Is it possible to accelerate the ripening of grapes in August and how to do it

Growing grapes is becoming an increasingly popular activity: thanks to the efforts of breeders, this southern culture is taking root even in Siberia. Grapes are not difficult to cultivate, but breeding them requires some knowledge. It happens that due to late spring with frosts or cool summer, the berries ripen for a long time. We will tell you how to speed up the ripening of grapes in August.

Is it possible to accelerate ripening

Applying simple agronomic techniques, it will be possible to harvest ripe brushes 1-2 weeks earlier.

The use of measures to accelerate the ripening of grapes is justified in the following cases:

• the fruits are in no hurry to sing due to the vagaries of the weather (late spring and cold summer);
• when grown for the purpose of sale: early grapes are more expensive, sold out quickly;
• I want to eat sweet berries early.

It is important to accelerate ripening correctly, otherwise you can completely lose the crop.

Maturation acceleration methods

There are many methods of accelerating the ripening of grapes of various varieties.

We will tell you in more detail what to do to make the grapes ripen faster and be larger.

Banding

The essence of this method is to artificially stop the outflow of organic matter produced by the leaves into the root system and perennial parts of the bush. After ringing, the juices of the plant and the minerals contained in them nourish the clusters more actively, accelerating the onset of ripeness.

On a note! Ringing is used to accelerate ripening and increase yields. Depending on the purpose, the procedure is carried out at different times.

If the purpose of the procedure is to increase the number of berries in bunches, it is carried out before flowering. To increase the size of the fruit - after flowering, and to speed up ripening - when the berries are formed and poured.

For banding, 2 circular cuts are made on the bark with a sharpened knife every 3-5 mm, and a thin strip of bark between the cuts is cleaned off. Such a wound does not heal for a long time and interferes with sap flow. Some growers use wire: they wind it tightly in several turns at the base of the fruit arrow after flowering.

Ringing to accelerate ripening is not carried out on young vines, shoots and replacement knots, since ringed vines are not left for fruiting next year.

The annual procedure leads to the death of the bushes, since the accumulation of nutrients by the plant is disrupted, which leads to its depletion. Therefore, banding is carried out only if necessary on individual fruit shoots.

Rationing

It so happens that the weather is happy, and vineyard care correct, but the berries are still in no hurry to sing. The reason for the slow maturation often lies in the overload of the bush.... Such an oversight is often made by novice gardeners in pursuit of large harvests.

Attention!Rationing is a simple and effective way to remove unnecessary bunches.

As a rule, 2 bunches are left on each vine at the beginning of summer. If the ripening of the berries is delayed, remove those clusters that are located higher in the vine.If on each shoot there is already one cluster, the smallest and most underdeveloped ones are removed.

It is advisable to thin out the berries in the bunches themselves. First of all, pluck out underdeveloped and spoiled specimens, as well as those that grow in the middle of the brush. In this case, no more than 20% of the total mass of berries is cut.

Stepping

The removal of grape stepchildren involves the complete or partial breaking of young shoots. Grasshopping is carried out to restrict the growth of new shoots and direct all the forces of the bush to ripen the vines and bunches.

Reference! Stepsons are shoots that emerge from the buds in the leaf axils.

The grazing of bushes begins in the spring with cutting out small shoots at the initial stage of their growth and continues throughout the season as new stepchildren appear.

Thinning

Regular pinching of bushes, including their thinning, is an important stage. Secondary shoots not only slow down the rate of ripening of berries, but also lead to thickening of the vineyard and insufficient ventilation of the bushes. This leads to the development of diseases.

Removing leaves

Removing excess foliage is another effective way to speed up the ripening of berries. The point of the procedure is to open the clusters to the sun's rays.

When thinning, be sure to pull out all the weeds and remove the lower leaves that cover the bunches from the sun.

Chasing shoots

The minting of grape shoots is carried out at the moment the berries begin to ripen... The point of this method is to remove the tops of the shoots that are actively growing and taking food from ripening bunches. For this, the upper part of the shoot is cut off with a secateurs to the first developed leaf.

Despite the seeming logic of this method, some growers consider this approach to be incorrect, arguing that the pinching of the main shoots provokes the growth of stepsons, who eventually take even more food.

Temperature rise near bushes

This method is especially effective when growing crops in the Urals and in Siberiawhere the cool summer often delays harvest. The point of the procedure is to provide warmth to the lower part of the bushes, which accelerates the ripening of the bunches.

A layer of mulch effectively protects the root system from coolness. Place large flat stones, concrete tiles, or water bottles well under the bushes. During the day they will heat up, and at night they will give off heat. On especially cold nights, the bushes are covered with agrofibre, throwing it over the trellis.

Twisting the bunches

This technique consists in turning the bunches of almost ripe grapes by 180 °, which only needs to collect sugars. After this procedure, nutritious juices cease to flow to the berries, and water evaporates through the skin. Because of this, the concentration of sugars in the fruits increases.

However, in some cases, the use of this technique leads to wilting of the berries and loss of taste, or the brushes are generally torn off the vine. The stalks are especially fragile after rains. Therefore, twisting is used with caution, first turning the brushes 60–90 °.

Application of dressings

To accelerate ripening, it is important to treat the vineyard with fertilizers. Knowing what feed the bushes before and during the ovary, it will be possible to get the harvest a couple of weeks earlier.

Attention! How to process grapes for quick ripening? Potash is especially important for ripening berries. feeding... It is potassium that stimulates the outflow of nutrients from the leaves to the bunches and contributes to the accumulation of sugars in the fruits.

Potassium dressing is carried out on the leaves and at the root. They use both industrial fertilizers - potassium magnesium, potassium sulfate, potassium monophosphate (drugs are used according to the instructions on the package), and folk remedies - wood ash, extracts and infusions based on it.

Fertilizers with potassium are applied 2 times: 2 weeks before the moment the grapes begin to set, and 2 weeks before harvesting.

Another substance that accelerates the ripening of grapes is phosphorus.Funds based on it are applied 1-2 weeks before flowering.

Stop watering

This is the simplest of the listed ways to accelerate ripening. Watering is stopped from mid-July. Excess moisture only tightens the ripening of berries.

Lack of competitors

The absence of competitors for food guarantees the bushes a full flow of all nutrients, timely filling and ripening of berries. It is not recommended to plant young grapes under a fruiting bush, not change and other garden crops.

It is important to choose a suitable location for the vineyard. In the sun itself and in areas open to light and air, the bunches will ripen faster.

Features of accelerating maturation for different regions of Russia

The listed methods of accelerating ripening are used and combined depending on the climatic conditions of the cultivation region.

When grown in the Urals and Siberia, it is important to insulate the root system and ground parts of the bushes on cool nights in August and September. For the same purpose, the bushes are watered only with warm water.

Without fail, the leaves are cut off in the fruiting zone, otherwise the bunches simply do not have enough sun to ripen.

When growing grapes in the Moscow region and central Russia, chasing shoots has been common since August 20. This technique allows you to restrain the growth of the vegetative mass and direct all the forces of the culture to the ripening of berries.

For various grape varieties

Light varieties in the sun they acquire a characteristic golden color. For them, the foliage is cut off over the bunches, exposing the berries to the sun. In dark grapes, foliage around the bunch is removed to improve air exchange within the bush.

Late grapes (Biruintsa, Italy, Ataman, etc.) require thinning of the foliage in the fruiting zone to accelerate ripening. This is especially important if the fall is cool and rainy.

Tips from experienced winegrowers

Tips from experienced winegrowers will help novice gardeners avoid mistakes when growing sun berries:

1. A careful approach to choosing a variety. By choosing proven zoned varieties, you will get a guaranteed yield and trouble-free wintering of vines even in Siberia. For novice winegrowers, such unpretentious varieties as Aleshenkin, Krasa Severa, Sharova's Riddle, Cosmonaut are suitable. They produce small to medium-sized but tasty berries.
2. The correct choice of place and its preparation. The wrong place will nullify all efforts and remove the desire to grow grapes further. The plot is sunny, sheltered from northerly winds, with a calm southern slope.
3. Protection of plantings from diseases and pests. In spring and summer, grapes are treated for mildew, oidium, gray rot and other diseases. Protection from pests that can cause significant damage to the crop is important.
4. A balanced approach to fertilization. The use of an excessive amount of organic and mineral fertilizing in the planting pits causes burns or death of young roots. Therefore, such funds are made in strict accordance with the instructions.
5. Improving soil structure. To improve the air permeability of the soil, sand and straw are used. Manure is used with caution, as it is rich in nitrogen, which stimulates the rapid growth of green mass. In order for the vine to ripen before autumn, the grapes are fertilized with manure only in the spring.

Conclusion

Sometimes growers are faced with a delay in the ripening of berries. The weather in August and September is not what it was in summer: frequent rains and temperature drops can negate all the gardener's efforts. In such cases, special techniques are used to accelerate the ripening of the bunches and improve the quality of the fruit.