Autumn grape pruning scheme for beginners

Any plant in the garden should bear fruit, but their number may be insignificant. The main energy of shrubs and trees is directed to the development of vegetative mass, although summer residents have completely different goals. The main thing in pruning grapes in the fall for beginners - This is the removal of 90% of the vine. It is necessary to leave only a suitable number of buds for further growth and fruiting.

Parts of grapes

Before cutting grapes in autumn, you need to understand the structure of the bush. It consists of several parts:

• heels;
• a stem;
• the head;
• shoulders;
• knots;
• fruit shooter.

The base of the plant is called the heel, it is located underground. It is from him that the roots begin to grow. A stem or trunk is a piece of grapes from the ground to the first lateral process. All trees, shrubs and flowers have it. The head is called a thickening on the stem, from which the shoots depart.

Sleeves or shoulders are side shoots that grow from the main trunk. The buds growing on them are also called eyes. A long cropped sleeve is a fruit arrow. It needs to leave up to 8 kidneys.

Plant formation

There are several options forming grape shoots. The easiest way is to prune the shoots so that they grow horizontally, not vertically. To do this, support is driven in on the sides of a young bush, pulling ropes or wire on them. A vine is attached to it.

In the first year after planting grapes in the spring, it releases a sprout and buds, lateral shoots will appear in the fall. On an annual plant leave only two eyes, the rest must be removed. Of these, sprouts appear that need to be tied up with slopes in different directions. In late autumn, after falling off all the leaves, the shoots are shortened. This cannot be done before, as the young vine will run out of juice and dry out. One of the sleeves is made short, and the second is left more authentic. For the winter it is better to remove the grapes from the trellis and insulate.

After the frosts pass, April comes, you can clean covering material and tie the vine to the bottom ropes. The tops of the shoots should look in different directions. In a two-year-old plant, the stems extend vertically upward or with an inclination from the center. In autumn, you need to trim a long sprout, leaving only two buds on it. Distant vertical branches turn into fruit arrows with 4 eyes on each. The vine is again removed and covered to preserve from frost.

Three year old grapes also need to be processed. In the spring, it is left uncovered for several days, then the arrows are tied to the lower wire, the tops are directed in different directions. The knots of substitution should be located vertically, new stems form from their buds. In August, it is necessary to prune the vines by 10-15 cm. This will increase the number and size of wine berries. In autumn, shoots that cease to bear fruit are removed.

Tools and materials

Before work, beginner growers should stock up on the necessary tools and materials. Full list:

• secateurs or special scissors;
• garden gloves;
• ropes, sticks and wire;
• spruce sawdust and branches, plastic wrap.

Secateurs need to be sharpened very well. Shoots must be cut at a time, otherwise they will be damaged.Dull scissor blades can tear the vine and leaves, causing the plant to rot and die. Since old grapes have sharp growths, it is recommended to purchase tight gloves.

Trimming Types

Gardeners differ in opinions on how to prune grapes for the winter. There are two types of pruning - spring and autumn. Each of them has advantages and disadvantages. Strengths of the first option:

• in the spring it is worth processing grapes in regions where winter cold is moderate;
• stimulation of juice;
• the opportunity to get more fruits.

There are more cons: juice can fill the kidneys, so the plant will cease to bear fruit. In the spring, the vine is soft, secateurs violate its structure and can cause decay. In warm time, the crown cannot be formed correctly, because it grows rapidly. In the first months of summer, all the forces of the plant will go to the growth of shoots;

The grape pruning scheme for beginners looks different in the fall. The good side of trimming in October and November:

• the bush is better prepared for frost;
• fruiting increases;
• the plant becomes more resistant to subzero temperatures.

Cons are much less. These include the ability to incorrectly select the timing of work, which can lead to breaking off of a fragile vine. It is difficult to carry out the procedure in the fall, as often there can be severe frosts. It is impossible to work at a freezing temperature; frost-bitten branches will not survive until spring.

Work

Gardeners apply several methods of processing plants. Choosing the right one depends on the age of the bush. Every year after the leaves fall, you need to do autumn pruning of grapes for the winter. In the first year after planting, it is enough to remove the ripening vine. After the cold months, new shoots with buds will appear at the cut site.

A two-year-old plant already has several sprouts. You can leave two or three, but on each cut two eyes. In the third year, significantly more lateral branches appear. The vine is fully formed. Therefore, more thorough processing will be required. On each shoot, four kidneys must be cut. Otherwise, the plant will produce small fruits in small quantities.

Young bush

In order for the pruning of grapes to produce results in the form of fruits, several rules should be followed. Only unnecessary, damaged and dry branches are removed. You can not remove all the sprouts in a row, this will lead to poor growth and drying of the bush. Use only sharpened tools in the work, which will not damage the vine.

The procedure is carried out with clear movements, it is better to practice on other plants in advance. After pruning, the gardener should create support for the grapes. You should also remove all inflorescences that have formed over the summer. Use one of two cropping options. At the first recommend correctly pruning the grapes in autumn according to the scheme:

• 1st year - only one shoot is developed;
• on the second release the lateral process;
• in spring, another branch from the central trunk appears in the plant;
• in a three-year-old bush, all shoots are cut from a developed shoot, except for the central one;
• 4th — two short knots and one fruiting arrow remain;
• on the fifth appears two branches with berries.

According to the second option, in the first year the vine is planted, two shoots are grown from it.A two-year-old plant appears two more shoots, next spring they are cut to four buds on each. They germinate again in the fall, and in the fifth year there are only two fruit-bearing arrows and short knots.

The work is carried out in several stages. At first you need to clean the bush from dry inflorescences and leaves. Then full leaf fall is expected, after which all useful substances go into the central trunk. After that, the thickest branches are cut, forming knots of substitution. In the second stage, every second sprout is removed, leaving three eyes on them. The replacement branch is shortened so that it has 2 buds. That is, the bush is almost halved.

Old grape

Old grapes should be cut correctly in the autumn according to the scheme in the same way as a young plant. First, remove all dry leaves, inflorescences and shoots, clean the soil in those places where new branches are formed. To rejuvenate an old plant, the shape of a fan is suitable. In accordance with it, all neglected shoots are cut, which violate the selected design.

All removed branches are removed from the soil and destroyed. If they remain under the bush for the winter, then he will be able to rot. The work is carried out in stages:

• cut off all thick branches to three buds;
• remove every second trunk to the fifth eye;
• the overdried vine is removed completely;
• the decayed branch needs to be removed under the very root;
• the finished bush is attached by wire and rope;
• with the accumulation of sprouts, every third to several kidneys is cut off.

Aftercare

After all work, you need to carefully care for the plant. The pruning scheme is understandable even for dummies, but many beginners, following all the instructions, manage to ruin the bush due to improper care. Be sure to water and top dressing. A suitable solution can be prepared from potassium and superphosphate or boric and sulfuric acid, iodine.

Every meter of soil on which grapes grow is watered with liquid. Then the plant is abundantly watered with water, no need to be afraid to fill it. The bush will take as much moisture as it needs. Additionally protect the vine from pests and diseases. To do this, you will need to purchase special tools: Stron, Vectra and Ovixel. For prevention, fundazole is used.

Then you need to cover the grapes. The choice of material varies by region. In Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, the winter is quite cold, so one film will not be enough. The bush must be pressed to the ground, straighten the vine and, if necessary, weight them with weights. The roots are insulated with coniferous branches, sawdust, and the plant itself is covered with polyethylene.

In the next season, grapes will produce a large number of fruits. But beginners must comply with all the rules of the procedure. Otherwise, the plant may die from drought or rot. A properly processed and insulated vineyard will develop better every year.