A sprawling green vineyard is the pride of any gardener. But in order to enjoy juicy berries in season, you need to properly care for the plant. Only if this condition is met, you will receive weighty clusters. One of the points of care is proper pruning of grapes in the fall. For a beginner, this task will seem difficult and daunting. However, the correctness of the steps taken, the phasing of actions and following the instructions will help improve the health and attractiveness of the plant for the new season.
Content
What time of year is it better to cut grapes
Good results are obtained by cutting the shoot by a third of its total length - the plant does not suffer, a neat shape is maintained, and correct development is ensured
There are two opposing opinions. Some gardeners are inclined to believe that it is necessary to prune grapes only in the autumn. Others, on the contrary, consider it correct to carry out such a procedure in the spring.
Table: pros and cons of autumn pruning
| pros | Minuses |
| Helps to better prepare grapes for the winter cold | Incorrect timing will lead to fragility and breakage of the vine |
| Improves fertility for the next season | The procedure is time consuming, complicated by frost and low temperatures. |
| Increases plant resistance to subzero temperatures |
Table: advantages and disadvantages of spring work
| pros | Minuses |
| Suitable for regions with moderate winter cold | A poorly sharpened tool will make shallow cuts, which will disrupt the structure of the fibers of the vine, leading to rot |
| Provokes sap flow | If the flowing juice will wet the buds and eyes of the grapes, you can forget about the harvest |
| Allows you to get high plant productivity in the season | Improper crown formation will lead to the fact that in the summer the bush will try to develop shoots, and there will be no strength left for the fruits |
Make sure that the thickness of the branches is approximately the same - this nuance sets the shape of the vine
Required tools and materials
In order to properly carry out autumn pruning, you will need:
- Well-sharpened pruning shears or special garden shears. It is important that the blades are very sharp, allowing the shoot to be cut in one go. Otherwise, the scissors will tear the vine and stems, which means they will injure the plant, which can lead to decay and death.
- Gloves, as many grape varieties have rather sharp growths.
- Special sticks and ropes for forming bushes. Branches tilted to the side can be fixed in front of the shelter.
- Plastic wrap, spruce branches or other covering material that can be used to cover the vine after pruning and bending to the ground.
When to conduct
You can't leave the vine long, otherwise the berries will be sour
Autumn pruning of grapes is carried out when the first frosts and low temperatures begin. However, you should not rush to the garden armed with tools if the temperature has dropped by only one day. Wait for the weather to become stable, and then start.
Table: timing of autumn pruning by region - cheat sheet for a beginner
| Region | When to trim |
| central Russia | In central Russia and the Volga region, the first frosts occur in late October - early November. At this time, the weather is stable, and the temperature is at the turn of +5 to -5 ° С. This is the perfect time to start pruning and then cover. |
| Moscow and Moscow region | In Moscow and the Moscow region, the temperature is set by mid - end of November. At this time, you can start the procedure. |
| Saint Petersburg and Leningrad region | In St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, freezing temperatures come a little earlier, so you can start pruning grapes already in the first half of October |
| Ural | In the Urals, pruning is also started in the first half of October. |
| North of Russia | The regions of the north of the Russian Federation experience the coldness of the autumn-winter period from the end of September to the beginning of October. This time is good for pruning followed by shelter. |
Before you go to the garden, be sure to arm yourself with forecasts for the next week. The weather is changeable, so times may vary.
What age bushes need to be cut
There are the following rules for pruning grape bushes of different ages:
- Annual. It is a mistake to believe that annual grapes should not be pruned. If all the conditions for planting the plant were met properly, you will get several strong shoots already in the first year of life. If there are more than 5 or 6 of them, it is worth carrying out the pruning procedure. If there are 4 or fewer shoots, then the grape bush is given one more year so that it can grow a sufficient number of shoots.
- The two-year-old must be pruned to check the emerging shoots. This procedure also allows you to prepare grape bushes in the northern regions of the country for a successful winter.
- Vineyards three years old and older must be pruned annually. This is done in order to properly form the crown, as well as increase the fertility of the plant.
If you make it a rule to carry out such a procedure once a year on time, then the plant will delight you with a good harvest every season.
Pruning grapes in the fall for beginners (with pictures and diagrams)
Experienced gardeners use different pruning methods depending on the age of the vineyard.
The cut must be performed in the direction of movement of the juices
Young
In order for the procedure for pruning young grapes to bring only a positive result, you need to be guided by the following scheme:
- Only the most unnecessary branches should be removed.
- You can't cut off everything, because such diligence can lead to poor fruitfulness.
- To carry out pruning, you only need a well-sharpened tool so as not to damage the plant.
- It is only necessary to work with clearly debugged and accurate movements. If necessary, you can practice on the shoots of other plants.
- After pruning, you need to create a support for the bush.
- If there are inflorescences that have formed over the summer, they should be removed.
- If the plant does not have any inflorescences, then the procedure takes place in the standard mode.
Two options for pruning grapes from the first year
Pruning takes place in two stages:
- At the first stage, all dry leaves and inflorescences are removed. Then they wait until the complete leaf fall has passed and all the nutrients have left the vine into the main trunk. During this period, all the most powerful shoots are cut off. A replacement knot is formed.
- Every second shoot is cut off. 3 kidneys are left on them.If other shoots depart from the trunk, then they are cut off, leaving 5-6 buds.
Formation of a replacement knot - the lowest shoot growing from the outer part of the vine is cut in such a way that 2-3 eyes remain. The peephole is a set of kidneys, it seems to unite them in itself.
The bush should be almost halved.
In the first year it is necessary to leave 1-2 shoots with several eyes; next year there should be several new shoots on the vine
Old
Pruning of old grapes also takes place in several stages:
- Remove all dead branches.
- Remove all leaves and inflorescences.
- Be sure to clear the soil from shoots in places where the bush is grown and formed. Such treatment is necessary if the plant is planned to be covered.
- Choose a way to form a bush. To rejuvenate outdated branches, you will need a fan molding method.
- Remove all unnecessary vines that do not fit the mold. If there are not enough branches for molding to create the right image, the work can be finished as early as next year.
- Remove any vines that are on the floor to avoid decay.
At this stage, the old grapes are laid on the ground and covered.
During pruning, up to 70-90% of the vine can be removed
Another scheme for pruning old grapes boils down to the following step-by-step actions:
- Remove thick stems up to 3 buds.
- Cut off every second trunk if there are 4–6, and every third if there are less than 5.
- Remove every second shoot up to 5 buds that grow from a bush or nearby. This is done carefully, in compliance with all the rules.
- If the vine is too dry or does not have the required number of buds, it is removed completely at the root.
- If the trunk with the plants is rotten, it is uprooted along with the roots.
- The cut grapes are spread over the supporting wires.
- If there is a cluster of vines, remove every second up to 3 buds.
- Further, the vine is bent to the ground, followed by shelter.
Video: pruning grapes in the fall
How to provide proper care after work
The grapevine should not come into contact with the ground, as mold can appear on it from moisture, therefore wooden planks are placed under it
After pruning the grapes, you need to do top dressing and watering.
Such watering is called water-charging, as it will help the plant to recover after shelter. You can use one of two feeding recipes:
- 20 g superphosphate per 10 g potassium;
- 3 g of boric acid, 2 g of sulfuric acid and 1 g of iodine.
You need to water the solution every meter where the vineyard is located. Top dressing should be accompanied by abundant watering. Do not be afraid to pour over the grapes.
In addition, you need to protect the vine from pests. It is necessary to visually inspect the plant and treat the grapes with special means. The most popular are Stron, Ovixel, Strobe, Impacton, Vectra. For prophylactic purposes, you can use "Fundazol".
The next step is to cover the grapes. To do this, it is bent to the ground, if necessary, it is made heavier with a load. For shelter, polyethylene is used, any warm breathable material.
Covered grapes will bear good fruit next season. But only if the pruning procedure was carried out in compliance with all the rules.
