August Grape Care Guide & Tips from Experienced Winegrowers

Novice gardeners assume that after harvesting, the vineyard does not need attention, and it is only necessary to care for the plants in the spring, as the snow melts. This assumption is incorrect: even when fruiting has passed, the crop requires watering, feeding and pruning. The correct approach guarantees not only a rich harvest next year, but also a problem-free wintering of the bushes.

What care is required for grapes in August

In August, most of the grape varieties enter the fruiting period. To make the bunches grow large and sweet, gardeners are engaged in agrotechnical measures: cut off and form plants, feed and watered, loosened and mulched. Be sure to carry out treatment in August for diseases and insect pests so that they do not eat ripe and juicy berries. It depends on the procedures how the bush will endure autumn and winter, what the fruit set will be for the next year.

At the beginning of the month, stepchildren and green growth are cut... Excessive vegetation interferes with the development of bunches and takes away nutrients, which is why the fruits grow small and fresh. It is also recommended to carry out formative pruning: it gives the plant a well-groomed appearance and protects it from the appearance of pests.

In the second half of August, the grapes ripen, traces of rot or other diseases may appear on the fruits. In this case plants are treated folk remedies, since the use of chemicals is dangerous to health. A week after harvesting, the vineyards are sprayed with a boric acid solution. The procedure strengthens the plant's immunity and increases its frost resistance. Additionally, they clean the ground from fallen leaves and fruits to prepare the vineyard for winter.

What to do in the vineyard in August

The vineyard works throughout the year. Consider what is grape care in August and how to properly perform the procedures.

Watering

Frequency and abundance watering depend on weather conditions. In the southern regions, the summer is warm and long, so they moisten the soil until the end of the month, gradually reducing the amount of water.

On average, one adult bush takes about 12 liters of water, at the end of August - about 7 liters. In the northern regions, watering stops by mid-August.

It is not recommended to irrigate shrubs on which ripe and large berries hang: excessive moisture provokes cracking and rot of the fruit.

Moisten the plant at the root, water should not get on the leaves, shoots and berries. It is recommended to carry out the procedure in the morning or in the evening. The water is pre-heated in the sun. Stop moisturizing 3 weeks before harvest; if August is dry - in 2 weeks. In order for the water to penetrate deeper to the roots, the soil is first loosened to a depth of 10 cm.

Top dressing

August is not the best time for complex fertilizing... An excess of mineral fertilizers leads to the fact that the green mass grows, and the fruits remain small, their ripening slows down. Summer residents are advised to pay attention to folk remedies for root and foliar fertilizers. They are harmless to humans and the environment, and are easy to prepare. Such formulations strengthen the plant's immunity, stimulate fruit ripening and protect against diseases.

One of the most effective remedies is yeast infusion. 200 g of yeast are stirred in 1 liter of warm water, stirred and infused for 6 hours.Dilute the solution with clean water in a 1: 1 ratio and spray the vineyard. 1 bush takes 1 liter of the product. An ash solution is prepared according to the same principle: instead of yeast, 130 g of dry ash are added to the water. It nourishes the soil and improves the quality of the fruit.

Treatment

Treatment for diseases and pests is carried out throughout the summer... Due to hot weather and high humidity, grapes get sick with mildew - downy mildew. The drugs "Quadris" and "Ridomil" help to get rid of the fungal disease. They are used on condition that 1 month remains before harvesting. If the grapes are sick with scab or oidium, they are sprayed with a solution of boric acid: 100 g of the substance is diluted in 10 liters of warm water. Processing is carried out in dry and warm weather, after removing infected leaves and fruits from the bush.

Attention! A common crop pest in August is the grape leafworm. Caterpillars eat leaves, shoots, fruits. They overwinter in the soil and plant debris; in summer, butterflies multiply rapidly. They get rid of the pest with the help of the preparations "Arrivo", "Fufanon" or "Ekamet".

If bears, aphids or spider mites have settled on the plant, it is recommended to use a solution of copper sulfate. 100 g of powder requires 10 liters of water. Dilute the solution in plastic or glass containers, after processing, store for no more than 10 hours. In addition to insects, the product quickly copes with various types of rot. The vineyard is not poured with a solution, but sprayed.

Chasing

Minting is carried out when the grapes begin to ripen, the fruits swell and change color. It is recommended to do this in cloudy weather, without rain or wind. Summer residents remove the tops of the vines by 20 cm. When the berries ripen, the lashes stop developing, the young shoots ripen. The green vine turns to light brown.

Thanks to the embossing, the bunches are illuminated from all sides, which affects the improvement of the commercial and taste qualities of the crop. The procedure increases the resistance of plants to frost and disease. In areas with a humid and cool climate (for example, in the Urals), chasing is required for better ventilation of the bushes. It accelerates the ripening of large fruits.

Inexperienced summer residents believe that chasing and pinching are the same thing. This is not so: the pinching is carried out before or at the beginning of flowering, and the chasing is carried out before fruiting. During the pinching, only the tops are removed, and during chasing, a significant part of the shoot.

Pruning

Pruning is carried out in the second half of August. For the procedure, use a sharp pruner or scissors, they are disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate. Pruning is required for all bushes over 2 years old. In August, various procedures are relevant: formative or sanitary.

Formative pruning gives the bush its shape. For this, all chaotically growing shoots and branches, entangled with each other, are cut out. As a result, the vines are ventilated, the risk of rot or fungal diseases is reduced.

With sanitary pruning, all diseased, dry and damaged shoots are removed. Next year, new fruit-bearing vines will grow in their place. It is important that all cuts and wounds are only on the inner side of the shoots: this way they overgrow faster. After the procedure, the damage is treated with garden varnish. The cut is made oblique, with an inclination towards the eye.

Mulching

Mulch prevents weeds, improves root development and nutrition... In August, it is brought in for the last time, after having previously loosened the earth and cleared of debris. It is recommended to use organic mulch: dry grass, bark, wood chips, ash, hay. The layer thickness is about 8 cm.

Mulch retains water, protects roots from overheating in the southern regions of the country. If the soil is dry and sandy, the soil is mulched with leaves. On clayey lands, sawdust or river sand is used.

Loosening

Loosening is especially important in hot and dry summers. The soil in such conditions instantly absorbs moisture, the roots quickly absorb it.To keep the water in the ground longer, once a week the soil is loosened with a garden hoe to a depth of 7-10 cm. The procedure opens up oxygen access to the roots, which protects the grapes from diseases. It is not recommended to loosen the soil deeper than 10 cm: there is a risk of damaging the roots.

Post-harvest care

After harvesting, the vineyard is inspected for diseases and pests.... If there are signs of damage, the plant is sprayed with a solution of copper sulfate or Bordeaux liquid. Diseased shoots and leaves are removed, burned outside the garden plot. If there are no symptoms of infection, the vineyard is treated with prophylactic agents: infusion of nettle or ash, the drug "Strobi". The procedure protects plants from insects and diseases in autumn and winter.

Attention!Preparing the vineyard for the fall consists in removing all fallen leaves from the site, watering and feeding the plants, pruning and treating diseases. The next time they return to the vineyard only before the cold weather - they cover it for the winter.

After preventive treatment, the last feeding is carried out - potassium salt or potassium sulfate is added. Fertilizers nourish the soil, increase the plant's resistance to frost and winds. After feeding the grapes are mulched.

Nuances for different regions

In the Moscow region, the majority varieties ripens by the end of August, so it is recommended to process the vineyard before the 10th of the month. In the Urals and Siberia, the harvest is harvested later, so spraying is carried out in early August. In order for the treatment to have an effect, it is important to do it in dry weather.

When watering, summer residents are encouraged to pay attention to climatic conditions. In the Moscow region and the southern regions, vineyards are watered abundantly and often, in the northern regions - depending on how often it rains. The soil should not be constantly wet: this entails the development of fungal diseases.

Tips from experienced winegrowers

Experienced growers know how to grow good crops and properly care for the bushes all year round.

They recommend:

• collect ripe grapes in a timely manner, preventing the fruits from falling to the ground;
• regularly inspect the vineyard for pests and other damage;
• if the bush is affected by the disease by more than 80%, remove it from the site and burn it;
• do not remove processes that have reached 15 cm in length;
• pinching at the beginning of summer, and not at the end;
• thin out the leaves along with pruning;
• do not use nitrogen-containing fertilizers and organic matter in August.

Conclusion

Grape care at the end of summer includes hydration and fertilization. Water the grapes in the morning or evening, the abundance depends on the weather conditions. They are fed with potassium agents, treated with a solution of Bordeaux liquid to strengthen the immune system.

Pay attention to chasing and trimming: measures stimulate the ripening of bunches, improve the air permeability of the bushes. Correct and timely care ensures that heat-loving shrubs will not freeze in autumn and winter and will retain the ability to bear fruit for the next year.