several spruce branches and lay them at the base of the bush. On them we will lay twisted vines.

Then we untie all the vines from the trellises, remove the trellises themselves and disassemble their racks.

This is what our bush looks like already without trellises.

Now gently bend the vines to the ground and twist them slightly. This must be done very carefully, because the vines are very fragile and can easily break.

We lay all the vines on the planted spruce branches and pin them to the ground with wooden hooks.

And this is what our bush looks like with vines pinned to the ground.

Now we cover it with spruce branches. To do this, spread the branches of the spruce branches in a fan along the circumference with the fluffy ends of the branches outward, and with the broken tips towards the middle of the bush.

Thus, we impose three, four layers of spruce branches. Each new layer is applied a little closer to the middle of the bush.

As a result, we get such a fairly dense and reliable shelter.

Now our grape bush can safely winter until spring.

At the same time, I want to remind you that since it is not the spruce branches themselves that protect the grape bush from winter freezing, but the layer of snow that is on it, it is very desirable to additionally throw snow with a shovel several times during the winter on a covered bush, thus creating a thicker snow pillow.

In conclusion, I want to say a few more words about the merits of spruce branches as a covering material.

In my experience, spruce branches are the best covering material for grapes, and for other horticultural crops. Its main advantages are that it passes air very well and at the same time holds snow very well.

I must say that some gardeners are trying to cover the grapes with hay or fallen leaves. However, by no means do I recommend doing so. Since these materials pass air well, only in dry form. If they get wet, for example, during a thaw, and then freeze in this form, then they completely stop letting air through. As a result, all the vines covered for the winter can simply rot and rot under such shelter.

Therefore, to shelter a grape bush, it is best to use spruce branches. Of course, it must be said right away that not all gardeners in our time have the opportunity to get spruce branches. But it is highly desirable to do so. At least just a few branches of spruce branches to cover the grape bush in just two layers. From above it will be possible to additionally impose more cut branches with fruit trees and shrubs to better hold the snow.

If you have absolutely no way to get spruce branches, then try to cover the vine bush with a non-woven covering material folded in two or three layers. At least it will let air through even when wet. Again, you can put cut branches on top, or several wooden planks, on which periodically during the winter it will be necessary to throw snow for better thermal insulation.

Well, that's all for me!

Good luck to everyone in growing grapes!

How to do everything right, not harm the plant and protect it from low temperatures winter - read on!

Grapes for the winter - we monitor the health of the vine in advance

Every gardener, even an amateur, knows that a weak and diseased vine will never survive the winter and is doomed to death. In order for the plant not to get sick and have excellent vitality, before the onset of frost, it is necessary to take care of the maximum comfortable conditions its growth and provide the right fertilizer root system. It is fertilizers that have the greatest effect on the strength of the vine and its readiness for wintering, since grapes accumulate starch, organic matter and sugar, which do not allow them to freeze even in the most severe frosts. If the plant has not accumulated the necessary substances, then the risk of freezing is very high.

It is necessary to pay attention to diseases of grapes. If it forms powdery mildew, fungus, mold or vine has been attacked by a pest - you must immediately, after you collect all the bunches (so as not to eat chemicals), treat with continuous fungicides. Any drugs, since the main thing is to destroy all biological activity on the plant and allow it to calmly accumulate nutrients.

Vine care also includes processing blue vitriol autumn. For this, a solution of 5% is suitable, which needs to be abundantly sprayed on the plant, and even better - dip into the solution, if it is possible to do so. This helps to get rid of many pests and sterilize the vine so that nothing disturbs while under the snow (or under the artificial "roof").

From the first days of spring, care must be taken that the bushes are not too thick, otherwise they will have a low vitality, and each process will not be able to absorb the necessary amount of minerals and salts.

grape pruning

Sheltering grapes for the winter is impossible without high-quality pruning for several reasons. First, it should be noted that it will be necessary a large number of material and labor to bury 7-8 meter shoots. It is better to shorten them to 2-3 meters, so that it is convenient to tilt them to the ground and cover them with a special agrofiber or pretend to be ground. Pruning is necessary not only for convenience, but also for the health of the plant itself. accumulate in the stem useful material, the outflow of which occurs from annual shoots to the productive part of the bush and roots. Thus, you can not cut the shoots immediately after fruiting, as some gardeners do.

The optimal pruning time is the first frost. It is then that the juice stops moving and the period of "hibernation" begins. You can safely remove annual shoots - they will freeze anyway and dry out in the spring. Absolutely everything is cut off to the hardened part, you can leave at your own risk 20-30 centimeters more, but it’s not a fact that this area will overwinter. Only perennial wood is thick enough to survive icing. The winter hardiness of the bush will increase significantly if you protect the site from the wind, since it is he who affects the icing of the stem. Icing restricts oxygen access and does not allow the plant to breathe, causing areas to die off (even perennial wood).

Choosing a vine that will overwinter is quite simple. You can do this visually. Its thickness should be at least 10-15 mm, if less, it is better not to risk it.

Next, we look at the core of the vine. If it occupies from 90 to 60% of the area, then there is no chance to survive prolonged cold. It is necessary that the core occupies no more than 40-50% of the volume, then we can say that all vital "organs" will be reliably hidden from the cold. The remaining thin stems can be safely cut.

How to save grapes for the winter - the harm and benefits of feeding

Many will be genuinely surprised that fertilizers can do a lot of harm, especially early varieties. It is known that nitrogen fertilizers too good influence on the development of the vegetative mass, especially at ambient temperatures above +15 0 C. Thus, the weight gain can be up to 1% per day or more, and the surface of the vine does not have time to harden and remains “young” for several more months. As a result, the shoots can freeze at low temperatures, and their growth stops only 1-2 months after the end of feeding with nitrogen-containing substances.

So that this does not happen, and the stem has time to harden and form a strong bark that would protect it from low temperatures, it is necessary to finish feeding with liquid and granular fertilizers 3-4 months before the onset of cold weather. That is, as soon as the vineyard ceased to bear fruit (or better a month before), it is necessary to suspend the application of ammonium nitrate and phosphate fertilizers.

But do not confuse phosphorus and nitrogen fertilizers with organic ones, which will only benefit the root system and stems. They nourish the necessary substances and warm the roots as a result. chemical processes occurring during slow decomposition organic matter. At the end of October, it is necessary to apply up to 5-10 kg of humus under each bush, and do it in such a way that all lateral roots do not come into direct contact with it, but have a soil ball 5-6 centimeters from humus. Otherwise, they can simply burn out in the spring when high temperature. In any case, if you covered the site with organic fertilizers, in the spring you need to pour everything abundantly so that the substances are absorbed evenly into the soil and do no harm.

The construction of winter shelters and their features

When building winter shelters, the main thing to understand is one simple thing - frost is not as terrible as ice, which makes it impossible to breathe. Even in the most severe frosts, the raspberry can remain unharmed if it was in a secluded place and “breathed”. Therefore, it makes no sense to dig large trenches, just sprinkle the earth on top or cover the vine.

When and how to insulate grapes for the winter no one will tell you for sure, since there is only one right decision for this task. Each uses the method that is most popular in his latitudes. In many cases, they begin to cover at an average daily temperature of -5 ° C - this is the ideal time, according to 60% of the gardeners surveyed. What needs to be considered and what to pay attention to?

Length of stay under winter shelter should be minimal. The more it will be underground, fabric and other types insulation layers, the weaker the clusters will be in the spring. Cover grapes in nature is not provided, and he needs constant access to air, in the ground he is affected by bacteria, begins to rot and simply "suffocate" over time. The sooner you dig it up and the later you bury it, the faster the young shoots will develop and clusters will form.
It is not enough to accumulate starch for the wintering period, it is necessary that it crystallizes into sugar. Only sugar syrup, which is formed in the process of exposure to sub-zero temperatures on starch, can save the plant. It works like antifreeze in a car - it does not allow the entire "mechanism" to freeze even at -20 0C. What should be done? Just let it stand in the cold for a few days. After that, you can cover and bury.
Cannot be covered with foil. Never use polyethylene materials for winter shelter. Cells stop breathing and die. It is also worth considering that under the film there will be a greenhouse effect: under the sun, the buds will germinate and immediately die at night when negative temperature. It is better to leave without shelter at all than under the film - so at least there will be chances to survive.
It is impossible to cover the vine early. If it gets into warm ground, it can germinate, after which very coldy destroy the kidneys.

There are a large number of options for how to shelter for the winter, from the most time-consuming and lengthy, to five minutes. Consider several ways to build wintering "houses":

Lazy way. We bend the branches to the floor, cover with a polypropylene bag or agrofibre from above and press down with bricks. Actually, nothing more is needed. You can also sketch the earth along the edge.
Way for lovers earthworks. We dig a hole with a depth of 30-40 centimeters and for the length of the entire stem, after which we put the vine in it and bury it. Sketch another 20-25 centimeters of earth from above so that no frosts find your treasure. If strength and desire remain, you can still throw earth on top of the roots so that they are warm and comfortable on cold winter nights.
Way for lovers modern architecture. If you couldn't make beautiful landscape design in the warm season - you have the opportunity to do it now! We wrap the tied and erect stem in agrofibre, burlap or other breathable material. Thus, you get a beautiful "ekibana" of impressive size! Not pretty enough? You can paint such a "design" in white or black - original. Your guests will certainly appreciate your taste, and the style will be reminiscent of European (they decorate every element in small yards, including plants prepared for winter)!
A method for gardeners who breed a lot of "tops". If the bush is very large and has thin stems since autumn, it is easiest to twist them into a spiral, and then tie them. Hammer 4 sticks around the bush, wrap them around with agrofiber or even mineral wool(some prefer to use fiberglass). Imagine yourself as a silkworm and make a beautiful cocoon around a bush! With a wall thickness of the "cocoon" of 1-2 mm, the plant is not afraid of any frost!

There are many more ways to keep grapes in winter, but these are the most popular and proven by many gardeners. Even summer residents and gardeners use special shelters for shelter. insulation materials, but then the design turns out to be relatively expensive (besides, it is disposable and will have to be thrown out next year). Therefore, there is no need to consider such a method. If you do everything right according to this guide, then next year you can confidently count on a good and tasty harvest of berries!

In the rather harsh Russian climate, preparing grapes for winter becomes a very difficult task.

To collect good harvest The "breeder" of grapes must designate in advance for himself a list of necessary procedures, correctly perform them, while choosing the most suitable time for them. An error in timing threatens with damping or freezing of grape bushes, and hence their death.

Preparing grapes for the winter cold is an important and serious process. How easily the grape bushes survive the winter depends on how well they are cared for throughout the season. Weak sickly grapes with poorly ripened wood will not be able to survive the winter. Therefore, starting from early spring, he needs constant care and attention.

Carefully select varieties suitable for your region;
Bushes must be absolutely healthy;
Thin out the vineyard regularly, removing damaged and excess branches;
Remember that the more yield a bush gives, the longer its wood will mature, so adjust the number of clusters;
Periodically feed the grapes with ash and potassium - this accelerates the ripening of the wood;
From mid-summer, exclude fertilizers with nitrogen, otherwise the energy of the plant is directed to the formation of now unnecessary green mass;
Do not neglect the autumn chasing.

How to prepare a vineyard

Vine health

A strong and healthy vineyard will endure winter frosts much more painlessly. This is due to the fact that the vine will not be weakened by various pathogenic organisms that are on it or in the soil at the place of shelter.

Therefore, before wintering, the vineyard must be carefully examined and all shoots affected by harmful insects and diseases removed.

After the vine, carefully treat with special fungicides, they not only easily cope with pathogenic microflora, but also prevent their reappearance for a certain time. Good results are obtained by spraying it with a 3-5% solution of iron or copper sulfate.

Try to carry out the treatment immediately after pruning so that the healing liquid gets on each part of the vine.

Immediately before wintering, treat the vineyard with the same solution.

strong vineyard

Powerful, well-prepared bushes tolerate lower temperatures more easily, so you should take care of it. vitality. It is no secret that in order to maintain any life process, the vine spends a certain amount of nutrient reserves accumulated before wintering.

The lion's share of them is wasted during the winter period, when the plant is in shelter. At the same time, in the spring during the development period, it also needs energy, since the growth of new shoots occurs thanks to these reserves.

This means that for a prosperous wintering and a prosperous spring awakening, the vineyard must be very strong. Therefore, the whole season he needs regular top dressing, both organic and mineral.

mature vine

By winter, only a well-ripened vine should be present on each grape bush. It can be distinguished by its characteristic brown, of sufficient thickness and bark, it should remain warm enough even when the first cold weather sets in.

Healthy vines ripen well and survive the winter cold, the thickness of which is 6-13 mm, with a core occupying less than 1/3 of the stem diameter. They contain a sufficient amount of nutrients.

Fresh wood that has not yet gained strength must be completely removed. In winter, she will die anyway, but until that moment she will consume nutrients and take them from the bush. As a result, in the spring, the bush may suffer from nutritional deficiencies.

Moreover, weak shoots can provoke the appearance of various diseases under cover. As a result, the entire plant may suffer.

Many factors influence the aging process. This is the load on the wood, and the intensity of its nutrition, and the correctness of sanitary treatments.

Significantly accelerate the ripening of the vine can be the use of potash top dressing. Great fit wood ash and potassium sulfate, which does not contain chlorine, both regular watering and foliar spraying will be effective.

For one adult bush, you need 30 grams of potassium dissolved in a bucket of water, or 1 liter of ash, infused for several days also in a bucket of plain water.

At the same time, from the second half of summer, completely cancel nitrogen fertilizers, which provoke the active growth of the plant and negatively affect the ripening of clusters and saturating it with vital energy.

Chasing

Good help can be provided to the bushes in such a way as autumn chasing. It involves cutting off most of the top of the shoot, only 15 remains on the bush. bottom sheets, everything else is just cut off. This procedure stops growth and sends nutrients to the berry clusters, from where they are then spent on the vine ripening process.

Particular attention should be paid to the timing of the minting. Pruning is done at the moment when the growth of the shoots comes to naught, if you remove them earlier, even for a few days, the reverse process may begin - the growth of stepchildren is activated. Define optimal time quite easy to mint.

As you know, fresh branches grow curved, then their growth slows down and they straighten. Take a closer look at the bush, if half of its shoots are curved and half are straightened, then it is allowed to start pruning.

Chasing is not a mandatory technique, especially if your vines have time to mature without using it. In some regions, it is impossible to accurately determine when the vineyard stopped growing, and this is fraught with errors.

Autumn pruning of the vine

In fact, the issue of pruning is rather ambiguous - it depends on the growing region and weather conditions, variety, ripening and harvesting dates. But in general, there are general recommendations:

Autumn pruning should not be carried out immediately after harvesting - this can seriously weaken the bushes, which means leaving it on winter time without an impressive supply of nutrients. This can be explained by the fact that grapes spend too much energy to ripen berries, and if you cut off the entire productive part immediately after harvesting, then it will not have the opportunity to stock up on food. If you give the vineyard time to recover and only then remove the extra shoots, then it will go to winter prepared and strong.
It is best to prune immediately after the foliage has fallen or when the first frosts come. It is then that in shrubs the nutrients pass into mature wood and roots.

Shelter of vines

The last but not the least significant step in preparing the grapes for winter is the construction of the right shelter.

First of all, you need to figure out when to cover the vineyard. It is absolutely necessary to do this not earlier than frosts come (5-6 degrees below zero). It is advisable to keep the vine bushes under cover as little as possible; staying in the shelter for too long will not benefit the plant.

The success of wintering grapes depends more often on the quality of its hardening than on shelter.

In fact, inside the plant occur standard processes- due to a decrease in temperature, the vine hardens, the liquid inside it is concentrated in the intercellular space, starch turns into sugar, respectively, the internal liquid becomes syrup.

It is this syrup that does not allow the juices inside the cells to freeze, and, accordingly, damage the root system and vine. The conclusion suggests itself - hardening is milestones in preparing grapes for winter.

Too early shelter of the vineyard threatens with an increase in temperature in its “winter home”, which means that the eyes will rot and the development of fungal diseases.

The best time to start building a shelter is the moment when the top layer of soil freezes a little. The vine in advance, preferably two or three after pruning, is tied and pinned to the ground. It is convenient if the covering material is somewhere nearby in order to quickly cover the vineyard if necessary.

Under the grape bushes lay dry organic material, such as spruce branches, straw or foliage. Install wooden shields over the vines so that there is a little free space around them.

From above, cover the shields with polyethylene, roofing felt, tarpaulin or any waterproof material. Shelter should be breathable, light, warm. On top, insulate everything with rags or a thin layer of earth.

It is advisable to leave the edge of the shelter on the south side ajar before the onset of stable cold weather. So the grapes will be ventilated and will not swell. In the spring, as soon as the air temperature rises above zero, the covering material is removed, and the vines are tied to the trellis.

Grapes should be sent for winter hardened, peeled, disinfected, trimmed, well “fed” and securely covered. Only in this case, your grapes will not only successfully winter, but will also delight you with an excellent harvest.