How to feed grape seedlings. Top dressing of grapes before flowering

Grapes are a horticultural crop that is found in every summer cottage or vegetable garden. But in order for the shrub to produce a good harvest every year, it must be properly looked after. Particular attention should be paid to feeding the vineyard. Specialists have developed fertilizer application schemes, which are adjusted depending on which strip the crop grows in and the variety of the vineyard. Consider why grape feeding is generally needed, and how to properly implement it.

Why fertilize grapes

Caring for grapes is not only about covering shrubs for the winter and cutting off unnecessary shoots. Like any other horticultural crop, the vineyard needs certain substances, which, ideally, it gets from the soil. If this or that component is not enough, then the plant begins to bear fruit poorly and hurt. Therefore, fertilizers should be applied that compensate for the lack of one or another element. But, at the same time, it should be remembered that an overabundance of even the most useful element can lead to the appearance of diseases of the bush. Therefore, all fertilizers should be applied in a specific sequence.

Many people wonder why in the wild all plants grow perfectly and without feeding. In the wild, most of the crop falls to the ground, rotting there. It turns out that all the components that the shrub took from the soil during the fruiting period come back. When the shrub is cultivated, the entire crop is harvested. It is also worth noting the fact that in the wild, the vineyard grows only on those soils that suit it. When planting shrubs in the country, we do not think about whether the soil contains everything necessary for this plant, or not.

For top dressing to be effective, they need to be done at a specific time. In addition, a specific fertilizer corresponds to each period.

How to fertilize the vineyard

Before answering the question, you should understand what grapes need for normal growth and development. This shrub needs nitrogen, copper, potassium, phosphorus, zinc and boron. Accordingly, feeding grapes is the introduction of those fertilizers into the soil, which contain the above microelements.

All fertilizers that are applied to grape bushes are divided into 2 groups:

• basic;
• additional or top dressing.

Basic fertilizers, as a rule, are applied no more than once every 24 months. An exception is made if the soil is excessively depleted. Additional fertilizers, or, as they are often called, fertilizing are applied several times a season, small. We apply top dressing in liquid form.

In addition to manure, which is used as a top dressing for all horticultural crops, we add peat, potassium, compost, potassium sulfate, bird droppings, phosphorus, saltpeter, nitrogen, etc. under grape bushes.

Manure is the main fertilizer that contains everything you need for the health of the grape bush. By and large, manure improves the quality of the soil, makes it more fertile. Any organic matter acts as an alternative to manure. We introduce overripe manure into the soil, which contains the mineral elements necessary for the vineyard (phosphorus, for example).

Any mineral fertilizer can be used as top dressing. We give preference to fertilizers, which contain several mineral elements at once. Ammophos, azofosk and nitroammofosk are effective.

In addition to mineral fertilizers, which contain several components, potassium chloride, phosphorus, potassium sulfate, nitrogen, potassium magnesium, ammonium nitrate, boric acid, granular superphosphate, urea, ash are used as top dressing.

Feeding calendar

In order for the shrub to be healthy and produce a good harvest every year, it needs to be fed five times during the summer season.

1st feeding

In early spring we do the first top dressing. As soon as the warm sun appears, we apply a 3-component fertilizer to the soil, which is easy to make on our own. To feed one grape bush in 10 liters of water, we dilute 20 g of superphosphate, 10 g of ammonium nitrate and 5 g of potassium salt. If you are preparing fertilizer for all bushes at once, then when applying it to the soil, use a measuring bucket. You should not add more substance to the soil than 10 liters.

The second option for the first top dressing involves the introduction of superphosphate (40 g), nitrogen (40 g) and potassium (30 g) fertilizers into the soil. In this case, fertilizers are applied dry. Fertilizer weight per bush.

In parallel, you can fertilize the shrub with liquid fertilizers. But make sure that they do not contain chlorine. In this case, it is important to properly fertilize the bush. First, make a hole near the bush. Then, into this hole, pour 10 liters of pre-warmed (but not hot) water, fertilizers diluted in water, and water again. The preparations are diluted based on the manufacturer's recommendations. We are waiting for the soil to dry out. Then we gently loosen it. Even during the first feeding, the shrub is fertilized with ammonium sulfate.

This is the only top dressing that comes in the spring. All other top dressing of grapes is carried out in the summer.

2nd feeding

The second time we fertilize the vines 1.5-2 weeks before flowering. Depending on the climatic zone, this can be the end of May or the beginning of June. If we talk about the Moscow region, for example, then we perform the second feeding of grapes in early June. At this stage, you can use exactly the same 3-part liquid fertilizer as during the first feeding.

You can prepare a liquid fertilizer from 40 g of nitrogen fertilizers, 40 g of potash fertilizers, 50 g of superphosphates and 10 liters of water. At the same time, we introduce chicken droppings into the soil, diluted in water or a slurry prepared from manure. For the preparation of liquid fertilizing, manure and water are taken in a 1: 2 ratio. After preparing the slurry, it is left for at least a week, and preferably 1.5, in a barrel. Use, respectively, fermented fertilizer, previously diluted with water (ratio 1: 6). Superphosphate and potassium fertilizers can be added to the resulting mixture (20 and 15 g per 10 liters of water, respectively). Before introducing the slurry into the ground, we dig a groove or hole near the bush. We introduce, on average, 1.5 buckets of slurry per 1 bush.

3rd feeding

This grape dressing is performed in July. Terms may vary depending on climatic conditions. This dressing of grapes is done after flowering, just before the ripening of the berries, the size of which should correspond to the size of the peas. At this stage, the shrub needs potash fertilization. We also add superphosphate to the soil. But nitrogen is not added during the third feeding. You can prepare complex fertilizers (as during the second feeding, for example).

If the third top dressing of the vineyard is carried out in a timely manner, then the yield will increase by at least 1.5 times. The appearance of the berries will also improve.

4th feeding

As soon as the berries begin to ripen, and this will happen in the second half of August, the bushes should be fertilized for the fourth time. How to feed the grapes during the period that falls on the end of July or the beginning of August? Be sure to apply fertilizers that contain potassium (50 g per bush is enough). Also, it will not be superfluous to apply fertilizers, which contain phosphorus. For 1 bush, 100 g of fertilizer is enough. Accordingly, we also apply 50 g of phosphorus fertilizers. Nitrogen fertilizers should be excluded at this stage.

5th feeding

The last time the shrub is fertilized is after harvest. The best top dressing at this stage is potash fertilizers. They will help the vineyard survive the winter frosts.

Types of dressings

Regardless of whether feeding is carried out during the ripening of the berries or only at the stage of the appearance of the ovary, it can be carried out in different ways.

Root dressing

Root feeding of grapes assumes that fertilizers will be applied directly to the soil. It aims to strengthen the roots of the plant. Strictly speaking, the above-described feeding schedule is the root feeding scheme. Many people limit themselves to the introduction of nutrients into the soil, considering this a sufficient measure for the normal development of the shrub. However, this is a misconception. Root dressing alone is not enough.

Foliar or foliar feeding

Leaves are taken care of by foliar feeding. At the same time, foliar feeding of grapes is no less important than root feeding. And you need to understand that it is not an alternative to root feeding. As a rule, it is performed simultaneously with spraying the bush for diseases. As in the case of root dressing, experts recommend doing it 4 times. But, at the same time, the timing of fertilization is somewhat different.

The first foliar dressing of the grapes is performed before the flowering of the shrub. Spray the plant a second time after the ovary has appeared. The third spraying falls at the beginning of the ripening of the brushes, and the fourth is done after the berries have softened. You can treat the shrub with boric acid. But, regarding the advisability of such an action, the opinions of gardeners differ. It is more expedient to prepare complex solutions with boric acid.

There are drugs on sale that can be sprayed on vineyards on a green leaf before the ovary appears and during fruiting. They are usually sold as a dry concentrate. Before use, they must be diluted with water according to the instructions. Some gardeners perform top dressing on a green leaf before the ovary appears, considering spraying the formed bunches inappropriate. But such feeding will not harm both before flowering and during it. This is due to the fact that the leaves are treated with drugs that are harmless to the human body.

Minor top dressing

In addition to the main five dressings for grapes, you can additionally apply fertilizers. So feeding grapes during flowering is performed with folk remedies (the same ash, for example). If the vine does not ripen, then use monophosphate, which will solve this problem. And to accelerate the ripening process of berries, drugs are used, which contain phosphorus. You can also fertilize the shrub with preparations containing boric acid.

Also, non-main ones include top dressing during planting of the cuttings. In addition to organic matter, superphosphate and wood ash, potassium salt are placed in the prepared hole. This will allow the cuttings to sprout quickly. A stalk planted in this way will grow rapidly and will yield a crop in the second year. With proper planting for the first few years, fertilization is not a concern at all. It is enough to add preparations that allow the berries to gain sugar and ripen faster (this should be done in the first months of summer), which promote the growth of a young shoot. You can limit yourself to cultivating a vineyard with a green leaf. But we use the drugs that are intended for this method of processing.

Rules for the implementation of dressings

Fertilizing grapes with fertilizers will give the desired result only if it is done correctly.

• All the necessary substances must be introduced into the soil in a timely manner.
• It is advisable to water and fertilize grapes with liquid fertilizers at the same time. In this case, you should not overfill the ground.
• Foliar feeding of the shrub is carried out in calm weather. It is better to spray the vineyard after sunset. In this case, you should carefully select the equipment for spraying. The smaller the size of the drops falling on the leaves, the better the result of the procedure.
• To achieve the maximum effect of the procedure, root and foliar feeding should be carried out at the same time.
• Before introducing liquid solutions into the soil, you first need to make a deepening. There are components, nitrogen, for example, which evaporate in air. Therefore, they must penetrate the ground as quickly as possible. There is also a group of elements that are considered sedentary. Therefore, they may remain in the surface layers of the soil and not reach the root system of the shrub.
• Top dressing of grapes in July and August with nitrogen fertilizers cannot be done. The same applies to poultry manure and mullein, used in the form of liquid solutions. Otherwise, the growth of the vine will be delayed, and the harvest will ripen quite late. But it is advisable to feed grapes in June with nitrogen fertilizers. In the spring, fertilize the soil with ammonium nitrate.
• Choose a quality fertilizer, both for root feeding of grapes and for foliar feeding. And remember that summer treatment is different from winter treatment. In the first case, you need to saturate the soil with elements that contribute to the growth of shoots and the ripening of berries. When processing for the winter, you need to strengthen the roots.
• Hang the grape feeding scheme in the most visible place, and mark all the actions performed. This will help you never miss a spray. The calendar for processing shrubs and trees is practically the same. Therefore, it is possible to draw up a single schedule for the entire garden, with a field for notes.

Important points

It is worth adding various trace elements to the soil not only in summer, but throughout the year. It is very important to choose the right seedlings. For example, varieties such as Isabella and Maiden grapes grow well on any soil. There are varieties that are demanding on the soil, and with a lack of certain microelements grow extremely poorly.

On the packaging of each fertilizer, it is indicated in which month, or at what stage of development of the shrub, it is advisable to use it. Do not deviate from these recommendations, and do not forget to enrich the soil with micronutrients after harvest.

Watering is done after applying dry fertilizers under the roots. If we are talking about the treatment with liquid preparations on a green leaf, then the shrub should be watered after it has absorbed all the useful components from the solution used.

Conclusion

Caring for any horticultural crop involves the application of fertilizers. You need to fertilize the soil several times per season. Young seedlings require special attention. In addition to root dressings, leafy dressings should be applied. Be sure to fertilize the soil with a mullein. In addition to using the above fertilizers, you can use folk remedies. So, for example, grapes can be fed with ash or yeast. You can sprinkle the bushes with dry ash, or you can dilute it in water.

It is worth noting that many folk remedies, and ash is no exception, help protect the vineyard from various diseases. But, no folk remedy will be as effective as mineral and organic fertilizers.

When cultivating grapes, winegrowers often have to deal with the problem of a lack of useful elements in the soil. During its growth and as the crop blooms and ripens, the vine can significantly deplete even fertile soils. The grape bush has the ability to suck out the substances necessary for it from the soil.

The older and stronger he becomes, the more his need for these substances grows. If they are not replenished annually, then over time the bush will weaken, the yields will decrease, the taste of the berries will deteriorate, and the ability of the vine to withstand frost will seriously decrease.

Therefore, the growers in the care of the vineyards necessarily carry out work on fertilizing the soil and feeding the bushes. Beginners often make the mistake of believing that fertilizers are necessary for young bushes, which have an insufficiently developed root system, while a hardened vine that has been growing for several years is able to independently extract the necessary substances with powerful roots.

But the most experienced ones understand that the stronger the roots, the more elements they can take from the soil in a short time, and replenishment in a natural way will take too long.

Experienced growers can easily distinguish by the type of plant in which elements it needs at one time or another of its growth and timely fertilize the grapes, feeding the bush with the missing elements.

Useful substances and microelements necessary for grapes, their role and influence on plant growth and yield quality

Throughout the entire period of growth and fruiting, the vineyard needs a whole complex of mineral and organic fertilizers. Despite the fact that the fertile soil for vineyards is fertilized every three years, in addition to this, at various stages of growth and ripening of grapes, it must be fed with the missing elements.

It is important to remember that top dressing cannot replace the basic work of fertilizing the soil for vineyards and are rather an addition to provide the bush with the necessary substances when it is needed.

The most important elements for grapes are nitrogen and potassium, but there is also a need for phosphorus, copper, boron and zinc.

Nitrogen. It has a significant effect on the growth of green mass, shoots, the formation of the size of berries and their taste. Most often, this element is required in the spring. This is the time when the growers are feeding them abundant grape bushes to get strong shoots and plant a bountiful and tasty harvest.

In the summer, when the bushes have gained sufficient green mass, the shoots and brushes of the future harvest necessary for the formation are selected and left, the need for nitrogen is greatly reduced, and in the last month of summer it becomes harmful. Therefore, from the middle of the growing season, it is excluded from the grape diet and replaced with phosphorus and potash fertilizers.

Potassium. Promotes accelerated ripening of the harvest and increased accumulation of sugar in berries, enhances the resistance of the vine to fungal diseases, drought and frost. During the second half of summer, during the ripening period of berries, grapes especially need potassium, but by this time its deficiency begins to be felt in the soil. Most of the reserves of this element are spent on the formation of ovaries and the development of brushes, and also accumulates in large quantities in the green mass.


In case of a lack of potassium, the plant will collect it from the leaves, stems, as well as roots and direct it to the bunches, but this most likely will not be enough. To help the grapes and grow a juicy, ripe, sweet harvest without weakening the vine before the winter period, potassium sulfate is added to the soil by feeding, which remains in the berries even after the harvest is ripe.

• Zinc. It is an important element that is part of the respiratory enzyme, participates in photosynthesis, affects the activity of vitamins, affects the oxidation of proteins and the formation of growth stimulants. A sufficient presence of zinc in the plant significantly increases the formation of organic acids and affects the yield of grapes.
• 
  Effective as an antifungal agent. It is often used in the form of a Bordeaux liquid, which is made on the basis of copper sulfate mixed with slaked lime. To avoid burns, copper sulfate is not used in its pure form, but spring work is carried out with the prepared solution to spray the vine in cases where it often suffers from fungal infections.
• Bor. The effect of boron on plants is manifested in an increase in the number of ovaries, a decrease in shedding of flowers and fruits, an increase in the sugar content of berries and a decrease in their wateriness to prevent cracking of the skin, which leads to an increase in yield and an improvement in its quality. Under natural conditions, boron is absent in the soil and can enter the plant's metabolism only through fertilizers.

It is an indispensable element during flowering and the formation of ovaries in bunches, significantly accelerates this process and contributes to the accumulation of sugar and aromatic elements in berries, and is also responsible for their intense color.


Phosphorus has a beneficial effect on the development of the root system, which improves the metabolism in the plant and strengthens it before the winter period. In the soil, phosphorus is in the form of hard-to-reach compounds, therefore, work on feeding grapes with phosphorus fertilizers greatly facilitates their extraction by the plant and accelerates the processes of accumulation and processing.

Microelements, equally important and useful for grapes, are better replenished and absorbed if they are absorbed by the plant not through the root system, but by the green grape mass. Therefore, in order to improve conditions for the ripening of the crop, work is being carried out to spray the bushes with special solutions.

Fertilizers

Many novice winegrowers are concerned about the question: how to fertilize grapes and what fertilizers are best used for a particular period of plant growth and crop ripening. Which is better: balanced inorganic or organic naturalness? When to carry out fertilization work, and when are small top dressings enough? How often should such work be carried out and how to fertilize the grapes in order to get a rich harvest and not harm the plant at the same time?

Fertilizers are of two types:

• mineral;
• organic.

Mineral fertilizers are inorganic balanced compounds with a high content of substances necessary for the plant in the form of mineral salts. Reasonable use of inorganic fertilizers will provide the grapes with all the substances necessary for the plant, which are important for normal growth and abundant fruiting.

But do not get carried away and forget that their excessive use can disrupt the plant's metabolism and the soil balance of nutrients, thereby causing significant harm not only to the vine, but also to the soil and humans.

Mineral fertilizers are subdivided into:

Organic fertilizers are a product of the vital activity of plants and animals, the nutritional elements of which consist of organic compounds and are formed as a result of the natural decomposition of organic matter. These are manure, humus, compost, bird droppings, peat and others.

The decomposition of organic matter prepares the necessary elements to a form that plants can easily assimilate. Manure, as a fertilizer for grapes, improves air and water permeability of the soil, has a beneficial effect on the development of beneficial microorganisms that are necessary for the roots of grapes and enriches the plant with important useful elements.

Unfortunately, the calculation of the required amount for a single application of fertilizer cannot be accurate and must be applied based on skills. The main thing is to understand that too much of a dose of fresh manure results in the same accumulation of nitrates as with excessive doses of mineral nitrogen fertilizers.

Top dressing of grapes with fresh manure is permissible only in spring or late autumn, after harvesting and preparing the vine for wintering. Sometimes feeding with rotted manure is allowed in the first half of summer, but in the second half such work is categorically contraindicated in order to avoid excessive growth of shoots and insufficient maturation of the vine.

Instead of manure, it is allowed to use compost based on rotted organic waste. Bird droppings are also an important organic fertilizer. An infusion is prepared from it in water in a ratio of 1 to 4, and after a week it is diluted another 10 times. Then spend half a liter for each grape bush. Potassium chloride is often replaced in grape feeding with ash. Ash as a fertilizer is most useful from sunflower husks.

When to feed grapes, timing of fertilization work and methods of replenishing nutrients

On fertile black earth soils, grapes are fertilized every three years, ash, superphosphate and ammonium sulfate are added to the manure used for this. The resulting mixture is placed evenly on the soil surface and carefully dug to a considerable depth.

If the soil under the vineyards is sandy loam, then fertilization work is carried out in a year. And the sandy soil must be fertilized with this method annually. In warm regions, such fertilization of grapes can be carried out in the fall, but in places where the covering method is used for wintering, work on the main fertilization is transferred to early spring.

In addition to regular fertilization of the soil under the vineyards, in order to obtain the largest and highest quality harvest, grapes must be fed throughout the year, except for winter. There are two methods of feeding:

Foliar dressing of grapes in autumn, as well as after flowering, when the berries are already formed, must necessarily exclude nitrogen from the composition in fertilizers.

To avoid the wateriness of the berries, leading to their cracking, and the abundant growth of shoots that take the main food for their growth, this element is replaced with phosphorus, potash fertilizers or ash and not mixed with organic fertilizers such as bird droppings or manure.

For effective growth and fruiting of grapes, as for any grape plant, many different nutrients are needed. Every year, with fruits and vines, which are removed from the plant during the next pruning, a large amount of useful nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur and other equally important elements leaves the soil. if this loss is not replenished, on such a depleted soil the plants develop poorly enough, they cease to bear fruit, begin to suffer very much from various rather unfavorable factors, for example, from frost.

Important! During the entire growing season, the need for grapes for nutrients changes slightly, so you need to know when, how much and what you can give.

Most of all grapes need feeding in the summer. At this time, you will have to give all possible supplements and feeding. It will not be necessary to give only nitrogen, as the growth of leaves and shoots is significantly reduced. All other types of nutrients and dressings can be found in the information below.

This substance is required for the effective development of bushes, but most of all for the rapid growth of branches that bear fruit, that is, those where the seeds, berries, soil and inflorescences are located. The need for phosphorus increases especially sharply towards the very beginning of flowering. It is for this reason that fertilizing with phosphorus fertilizers should be carried out at the very beginning of the flowering phase, and it will need to be repeated in the summer.

Potassium fertilization

The acute need for potassium usually increases towards autumn. This substance plays a rather important role in the process of maturation of plants and their preparation for wintering. Such feeding, as a rule, is carried out closer to autumn, that is, at the end of summer.

Potash fertilizer in specialized stores is sold as potassium chloride. It contains about 50% potassium oxide and also contains a large amount of chlorine. After the plant assimilates potassium, it remains in the soil, which is quite harmful to plants. It is for this reason that this substance is best replaced with ash. It contains not only a sufficient amount of potassium, but also a certain amount of phosphorus.

Important! The best option would be to use ash from a special sunflower husk. It contains about 24-40% potassium, as well as 4% phosphorus and other nutrients.

Such ash can be purchased at specialized oil mills. The substance is stored in a dry place, since all nutrients are in it in relatively readily soluble compounds. Water is able to wash it all out of it.

Calcium and grapes

Calcium usually accumulates in the trunks, as well as in all their branches. The urgent need for this substance is based on the fact that from time to time the plant needs to neutralize oxalic acid, as well as thickening of the main cell walls. As a rule, all compounds in which calcium are present also contain iron and magnesium. In most regions, the calcium in the soil is sufficient for the growth of grapes and for its fruiting. There is also an abundance of other substances that are initially in the soil.

Important! An excessive amount of some components is very harmful to the plant, therefore, it is important to carefully examine the soil for its components before fertilizing.

Top dressing with microelements

Micronutrients are required to feed the grape bushes. Among the most important are:

• Silicon;
• Sodium;
• Manganese;
• Zinc;
• Cobalt;
• Iodine and so on.

Trace minerals, as the name suggests, are required in relatively small quantities. Such substances in the soil are usually quite enough, if something is lacking in the structure of the soil, for example, zinc, boron and manganese, they should be added as a special foliar dressing.

Mineral and organic fertilizers

Many gardeners mistakenly believe that the use of organic fertilizers is not necessary, that it is quite possible to do with mineral fertilizers. This is not entirely true - mineral fertilizers are much more effective at the same time as minerals. Organics helps to fully utilize nutrients from mineral dressings, and also reduces their intake by the soil.

Important! It is manure that is able to create the most favorable conditions in the soil for the development of beneficial microorganisms that help the root system to effectively absorb nutrients.

For the growth of grapes, organic and mineral fertilizers should be used. Among organics, ordinary manure can be noted, which contains a variety of nutrients. As for mineral fertilizers in summer, there are quite a few of them.

Ammonium sulfate

This is a special nitrogen fertilizer, which is a grayish crystalline powder. It contains about 20% nitrogen. The fertilizer dissolves very quickly in water, and as soon as the plant uses all the useful substances, a different composition of no less useful substances remains in the soil.

Ammonium nitrate

This is another form of quality nitrogen fertilization. The substance is a white, coarse-crystalline salt, which contains approximately 35% nitrogen. There are no compounds in this composition that could remain in the soil after the roots have absorbed nitrogen. The main advantage of the component is the factor that saltpeter can be applied in all types and categories of soils.

Superphosphate

This is a special fertilizer containing phosphorus, which contains about 20% phosphoric acid useful for grapes. A substance is obtained from phosphorite, which is carefully crushed and treated with sulfuric acid. Under its influence, free phosphoric acid is released, which is very easily dissolved in water, therefore it becomes available in the summer for assimilation by the root system.

Important! The fresher the superphosphate is, the much better it works. With long-term storage, phosphorus gradually acquires an insoluble form, which cannot be successfully absorbed by the roots.

The modern chemical industry produces a special granular superphosphate that provides much better results than the powder type. The reason is that the smaller the grains are, the faster the free phosphoric acid will bind to the soil and thus become inaccessible to the grapes. When granules are used, a certain zone is formed in the soil near each of them, which is rich in soluble phosphoric acid. Its grape roots are very easy to digest.

Granular superphosphate with manure should be added to the soil without mixing with anything. All this is able to prevent phosphoric acid from being absorbed into the soil. In this case, favorable conditions will also be formed around the granules, which are intended for the development of microorganisms necessary for the absorption of phosphorus by the roots.

You need to know that in the process of feeding, when fertilizer in the form of a solution is applied to the soil, phosphoric acid is not protected by anything, for this reason it binds to the soil much faster. The effect of feeding in this case will be short-lived, therefore the solution should be applied as deeply as possible, to the very roots, more often and in relatively small doses.

Summing up

The fertilizer, which was mentioned above, must be applied deep enough into the soil, because the roots are located 35 cm from the surface. The method of digging or the use of fertilizers in their liquid form is ideal here.

Fertilizing solutions are prepared on the basis of water. For example, you can take 100 grams of superphosphate, about 50 grams of nitrate. This amount is quite enough to process an area of ​​one square meter. It is better to prepare such compositions in the evening, dissolve with water in the morning to the required volume and spill the plants. On the same day, it is desirable to carry out the main watering, since with water the fertilizer will penetrate into the soil much better.

In order to provide grapes with numerous nutrients, it is very important to adhere to a special fertilization system, as well as feeding. It is through fertilizers in the soil that the necessary supply of nutrients is created, and with the help of dressings carried out in the summer, it is possible to enhance the general soil nutrition of the bushes with substances that are most needed by the plant.

The presented system of fertilizers and feeding is aimed at a significant increase in the yield of the crop of bushes, at the strength of growth, at increasing resistance to frost. This can be achieved only then a lot of phosphorus and other useful components will appear in the soil.

Gone are the days when grapes were considered a southern berry: now, in the summer cottages of most regions of the country, you can often find several bushes of this useful plant. You can get a high yield of grapes only with careful care, one of the components of which is the mandatory application of fertilizers. And then success is guaranteed: the most delicious appetizing bunches will not be translated on your table!

The value of fertilizers in the cultivation of grapes and their types

Grapes are a perennial crop, therefore, when applying fertilizers, it should be borne in mind that they will work for the next year. In addition, one must take into account the effect of fertilizers applied before planting or in the previous year.

In the first years of life, grapes require more phosphorus nutrition than others, which stimulates root growth. Nitrogen fertilizers are required from the second and third year, especially with good growth. Grapes have been growing in one place for many years, so it is difficult to apply fertilizer close to the roots without damaging them. This explains the use of abundant pre-planting fertilization with manure (humus), phosphorus and potassium. Manure provides the grape bush with food for several years. Mineral nitrogen fertilizers are applied every year.

To ripen such beauty, a grape bush needs a lot of food.

Consider the various fertilizers used in home garden viticulture.

Nitrogen fertilizers for grapes

Ammonium nitrate (ammonium nitrate) is a universal nitrogen fertilizer. It is highly hygroscopic, that is, it quickly absorbs moisture and cakes. Acidifies the soil, requires neutralizing it with slaked lime. The most convenient form is in granules.

Ammonium sulfate contains less hygroscopic. It acts more efficiently on neutral soils than on acidic ones, as it has a pronounced acidity. Soil consistency should be reduced by liming.

Ammonium chloride contains 24-25% nitrogen. Should be applied on limed soils or together with alkaline types of phosphorus fertilizers.

Sodium (Chilean) nitrate (sodium nitrate) is also hygroscopic and cakes. Slightly alkalizes the soil.

Urea (urea) is deservedly considered one of the safest and most concentrated nitrogen fertilizers. Excellent water-soluble. In fine-crystalline form, it weakly cakes and after long-term storage it does not dissipate well. Granular urea does not cake and disperses well. To eliminate the acidifying effect on the soil, 800 g of chalk should be added to 1 kg of urea. It is most suitable for foliar feeding with nitrogen by spraying with 0.5–1% aqueous solutions.

One of the simplest and safest fertilizers is urea

Potash fertilizers for grapes

Potassium chloride contains 52-60% potassium oxide. In a damp room, it cakes heavily. Used everywhere. It is good to pre-lime acidic soils or add lime to the fertilizer. Compatible with any fertilizers, except for urea, but when preparing mixtures, they must be thoroughly mixed.

Silvinite contains 12-18% potassium oxide, potassium-magnesium sulfate up to 28%.

Potassium monophosphate is a double fertilizer containing, in addition to potassium, and phosphorus. By its chemical nature, it is potassium dihydrogen phosphate. Very good water solubility. Appearance - colorless crystals. Since it contains impurities, it is usually light brownish granules.

When they say that monophosphate is one of the best double fertilizers, they are a little cunning. In terms of potassium content, it is surpassed by chloride, sulfate and nitrate; phosphorus - superphosphate, especially double. Not the best choice for grapes. Usually, in the second half of summer, it is fed with potassium magnesium (potassium-magnesium fertilizer), in which potassium and magnesium are in an optimal ratio. But if the year was wet, the vine may lack potassium, and there may be few berries for the next year. In this case, for the winter, you can feed the grapes and monophosphate.

Phosphate fertilizers for grapes

Superphosphate (powder) contains up to 19.5% phosphorus oxide. Suitable for use everywhere, but strongly acidic soils should be limed, or superphosphate should be mixed with humus, chalk, limestone, and other slightly alkaline natural materials before application. On other soils, it can be used with any fertilizer. At high humidity, it cakes, dispersibility increases with the addition of chalk or limestone. Superphosphate contains gypsum, which is useful for most horticultural crops. The granular version cakes less. It is used everywhere.

Double superphosphate is a more valuable fertilizer, without gypsum, contains up to 48% phosphorus oxide.

Phosphorite flour contains 14-23% phosphorus oxide. It is required to make more than superphosphate. Effective and long-term effect only on acidic soils.

The precipitate, in comparison with the other named drugs, is much better soluble. It slightly reduces the acidity of the soil. Compatible with all other fertilizers.

Complex and complex fertilizers for grapes

Complex fertilizers are divided into complex, mixed and complex-mixed. The difference between these terms for the gardener and the winegrower is insignificant: the point is only in the ways of making complex fertilizers. This can be a chemical reaction of the starting components or simple mixing of conventional fertilizers.

Azofoska (nitroammofoska)

Azofoska (formerly called nitroammophoska) is one of the most balanced complex fertilizers in terms of three main elements. Azofoska is used for feeding grapes in any form. In dry form, it is scattered under the bushes (up to 60 g per bush), in liquid form, it is watered under the root with a solution containing 2 tablespoons of fertilizer per bucket of water. Dry use is possible only with the onset of heat.

Azofoska is one of the most convenient complex fertilizers

Nitrophoska

Nitrofoska is a classic mineral fertilizer. Nitrophoska contains nitrogen (16%), phosphorus (16%) and potassium (16%). The difference from azophoska is small: there is no ammonium nitrogen in the composition. In addition, various essential trace elements are present in the form of impurities. The use is universal. Compared to Azofoska, the application rates for grapes can hardly be adjusted.

Florovit

Florovit is a complete complex fertilizer, used in viticulture in all situations, "works" throughout the summer. Nitrate-free preparation. Before planting grapes, add up to 150 g of florovit per 1 m 2. As top dressing - from 40 to 60 g per bush.

Bishal

Bishal is practically a well-known bischofite, which is used in medicine and is a solution of salts of underground seas. Thus, in essence, it is an environmentally friendly drug. Contains many components, including magnesium, boron, molybdenum, iodine, bromine, etc., more than 10 trace elements of natural origin, but most of all magnesium. It is used in viticulture for foliar feeding. It is recommended to take 150 ml of the preparation per 10 l of water for processing on green leaves, however, experienced growers advise to reduce the concentration by half.

Novofert

Novofert (produced in Ukraine) is a water-soluble fertilizer that contains all macroelements, as well as trace elements in a form bound in strong complexes with Trilon B. The exception is non-complexing elements: boron and molybdenum, which are present in their usual form. Novofert contributes to the adaptation of grapes to adverse environmental conditions. Let's dissolve well. It can be used almost all summer. Compatible with most insecticides. For fertilizing grapes in any way (by leaves or at the root), 10 g of the preparation is dissolved in a bucket of water.

Helatin

Helatin (Ukraine) is a complex water-soluble fertilizer containing a complex of trace elements in an easily digestible form, optimized for the development of the vineyard. Recommended for spraying bushes from the very beginning of the growing season. "Ambulance" in the following situations: drying of leaves from the edges, the appearance of pale or brown spots, yellowing and death of leaves, shedding of berries. For spraying leaves on 10 liters of water, use 25 ml of the drug.

Nutrivant plus

The fertilizer is made on the basis of highly soluble potassium monophosphate, and an adhesive has been added to the composition to improve adhesion to the leaves. Therefore, the fertilizer has a long-lasting effect (up to 20 days), it is not washed off by rains. Foliar dressing with Nutrivant Plus fertilizer is a good way to provide the vineyard with essential nutrients. Application of Nutrivant Plus in early spring stimulates root growth. The concentration of the spray solution is 1%. Top dressing is carried out three times: in the budding phase, when berries grow to the size of a currant, and two weeks after re-processing.

Agro-Nova

Fertilizer "Agro-Nova" all the elements necessary for plants, bound in complex compounds by Trilon B, and growth stimulants. Well water-soluble fertilizer, suitable for drip irrigation systems. The ratio of the components promotes good assimilation by the bush, stimulates flowering and fruiting, leads to the production of large berries, and improves their taste. Increases resistance to spring frosts and dry summers, as well as to diseases. In the spring, it is recommended to water the bushes with a solution containing 90 g of the drug per bucket of water. For spraying, you need a solution containing 10 g of fertilizer per bucket of water. Top dressing is carried out in the morning or in the evening throughout the summer 1-2 times a month.

Bioton

Bioton is an organic fertilizer. It is made on the basis of poultry manure and peat, without chemical additives. Does not contain pathogens and weed seeds, meets all hygienic requirements. Used in different situations. When planting, up to 1 kg of fertilizer per 1 m 2 is applied; for root dressing, 200 g of the preparation is infused in 10 liters of water. 5 liters are consumed per 1 m 2.

Organic fertilizers

Manure is the most important organic fertilizer. A universal food for most horticultural crops. However, it must be properly stored and used. The best option is a tight or so-called cold storage option. When applied, the least amount of nutrients is lost. As a result of six-month storage, semi-rotted manure is obtained, which, per ton, contains 30-60 kg of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium oxides. The best manure among the actually usedcountshorse.

Manure must be used for planting. Mineral fertilizers are often added to it (except for nitrogen fertilizers: this does not make economic sense, there is enough nitrogen in manure, but this element does not persist for a long time in the soil).

Poultry manure is a powerful, fast-acting fertilizer. More concentrated fertilizer than mammalian manure; present in the droppings and quite a lot of magnesium oxide, as well as sulfur necessary for most plants.

Peat is widely used as a local fertilizer, readily available in a number of regions. It is used for bedding livestock, after which it becomes part of the manure. It is used both in the preparation of composts and as an independent fertilizer. In vineyards, they are often mulched with soil around the bushes.

Decomposed peat is a brown or almost black free-flowing material.

Peat intended for use without composting must be highly decomposed. To remove excess moisture and oxidize harmful substances, it must be ventilated for several days. It is usually used in very high doses - over 50 tons per hectare.

Compost is a decomposed mixture of various organic waste mixed with soil or peat. Contains up to 0.8% nitrogen, up to 3% phosphorus oxide and up to 2% potassium oxide. Waste can be garbage, weeds, fallen leaves, excrement, etc. Simultaneously with the waste, lime, ash and other materials that increase alkalinity are introduced into the compost. You can also add a little slurry to speed up the decomposition of the waste.

The pile of compost is kept moist, periodically shoveling it. It ripens from several months to a year, depending on the composition, weather and care of the heap. Properly prepared compost has the same nutritional value as manure.

Folk remedies for fertilizing grapes

Ash is a valuable potassium-phosphorus fertilizer containing some trace elements. It is used as a mineral fertilizer, often mixed with superphosphate. Ash is primarily a supplier of potassium and calcium. Ash is especially good on acidic soils.

Grapes consume a lot of potassium, and ash (stove or from a fire) as its source for grapes is very important. Ash is constantly sprinkled on the ground around the bushes, the leaves are sprayed with ash infusion. In autumn, grape bushes are watered with ash infusion, and in spring, ash is buried next to the bushes.

The author of these lines does not throw away eggshells throughout the winter, putting them in a bag on the balcony. Does this make economic sense? Hardly, but this habit is strong. Indeed, the shell contains elements important for garden plants, including the vineyard. Of course, you cannot accumulate all the necessary volume over the winter, but still ... The shell of chicken eggs contains up to 95% calcium, it contains potassium, magnesium, phosphorus. These elements dissolve easily in the soil and are absorbed by the roots of the grapes.

Eggshells increase soil fertility and alkalinize it. However, it is better to use the shells of raw eggs: during cooking, some properties are lost. The shell must be strongly crushed, after having washed it out with running water. After washing, dry in the sun or in the oven.

It is necessary to grind the shell at least to such a state

Yeast regulates the state of microflora in the soil. They are used in the form of dressings. Baker's yeast is the best. The classic recipe for making a top dressing from yeast is as follows. Live yeast is stirred in a bucket of warm water and left overnight (100 g of yeast is diluted in a bucket of water). Up to 2 liters of the nutrient mixture is poured under the root of one grape bush.

Microfertilizers for grapes

Microelements are such chemical elements that plants need significantly less than basic ones (potassium, phosphorus, nitrogen), but without which they cannot fully develop. The most important trace elements are manganese, magnesium, molybdenum, boron, copper, sulfur, zinc, iodine, etc.

All of these elements are included in the composition of numerous drugs produced by the chemical industry. The number of such drugs is growing steadily, and it is unrealistic to give a detailed overview of all those on the market. However, some of them have been known for a very long time and have earned indisputable authority.

The classification of micronutrient fertilizers by type exists according to the nature of the basic substance. However, there are many complex micronutrients containing several micronutrients. This approach saves the summer resident from the need to select components manually and weigh them in very small quantities: often the household does not even have suitable scales. Below are some examples of micronutrient fertilizers.

For example, potassium magnesium contains up to 28% potassium and up to 18% magnesium. It is usually used as a top dressing in the form of a solution containing 1 tablespoon of the drug in a bucket of water. Both elements are contained in it in the form of sulfates, that is, they also contain the third important component necessary for the vineyard - sulfur (about 16%).

Copper sulfate is used for spraying on the leaves, since the drug is perfectly soluble in water. Vitriol is added once every 3-5 years, about 1 g for each grape bush.

Pure vitriol is beautiful crystals, technical can be powder

Boric acid and borax contain 37 and 11% boron, respectively. Used for spraying in early summer. Dosage of drugs: only 0.1–0.2 g per bucket of water.

Ammonium molybdate: it contains up to 52% of the active ingredient - molybdenum. It would be possible to bury it in the soil, but you have to scatter one pinch over several meters, which is not easy. Therefore, it is most often used in solutions. Its concentration for dressing is very small: 0.01-0.05%, therefore, in summer cottages, they often do not take up the use of molybdate itself, as in fact, and most other microelements, but buy ready-made mixtures of drugs: in such cases, you no longer have to look in backrooms microbalances!

Traditional zinc microfertilizer - zinc sulfate (up to 25% Zn), is especially effective on alkaline soils. Dosage in top dressing: about 5 g of zinc sulfate per bucket of water.

Among the many modern micronutrient fertilizers, encapsulated preparations of prolonged action are very convenient. Nutrient components are enclosed in granules, covered with a low-permeability shell, so their consumption by plants occurs gradually, stretched out over time. The capsule contains all the necessary macro- and microelements in an optimal ratio. After being introduced into the soil, moisture, getting into the capsule, slowly extracts micronutrient fertilizers from it, so the time of their action is from several months to 3 years. Examples of such products are Osmokot, Multicot, Activin, Trainer.

Fertilization calendar

Fertilizers in the vineyards are used all the time of their growth and fruiting. At the same time, various dressings do not replace the fertilizer introduced into the planting pit, and even the annual autumn or early spring fertilization, but only supplement them. Top dressing is done as needed and should not become an end in itself.

Fertilization stages

There are several stages in the use of fertilizers in the vineyard:

1. Pre-planting fertilization, that is, the introduction of a large dose of fertilizer into the planting pit during its preparation. They provide the plant with food for many years.
2. Basic dressing. They represent an autumn or early spring embedding of fertilizers into deep holes (up to half a meter), dug out next to the bushes. In autumn, organic fertilizers (manure, compost, peat) are used, to which superphosphate and ash can be added. In the spring, a variety of fertilizers are used, including nitrogen ones.
3. Additional dressing carried out at various times throughout the summer. It can be both liquid root dressing, that is, the application of fertilizers in the form of solutions in pits or trenches near the bush, and foliar dressing, performed by spraying grape bushes with nutritious leaves.

The composition of dressings strongly depends on the season and on the condition of the grape bush. But grapes are very fond of potassium, so potash fertilizers can be used in the maximum possible dose, and ashes - almost as much as there is. The so-called green dressing is also used in the vineyards. For this, peas, vetch, lupine or oats are sown next to the bushes, which are dug up, not allowing seeds to form.

It should be remembered that feeding is carried out at the required rate: it is better to under-feed than to overdo it! They are needed when the bushes are really starving. We don’t need extra "chemistry" on our site! Sometimes foliar dressing is combined with the treatment of bushes with Bordeaux liquid to combat grape diseases. The simplest option, combining top dressing with prevention, is the use of ordinary ash, which is infused in water for a day (a handful of ash in a bucket of water). After that, the infusion is filtered so that the sprayer nozzle does not clog.

A story from life. About 20 years ago, the author of these lines first planted grapes in the country. After reading somewhere that the landing pit should be at least one and a half meters deep, he dug it all day, fighting with heavy clay. The neighbors laughed, but ... Fertilizers introduced into the pit during planting (and it was mainly manure, but in fair quantities) still allow Arcadia grapes to exist well. I confess that I hardly ever fertilize the grapes on purpose, it is enough for him that he "steals" from the vegetables in the neighboring beds.

Every year we collect up to 10 buckets of harvest from this bush.

The algorithm for fertilizing and feeding grapes is well demonstrated in the next video.

Video: methods of fertilizing grapes

Approximate fertilization plan by month

Taking into account the properties of various fertilizers, the state of the grape bush and being guided by the principle of "do no harm", you can draw up an approximate work plan for months, which will certainly be adjusted depending on the weather, the state of the vine and leaves and, of course, the region:

1. April. Fertilizers applied during planting slowly begin to dry out after a few years. Starting from 3-4 years, in early spring they dig holes up to 40 cm deep next to the bushes and apply organic and mineral fertilizers to them, filling them with soil. The dosage is approximately as follows: a bucket of rotted manure, 20-30 g of nitrogen fertilizers and 10-15 g of superphosphate for each bush. As for potassium, this is a separate topic. The need for potassium in grapes is especially high until about July, and then decreases slightly. But the vineyard loves this element very much! Therefore, in addition to introducing 10-15 g of potash fertilizer into the hole, you can add 3-4 handfuls of wood ash.
2. May. Two to three weeks before flowering (that is, at the end of the month), liquid root dressing is performed. For its preparation, dissolve in 10 liters of water 10-15 g of urea, 15-20 g of superforsphate and 5 g of any potassium fertilizer. A bucket of solution is spent on one bush, pouring it into shallow grooves dug around the bush. Of course, mineral fertilizers can be replaced with bird droppings or slurry, diluting them well in water and letting them wander. For example, chicken manure should be taken 0.5 kg and diluted in a bucket of water, held for at least 12 hours, and then diluted 10 times more. And now pour the diluted solution under the bush about a bucket.
3. June. The first foliar dressing is performed a week before the flowers bloom. For her, aqueous solutions of complex fertilizers (for example, azofoska) are used. Azofoska is dissolved in a dose of 2 teaspoons per bucket of water and the leaves are abundantly sprayed. In order not to burn them, the procedure is carried out in the evening hours, preferably on non-sunny days. After the end of flowering, you can repeat the foliar dressing with the same formulations. At the end of June, you can feed the bushes with infusions of organic fertilizers (bird droppings, mullein), as in May.
4. July. The following dressings are performed with the beginning of the ripening of the berries. The concentration of solutions must be created strictly according to the instructions attached to the drug. At this time, you need to use preparations containing all the basic nutrients. For speed of action, it is best to do foliar feeding: in the middle of summer, the leaf apparatus in the vineyard is actively working. The easiest way at this time to use purchased drugs: "Novofert" or "Master". One should not forget about feeding young seedlings that have recently been planted in the vineyard.
5. August. Top dressing of bushes at the beginning of ripening of berries and young seedlings with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers (always excluding nitrogen!). The fact is that plants always need nitrogen, including when berries ripen. However, you always have to make some kind of compromise, since overfeeding with nitrogen in the second half of summer can lead to a powerful regrowth of the vine, which will not ripen by winter, which means it will die. And if overfeeding with nitrogen threatens with non-ripening of branches even for familiar trees (apple, pear), then the southern culture - grapes - this applies even more. If it is noticeable that the vineyard does not have enough water, watering is carried out, at the same time adding phosphorus-potassium fertilizers to the water (1-2 tablespoons per bucket of water). If watering is not required, you can irrigate the leaves, taking not tablespoons, but teaspoons of fertilizers. But from the middle of the month, you should not water the bushes. If the vine does not mature well, is still green, and even grows, foliar dressing is carried out with potassium monophosphate on the upper leaves.
6. September. Foliar dressing of the bushes with phosphorus and potassium fertilizers is repeated. They are performed in the same way as in August.
7. October or November. Before sheltering the bushes for the winter, you can carry out the main fertilization, if it is more convenient for you to do this in the fall than in the spring. But the later this happens, the better.

Top dressing when growing planting material

Separately, it should be said about the use of fertilizers in the process. Chubuk is a piece of vine with 3-4 well-developed buds. In areas with a mild climate, cuttings are planted directly into the ground since autumn; in the middle lane, this is done at home in pots from about the end of February.

Cuttings also need nutrition and constant loosening. The main fertilization almost does not differ from that in the case of planting bushes for many years, except that organics can be taken less. When preparing the soil at the site, they dig up the earth to the depth of a shovel bayonet and add sand, as well as 100 g of azophoska, and 1-2 buckets of humus per 1 m 2. After that, they dig it up again, distributing fertilizers well in the soil.

At home, at the end of winter, the soil is prepared in the same way or bought in the store, filling its cups with a height of at least 25 cm.

This is how planting material is grown at home

With a poor soil composition and with its high acidity, cuttings may grow poorly and try to dry out. In this case, a simple accessible remedy often helps: wood ash. Insist 2-3 tablespoons in 1 liter of water and the containers with cuttings are well watered, on which leaves are already growing by this time. Ash can also be added for prophylaxis, when planting cuttings. The operation can be repeated after a couple of weeks.

So, going to the store for summer residents, you saw whole shelves of preparations for protecting the vineyard and for feeding it. Do I need to grab onto these pretty bags? Of course, first you should read about them carefully and give yourself time to think. Of course, one cannot do without mineral fertilizers, but usually they can be replaced with more ecological fertilizers. After all, we do not need forty buckets of grapes in the country, right?

The epithets "demanding, capricious, pretentious" are completely inappropriate for such a plant as grapes. It is so unpretentious that its uncultivated varieties can often be seen growing on stony, nutrient-poor soils. That is why even novice gardeners are able to successfully grow sun berries. But in order for the vines to radiate health and consistently delight with a tasty harvest, they need to be fed periodically.

Many owners of summer cottages are wondering what fertilizers can achieve rapid growth and development of plant bushes. It is equally important to observe the time recommended for feeding and carry it out in the correct way. Let's figure out the intricacies of this process.

Why is it important to feed grapes?

Nutritious soil is a guarantee of high productivity of grape bushes and excellent quality of berries. But over time, the soil inevitably depletes, which leads not only to a deterioration in the fruiting of the plant, but also to a slowdown in its development, a decrease in resistance to the effects of unfavorable external factors.

The specificity of caring for grapes lies in the fact that in certain periods of development of a bush, its vines need different nutrients. The normal growth of the plant and the volume of the crop that it is capable of bringing will be at risk if the rules and timing of the introduction of certain nutrients and microelements are not followed.

Nutrients Needed for Grape Growth

1. For abundant growth of green mass, grapes require nitrogen. The best time for its introduction is the beginning of spring, when shoots are actively growing on the bush and young leaves are forming. In the summer, the grapes do not need nitrogen, and closer to autumn, its use can even harm: all the strength of the plant will go to the growth and formation of new shoots, and their lignification, which is so necessary at the end of the season, will be incomplete or will not occur at all. Nitrogen-containing preparations are diverse; urea and ammonium nitrate are very popular.
2. When grapes begin to bloom, their need for phosphorus increases dramatically. Thanks to this element, inflorescences develop better on the vine, more ovaries are formed, and the degree of ripeness of fruits increases. A lot of phosphorus in a form easily assimilated by the plant contains such fertilizer as superphosphate.
3. With the arrival of autumn, it is worth fertilizing the grape bushes with potassium. It accelerates the ripening of young shoots and brushes, and also makes the plant more resistant to cold weather.
4. Fertilizers with copper content increase the resistance of grapes to unfavorable climatic conditions (drought, severe frosts), and also have a positive effect on the growth of shoots and the development of the plant as a whole. The best time for.

Boron, zinc, magnesium, potassium, sulfur, iron also affect the growth, fruiting and quality of grape vines.

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Mineral fertilizers for grapes

Proper feeding of the plant is the key to its rapid and high-quality growth. At the stage of choosing a fertilizer, inexperienced gardeners often ask themselves what is better to use - mineral or organic compounds? Both the first and the second are good in their own way and allow you to get good results, especially when combined with each other. One should only remember what substances the plant needs at a given period of its development, and understand that it will not be possible to limit one drug per season.

In spring and autumn, it is permissible to use specially developed means to fertilize the vines.

• with one component in the composition (, superphosphate, ammonium nitrate);
• two- or three-component (ammophos, nitrophoska);
• complex composition (Aquarin, Novofert).

Organics versus chemistry

Fertilizing grape plants with organic elements is an integral part of caring for them, accelerating the growth of shoots and increasing fruiting. Organic fertilizers are diverse. Each of them has a different effect on the development of the vine.

1. The manure makes the soil looser, allowing moisture and oxygen to penetrate more easily to the roots of the vine. The microflora is developing well, contributing to the increase in the assimilation of nutrients obtained from the soil. Spring feeding the plant with rotted manure will provide it with the required amount of potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus for a long time.
2. Another natural fertilizer, compost, has similar properties. It is especially popular because of its availability: any organic waste (sawdust, grass, food waste) is suitable for its preparation.
3. Many elements useful for the development of the grape bush and elements that are easily processed by it are contained in chicken droppings. Feeding them is carried out in the spring, in no case using the substance in a concentrated form. 10 days before the planned fertilization, it should be diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 4. Immediately before the feeding procedure, more liquid is added to the prepared mixture, diluting the nutrient solution another 10 times. For one bush, a dosage of 0.5 l is sufficient.
   Chicken manure is rich in potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus, magnesium. These elements are contained in it in a higher concentration than other organic compounds.
4. In spring, ash can be used to feed the vines. It successfully replaces potassium chloride, comparing favorably with it in that it does not contain chlorine harmful to the plant. This substance also provides phosphorus to grapes.

The nuances of making root dressings

You can fertilize plants by root and foliar method. The nutrient formulations discussed above are applied at the root. To do this, each grape bush is surrounded by a shallow furrow, placing it at a distance of 0.45 m from the trunk. This introduction of nutrients facilitates the process of their absorption by the root system, making it as fast and complete as possible. You can improve the result of feeding by combining it with watering.

It is important not only to choose the correct composition for feeding the vines, but also to fertilize them at the right time, then the growth and development of the plant will be uniformly intensive, and the yield is high.

On average, grapes require about 4 dressings per season. The first is carried out at the very beginning of spring. This composition is very effective:

• 10 liters of water;
• 20 g superphosphate;
• 10 g of ammonium nitrate;
• 5 g of potassium salt.

The resulting volume of solution is applied under the roots of one plant. Repeat the procedure 14 days before the grapes bloom.

When the fruits have set on the bunches and the process of their ripening has begun, the vine is fed with products containing phosphorus and potassium, but without nitrogen in the composition. When the crop is harvested, it is time to introduce potash preparations, which will help the bushes more easily withstand the cold.

If liquid manure is used to feed the plants, it is applied at the rate of 1 kg per 1 m² of the vineyard.

Do you need to fertilize vines in the fall?

In addition to the mandatory fertilizing during the season, the grapes must be fertilized regularly before wintering. If the soil is normal, the procedure is carried out every three years. A dry nutritional formula made from a blend is ideal for this purpose.

• ash;
• superphosphate;
• ammonium sulfate;
• manure.

It must be scattered abundantly over the surface of the vineyard soil, and then dug up the fertilized area.

If the soil is sandy loam, then the frequency increases to 1 time in 2 years. Vine bushes growing on sparser sandy soil require additional nutrition in the winter every year.

Specificity of foliar dressing

For the best results, accelerating the growth of the vine, improving its development, improving health and increasing fruiting, liquid fertilizing applied under the root of the plant can be achieved. However, the effect can be enhanced by supplementing them with foliar spraying. Grape leaves are good at absorbing nutrients that fall on them as part of an aqueous solution.

Most often, 4 spraying of plants is carried out per season in the following terms:

1. shortly before flowering;
2. immediately after fruit set;
3. at the initial stage of their maturation;
4. 10-15 days after the berries begin to soften.

The ideal time to spray is calm evenings or cloudy days. After the procedure, the leaf blades should be completely covered with small droplets of the nutrient composition. Such feeding allows you to get the desired result almost instantly.

For the procedure, you need to use products that contain components that cause increased growth of the grape bush and are necessary for its healthy development (nitrogen, cobalt, phosphorus, manganese, zinc, potassium, boron, copper, molybdenum). Easily soluble preparations of complex action (Aquarin, Kemira, Plantafol), specially developed for spraying, have proven themselves well.

Supporters of organic fertilizers recommend using fermented infusion of herbs diluted with water with the addition of ash for foliar dressing. If you add 3 tablespoons of sugar to the prepared composition, the degree of absorption of nutrients by the leaves will increase significantly.

How to fertilize the vineyard correctly

There is nothing complicated in the procedure for feeding grape plants. You just need to adhere to the simple rules for introducing nutrients and observe the recommended time frame, then there will be no problems with growing healthy and well-developed bushes. The options for both mineral and organic preparations that can be used for fertilization are varied, and each of the gardeners will be able to choose the most suitable one for their vineyard.

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