Grapes are considered unpretentious plant, however, for correct height And good harvest It is necessary to feed grape seedlings in the first stages of their growth so that in the future the berries are juicy and tasty.

Types of fertilizers

In order to feed grapes correctly, you need to know which elements the plant needs most. Which fertilizers should be applied at the root, and which should be used to spray the leaves.

Nitrogen fertilizers for grapes

Nitrogen helps leaves and shoots grow quickly and without problems. Most fertilizers containing nitrogen are applied in the spring, when the growing season is just beginning. It should be noted that in August and autumn it is impossible to introduce substances containing nitrogen. This may prevent the plant's wood from ripening.

The most popular nitrogen-based fertilizers are:

• Urea. 46% consists of pure nitrogen. Urea is used as both foliar and root feeding of grapes. Due to the large amount of nitrogen in the composition, it can only be applied several years after planting. In order not to harm the plant, you need to dilute up to fifty grams of fertilizer per liter of water and apply it to the soil.
• Ammonium nitrate. It is best to use the substance during flowering. It is not recommended to fertilize grapes while pouring berries. This may affect the quality of the berries. Ammonium nitrate is best sprinkled on slightly moistened soil around the bush.

Potassium fertilizers for grapes

Potassium is another important microelement that is necessary for the full development of the plant. It accelerates the growth and ripening of plant berries. Nutrients consisting of potassium are excellent for feeding grapes in the fall, since such fertilizers well prepare the plant for cold weather.

Grapes are one of the crops that consume the most a large number of potassium from the soil, so you can feed the soil annually.

• Potassium sulfate. For good results, it is best to use this product as a foliar feed during the final growth stage. The average amount of substance needed is 20 grams per 10 liters of water; you need to add 40 grams of superphosphate to the bucket. It neutralizes acidity.
• Potassium chloride. Contains 50% to 60% potassium. It is best to add lime to this fertilizer to neutralize the acidity. Potassium chloride can be used in tandem with any microelements and nutritional raw materials, except urea.

Phosphorus fertilizers for grapes

Phosphorus is one of the three most necessary components for garden crops. He - perfect solution for feeding young grapes on initial stages growth and flowering. Thanks to the phosphorus base, flowers and berries develop much faster and better.

• Superphosphate. Contains up to 20% phosphorus and gypsum. Suitable for any type of soil, however, acidic soils must first be limed or lime must be added to the fertilizer solution. Superphosphate should be applied after flowering begins. This will help the fruits develop better during the ripening period.
• Double superphosphate. It consists of 50% phosphoric acid, but does not contain gypsum. It is used in the same way as simple superphosphate.

Complex and compound fertilizers

Complex nutrients are made up of two or more elements.

• Azofoska. It is a combination of three main macroelements: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. It is found in two forms - dry and dissolved. The first one must be applied under the bush. The amount of substance is up to sixty grams per plant. It can only be used in the warm season. The liquid form consists of two tablespoons of azofoska diluted in one bucket of water; the solution must be poured under the root.
• Bishofite. A complex fertilizer containing magnesium, boron, iodine and bromine. In total, more than ten components. Used for foliar feeding of grapes. Ten liters of water must be dissolved in 150 milliliters of bishal, but in order not to damage the plant, the dosage can be reduced by almost half. This product is used as boron feeding for grapes. In terms of quantity, this element in the composition of bischofite ranks second, magnesium is in first place.

Application of organic fertilizers

Grape feeding ash- perfect solution. It is best to use only wood. Ash after burning coal is not used as fertilizer at all; it contains toxins that are harmful to plants.

Tree ash contains a large amount of micronutrients that are beneficial to the plant. For example, magnesium, boron, potassium and phosphorus. Can be used as a soil acidity level regulator.

Other organic fertilizer - bird droppings. It helps to almost double the fruit yield and speed up the ripening process for several weeks.

To understand how to feed grapes with chicken droppings, you need to remember an important rule: before applying such fertilizer, you need to prepare a special nutrient solution for a plant. Fresh droppings can irritate the soil and shoots.

For 20 liters of water you need about 1 kilogram of litter, the solution must be infused for two weeks. Fertilizer should be applied at a short distance from the bush in small portions into holes up to 35 centimeters deep. To fully fertilize the plant, two buckets are enough.

Folk remedies for fertilizing grapes

One of the most effective means – yeast feeding. The recipe is quite simple:

1. One gram of dry baker's yeast must be dissolved in one liter of slightly warmed water, add a teaspoon of sugar, mix thoroughly until completely dissolved. The mixture should infuse for a couple of hours. Before fertilizing plants, one liter ready solution dilute with five liters of clean water.
2. Dilute fifty grams of live yeast in a liter of slightly warmed water, let it brew a little. Before watering, it is also necessary to dilute the fertilizer with five liters of water.

Microfertilizers

In addition to the three main elements of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, for full growth and good yield, grapes also need other microelements: boron, magnesium, zinc and others.

Microfertilizers are one of the most popular fertilizers. There are a huge number of them. For example, potassium magnesium, which contains 28% potassium, 18% magnesium and about 16% sulfur.

Microfertilizers also include copper, which is used for foliar feeding.

One gram of the substance is enough to spray one bush. It should be applied no more than once every four years.

Scheme of root feeding of grapes

To apply fertilizing correctly, you need to know the dosage and timing. It is better to add less than to haphazardly add useless and sometimes harmful substances.

Spring feeding of grapes is considered the most important stage. It helps the bushes recover after frost and stimulates fruit production.

Methods of fertilizing

Root and foliar feedings are distinguished. They differ in the way they are introduced. In the first case, nutrients need to be poured or placed under the bush for better effect. The second can be considered an auxiliary stage. Foliar feeding helps the plant to develop properly, stimulates the growth of shoots and ovaries, and increases productivity.

Foliar feeding

If the grapes are planted in soil that is saturated with microelements, then for the first three years there is no need to fertilize it, since the plant will feed on substances from the soil. Foliar feeding promotes development and improves productivity. The leaves should be treated the first time before flowering, the second time after flowering, the third time during the ripening of the brushes. Foliar feeding of grapes is carried out regardless of the amount and type of fertilizers applied to the root system of the plant.

To know exactly what to feed the grapes with, you need to take into account the type of soil and the age of the plant. The most important elements are nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. Almost all fertilizers contain them. Boron, magnesium, zinc and iodine are also needed for full growth. Thanks to the ability to feed grapes correctly and in a timely manner, you can get juicy and delicious fruits.

When growing fruit crops, gardeners get tasty fruits. During the first stage of plant life, an immune system is formed, which in the future will protect against diseases and reactions to climatic changes. In this review we will tell you in detail when and what kind of feeding young grapes need.

A young vineyard needs fertilizing from the second year after planting

reference Information

A man has been growing fruit vines for a long time own needs, therefore knows all the whims and requirements of a delicate plant. In addition to watering and disease control, the crop needs regular fertilization. In nature, everything that grapes take from the soil is returned in the fall in the form of remnants of leaves, stems, and fruits. For cultivating vines in agriculture additional feeding is needed.

Inexperienced winegrowers often forget to put a complex “cushion” in the planting hole, from which the vine will draw nutrients.

Even on the most fertile soils, after five to six years all microelements are drawn out. Without additional contributions the plants will not survive to bear fruit.

Before planting, the hole must be well filled.

It is recommended to plant grape bushes on nutritious soils with concentrated fertilizer added to the hole. The more microelements, the better the plant develops. The roots of the fruit vine are very strong and long, penetrating deep into the soil in search of moisture and fertilizing.

Substances in landing pit feed the culture for three years, and then you need to regularly add mineral and organic preparations.

Active growth of the bush is possible only with sufficient nutrition

What are the consequences if you don’t fertilize grapes? Plant productivity deteriorates. Even if the vine is actively blooming, the vine does not have the strength to form fruits. Pea peas occur, and then the ripening of the berries stops. The crop has no immunity, so diseases and insect pests appear at the first opportunity.

Flaw minerals negatively affects the resistance to weather changes: the fruit vine will not be able to survive drought or frost.

What fertilizing is important for grapes?

At different stages of development, the plant needs different microelements. Therefore, you cannot use only complex fertilizers, as the result will be disastrous.

• Nitrogen. Needed for the formation and development of green mass in the plant. The deficiency manifests itself in the form of pale color of foliage, falling tendrils and ovaries. Applications are made in the spring, when the crop is actively growing shoots and leaves. In summer, the substance will slow down the ripening of fruits, and in early autumn it will not allow you to prepare for wintering.

Lack of nutrition - nitrogen and phosphorus

• Phosphorus. A useful microelement that will allow the plant to bloom and form ovaries. With a deficiency, the growth of green mass and fruits slows down, and the foliage turns dark green or purple-red.
• Potassium. Thanks to the mineral, the fruits ripen quickly, and the fruit vine actively grows wood for wintering. A characteristic sign of a lack of substance is a brown mark along the edge of the leaf, and when loaded with fruits, the green mass turns completely brown.
• Magnesium. A necessary microelement on which plant health and productivity depend. With a lack of substance, yellow-brown spots appear on the foliage. Weakened shoots develop slowly, and when the fruit ripens, the stalk dries out.
• Bor. Improves the taste and quality of berries, accelerates the ripening of bunches. The lack of a microelement negatively affects the quality of pollen, the growing point of the shoots dies. The foliage becomes convex and acquires mosaic shades.
• Copper. Without the substance, grapes do not tolerate frost and drought well. The addition of the mineral improves shoot growth.

The grape bush died due to frost

• Zinc. Needed to improve crop productivity. If there is a deficiency, the shoots become deformed. The foliage becomes covered with dirty green spots.
• Molybdenum. The substance is needed for better nitrogen absorption in spring and summer. Deficiency leads to disruption of cellular metabolism, and the formation of chlorophyll is reduced.

An excess of substances is just as dangerous as a deficiency.

Inexperienced gardeners often overfeed grapes with nitrogen fertilizers. The culture devotes all its energy to the formation of lashes and new leaves. Adding minerals in the fall is dangerous, as the bushes actively grow green mass to the detriment of the wood. As a result, the fruit vine enters winter unprepared and dies.

Types of fertilizers

Beginning winegrowers often do not know which preparations are best for feeding young fruit vines. Therefore, the means are chosen universally or at random. There are two types of fertilizers, which we will briefly discuss.

Application mineral fertilizers must be dosed

• Mineral. For the convenience of gardeners, modern chemical industry offers complex fertilizers (Florovit, Master-Agro, Kemira), single-component (ammonium nitrate, superphosphate, potassium chloride) and containing 2-3 elements (ammophos, nitrophoska).
• Organic. Humus and compost contain all the useful microelements that are needed for the development of grapes. Without natural fertilizers microflora and soil aeration are disrupted. Nutrients are in easily digestible form, so excess will not poison the soil. Ash is an excellent source of potassium and phosphorus, which does not contain harmful impurities.

“To prepare compost, use any available organic residues (food and plant residues). This type of organic fertilizer improves the soil structure and provides the grape bush with all the necessary mineral and organic substances. For best result compost is mixed in various proportions (depending on the soil structure) with peat, straw, and manure.”

Compost for grapes is applied in the fall

Inexperienced winegrowers always go to extremes - they overfeed the bushes with chemicals or fill them with organic matter.

For each type of fertilizer, there is a time at which plants absorb it better. In the spring and before wintering, it is recommended to apply natural substances, and during the summer and early autumn - mineral preparations.

Another mistake is to use fresh manure or chicken droppings. If you add an unfermented preparation, heat will begin to be released during rotting, and this is dangerous for the roots of the grapes.

Fresh manure cannot be used, only rotted manure

Remember: animal waste is collected in a barrel and filled with water. After 10 days, the fertilizing will acquire beneficial properties.

Deadlines for depositing

So that the grapes develop correctly and give excellent harvest, there are recommended application times for adding fertilizers. Mandatory fertilization procedures are carried out several times during the growing season.

Remember: you cannot fertilize or water the grapes when the plant is blooming. This is a very important period, and if the crop is disturbed, the flowers will begin to fall off, followed by fruit peas.

Leaf feeding is carried out:

• 5 days before flowering begins;
• after fruit formation;
• before ripening.

If the vineyard is divided into sandy or loamy soils, then the young plants will not have enough fertilizer from the planting pit. Then experienced gardeners recommend making applications.

1. First year. In the spring after the first winter and in the fall, water with a liquid solution of complex preparations. Powdered products are poorly absorbed by weak roots.
2. Second year. During this period in the spring, it is allowed to fertilize with liquid humus with the addition of superphosphate. In the fall, add a non-concentrated solution of organic matter with potassium and phosphorus.

How to fertilize

In order for the grapes to fully absorb the nutrient mixture, you need to apply fertilizers correctly. This is especially true for young plants that open in the spring after wintering. Chemical elements can burn the roots, which will cause inhibition of development or death of plantings.

Application of mineral fertilizers to the pits in the second year

Mineral or organic fertilizers are always applied to the area where the roots of the plant are located.

It is recommended to dig a trench around the vine, the depth of which does not exceed 50 cm. A nutrient mixture is added to this hole, and then everything is covered with soil. If you carry out this procedure for the winter, then feeding the crop until spring is sufficient.

The nutrients in the planting hole will be enough for young grapes for three years. Then the application of mineral fertilizers is carried out according to the seasonal schedule. Experienced gardeners It is advised to remove the soil at the base of the bushes with two shovels and fill it with liquid humus or compost. Cover the top with earth. This fertilizer will be enough for young plants for another two years.

Liquid fertilizer can be used at the roots and on the leaves

“The rates of fertilizer consumption when fertilizing depend on the fertility of the soil, weather conditions and the growth vigor of the bushes.”

Never apply fertilizer to dry soil. Before starting work, remove weeds at the base of the bushes and carefully loosen them. The grapes must be watered warm water before the procedure, and then fertilized with a solution of drugs.

Remember: the products are diluted according to the instructions so that the chemicals do not burn the roots.

Leaf burns due to watering in sunny weather

Experienced winegrowers apply fertilizer to the fruit vine leaf by leaf. Foliar feeding is perfectly absorbed by the green mass and is easier to digest. In young plants, the fruits ripen faster and the amount of sugar in the berries increases. The concentration of the drug is weaker than with conventional procedures. Application is carried out by spraying through a garden sprayer.

Be sure to water before fertilizing

Foliar feeding is carried out in the evening or in cloudy weather. Remember: droplets chemical substances in the sun they will turn into a lens and burn the foliage. The preparations are washed off after rain, so it is recommended to coordinate gardening work with the forecast in advance.

If you apply top dressing in spring and summer, most of the microelements disappear. Fertilizer shortages will quickly have an impact negative impact on the development of young grapes. If the preparations are applied unconcentrated and with insufficient watering, the roots will not develop downward. The shoots grown on the surface will quickly freeze during the first frost.

Pipes for irrigation with fertilizing - very convenient

In the spring, when planting a fruit vine, a thin plastic pipe, through which it is easy to subsequently pour in fertilizers. A simple design will quickly deliver nutrients directly to the roots. With this method of fertilizing, less microelements are lost and volatilized.

Fertilizers for young grapes are a nutrient medium that will allow the correct formation of the trunk and vines, and also strengthen the immunity of the bush. Our recommendations will help you choose suitable preparations for all stages of fruit vine development and prevent deficiency of substances.

Growing grapes on your own plot is not the most simple task, which the gardener sets for himself. The cultivation of this crop should be taken seriously . Shelter, watering and fertilizing of grapes must be done efficiently and in a timely manner, and then a rich harvest will not keep you waiting.

First of all, when planting a vineyard, you need to choose a variety that is suitable for the climatic conditions of the region. Then you should pay close attention to purchasing quality planting material. You can buy it or grow it yourself. In the absence of experience, it is advisable to use purchased seedlings purchased from trusted, well-established nurseries.

Choosing planting material

First of all they evaluate appearance seedlings. The leaves should be green and fresh, with no signs of drying out. The stem is strong and elastic, covered with brown bark, without visible wounds or growths. When planted, such grapes will quickly take root and grow.

A high-quality young vine cannot be lower than 50 cm. Well developed root system has at least 3-4 branches. It is better to buy plants with closed roots, in a container or pot. If the buds have not yet blossomed, then the quality is determined by them. The dry, flaky surface of the integumentary scales is a reason to wonder whether the seedling was stored in good conditions? Most likely, it is already weakened, and there is no point in investing your efforts in growing it.

Ask the seller what fertilizers were applied to the grapes and how many times. If there were more than 4-5 feedings during the growing season of the seedling, then the plant is already dependent on them. It needs to be adapted to normal life cycle. At first you will have to feed intensively, as in a nursery, and then gradually reduce the rate of fertilization.

Propagation of grapes by cuttings

Winter forcing

This method is most often used by gardeners expanding their vineyard. It consists in the fact that in the fall, when pruning, cuttings are prepared and placed in a jar of water. The buds should not fall into the water. If the length of the trunk does not allow protecting the buds from contact with liquid, then they are cut off. Towards mid-January, new roots appear, and then the plant wakes up. In mid-March, cuttings with roots must be transplanted into pots and grown in the window. When planting, they can be watered with growth stimulator “Epin” or “Hom”. It is advisable to spray the leaves occasionally, since steam heating dries the air in the room, creating not the most comfortable conditions for plants.

planting grapes

Overwintered cuttings

Planting material is prepared different ways. For example, autumn cuttings They are not brought into the warmth, but left to spend the winter on the site. To prevent them from freezing in winter, a trench is dug for them, and the cuttings are buried in it until spring comes. They come to life beautifully and quickly take root after such stratification.

Also, dormant grape seedlings can be stored in the cellar or in the refrigerator in winter. They are checked periodically and sanitization– wipe with a solution of potassium permanganate to prevent the appearance of mold. In the spring, the cuttings are rooted and transplanted to permanent place.

Video: propagation of grapes by cuttings

Seedlings from seed

You can try to propagate the variety you like at home by planting the seed in a pot with soil. This must be done in advance, since it can take several months to hatch. Therefore it is recommended autumn planting. There is a way to speed up the hatching of the seed - it is soaked in a damp cloth for about a month. The cloth needs to be rinsed every three days, otherwise pathogenic microflora will form on it. In the spring, after the onset of warm days, the small vine is transplanted to a permanent place, and it is grown there, without pruning, for several years, until the first fruiting.

Growing in the middle zone

Despite the fact that many consider growing grapes to be the prerogative of residents southern regions, it can be planted in cooler climates. For example, in the Pskov, Leningrad, Kirov and Novgorod regions, many summer residents successfully grow both covering and non-covering varieties. Each of them has its own pros and cons, but the most important thing is that with proper care and timely feeding of grapes, you can get quite a decent harvest from both varieties.

Covering varieties

A prerequisite for wintering these grape varieties in regions with a temperate climate is the construction of a shelter over them.

To do this, you can use roofing felt, or black film, in general, any material that does not allow moisture and light to pass through. This method is used if the grapes are cut short enough. But long vines are insulated in a different way. A frame of small-radius greenhouse arcs is built above them, and it is covered with several layers of polyethylene film. For this purpose, you can use other available materials, for example, wooden boxes. In the spring, melt water can get under the grapes, and they can rot. To avoid such a nuisance, ventilation is necessary. To do this, the covering material is raised during the day and supported with sticks or bricks so that the soil under the plant can dry. And at night the vine is covered again.

After the onset of stable warm weather, the shelter is finally removed and the vines are pruned. For faster development, grapes are watered with growth stimulants. For example, you can use . By the way, you can start feeding the grapes even before they wake up., when there is still snow, granular is scattered over the entire radius of the trunk hole. The application rate is about 40 g per sq.m. Since phosphorus belongs to the class of fertilizers that are difficult to digest, its earlier application is very natural. Until the long-awaited warmth arrives, this “slow” element will be able to move from the granules into the soil complex and will be ready to be absorbed by the plant’s roots.

So, after we have taken care of “awakening” the vine and stored phosphorus for future use, we need to think about feeding the grapes with other necessary elements. In May, the plant will need nitrogen to form and grow green mass. Therefore, after the buds swell, the vines are watered. It contains a large amount of the macroelement nitrogen, as well as many microelements, for example, magnesium, which are necessary for grapes to fully develop qualitatively. It is prepared as follows - 1 part of the liquid substrate is mixed with two parts of water, and left to ferment in a warm place for a week. After this, the working solution is diluted in a ratio of 1:10, and the grapes are watered, spending about a liter per plant. This solution should not be poured under the root. It is better to make a groove around the circumference of the hole and pour fertilizer into it. Then the ground is leveled and watered generously with plenty of water.

In July, berries appear on the grapes, which in temperate climates often grow not too sweet. This happens mainly due to the fact that the grapes do not have enough heat, because when high temperatures Plant sugar is better synthesized. This disadvantage compensated by feeding the grapes with a variety of .

Video: pruning and covering grapes for the winter

Uncovered varieties

Unfortunately, these are the easiest to grow and the most frost-resistant varieties When moving to the northwest, they often cannot withstand local weather conditions, and again, they have to be covered. But for a shorter period than those that are officially considered covering. That is, not for the whole winter, but only in the spring, in April-May, with a special material, spandball, which protects the already blossoming buds from return frosts. The harvest of uncovered grapes ripens only in September.

Due to this feature, the schedule for fertilizing grapes is shifting. In April and early May, the vine of the non-covering variety is only ventilated, without adding anything under it. Nitrogen, which is the starting element for growth, is added at the end of May at the root, in the form of extracts from animal organic matter. To prepare them, you can use chicken manure, lamb or.

Mineral fertilizers are used in combination with natural ones, alternating their use. If the nitrogen fertilizing was of animal origin, then agrofertilizers are used. At the end of June they make phosphate fertilizers, can be combined with nitrogen, for example, azofoska. Usage rate – 20 g per 1 sq.m.

At the end of July - beginning of August, they begin to apply potassium in the form of foliar fertilizing. For example, you can use this recipe (for 10 liters of water):

• – 1 l;
• Sugar – 3 tbsp. l;
• Boron – 1g;
• Copper – 1.5 g.

Also Potassium fertilizers are also applied at the roots. They help grapes in the synthesis of plant sugars, which, in turn, affects taste qualities berries In addition to loose mineral fertilizers, they also use ready-made mixtures with a balanced composition. They can be purchased at any gardening store. The best, according to reviews from practicing winegrowers middle zone can be considered “Clean Sheet”, “Biochelate”, “Master” with NPK 15:5:30.

Video: seminar on growing grapes in the middle zone

Growing grapes in the northern regions

Previously, grapes were not cultivated in these regions at all, as they believed that this was a futile activity. The average annual sum of positive temperatures in the cold regions of our country is so small that it would seem that it is not even worth trying. But there were enthusiasts who tried it. It didn’t work out right away, but the gardeners’ great desire was to adapt the grapes to almost extreme conditions won, and they developed several ways to grow it in the northern regions.

For example, in Tyumen they grow so early and super early varieties, like “Super-Extra”, “Julian”, “Victor”, “Galahard”, “Brilliant”. They are grown there exclusively in greenhouses with a removable roof., they cover very well in winter. Another option for the north is to grow grapes in tubs, and on winter period transfer the plants to the basement, where a minimum positive temperature is maintained, so that it can “rest” in the winter, but does not freeze out.

Main problem northern varieties grapes - tasteless and small berries. They lack heat and sun to synthesize sufficient amounts of plant sugars. The situation can be corrected with the help of fertilizers for grapes. They are introduced already at planting. The following soil mixture recipe is recommended:

• Turf soil – 10 l;
• River sand – 10 l;
• Yellow clay – 5 l;
• Polystyrene foam (crumbs) or hydrogel (granules) – 5 l;
• Simple powder superphosphate – 30 g;
• Wood ash – 30 g;
• – 20 g;
• Dolomite flour – 10 g.

Such an original ingredient as polystyrene foam is included in this list not by chance. Grapes need well-drained soil that does not stagnate. excess moisture. Otherwise, the roots of the plant begin to rot and it dies.

Grapes growing in barrels need to be fed as often as those growing in open ground, but the concentration of fertilizers needs to be reduced. It is fed with all popular fertilizers for grapes. Chicken manure is considered the best nitrogen-containing fertilizer for vines.

The earthen ball limits the amount of macro and microelements that can be added to the plants. It is most convenient to use chicken manure pellets, which can be purchased at specialized garden centers. For one vine, depending on its age and the volume of the container in which it grows, you can apply from 70 to 10 g of this granular fertilizer, slightly deepening it into the ground. After feeding, abundant watering is necessary.

Video: growing grapes in northern latitudes

Grapes are considered a capricious plant, but, as practical experience shows, they can be grown anywhere. By adhering to the basic rules of care, not forgetting about fertilizers for grapes, you can get wonderful berries in all regions of the country, and surprise your neighbors and friends with the harvest.

If fertilizers were immediately applied to the soil when planting grape seedlings, fertilizing the grapes will not be required in the next three or four years. For adult bushes good fruiting certain microelements are needed, which even in fertile soil are not always sufficient.

In the photo there are grapes

Grape plants develop and bear fruit best in soil rich in nutrients. It's just that over time the content useful microelements in the ground falls steadily, and without fertilization the soil becomes depleted. In such conditions, grape yields noticeably deteriorate, the bushes grow poorly, suffering from drought and frost.

It would seem that it is enough to feed the grape bushes several times a season complex fertilizers, and the plants will come to life again. However, grapes have different needs nutrients ah varies depending on the phase of the growing season. And if you want to succeed in viticulture, you should definitely understand how certain microelements affect grapes, at what time plants need them especially, and how they should be added to the soil.

Video about proper feeding and fertilizer for grapes

Nutrients needed by grapes:

• Nitrogen. Responsible for the growth of green mass (leaves and shoots), therefore the bulk of nitrogen fertilizers are applied in the spring, at the very beginning of the grape growing season. In summer, the need for nitrogen decreases, but from August nitrogen fertilizers become harmful to grape bushes, since untimely rapid growth of greenery will interfere with the ripening of the wood. Added in the form of urea or ammonium nitrate.
• Phosphorus. The vineyard needs it most at the very beginning of flowering: thanks to phosphorus fertilizing (superphosphate), inflorescences develop better, berries set and grapes ripen.
• Potassium. Closer to autumn, it is very useful to feed the vineyard with potassium chloride, as it accelerates the ripening of grapevines and fruits, and also prepares the plants well for winter.
• Copper. Helps increase frost and drought resistance of shoots, enhances their growth.
• Bor. Application boric acid into the soil helps increase the sugar content of grapes and speed up their ripening. In addition, boron stimulates pollen germination.
• Zinc. Thanks to this microelement, grape yields significantly increase.

The photo shows phosphorus fertilizer

Calcium, magnesium, sulfur and iron are also useful for grapes, but these elements are usually found in sufficient quantities in the soil. It is not necessary to additionally feed the vineyard with them.

You can feed grapes with one-component mineral fertilizers (ammonium nitrate, potassium salt, potassium chloride, superphosphate, etc.), fertilizers containing two or three elements (nitrophoska, ammophos), or complex ones (Kemira, Florovit, Rastvorin, Novofert, Aquarin).

But mineral fertilizers alone will not be enough: grapes need manure to fully utilize the incoming nutrients. The addition of manure improves the aeration and water permeability of the soil, and also stimulates the development in the soil of microorganisms that grape roots need for the best absorption of microelements. In addition, rotted manure provides the vineyard with nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and other useful substances.

Instead of manure, you can use compost as an effective and affordable remedy for any gardener. Food waste, tops, grass clippings, sawdust, bird droppings and pet manure are suitable for preparing compost. wood ash, chopped branches and other organic waste. Ready compost is rich in useful substances no less than manure.

Photo of mineral fertilizers

Another valuable organic fertilizer is bird droppings. It also contains the most important elements for grapes in a highly digestible form. A week and a half before use, bird droppings are diluted with water in a ratio of 1:4, and before direct application to the ground, an infusion is made, diluting with water another 10 times. Half a liter of infusion is consumed per grape bush.

Well, instead of potassium chloride, which can harm the vineyard due to its high chlorine content, it is better to use ash. It will provide the grape bushes with a supply of not only potassium, but also phosphorus. The most useful is the ash from.

To feed the root system of grapes, you should dig grooves about 40 cm deep around each bush at a distance of at least 50 cm from the trunk. Through such grooves, the main roots of plants absorb nutrients much more efficiently, especially if you combine fertilizing with watering the grapes.

In the photo feeding grapes

When to apply fertilizer:

• in the spring, before opening the bushes after wintering, superphosphate (20 g), ammonium nitrate (10 g) and potassium salt (5 g) are dissolved in 10 liters of water - this portion is enough to water one grape bush;
• a couple of weeks before the grapes begin to bloom, they are fed with the same aqueous solution;
• Before the grapes ripen, the soil in the vineyard is fertilized with superphosphate and potash fertilizers(no nitrogen is added);
• After harvesting the fruits, the grapes are fed with potash fertilizers to increase the winter hardiness of the plants.

During spring feeding can be used instead of mineral fertilizers slurry: for one square meter 1 kg of solution is consumed per planting.

Once every three years in the autumn months, the vineyard should be fertilized with manure with the addition of ash, superphosphate and ammonium sulfate. Fertilizer is distributed over the surface of the earth, after which deep digging is done. If, on a plot of soil of sandy loam type, it is worth applying fertilizers for digging every other year, then on sandy soil - annually.

Foliar feeding of grapes for a better harvest

Through grape leaves, beneficial substances dissolved in water are remarkably absorbed. Therefore, in addition to the usual root feeding, it is advisable to also carry out foliar feeding - along the leaves. This will help the plants develop better, produce maximum yield and tolerate winter frosts well.

Regardless of the fertilization of the root system, the grape foliage is sprayed with a solution of microelements for the first time before the flowers appear to prevent their shedding and to increase the ovaries, the second time - after flowering, the third time - when the grapes ripen. During the last two sprayings, nitrogen fertilizers are excluded from the feeding composition.

Video about fertilizing grapes

For foliar feeding, you can use solutions of micro- or macro-fertilizers, which are easily found on sale in a large assortment. Will also work water infusion ash mixed with fermented herbal infusion of herbs.

Foliage should be sprayed on windless days in the morning or evening, or during the daytime in cloudy weather, so that the plants do not get sunburned, since the solution remains on the leaves in the form of small droplets. For better absorption of microelements, you can add 3 tablespoons to the nutrient solution. Sahara.

Grapes are often called an unpretentious plant. This statement can be called fair, because in natural conditions it is capable of producing abundant fruits without outside interference and special fertilizer. However, when cultivated on personal plots and in conditions of large-scale breeding in the spring it requires the skillful addition of minerals and nutrients. This approach is the key to a rich harvest.

However, fertilizer and top dressing are different types, and all procedures require strict adherence to certain rules. Otherwise, there is a great risk of not only reducing the harvest, but also being completely left without grapes. In viticulture, there have been cases when inexperienced farmers applied too much fertilizer in the spring and burned the plant during the period of its most active growth.

Many gardeners traditionally fertilize the soil in their garden plots in spring, but grapes require a special procedure. This is because mineral elements must be in a certain form accessible for absorption by the root system. Otherwise, the plant may not receive the required amount of nutrients necessary for the berries to ripen.

A special fertilizer system for grapes has the following goals:

• creating conditions for organic nutrition;
• creating conditions for mixed nutrition, consisting of several types of fertilizers.

There are several types of fertilization procedures, which differ in the way nutrients are added:

• Complete fertilizer, when microelements are introduced into the soil during deep cultivation. This is usually done when planting new grape bushes. The procedure provides the plant with nutrition for two years. It is repeated with the same frequency. The long period is due to the fact that the vineyards only partially absorb fertilizers from the soil.
• Top dressing of grapes, which can be root and foliar. It is an additional way to increase productivity and is used along with complete fertilizer.

Root feeding of grapes

This procedure should be carried out in the spring two to three weeks before flowering. The raw materials selected as fertilizers are placed in the root hole to a depth of 0.3 meters. If the plant is planted on dense soils, loams or black soils, then the depth can increase to half a meter. If the plant is several years old, then fertilizing should be applied around the perimeter two to three meters from the main trunk. In the spring before the vines flower, the most suitable fertilizers are ammonium sulfate, urea, saltpeter, superphosphate and potassium salts.

To prepare fertilizer for root feeding, you will need 10 liters of water, 20 grams of saltpeter (you can take 20 grams of urea or 40 grams of ammonium sulfate), or 20 grams of any potassium salt, or 50 grams of superphosphate. This composition can significantly increase the yield of the vineyard.

As organic fertilizers You can use manure, bird droppings or ash to feed grapes. For better penetration of nutrients into the soil and plant roots, organic matter must be diluted with water. It is advisable to water the soil around the root system of the vine after digging and forming a protective barrier that will prevent the water solution from spreading.

In the spring, two weeks after the vine blooms, it is necessary to make another root feeding grapes It will help stimulate the growth of bunches and berries. When the grapes begin to ripen, you can feed the plant again. Superphosphate and potassium salt are suitable for these purposes. In order for the plant to overwinter well and withstand frosts, after harvesting the grapes should be fed with a solution of potassium salt.

Foliar feeding of grapes

This procedure involves spraying plants with a solution of useful substances. The leaves of the vine have a unique surface that is able to absorb potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus and distribute them throughout all parts of the grape bush. Foliar feeding of grapes is most often used during climatic changes. It is under such conditions that the root system of the bush weakens, and its ability to absorb minerals from the soil sharply decreases.

To achieve a good harvest, spraying should be carried out together with root fertilizer. The ideal time for this procedure is 10 days before the vine blooms. Fertilizing will preserve flowers and increase the number of berries. The spray composition is prepared as follows. For 10 liters of water you should take 150 grams of superphosphate, or 100 grams of ammonium sulfate, or 50 grams of ammonium nitrate, or 50 grams of any potassium salt, or 10 grams of zinc, or 1/2 gram of boric acid.

To prepare a complex fertilizer for spraying, you need to infuse 200 grams of superphosphate in 1.5 liters of water for 24 hours. Then remove the solution from the sediment and add water so that the total volume becomes 2 liters. Separately, prepare a mixture of 100 grams of ammonium sulfate, 70 grams of potassium sulfate and 2 liters of water. The next stage is mixing the two solutions and bringing the total volume to 10 liters. Boron, chromium, as well as glycerin or sugar can be added to the resulting extract in order to ensure good adhesion of the solution to the grape leaves.

I love it foliar feeding It is not recommended to carry out in direct sunlight. Optimal time for this procedure - morning, evening or cloudy weather, but without precipitation. Following this rule will protect the vines from sunburn. It is necessary to avoid spraying grape bushes in the fall. Such actions can provoke the growth of shoots, which is extremely undesirable in autumn-winter period, when the plant can simply die under the influence of low temperatures.

A special type of feeding is the so-called “green” feeding. It consists of planting peas between the vines in the spring before flowering. Cultivation of this plant allows you to additionally supply grapes with useful substances.