Fertilizing young grapes. Top dressing of grapes: fertilization during ripening and fruiting. What nutrients do the vine need?

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 belt 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 under vines 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 more 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, and ash are used as top dressing.

Feeding calendar

In order for the shrub to be healthy and give 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 is indicated 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-heated (but not hot) water, fertilizers diluted in water, and again water. 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 grape bushes 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 top dressing, 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, which contain potassium (50 g is enough for one bush). Also, it will not be superfluous to make 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 done during the ripening of the berries or only at the stage of the appearance of the ovary, it can be done in different ways.

Root dressing

Root dressing 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 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, about 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 a top dressing 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 of 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 that contain 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 on 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.
Watering and feeding grapes with liquid fertilizers is advisable to be carried out simultaneously. In this case, you should not overfill the ground.
Foliar feeding of shrubs 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 must first make a deepening. There are components, nitrogen, for example, which volatilize 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 chicken 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 not miss a single spray. The processing calendar for 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.

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 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 humid 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 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 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 a gardener and a winegrower is insignificant: the point is only in the ways of making complex fertilizers. This can be a chemical reaction of the original 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 liters 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, 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 unfavorable environmental conditions. Let's dissolve well. It can be used almost all summer long. Compatible with most insecticides. For feeding grapes in any way (by leaves or under 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 microelements 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; an adhesive is also added to the composition, which improves adhesion to the leaves. Therefore, the fertilizer has a long-lasting effect (up to 20 days) and 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 drug is infused in 10 liters of water. 5 liters are consumed per 1 m 2.

Organic fertilizers

Manure is the most important organic fertilizer. 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 using it, 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; is 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 washing 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 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 introduced 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, 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:

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.
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.
Additional dressing carried out at various times throughout the summer. This 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 period of 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 the Arcadia grapes to exist well. I confess that I hardly 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:

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.
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 about a bucket of the diluted solution under the bush.
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.
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 impact, it is best to do foliar top dressing: 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.
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 the 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, while simultaneously introducing phosphorus-potassium fertilizers into 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.
September. Foliar dressing of the bushes with phosphorus and potash fertilizers is repeated. They are performed in the same way as in August.
October or November. Before covering 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 is almost no different from that in the case of planting bushes for many years, except that organics can be taken less. When preparing the soil on 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 composition of the soil 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 well watered containers with cuttings, on which by this time the leaves are already growing. 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 racks 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?

July is a hot season for winegrowers, because this month there is an increased growth of berries, and there is not much time left before harvesting. During this period, the bushes of grapes are especially in need of dressing, thanks to which the clusters will become larger and more juicy.

Why do you need top dressing of grapes in July

The deficiency of nutrients that plants usually obtain from the soil must be compensated for with top dressing. In the middle of summer, when the basis of the future harvest is being formed, this is especially important. The lack of minerals is manifested in the weak growth of the bushes, the berries grow small, contain little sugar, and the yield remains low. In addition, with a deficiency of nutrients, the plant becomes defenseless against diseases and pests.

July dressing must be carried out after the flowering of the bushes, but before the berries ripen.

The use of complex fertilizers and organic matter during this period, especially bird droppings and mullein, is contraindicated due to the high concentration of active nitrogen contained in them, which, instead of the growth of grape bunches, will enhance the formation of green mass and shift the ripening of berries.

Before each top dressing, you need to water the bushes abundantly, so the fertilizers will be absorbed into the soil faster.

How to feed grapes in July

If the vineyard is located on an area with depleted or initially poor soil, then young plants, along with old bushes, experience an acute shortage of substances useful for growth, such as potassium and phosphorus, due to which the sugar content of the berries increases and their ripening accelerates. Therefore, in the first 3 weeks of July, it is necessary to organize the feeding of grapes with potassium-phosphorus fertilizers, with the addition of trace elements - boron, cobalt, magnesium, manganese, copper, sulfur, zinc. The listed microelements affect the level of sugar content, improve the absorption of phosphates, stimulate the growth of ovaries, increase the immunity of the plant and the yield of plantings.

Thanks to the July dressings, the basis for a high-quality harvest is laid

It is necessary to start this work immediately after the flowering of the bushes and until the fruit ripens, when the berries do not exceed the size of a pea. The maximum effect is observed with the simultaneous use of root and foliar dressings.

When growing grapes, it is important to pay attention not only to young bushes, but also to adult plants. It is they who completely deplete the soil over several seasons, and therefore are in dire need of additional fertilizing. Therefore, unlike young plants, which are fully provided with nutrients from the soil in the planting pit, adult bushes must be fed 2 years after planting.

Root dressing

At the beginning of July, it is recommended to fertilize the site where the vineyard is located with an aqueous solution of ash: dissolve 100-200 g of ash in a bucket of water with a volume of 10 liters and leave to infuse for 2-3 days. The resulting ash solution is enough for watering 1 sq. m vineyard. The prepared composition is poured into previously dug trenches 35–40 cm deep, 0.5–0.6 m from the main vine, and then covered with earth.

Before you start using ash, you need to take into account that this fertilizer is contraindicated for vineyards located on alkaline soil.

Ash contains a balanced complex of substances, and the effect of its use lasts at least 2 years

A good top dressing will be the following composition: 20 g of any potassium fertilizer that does not contain chlorine, since grapes do not tolerate it well, for example, potassium sulfate or potassium salt, and dissolve the same amount of superphosphate in 10 liters of water.

After making a nutritious top dressing, water the area with warm water, at least 3-4 buckets of water per bush, and be sure to mulch with a layer of straw or sawdust 5 cm thick. Thanks to such actions, fungal diseases are prevented, and the berries will become sweeter.

With the help of drainage pipes, a quick flow of fertilizers to the root system of the grapes is ensured

If you use a drainage system for feeding grapes, it will not matter on what land and climatic zone the vineyard is located. Even without fertile soil available, large clusters can be grown in a sandy or rocky area. The main thing is timely and correct feeding.

During the next two decades of July, nitrogen fertilization must be completely eliminated. If this is not done, the growth of the vine will be delayed, and, as a result, the harvest will ripen for a long time.

In the last decade of July, when the size of the berries is equal to the size of peas, it is necessary to apply liquid organic fertilizer under the grape bushes, for example, a solution of chicken manure. To prepare it you will need:

Dilute a bucket of chicken droppings in 3 liters of water.
Infuse the solution for 7 days.
After a week, dilute 1 liter of concentrate in 10 liters of water. A properly prepared solution resembles weakly brewed tea in color, but if it turns out to be a more saturated tone, you need to add more water.
Apply the resulting fertilizer completely under the root of one bush.

Chicken manure is a valuable organic fertilizer that improves soil fertility

In order for the fertilizer to be better absorbed into the soil, it is necessary to dig trenches 25–30 cm deep between the vine bushes at a distance of 50–60 cm from the main vine, and pour the prepared dressing into them, and then bury them with earth. A solution of chicken manure is used as a top dressing in July only once, and the result from its use will be noticeable after 2 weeks.

Video: root feeding of grapes in July

Foliar dressing

A good effect is given by foliar, or, in other words, foliar dressing of grapes. For foliar dressing, only liquid products are used, which are poured into a spray bottle. The sprayer needs to irrigate only the lower surface of the leaves, in which the stomata are located, and through them useful substances enter the plant cells. If you do not have a sprayer, you can wipe the leaves with a cloth soaked in nutrient solution.

It will take very little time to prepare foliar dressings:

Dissolve in 10 liters of water 100 g of superphosphate and 50 g of potassium sulfate. Spray the leaves of the vineyard with the prepared solution.
Dissolve 1 liter of liquid potassium humate in 1 thousand liters of water, the resulting solution is enough to process a vineyard with an area of 1 hectare.

Thanks to potassium humate, nitrates and other harmful substances are removed from the berries, and the plant's immunity to diseases is also increased.

The drug Agroverm has excellent characteristics, which contains potassium humate, 18 amino acids and trace elements necessary for grapes. When used, the yield and quality of berries increases.

Fertilizers on the leaves are quickly absorbed and give excellent results

Another foliar top dressing contains a rich composition of trace elements that dissolve in 10 liters of water:

Novosil drug - 1 tsp;
the drug Kemira-Lux - 15–20 g;
potassium humate - 1 tbsp. l;
boric acid - 1/2 tbsp. l;
baking soda - 60–70 g;
iodine - 1/2 tsp;
manganese - on the tip of the knife.

An important condition for foliar feeding is dry and calm weather after sunset or a cloudy day. This method of fertilization is especially effective in cases where the fastest delivery of nutrients to weakened plants is required, which will completely absorb them in a matter of minutes.

To enhance the effect of foliar feeding, it is necessary to choose a sprayer with a fine spray that forms small droplets.

At the end of July, you can use an ash-based foliar dressing: dissolve a liter can of ash in 10 liters of water, 3 tbsp. l. granulated sugar, 1 g of boron and 1.5 g of copper.

The sugar content of grapes will increase after feeding with potassium-phosphorus fertilizer, which is used as an addition to root feeding. To prepare it, you will need to do the following:

Dilute 300 g of superphosphate in 3 liters of warm water.
Filter the mixture and leave to infuse until it brightens.
Drain the water from the mixture, and mix the thick with 300 g of ash.
Dilute the resulting mass with 10 liters of water and leave to infuse until the solution brightens. You need to use all the received dressing on the day of preparation, do not store.

For foliar top dressing of grapes, Aquarin, Novofert, Plantafol are also recommended. It is in July that potash-phosphorus fertilizers are especially effective, since they are 100% and quickly absorbed by bushes..

Growing grapes is not an easy task, especially for the northern regions. Even in the middle lane, the berries do not always have time to ripen due to improper care or insufficient nutrition in the soil.

Famous vineyards are located in the southern regions, where the air quickly warms up to 15-18 degrees in early spring. This temperature is considered optimal for the start of intensive shoot growth and fruit formation. In order for the grapes to ripen, the temperature should be 28 - 30 degrees.

If the air warms up more, the feeding processes are suspended. In order to get a good harvest, in June the temperature must be above 20 degrees - this is a prerequisite, because the vineyards also contain for the production of wine. At the same time, the sugar level for dry wines must be at least 18%. For sweets - 22%.

The most dangerous phenomenon for grapes is considered to be short-term frosts. In the spring, buds that have started to grow at a temperature of minus 3 - 4 degrees die. A vineyard can lose up to 70% of its buds. In the autumn period, early frosts can damage vegetative buds, which will give shoots and harvest the next year. The plant does not have time to get used to the cold, therefore, even at a temperature of minus 5 - 7 degrees, they all freeze out.

Of great importance is the feeding of grapes in spring and summer, as well as fertilizing the soil with nutrients in the fall. Depending on the type of soil, nutrition is applied most of the year - from spring to autumn. It helps to support the root system and vegetative organs of the plant. The root system, by the way, in grapes is very weak, located at the surface, therefore this species is sensitive to a lack of moisture in the soil and air.

You cannot feed the grapes during the fruiting period with mineral fertilizers alone. This depletes the soil and results in lower yields. A good result is given by the alternation of mineral and organic substances, as well as the use of micronutrient fertilizers for feeding grapes. Trace elements protect the vegetative organs from fungal infection, enhancing immunity, especially in adverse weather conditions during flowering and pouring berries.

Organic and mineral fertilizers for grapes

Every spring grapes grow a large amount of green mass, which requires nitrogen nutrition. Fertilizing grapes with mineral and organic substances increases the plant's resistance to external conditions and makes it possible for the berries to ripen.

From minerals for fertilizing grapes use:

ammonium nitrate;

superphosphate;

urea;

potassium salt or potassium sulfate.

Ammonium nitrate and urea are monofertilizers, the active ingredient of which is nitrogen. It promotes the formation of young shoots and leaves, preparing the plant for fruiting. Nutrients are introduced into the groove dug around the root in liquid or dry form. After sprinkling, dry granules must be watered abundantly - this way the food will be absorbed faster, and it will be easier for soil bacteria to process substances.

Superphosphate is one of the most important fertilizers than the grapes are fed during the ripening period, in autumn or spring. Fertilizer supports the root system and affects metabolism. Introduced in liquid form: superphosphate granules are poured with hot water and mixed until completely dissolved, then poured under the root.

Video: Top dressing of grapes in the summer for an excellent harvest

Potassium is responsible for the quality and size of the berries. With a lack of it, the leaves dry out, and the grapes do not gain sugar. Full ripening does not occur, especially in the northern regions, where weather conditions interfere. Potassium is added together with phosphorus, since these substances work more efficiently in steam. Phosphorus-potassium fertilizers for grapes usually contain nitrogen, so they are applied in the spring or summer. When feeding grapes in August, such mixtures are not used, so as not to stimulate the growth of new shoots.

Correct feeding of grapes is carried out in several stages:

two main integrated nutrition;

additional- during the entire growing season.

Foliar feeding of grapes is of great importance, because in this way it is possible to quickly compensate for the loss of nutrients. For example, nitrogen starvation is eliminated in 2 - 3 days by spraying with urea or infusion of mullein, diluted 1/10. This saves the plant from the beginning of the spread of the fungus on the leaves and increases the defenses.

Of organic fertilizers, than to feed grapes while pouring berries or in August, the most effective substance is wood ash and cattle or horse manure.

Manure is used rotted or in the form of compost. In the spring, an aqueous solution of mullein is used to quickly deliver nutrition to the roots. The ash is also poured with hot water and insisted, then poured into the recesses near the roots. These fertilizers are fully sufficient for the entire fruiting season, since they decompose in the soil for a longer time and release nutrients in the area of the grape root system.

The main condition for plant nutrition is soil moisture, since soil microorganisms are involved in the decomposition of organic matter. With dry soil, their activity weakens, which affects the appearance of the plant with a lack of substances.

Spring grape care

Spring care activities include:

sanitary pruning of vines;

top dressing of grapes in spring is carried out with a full complex mineral fertilizer or a mixture of organics and minerals;

garter vines on a support;

soil loosening and mulching.

One main dressing of the grapes is carried out in the spring. You can choose at will or according to the availability of fertilizers:

Complex mineral fertilizer containing nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. These can be: nitofoska, azofoska, azophos + potassium fertilizer for grapes. You do not need to calculate dosages - they are in the instructions. If monofertilizers are used, then the amount of each substance can also be found in the description.

Infusion of mullein and superphosphate. Fresh or rotted manure is poured with water in a ratio of ¼ and insisted for a week, stirring occasionally to reduce the concentration of ammonia. Superphosphate is scattered in granules or an extract is made by pouring water over the powder. Both substances are mixed and poured into the grooves under the root, then sprinkled with earth.

Ash hood - 300 g per bucket of water. Nitrogen fertilizer is applied by foliar method so as not to mix ash with nitrogen, which neutralizes it.

Fertilizers are applied after pruning, and the sanitary cleaning itself and the formation of the bush is carried out 2 - 3 weeks before bud break. Cuttings that have been stocked with nutrients since autumn can be successfully rooted by immersing them in a solution with organic matter or root formation stimulants. By the fall, they will be ready to disembark.

Top dressing of grapes in summer

In the first half of summer, grapes are fed with complex mineral fertilizers containing nitrogen. But nitrogen is no longer required as much as in the spring, so it is worth buying another composition, where it is less in relation to the potassium-phosphorus elements.

How to feed grapes in summer during ripening:

superphosphate- contains, in addition to phosphorus, calcium and 8% nitrogen, you can add potassium sulfate;

ash- potassium and phosphorus, trace elements- sulfur, magnesium, boron, zinc, calcium;

extraction from manure- foliar feeding or under the root plus superphosphate in granules;

green manure- watering at the root.

Top dressing of grapes in June stimulates the formation of dense clusters with a large number of berries. A lack of potassium at this stage will reduce the potential size and quantity of the berries.

Foliar dressing of grapes in July copper sulfate in a diluted concentration will help preserve the harvest. At the time of the ripening of the berries, the grapes consume a large amount of nutrients from the soil and weaken, as a result of which fungal diseases can begin, which the grapes have little resistance to.

In summer, you can feed young grapes for growth. Seedlings should form a powerful root system, for this fertilizers are applied deeper by 20 - 30 cm. If this is not done, the roots develop superficially and will die during a frosty winter.

Fertilizing grapes in August is a stimulation of late varieties that ripen at this time. Nitrogen-free potash-phosphorus blends are the best choice as they give the plant energy to store sugar in the berries.

It is this nuance that stops summer residents of the northern regions from cultivating vineyards in their plots - a lack of light, heat and potassium, as well as night temperature drops, at which the root system becomes vulnerable and poorly supplies food to plant tissues.

Autumn activities to prepare grapes for winter

Top dressing of late varieties of grapes occurs in the autumn months - September and October. Accordingly, the timing of pruning, which is carried out 2 - 3 weeks after the foliage is dropped, is shifted. The main working substances for the full ripening of berries are potassium and phosphorus, as well as trace elements.

In autumn, the plant gives up all the nutrients to the brush, the vegetative organs weaken and begin to hurt. Top dressing of grapes in August-September reduces the risk of damage to the crop by downy mildew or other fungal infections.

To quickly deliver food to the grape bunches, fertilizers are applied in liquid form - ash solutions, superphosphate extract, potassium dressing.

Long-lasting fertilizers such as phosphate rock and bone meal are applied in the fall. Their decomposition takes time and a slightly acidic environment in the soil, since in their chemical composition they contain alkaline elements - phosphorus and calcium. If the soil is neutral, such fertilizers will not be beneficial.

Features of autumn pruning vines

You need to start pruning in the fall when the sap flow through the tissues stops so that the plant does not lose minerals.

Among winegrowers, there is the concept of the "weeping vine". This phenomenon occurs when the shoots are cut too early. The procedure is harmful to the plant, since a focus of infection can form at the site of the cuts.

Important! The pruning procedure is carried out after dropping the foliage after 2 weeks

The bushes are formed in different ways - by the standard method, leaving two strong shoots on the so-called "sleeves" or cut closer to the ground - for covering varieties.

Construction of a shelter for a vineyard for the winter

After making the obligatory portion of fertilizer for grapes in August or September (even later in the southern regions) in the form of a complex mixture or organic matter, you can begin to prepare the covering varieties for wintering.

Before sheltering, you need to water the soil under the grapes abundantly in order to moisten the soil to the depth of the roots. it about 200 l for each adult plant. This is necessary to warm the soil in winter - the water rises in the form of vapor and thus heats the roots.

To do this, a small mound of earth is built near the root collar, on which boards, slate and special material are laid on top. You can use the material from which bags for sugar are sewn - it breathes well and does not accumulate moisture.

The aerial part is also wrapped up and the fabric is pressed to the ground with stones. When covering with a layer of soil, it is necessary to organize an air layer between the shoots and the covering layer so that the plant does not push and does not lose its growth buds. Before closing, some gardeners practice whitewashing the vine with lime to prevent mold from forming.

In order for the grapes on the kitchen table to be tasty and large, the bunches are numerous and heavy, the bushes need to be fertilized and fed throughout the season, from early spring to preparation for wintering. At each stage, top dressing performs a specific function. For fruits, the period after the end of flowering and at the time of the formation of fruits and bunches is especially important. At this time, grapes require substances and trace elements that are able to satisfy the needs for fruit formation.

Flowering is an important stage in the development of the vineyard, and after it, top dressing should be carried out

Grape growers use two methods for feeding: root and foliar. Both methods can be applied after the end of the flowering period (from mid to late June). To make the "support" of grapes as effective as possible, you need to analyze in more detail all the nuances of the procedure.

General information on the need to fertilize grapes

For active and healthy growth and fruiting, grapes need a large amount of various minerals and elements throughout the entire period of life. Especially vines need "help" in the first years of their life. For this reason, it is recommended to actively fertilize and feed the grapes when planting or transplanting. If the soil was fertilized correctly during planting, then in the first 3-4 years the active addition of mineral and organic elements is not required. Later, an adult bush, having used up the available reserves of nutrients, will need periodic feeding if you want it to be healthy, actively develop and give a constant tasty and large harvest. It should be understood that the larger the bush, the more nutrients and moisture it consumes to ensure normal life. That is, adult overgrown bushes are much more in need of replenishment of the depleted soil with the necessary mineral elements and nutrients. The level of "help" depends on many factors:

grape sort;
climatic conditions;
soil fertility.

It should be understood that even in very fertile soil and under favorable conditions, the grapes may lack the full required amount of trace elements. Over time, the amount of nutrients in the soil decreases, which requires additional measures in order for the grapes to continue to produce a high-quality harvest.

Grapes require a large number of different micronutrients, and they need them to varying degrees, depending on the vegetative stage, season and age. To "support" the bushes, various methods of fertilization and feeding are used, depending on the above factors, as well as on the basis of what specific substances are planned to be added. It is necessary to be very careful about the choice of timing for feeding this or that type of microelements and fertilizers. A single and simultaneous introduction of all known nutrients into the soil will lead to harmful consequences, it can completely destroy the plant. It is worthwhile to study in detail the peculiarities of the growth and development of grapes, to know at what time, in what substances and in what quantity, grapes especially need feeding.

The opening of the grapes in spring is accompanied by the first top dressing

Time frame for the procedure:

Spring. Before opening the bushes after winter, it is necessary to water the bushes with a special solution. Potassium salt (5 grams), superphosphate (20 grams), ammonium nitrate (10 grams) are diluted for 1 bush in 10 liters of water. The following consistencies of solutions are also offered: for a bucket of water - 65 grams of nitrophosphate, 5 grams of boric acid. Manure is often added as an alternative. Manure, well diluted in water (for 10-12 liters of liquid, optimally 2 kg of manure) is poured under the bush, next to the trunk. You can apply a solution with chicken droppings (for a bucket of water 40-50 grams). Litter can be allowed to ferment for up to 14 days before diluting with water.
Before the beginning of the flowering period. The solution is prepared in the following consistency: 8 grams of potassium magnesia, 15 grams of ammonium nitrate per bucket of water. Consumption of one bucket per 1 square meter.
After flowering, before the fruits ripen, the soil is fertilized with superphosphate, as well as potash fertilizers (without the addition of nitrogen-containing fertilizers). For 10 liters of water, 20 grams of minerals.
After harvest. Potash fertilizers are added. It is very good to pour the solution with chicken droppings.

Additionally, after harvesting (in autumn), superphosphate, ammonium sulphide and ash are added to the soil during digging. The frequency depends on the quality of the soil (always once every three years).

The grapes should be fertilized before flowering.

What is top dressing for?

Top dressing of grapes is necessary for the full growth and development of grapes throughout the entire period of life.

In the spring, top dressing allows you to accelerate and strengthen the growth and development of bushes, the formation and development of shoots.
In summer, trace elements can increase the volume and size of the emerging inflorescences, fruits and bunches. An improvement in the quality and taste of the crop is also achieved.
Autumn feeding helps to strengthen the plant before winter. In addition, it serves as a reserve for the spring period of plant revitalization.

In autumn, grapes accumulate useful substances for wintering.

What substances do grapes need

Phosphorus. The grapes most of all need it in the initial period of flowering, it activates the metabolic processes in the plant. The addition of superphosphate allows to speed up the process of inflorescence formation, fruit setting, and bunch ripening.
Copper (Bordeaux liquid). Strengthens the growth of shoots, enhances their resistance to frost and drought.
Zinc. Allows you to significantly increase the yield. Promotes the timely and high-quality passage of the grape fertilization processes.
Nitrogen (urea (urea), ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate). Responsible for the development and growth of green mass (leaves and shoots). The optimal application time is the beginning of the growing season of grapes (spring). Harmful in late summer.
Potassium. Promotes acceleration of the ripening process of vines and fruits, enhances resistance in the "calm" winter period, as well as in dry periods. Potassium is responsible for the quality of cell sap, which increases the ability to receive other important substances and elements, and reduces fluid loss. Ash (potassium, phosphorus) serves as an alternative to the harmful potassium chloride.
Boron (boric acid). A substance that allows you to influence the sugar level in fruits and accelerate their ripening, is responsible for the movement of sugars and carbohydrates. It has a positive effect on the formation of pollen. Very important for fruit formation.

In addition to the above microelements, grapes also need calcium, iron, sulfur, magnesium, etc.

The soil contains and replenishes these elements in sufficient quantities, so that they are rarely added. So to replenish iron during planting, add rusty nails and cans.

A wide variety of fertilizers are used to feed grapes:

one-component (superphosphate, ammonium nitrate, potassium salt, potassium chloride, etc.);
containing several elements at the same time (ammophos, nitrophoska);
complex, containing many substances in certain proportions (Novosil, Solution, Aquarin, Novofert, Florovit, Kemira).

In addition to microelements, the need to add manure to the soil, that is, fertilizers of organic origin, must not be overlooked. It helps to restore the soil, improve its properties for water permeability and aeration, is favorable for the development of microorganisms beneficial to the roots of grapes. Manure itself is a complex product containing most of the essential trace elements in moderate concentration.

As an alternative or addition to manure, growers actively use compost containing food waste, tops, dung, manure, grass cuttings, wood ash and other organic waste. Do not use organic residues of the grapes themselves (bark, foliage).

Urea is applied in spring and early summer

Foliar dressing after flowering

In addition to the root method of fertilization, leaf feeding is often used as a means of replenishing plants with some useful substances. Leaves perfectly absorb soluble microelements together with moisture. Since the leaves very quickly absorb moisture with the contained substances, they quickly enter the plant and begin a fruitful effect almost immediately, after a few days the effect is clearly observed. Speed is the main advantage of foliar feeding. With the foliar method, almost all nutrients are absorbed into the plant, which cannot be achieved with soil fertilization. Such features allow you to seriously save the consumption of nutrients. Foliar dressing is applied several times per season: before the beginning of the formation of flowers, after the end of flowering, when the fruits are ripe. This method allows you to solve several very important tasks:

Strengthen plants before winter.
Prevents shedding of flowers.
They increase the ovaries.

An important requirement when preparing a solution for spraying grapes after flowering is not to add nitrogen-containing fertilizers. The solution is prepared in the following consistency: ash, phosphorus fertilizers, water. Many winegrowers recommend using the following composition: for 12 liters, 1 tablespoon of potassium humate, 1 teaspoon of Novosil, 0.5 teaspoon of iodine, crystalline manganese at the tip of a knife, 5 grams of baking soda, 0.5 tablespoon of boric acid, 15 -20 grams of the drug Kemira-Lux.

As a solution, in addition to a huge variety of industrial types sold in stores, ash diluted in water, mixed with fermented infusion of various herbs, is used.

Spraying is carried out using special sprayers. But many growers (especially beginners), in the absence of such, use available tools (buckets, cans, syringes, etc.). The spraying procedure is carried out in clear calm weather in the morning or evening. In cloudy weather, you can do activities during the day, the main thing is that the plant does not get burned by the sun's rays.

Ash mixed with a solution of herbs is an excellent fertilizer

Top dressing after flowering

To feed the bushes after flowering, you will need:

Shovel.
Bucket.
Chemical fertilizers: nitrogen, potash, phosphoric, boric acid, ammonium nitrate, fungicide, superphosphate.
Manure, chicken droppings, water, ash.

Top dressing of grapes is carried out by sequentially performing the following activities:

Small depressions should be dug around the bushes (up to 40 cm deep). The distance from the stem should not be less than 50 cm, experienced growers determine the size and distance depending on the age of the grape, its size. Often, the recess is made in the form of a continuous trench around the circumference of the bush.
Often a special pipe is prepared for feeding (diameter 12-15 mm), which goes deep 0.5 meters into the ground during the preparation of the deepening and planting of bushes. On the surface, 10-15 cm of pipe is left, which is located vertically with some deviation of the lower end to the center of the depression, that is, to the roots of the grapes. The necessary fertilizers are poured into it for root feeding. But this method is not always effective; with an overgrown root system, it is better to use methods of adding fertilizers to additional depressions.
The fertilizer used is added to the prepared recess and thoroughly spilled with water. Top dressing should be combined with watering in sufficient quantity. Moisture increases the efficiency of absorption of dissolved trace elements by the root system.

For maximum effect, it is recommended to use a complex method of feeding after flowering grapes. It must combine both foliar and root methods. If the concentrations are observed, the correct choice of trace elements and fertilizers, the requirements for the procedures themselves are met, the grapes will become stronger and will delight with a large and tasty harvest. Do not forget about the "support" of grapes at other times: before flowering and after harvest. Everything should be complete, balanced and balanced.