Pruning grapes for beginners in spring, summer and autumn: how to do it right

Growing a sprawling vineyard and getting a good harvest from it is a difficult task even for an experienced gardener. In order for the vines to grow he althy and large, proper grape pruning and comprehensive care are required. Trimming bushes is one of the key points of care and is necessary for adjusting the height of plants, giving decorative shape and active fruiting.

Why cut grapes. Pros and cons

Without constant care, the grapes shoot long lashes and cling to various supports, including neighboring treesBranches reach for the sun's rays and accumulate nutrients in order to form fruits by autumn for subsequent reproduction. The main benefits of cutting the plant are as follows:

1. In a thickened state, the bushes will bring small berries, and pruning promotes the active growth of large fruits.
2. Growing formed plantings, it is more convenient to harvest with improvised means.
3. Pruned bushes have the ability to regenerate and give new he althy branches when old ones are removed.

Besides the obvious advantages, there are several disadvantages of deleting old branches. The main problem is that incorrectly chosen terms lead to fragility and breaking off of the bushes. Due to improper crown formation, the bush intensively develops shoots, resulting in a reduced yield.

Pruning dates according to growing area

The period during which bushes should be formed by pruning depends on the growing area. In areas with a cold climate and the risk of returning frosts, the formation of bushes is required 2 times a year - in autumn and winter.

In the conditions of the middle lane, it is enough to perform the procedure only with the onset of spring. By swollen places, it will be possible to visually determine the living kidneys and remove the dead ones.

Common schemes

There are several types of vine formation. Conventionally, all schemes are divided into 2 categories - covering and non-covering. Covering ones include fan and cordon ones, the non-covering group includes gazebos and standard ones, used for pruning frost-resistant varieties.

Fan pruning is recommended for beginner gardeners as it is the most convenient method. In the first year of life of plantings, it is necessary to build up a large shoot and cut it in the fall, leaving 2 eyes from the ground level. Over the next year, grown annual shoots are cut into short and long ones. In the spring of the third year, sleeves are created, growing 2 vines on each of them.

To avoid mistakes and avoid back growth of bushes, it is recommended to trim according to schematic drawings.

Among more experienced gardeners, the Kurdyumov pruning method is in demand. The care process during the first two years does not differ from the fan method. Starting from the third year, in the spring they tie up the vine in a horizontal position, expect the growth of annual shoots. After harvesting the autumn harvest, the vine with spent shoots is cut off, forming a new one.

Features of the formation of bushes

When pruning grapes, it is necessary to take into account a number of features. At different periods of a plant's life, the nuances of crown formation and the location of fruitful vines depend.

In the first year

During the first year after planting grape seedlings, constant care is required, as the plant is at the stage of development. With the onset of spring, 2 lower buds are left on the central trunk, and all the rest are removed. Young shoots are grown from the remaining buds and fixed in opposite directions.

With the onset of autumn comes the need to cut the shoots. You should wait for the foliage to fall and only then proceed with pruning so that the grapes do not run out of juice. Shoots are recommended to be shortened to different lengths, leaving 2-4 buds. In anticipation of winter, the vine is covered to protect against frost.

For the second year

When the grape bushes take root and the threat of severe cold passes, it is necessary to remove the covering material and tie the fruiting vine to the support, pointing the tops in different directions. The stems grown from the buds are directed upwards or with a slight slope to the side from the central part of the bush.

In autumn, the long sleeve on the bushes is shortened, eliminating unnecessary shoots. Then cut vertically growing stems located closer to the center, leaving 2 best buds for their further development. For the winter, the vine is removed from the support and covered until the onset of spring warming.

For the third year

For the third and each subsequent year of bush growth, the care process is carried out according to the same scheme. In the spring, after the risk of the return of cold weather has disappeared, the covering material is removed and oblong arrows are tied in a horizontal direction, pointing the ends in opposite directions.

During the hot period, stems are formed from each bud, which are cut to 10-15 cm in early August. This improves the quality and quantity of the crop. To prevent the formation of an excessive mass of shoots on the vine, it is not recommended to mint before August.

In autumn, it is enough to cut off the fruiting shoots with part of the sleeve, so that on each side there is a link with two shoots. In the future, pruning is carried out in the same way as in the previous year.

Reshaping old bushes

To restore fruiting and give old bushes a decorative appearance, you can resort to reshaping. To give shape to young bushes, in which the bulk of the branches are located near the ground, weak vines are removed and half of the sleeves are cut. The rest of the vines will be needed for the fall harvest.

If the branches grow much higher than the soil level, then with the beginning of spring, the bushes are cut heavily in order to get a crop this year. After harvesting the grapes, the trunk is removed, and new bushes are created from the newly formed shoots.

Pruning grapes and forming a fruit link in spring

Regardless of the chosen shaping scheme, in the spring it is necessary to eliminate frozen, rotten and broken branches. Also, large shoots with a thickness of more than 11 mm and too fragile - up to 5 mm in diameter are subject to pruning. Before the onset of the hot season, the shoots should not be very long, so it is enough to leave no more than 15 eyes. As a rule, when forming a fruit link and pruning, 1-2 knots are left on each shoot.

During the spring period, it is necessary to take into account a number of features when caring for grapes. Specifically:

• shortening the vine is always allowed on one side only;
• pruners for cutting branches and leaves must be sharply sharpened;
• cut the shoots should be in the direction from the eye;
• in the process of forming the fruit arrow must be left above the replacement knot.

Features and technologies for summer pruning

After the beginning of flowering and the spring processing of grapes, it is necessary to continue caring for the plantations. With the onset of heat in June, fatty shoots begin to grow intensively, which are formed from the old parts of the vine. With proper summer pruning, the following results can be achieved:

1. A sufficient number of shoots will form on each plant, taking into account the size of the bush.
2. Grapes will be protected from diseases and attacks of harmful insects.
3. The ovaries will have access to ultraviolet rays and the free passage of air.
4. Nutritious components are redirected from parasitic shoots to green brushes.

Summer shaping should be done in early June, when newly grown shoots reach a length of 15-20 cm. In August, shoots are more difficult to remove, which is difficult for inexperienced gardeners.

Pinch

Growing shoots on grape bushes need constant care. Pinching to remove them is carried out daily. Since the vines are similar in structure to vines, the tendrils act as retainers. If the bushes are tied to special supports, then the antennae can be completely plucked.

Pinching is done by hand before active flowering. It is necessary to tear off the upper elements of young branches so that the remaining parts of the shoot reach a length of about 10 cm.As a result of pinching, the strength of the plant is restored in future inflorescences. The procedure favorably affects the number of clusters formed and the quality of the crop.

Removing stepchildren

After waiting for the end of the flowering period, you should begin to remove the stepchildren. Elements are small processes that form in places located between the leaf and the stem of the branch. If the shoots are not removed, they will begin to grow rapidly, and the bush will become thickened, which will prevent the passage of sunlight to the grapes. In addition, there is a risk of developing infectious diseases, due to which the fruits will lose their taste characteristics and become sour.

It is not recommended to remove stepchildren to the base, because after a couple of days a new process will form in the same place. Experienced gardeners pinch off part of the process, leaving 2 cm. The procedure must be performed weekly.

Lightening

The procedure for lightening plants involves pruning, aimed at thinning the foliage. This ensures sufficient air permeability to the grapes during the period of active ripening of the bunches. It is recommended that branches cut off during clarification be destroyed immediately, as pests can appear in them that can move onto plants and start an infection.

Excessively dense bushes are also subject to thinning, even if brushes have already formed on them. The procedure may slightly reduce the amount of ripened grapes, but its quality will increase significantly. During clarification, 3-5 clusters should be left on powerful branches, and only one brush on less strong ones.

Chasing

As a result of chasing bushes, the upper elements of growing shoots with leaves are removed. The purpose of minting is to stop development for several weeks and redistribute nutrients between all parts of the vine plantations.

By chasing each vine, about 15 developed and unaffected leaves are preserved, which can provide the bushes with sufficient nutrients. Short pruning of the vine does not allow the clusters to properly saturate with nutrition, which provokes a reduction in yield.

Rules for pruning creepers in autumn

During the autumn preparation for the winter of grape vines, it is necessary to perform a two-stage pruning. At the first stage, dried leaves and inflorescences are removed. After that, it remains to wait for the complete fall of the foliage and the transfer of nutrients to the main trunk. During this period, the thickest shoots are shortened to form a replacement knot during the ripening of berries.

At the second stage of pruning, crowns are formed according to a non-covering pattern. Every second shoot is shortened, leaving 3 buds on each of them. If there are other shoots that have grown on the trunk, they are also removed, leaving 5-6 buds each.

Care after the procedure

After pruning the bushes, it is necessary to continue their comprehensive care The main stages of care are watering and fertilizing. Watering helps plantings to recover after the shelter is removed. For soil treatment, it is recommended to mix a solution of 20 g of superphosphate, 3 g of boric acid, 10 g of potassium, 1 g of iodine and 2 g of sulfuric acid. Water the soil evenly and abundantly.

Feed grape bushes with fertilizers from the fungicidal and insecticidal categories. Such dressings provide intensive growth and development of green spaces, repel pests and prevent the occurrence of infectious diseases. Even if there are no obvious signs of plant damage, you can use top dressing for preventive purposes to ensure that a good crop ripens.

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