Why grapes do not bear fruit: causes and what to do, preventive measures

The efforts of breeders have bred grape varieties growing in the northern and southern regions, unpretentious in care. Gardeners periodically face the problem of why grapes do not bear fruit. There are many reasons, ranging from improper care to disease of the vine. To find a mistake in caring for a plant, you need to analyze all the stages and exclude all adverse factors.

When grapes begin to bear fruit

Each variety has its own fruiting time. Experienced gardeners for the first 2-3 years let the bush grow, cutting off all the knotted brushes. When the plant is well established, it will give a rich harvest.

In theory, if all the flowers are pollinated in the brush, all the berries are tied and ripened, then its weight will be 5-7 kilograms. In real conditions, some flowers and weaker berries fall off to make room for stronger ones.

According to the rules of gardening, for grapes in the 2nd year, pinch all the flowers, 3-year-old grapes can bear fruit. For some varieties, it is also desirable to remove the flowers in the 3rd year and only in the 4th year to let the first crop ripen. The duration of fruiting depends on the quality of care. It ranges from 12 to 50 years on average.

What determines the yield

Many grapes will ripen on a well-groomed bush. Demanding plant to:

• planting place and quality of bush formation;
• feeding;
• disease treatment;
• timely pruning;
• weather conditions.

Emerging Issues

Beginners and experienced gardeners, when growing grapes of one or more varieties, are faced with a problem when one or more bushes may not produce a crop, but bloom profusely. And in some cases, the grapes not only do not ripen, but also do not bloom.

Does not bloom or bear fruit

Grapes are a heat-loving crop, and its flowering will depend on the planting site. Until the vine reaches the sun, there will be no berries on it. Another reason is too much fertilizer. Then the bush grows: many new shoots and leaves, but no color.

It is worth making sure that the bush is not frozen, the eyes that give the harvest are not cut off. The lack of flowering is sometimes due to the special requirements of the variety.

Flowering but not fruiting

The gardener evaluates the possible harvest by the quality of flowering. If it is significantly less than expected, or if it does not exist at all, they look for the cause. Perhaps the vine was improperly cared for, or this particular variety is not famous for a rich harvest.

Infertility after flowering in grapes is associated with the type of pollination:

1. Female type. Pollination is only possible from another male-type grape variety. The vine is checked by transferring pollen to it from another flowering and fruiting bush. If the ovary has appeared, then a pollinator should be planted closer to this grape or a stock should be made.
2. Male type of pollination. The peculiarity of the varieties is that they never give a rich harvest, but act as a rootstock for others.
3. Female and male type vines are planted next to each other. The lack of harvest lies in the flowering time - it may not coincide.

Reasons for the lack of ovary formation

Caring for a plant is the key to a harvest. Sometimes novice gardeners make mistakes that prevent grapes from blooming and ripening in large numbers. While grooming is not difficult, there are a few common mistakes.

Overabundance of organic matter

Excess nitrogen fertilizers and organic matter directly at the rhizome of grapes provokes abundant growth of the bush. He throws out new shoots, leaf buds open. Grapes pleases with a dense green crown, but does not bloom and does not bear fruit. Summer residents talk about such a bush "fattens".

Excess fertilizer stimulates plant growth until frost. Young unripened shoots die even from slight cold weather. The plant loses immunity to some diseases.

Incorrect cropping

Fruitful shoots grow in spring from "eyes" on annual branches. In autumn, it is customary to prune young growth. Illiterate gardeners can cut off all fruit-bearing shoots or leave them too short. Depending on the variety, 4-8 or 8-12 eyes bloom.

Shorter pruning opens additional buds that produce only foliage. Before you start pruning, you need to familiarize yourself with the flowering characteristics of each individual variety.

Poor pollination

The weather is important for pollination. High humidity, abundance of rain prevent berries from setting, and in such a year, without additional, artificial pollination, the harvest is poor.

Another reason for poor pollination is the female type of inflorescence. Unlike bisexual varieties, such a bush requires either the artificial transfer of pollen to it, or the planting of pollinating grapes next to it. All varieties of raisins are considered a universal variety.

Freezing vines in winter

Insufficient shelter, severe frosts or spring frosts damage, first of all, annual shoots on which fruiting buds are preserved. You can assess the condition of the bush by cutting the eye. If there is a green main and replacement bud inside it, the branch is alive. Brown color is a sign of the death of the shoot. You can restore the bush by cutting all the affected parts, this stimulates the growth of replacement buds, but the harvest for this year will be small.

Unsuitable drop off location

Sufficient sunlight and heat helps to grow large brushes. Grapes growing near buildings, on northern slopes, or under other trees will never produce a good harvest. Ideally, the soil should not be very wet, warmed up to 28-32 degrees.

Planting mixed young and old plants does not allow the new variety to take root, it is oppressed by neighbors. With a rootstock, they look for compatible grape varieties.

Pests and diseases

Pests and diseases interfere with the growth of the grape bush. The shoots are attacked by spider mites and aphids. They are destroyed with systemic insecticides. Among the diseases, gray rot and mildew are most common. The first disease affects any area, it is distinguished by a gray coating. Mildew is dangerous for young shoots and berries, appears as oily spots. The affected plant, without special treatment, slowly dies. Regular inspection of leaves and shoots will help to identify a disease or pest in time.

How to ensure the full fruiting of the crop

Before buying and planting a grape seedling, study the features of growing the crop as a whole and individual varieties. Plant care is not difficult, but has its own characteristics. Knowing what to do with young grapes, you can achieve high yields.

Choosing the right variety

Depending on climatic conditions, choose a grape variety. There are heat-loving, drought-resistant, frost-resistant plants. The berry is round, elongated, of different colors and sizes, with or without seeds. According to the type of flowering, female, male and bisexual varieties are distinguished.

For the first planting, it is better to choose the grapes that are most often found in the suburban areas of neighbors. Experienced gardeners can experiment with more whimsical and productive bushes.

Fertilizer dosage

Pros recommend the following feeding scheme:

• autumn is the time for organic fertilizers, and spring is for nitrogen fertilizers, and 50% of the recommended dose is taken first;
• complex preparations are applied before flowering and after ovary;
• ammonium nitrate is added during the ripening of berries;
• potassium is brought in in the fall, before the harvest. It increases frost resistance, helps to prepare the bush for winter.

Fertilizers are applied under the bush, to the roots, to a depth of 0.5 meters. To do this, they use pipes dug into the ground.

Regular watering

Irrigation is important during the ripening and pouring of berries. A lack of moisture will prevent the bunch from pouring, and an excess will lead to cracking of the skin. It is adjusted according to the weather. If it is dry, then increase. The main thing is not to allow a sharp drop in moisture levels.

Stimulating more pollination

Pollination can be natural or artificial. In the first case, care for flowering grapes consists of:

• correct planting scheme: alternation of male and female, selection of varieties according to height (tall and short should not shade each other);
• thinning stepchildren and dense foliage to facilitate pollination;
• if a variety often drops flowers, it is plucked;
• sprinkling in heat and low humidity.

Artificial pollination can increase yield by 40%. To do this, pollen from a flowering bush is transferred to another or distributed over it with a downy brush. The procedure is repeated 2-3 times at the beginning, middle and end of flowering. The best time is morning or mid-afternoon in cloudy weather.

Correct bush formation

The experience of professionals has shown that the ideal vine bush consists of 1-3 main sleeves. In autumn or early spring, before the juice begins to move, one-year-old shoots are pruned. 4-12 eyes are counted from the trunk, depending on the variety, and 4 more eyes are added to them. The rest is cut off. This is how weak grapes are sifted out.

As the greenery grows in spring and during the summer, the bush is thinned out, the shoots are normalized and the clusters are combed out with a paint brush, removing weak berries and flowers. Varieties that shed berries and flowers are pinched.

Timely processing

Diseases and pests can not only reduce the yield, but also destroy the entire bush. Grapes are constantly inspected for the presence of insects, black dots, withered leaves and other signs. Every disease has its own chemical.

Some cultivars are particularly prone to certain diseases and require preventive treatment.

Shelter of grapes for the winter

The frost resistance of each grape is different. Pay attention to this when choosing planting material. If necessary, preparations for wintering begin in the fall.

The harvest for next year depends on the quality of the shelter. When frosts, first of all, shoots and buds, which will have to bloom, suffer. In addition to shelter, it is important not to miss the moment of opening after spring frosts.

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