Grapes are a valuable and he althy berry. Thanks to the development of new, winter-hardy varieties, it has become a fairly common crop not only in the south, but also in the middle lane. Even in the north, gardeners are successfully growing some zoned varieties and hybrids.
The vine needs proper care: top dressing, bush formation and annual removal of part of the shoots are required. How to prune grapes, remove shoots in autumn or spring, how long to cut?
In the north, it is cut in spring, in other regions - in autumn. Before the onset of cold weather, the movement of substances inside the shoots slows down, and no juice will be released at the place of cuts. Autumn pruning is preferable, as it is less painful for the bush.
Why prune grapes?
Do I need to cut the grapes in the fall, why is it important not to let the bush grow quietly in all directions? The grapes have a feature: clusters are formed only on the shoots of the current year. These shoots are budding on last year's young vine.
Benefits of using this agricultural technique:
- reduced ripening time;
- bunches get bigger, berries get bigger;
- frost resistance increases;
- formed bushes are easier to cover for the winter.
Taking into account varietal characteristics
Fruitful eyes are laid at the beginning of this year, in June.
Specific varieties and weather conditions have a great influence on this process.
If it was warm, even the first 3-5 eyes bear fruit, if it is cold, shoots grown from 10-12 eyes bear fruit.
Based on this, when grapes are pruned in autumn, different types are used for different varieties: long, medium, short or combined pruning.
Heat-loving varieties of Central Asian origin ("in memory of Negrul", "cardinal", "ayvaz", "rizamat") and hybrids based on them are cut as long as possible, leaving 14-16 eyes. Usually their first shoots are fruitless, those that grow from 6 or more buds give a harvest.
More persistent species ("Muromets", "Strashensky", "Don agate", "pleven", "delight", "Sasha") are subjected to medium pruning (by 7-9 eyes).
Resistant to frost and disease varieties ("zarif", "alden", "codryanka", "beige", "arcadia") are cut into 2-4 eyes.
The general condition of the bush is also taken into account. When grapes are pruned in autumn, young, weak, damaged plants are unloaded, removingshoot short.
Before we start
In order for the removal of shoots not to weaken the plant, you must follow simple rules:
- work on a dry sunny day;
- prepare sharp clean tools;
- know exactly where and what to cut.
Pruning dates
There is no consensus on this issue. Different climates, different varieties - everything must be taken into account. However, there are general recommendations that are suitable for all gardeners.
- No need to rush. If pruned immediately after harvest, the bush will be deprived of the opportunity to recover from fruiting and will not receive the nutrients necessary for a successful winter. If, after harvesting the bunches, the vine is allowed to recover, the grapes will leave stronger and prepared in winter.
- The best time to prune grapes in autumn is immediately after leaf fall and lasts until the first frost. Inside the vine begins a strong outflow of nutrients to the roots and trunks. You can’t be late either: when the temperature drops to -30С, the liquid in the shoots freezes, when pruned, they begin to crack and break.
When grapes are pruned in autumn, it is done in two steps.
- First, the tops are cut out, the links that bear fruit, the old and damaged sleeves, the worst shoots.
- The top of the fruit vine is removed just before shelter.
Many practice combined pruning, when the bush is formed both in autumn and spring.
