Necessary feeding of grapes in summer and rules for its application

Many gardeners consider grapes to be a capricious and whimsical plant, and its cultivation is labor-intensive. In fact, if you follow certain rules, growing grapes does not bring much trouble. How to care for bushes, what and when to feed grapes in the summer, we will consider in this article.

Features of summer feeding of grapes

In summer, grapes are in the stage of active growth and fruit formation, but at this time most of the nutrients from the soil have already been drawn out by the roots, so the vine needs high-quality feeding.

What does a plant need in summer?

To obtain a bountiful harvest of large and sweet berries, it is necessary to provide the grape bush with nutrients in full.

Full development of grapes is impossible without the following microelements:

• phosphorus is necessary during the flowering period for the formation of ovaries;
• zinc has a beneficial effect on productivity;
• nitrogen is responsible for the formation of new shoots and leaves;
• copper helps survive drought and frost;
• potassium accelerates the ripening of berries.

If grapes are grown on acidified soils, the amount of calcium in the fertilizer should be increased. If there is an excess of nitrogen in the soil, previously added potassium and phosphorus may not be absorbed in the proper amount.

How to determine a lack of substances

Experienced gardeners can easily determine the lack of minerals in the soil by the appearance and development of the grapes:

• with a lack of nitrogen, there is a delay in the growth and development of shoots and bunches, and their total number is reduced;
• yellowing leaves that curl and fall, dying off of growth points, especially in mature bushes, indicate calcium deficiency;
• with a lack of iron, chlorosis is observed in the grapes, which also indicates a general imbalance in the mineral balance in the soil;
• darkened, curled or bent upward leaves, loose clusters, dropping berries signal a lack of phosphorus, as a result of which the starch in the greens does not turn into sugar;
• with magnesium deficiency, the leaves lose their green color, becoming light yellow, with dark spots between the veins;
• yellowing of foliage can also be caused by a lack of molybdenum, which is especially common in areas with acidic soil;
• on alkaline soils there is often a deficiency of manganese or boron - fertilizing in this case is usually carried out with 2 elements simultaneously.

An excess of nitrogen can be just as harmful as a lack of it, since it leads to excessive growth of the bush. At the same time, the taste of the berries decreases, nitrates accumulate, and resistance to adverse environmental influences deteriorates.

What to feed grapes in summer

To get a good harvest, grapes must be fed early spring before autumn. In summer, it is recommended to apply both mineral and organic fertilizers, which will have a beneficial effect on the growth and development of berries, their quantity and taste.

Mineral fertilizers

Fertilize grapes with minerals fertilizing necessary at different times depending on the microelements. Thus, it is recommended to apply nitrogen fertilizers regularly throughout the summer, phosphorus - twice a year: before flowering and immediately after the formation of the ovary.

Potassium is added 2 weeks before harvest, when due to depletion of the soil the need for it increases for the normal development of the bush.

Fertilizers need to be applied to the depth of the suction roots, since microelements practically do not move in the soil layers on their own.

Important! Despite the popularity of urea as a nitrogen fertilizer for grapes, you need to remember that it increases the pH of the soil, so it is better not to use it on alkaline and acidic soils.

Organic fertilizers

Cattle and horse manure is considered optimal for feeding grapes. It not only provides the bush with all the necessary nutrients, but also has a beneficial effect on the soil, promotes the aeration process, and makes it looser.

Experienced gardeners prefer organic fertilizers for grapes, among which the leading position is occupied by sunflower ash, containing 40% potassium and 4% phosphorus. The feeding solution is prepared from a 1 liter jar of ash per 5 liters of water. The resulting mixture is infused for 24 hours, stirring regularly. Before applying fertilizing, the mixture is diluted with 5-6 liters of water.

During the ripening period of the berries, you can feed the grapes with a mixture ash (1 tbsp.) and superphosphate (50 g), filled with 10 liters of water. Water the root zone of the bushes.

Important! Ash not only provides grapes with necessary substances, but also protects the plant from pests.

Folk remedies

Very popular for feeding grapes uses a liquid infusion of chicken manure. A 1 liter jar of dry litter is filled with 5 liters of water for 10 days.The resulting mixture is diluted with water before use (1 liter of solution per 10 liters of water).

Grape bushes in summer water with a solution of humus or rotted compost. Watering should be done around the bush, at a distance of 30 cm from the root.

Important! Grapes respond better to organic fertilizers, since the nutrients from them are absorbed by the roots of the plant, and not by the surrounding soil.

Frequency and volume of fertilizing

A lack of nutrients for a plant can be just as destructive as their excess. That is why it is necessary to adhere to certain schemes, observing the frequency and volume of nutrients.

Possible fertilizer application schemes

There are several basic schemes for watering grapes and applying fertilizers in the summer. Usually 3-4 procedures are carried out, combined with watering.

Like what to feed grape:

1. 20 kg of manure, 200-250 g of urea, superphosphate, potassium chloride, 300 g of ash are applied into a shallow (up to 7 cm) furrow, after which the soil is watered with 30 liters of barrel water.
2. Repeated feeding is carried out in mid-June, when the ovaries begin to form.
3. The third fertilizing is carried out simultaneously with watering at the end of July, but in this case urea is no longer used, and the amount of organic fertilizers is reduced threefold.

There is another scheme for feeding grapes combined with watering.

It is based on the phases of plant development:

1. After dry garter, water and at the same time fertilize with saltpeter at the rate of 60-80 g per bush.
2. During shoot growth, water and fertilize with ammophos at the rate of 60 g per bush.
3. Before flowering, the bushes are watered and foliar feeding is done with a 0.1% boric acid solution.
4. During the ripening of the berries, 200 ml of superphosphate, potassium sulfate, and ash are added, after which watering is carried out.

How to properly feed grapes

Depending on the applied fertilizers and the phase of plant development, the required type of grape feeding is selected.

Fertilizer application methods

There are root and foliar methods of feeding grapes. In the first case, it is recommended to install drainage pipes or an underground drip irrigation system, through which minerals are delivered to the roots of the plant. If this is not possible, you need to dig a narrow furrow 25-30 cm deep at a distance of 50-60 cm around the bush and apply fertilizer there.

Important! Root feeding gives maximum effect if carried out simultaneously with watering.

Foliar feeding is also effective because grape leaves have a high ability to absorb nutrients. In combination with the root method of fertilizing, foliar fertilizing gives excellent results.

It is recommended to spray leaves on cloudy, windless days. This way the solution will not evaporate in the first minutes, but will be absorbed by the plant tissues. When spraying, make sure that all leaves are evenly covered with small drops of solution.

Instructions for each method

When carrying out root feeding, adhere to the following scheme:

1. During the period of kidney swelling, dissolve 90 g of urea, 60 g of superphosphate and 30 g of potassium sulfate in separate containers with water, mix the solutions and increase the volume of liquid to 40 liters. Mineral nitrogen fertilizers can be replaced with a 10% solution of mullein or a 5% solution of bird droppings diluted in a bucket of water.
2. Before flowering, the same substances are added, but now 120 g of ammonium nitrate, 160 g of superphosphate and 80 g of potassium sulfate are used.
3. The third feeding is necessary only in regions with short summers; it accelerates the ripening of berries and prepares the bush for a successful winter. For one bush, prepare a mixture of 60 g of superphosphate, 30 g of potassium sulfate and a solution of microelements (Aquarin, Plantafol, etc.) according to the instructions.

According to another scheme, 4 root feedings are carried out per season:

1. The first of them is carried out at the very beginning of spring, adding a solution of 10 liters of water, 20 g of superphosphate, 10 g of ammonium nitrate and 5 g of potassium salt under the roots of one plant.
2. The procedure is repeated 2 weeks before the bushes bloom.
3. After fruit set, the grapes are fed a third time, using potassium and phosphorus fertilizers without nitrogen.
4. During harvest, a fourth fertilizing with potassium preparations is carried out, thanks to which the plant will better withstand the upcoming cold weather.

In the case of feeding with liquid manure, it must be used at the rate of 1 kg per 1 sq. m. m.

For foliar feeding of grapes, the following treatment scheme has been developed:

1. Before flowering, the bushes are sprayed with a solution prepared from 40 g of urea, 100 g of superphosphate, 50 g of potassium sulfate and 5 g of boric acid. As with root feeding, each element is diluted separately with water, then the solutions are mixed together and the volume of liquid is increased to 10 liters. The bushes are sprayed after filtering the resulting solution.
2. The second feeding is carried out with a similar solution immediately after flowering. It would not be superfluous to add a ready-made solution of microelements, prepared according to the instructions.
3. When the berries begin to ripen, make a third feeding with a mixture of 100 g of superphosphate and 50 g of potassium sulfate dissolved in 10 liters of water.
4. The fourth feeding is carried out with natural ingredients, since it is done directly on the berries. These substances also serve as protection against pests and diseases for the plant. Infusions of wood ash, solutions of potassium permanganate or iodine, diluted whey, fermented infusion of herbs with the addition of ash dissolved in water are widely used.

For better absorption, it is recommended to add 3 tbsp to the composition for foliar subcortex. l. Sahara.

Mistakes to Avoid

Among the most common mistakes in growing and feeding grapes are the following:

1. Distribution of fertilizers on the soil surface. Such actions do not bring the expected result, since nitrogen quickly evaporates, and potassium and phosphorus do not reach the deeper layers of the plant roots.
2. Applying excessive amounts of fertilizer. Contrary to expectations, this leads to a decrease in the plant's immunity, as a result of which the harvest is postponed to a later date.
3. Feed only young grape bushes. If the planting was done correctly and a sufficient amount of nutrients was placed in the hole, the plant does not need to be fed for the next 2 years. But for abundant fruiting of adult bushes, it is necessary to carry out procedures throughout the season.

Advice from experienced winegrowers

Experienced gardeners prefer to carry out foliar feeding, since in this case the absorption of nutrients is almost twice as high as with root feeding. This allows you to reduce the amount of fertilizer used, and also increases the speed of all physiological processes in the plant.

At the end of September, all weeds around the bush are removed and rotted manure or compost is added under its base. The bacteria contained in it process part of the organic matter, due to which the plant needs less fertilizer in the future.

It is necessary to regularly treat the plant's root system with manure with ash, ammonium sulfate and superphosphate.

On sandy soil, such treatment is carried out annually, on sandy loam - once every 2 years, on other types of soil - once every 3 years.

Conclusion

The idea that it is difficult to grow grapes to get a good harvest is wrong. In fact, this is an unpretentious crop that can grow even in unsuitable conditions.

If you follow the feeding schedule, even a beginner can get a bountiful harvest of ripe, juicy berries.