How to water and feed grapes in spring: instructions for beginners

The grapes require special attention during the entire growing season. In the fall it is prepared for the cold weather, and in the spring it creates favorable conditions for abundant fruiting. Spring watering and fertilization must be consistent and balanced, otherwise the plant will be sore or slow to develop. How to properly moisturize and feed grapes in spring, we will consider in the article.

The beginning of spring watering of grapes

The first watering of the grapes is carried out in late March or early April, the land should warm up to + 5 ° C. Such irrigation is called water-charging, because it makes up for the lack of water in the soil after winter. The second watering - vegetative - is aimed at stimulating the development of the kidneys. It is carried out 2-3 weeks after the first. Experienced gardeners recommend paying attention to the watering time depending on the growing region. As a rule, in the southern regions, the plant is watered 1-2 weeks earlier, since the snow melts there earlier and warm weather sets in.

Top dressing of grapes

Grapes are demanding on fertilizers, therefore, they need a balanced diet throughout the growing season.... If you don't make top dressing in the spring, the plant develops slowly, often gets sick, the fruits grow fresh and small.

There are several opinions about spring feeding. Some growers believe that the first fertilizer is applied before the opening of the bushes (around the end of March or early April), others - that after. The second top dressing is carried out before flowering, approximately in the middle or end of May.

Basic rules for conducting procedures

When watering, agronomists recommend paying attention to grape sort- some need constant moisture, others are drought-resistant. They also take into account the quality of the soil, the climatic features of the area. For example, in arid regions, sandy and sandy loam soils prevail, it rarely rains, which means that the grapes need constant moisture.

When applying fertilizers, a balance is observed between organic and mineral compositions. Too much food is just as dangerous as not eating enough. For example, if you do not follow the rules for applying nitrogen fertilizing, shoots and leaves will dry out, and the formation of bunches will decrease. If you apply complex fertilizers incorrectly, the taste of the fruits and their appearance will deteriorate.

Moisturize and feed the grapes early in the morning or in the evening when there is no sun. Otherwise, the water will quickly evaporate, and sunburn will remain on the plants.

First watering of grapes in spring

How often to water the grapes and how much water to use? The first watering is carried out before the start of sap flow. One bush takes 10-15 liters of water. Use warm water to speed up shoot development. For irrigation, use the method of underground irrigation or pour water on top of the roots.

Second and subsequent

The second time the grapes are watered 14-21 days before flowering. In central Russia, this period begins around mid-May. An adult plant consumes 20 liters of water. If a grapes are grown on the plantation, 1 sq. m takes about 70 liters. Before the procedure, they study the weather forecast for the week ahead.If frosts are expected, watering is postponed. This is especially true for the Urals and Siberia - regions with an unstable climate.

In subsequent times, the grapes are moistened during the budding period, after flowering and at the time of berry growth. 3-4 weeks pass between procedures. About 10 liters of water are consumed per bush - the volume depends on the age of the grapes and weather conditions. If it rains frequently, the amount of water is reduced.

Attention! Do not water the grapes before flowering and during flowering - the flowers will crumble. Also, summer residents stop moistening three weeks before harvesting - water provokes cracking of berries, grapes lose their taste and appearance.

Signs of waterlogging and how to avoid them

If the soil is waterlogged, nutrients are washed out of it, which negatively affects the yield. The soil loses oxygen, which causes the roots to rot. All this leads to fungal and bacterial diseases, fruit cracking, loss of taste. Therefore, it is recommended to inspect the soil before watering the plant. If it can be seen that the ground is still wet, watering is postponed for several days.

Signs of an excess of water indicate:

• slow growth of shoots and berries;
• wilting of leaves;
• unsaturated color of grapes;
• small bunches;
• watery structure of grapes.

Watering methods

Distinguish between surface and underground watering. Superficial is used more often by amateur gardeners. Water moisturizes only the top layer of the soil, no more than 50 cm. Surface irrigation methods:

1. Drip - pipes, taps and drippers are installed along the vineyard. Water enters the tank, heats up and flows through tubes to each plant. Through such a system, the soil is moistened gradually, there is no sharp temperature drop. The method is also appreciated for economical water consumption. Also, the drip system is convenient to use for applying liquid fertilizers. The disadvantage of this method is the complexity of the design.
2. Watering in holes. 5-6 holes are made near each bush. On the one hand, it is easier than drip irrigation, but requires more water. Summer residents make holes in a circle so that the roots are moistened evenly. This method is convenient because a certain amount of water can be set for each grape variety.
3. Watering in trenches. Gardeners make trenches 20 cm deep and 40 cm wide between rows between rows. They dig them at a distance of 50 cm from the bush. This method is suitable for adult and young plants, evenly moisturizes the top layer of the earth. However, water evaporates quickly and is wasted uneconomically.

Underground watering

Thanks to underground irrigation, water gets into the deep layers of the soil. Water does not evaporate from the soil surface, it goes directly to the root system. Thanks to this, the risk of developing diseases is reduced, weeds grow less, which appear in moist soil, the roots grow and become more hardy, the risk of fruit cracking is reduced.

Types of underground irrigation:

1. With horizontal pipes. A plastic tube with holes is placed at a depth of 70 cm. Water heated in the sun is poured into a container, from where it is distributed through pipes. The holes should be spaced 1 m apart.
2. With the help of bottles. Plastic bottles with holes are placed around the stem at a distance of 1 m from each other. Depth - 50-70 cm underground. Water enters the bottle through a garden hose. The method is easy and cost-effective.

In order for the grapes to grow healthy, summer residents alternate underground and surface watering. The main thing is to monitor the condition of the soil and pay attention to the appearance of the plant.

How to feed in spring

It is impossible to get a tasty harvest of grapes without timely mineral and organic fertilizers. Some trace elements are responsible for the presentation of the fruit, others - for the growth of young shoots and plant immunity. Winegrowers use purchased products and folk recipes.

Purchased funds

The first feeding is carried out 7-10 days before flowering.During this time, the grapes have already woken up after winter, and they need strength for the development of fruits. Effective commercial top dressing - "Biochelate Universal"... It increases productivity by 30%, promotes fruit ripening, and prevents the development of fungal diseases. In addition, it reduces the level of nitrates in fruits and increases the shelf life of the crop. Contains nitrogen, phosphorus, zinc, boron, copper and potassium. Sold in liquid form, the working solution is easy to prepare.

The ready-made Iziuminka fertilizer is used for table and technical grape varieties in the spring-summer period. The tool is used to stimulate growth and nutrition, increases the frost resistance of the plant.

Strengthens the root system, increases the number of fruit buds. Suitable for land application and spraying.

Folk recipes

Folk remedies are easy to prepare, components for solutions are always at hand. Such a mixture has a beneficial effect on grapes: 20 liters of water, 2 liters of ash, 6 tbsp. l. sugar, 2 g boron and 3 g copper. The components are mixed and insisted for 2-3 hours in a warm place. The solution is poured into a spray bottle and sprayed onto the grapes. This feeding stimulates the development of fruits and protects landing from insect pests. Used no more than three times per season.

The development and growth of young shoots is stimulated by yeast feeding. In 1 liter of warm water, dilute 1 g of dry yeast and add 1 tsp. Sahara. Mix thoroughly and leave for two hours. The resulting mixture is diluted with 5 L of water, stirred again and added to the root.

Attention! For spraying against diseases and pests, a solution helps - 10 liters of water and 3 tbsp. l. ammonia. Process grapes after the cover is removed. The tool helps the berries ripen faster.

Top dressing methods

There are two main ways - root and leaf. At the first time, fertilizers are applied directly under the root, into the soil. In the second, leaves and shoots are sprayed from a spray bottle at a distance of 30-50 cm. The advantages of the root method are that nutrients go directly to the root, are quickly absorbed by the plant and do not evaporate.

The advantage of leaf fertilizers is that it requires half of preparations and solutions, the soil does not react with some negative components. Grape growers alternate root and foliar fertilizers. This is necessary for the balanced development of the grapes.

How to properly combine spring watering and feeding grapes

In the spring, the grapes are looked after as follows: first they water, then fertilize. Moisture helps vitamins and microelements to penetrate the soil faster and reach the roots. It is not recommended to apply fertilizers to dry soil. It is important to consider the dosage and timing of the procedures. It is convenient if there is a drip irrigation system in the garden - with its help, summer residents combine fertilization and moistening of grapes. If it rained, watering the plant before feeding is not necessary.

Nuances for different growing regions

It is hot in the south and it rarely rains, so the water consumption is increased by 1.5 times. Otherwise, moisture-loving grapes will suffer from a lack of fluid: the fruit set will slow down, the ripening of the vines and the formation of bunches will slow down. Every 3-4 days the leaves are sprayed with water from a spray bottle - the plant is refreshed. Before fertilizing, thoroughly moisten the soil. Otherwise, feeding will entail chemical burns of the roots.

In regions with a cool climate and frequent rains, it is important not to overmoisten the plant. Excessive watering provokes the development of bacteria and microbes that lead to disease. Fertilizers are applied through drip irrigation systems, alternating folk and purchased means.

What to avoid: advice from experienced winegrowers

Common mistakes of summer residents - watering with cold water, excessive moisture, non-compliance with the schedule... You should not water the plant along with other horticultural crops - the grapes have their own, special regime, which is important to observe. Before moistening, the water is heated in the sun. Before the procedure, it will not be superfluous to find out the weather forecast for the coming days: if frosts are expected, watering is postponed.

Mistakes of summer residents when applying fertilizers: an oversupply of fertilizing, applying to dry soil, using components unsuitable for grapes. For example, the culture does not like fresh manure, so it is better to use rotted manure.

Conclusion

Spring grape care starts in late March or early April. They carry out water-charging irrigation, use a drip irrigation system, or add water manually into the grooves near the plant. In the future, the bush is watered every 2-3 weeks.

Fertilize the plant with folk and purchased means. The taste and development of berries is favorably influenced by the preparation "Izuminka", enriched with microelements. On plant health - a solution based on ammonia. Experienced growers recommend keeping track of the amount of water and feeding. Overmoistening or an overabundance of trace elements provokes root rot, a decrease in yield, a deterioration in the taste of grapes.