Autumn Top Dressing of Grapes in the Winter: Terms and Means

vineyard

Grapes – a tasty and healthy delicacy, for which summer residents and gardeners are ready to make considerable efforts. But agricultural technology of culture has some features, and they should be taken into account in the pursuit of a good harvest. In order for the berries to fill with sweet and fragrant juice, the plant needs a lot of nutrients. That’s why when growing this beloved by many people, one should not forget about fertilizing.

Everyone knows that in the cold season, grapes need only good shelter from frost – it goes into the phase of sleep. Is the autumn top dressing of grapes justified in the winter? The timing and means for nutrition of the culture should be known to everyone who undertook its cultivation. Our site about farming today will pay attention to this very issue.

Pre-winter feeding of the vine – yes or no?

To the question: is it necessary to feed the grapes in autumn, experienced growers unanimously answer: “Yes.” Each bush spends a huge amount of nutrients stretched from the soil on the formation and ripening of delicious berries. If you do not update the stocks, then in the spring the plant will not have the strength for active development, it may become ill and the abyss.

For the rapid development and formation of a large number of clusters, grapes need such substances:

  • Nitrogen – to accelerate the development of green mass. Most nitrogen needs grapes in spring.
  • Phosphorus – for the formation of the ovary, the formation and ripening of fruits. Naturally, phosphorus deficiency should be avoided from the beginning of flowering.
  • Potassium – for quick ripening of berries and good wintering of bushes. The element must be present in the autumn top dressing.
  • Copper – for the resistance of the vine to cold and drought.
  • Boron – to accelerate ripening and improve taste.
  • Zinc – to increase productivity.

Chemical and organic nutrition – an eternal dispute

Many gardeners appreciated the convenience of using chemically-extracted fertilizers, selected for the needs of various groups of garden crops. Ammonium nitrate, superphosphate, potassium salt are often used to feed grapes. It is important to observe proportions correctly and try to prevent excess substances in the soil. It is convenient to use preparations in the autumn for plants containing a complex of nutrients: Mortar, Kemira, Florovit. In this case, the measure is no less important.

Adherents of organic fertilizers say that chemical fertilizing affects the naturalness and usefulness of berries. They are sure that organic makes them only healthier. In addition – and this is a confirmed fact – organic fertilizers are more easily and quickly absorbed by plants.

Organic means for feeding grapes in the winter

Organic fertilizers for autumn application under grapes must be prepared in advance. Experienced winegrowers were convinced of the effectiveness of some of the available means for nourishing a crop of natural origin.

Overripe manure. You can talk a lot about this tool, because the value of this fertilizer can not be overestimated. Manure loosens the earth, improving air and water access to the roots, enriches it with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, which is necessary for many crops, stimulates the reproduction of microorganisms in the soil, helping grapes absorb various elements.

Compost. No less effective replacement for manure. To create compost, they usually make a special pit where organic waste is thrown off. Compost copes with the role of autumn fertilizer for grapes.

Bird droppings. Among gardeners and gardeners there are many sincere admirers of this type of fertilizer. It has become especially popular due to its availability. To feed grapes in winter, litter must be prepared in advance. One to two weeks prior to feeding, each liter of litter is diluted with four liters of water. The day before, ten more liters of water are added. Only 500 g of such a solution will need to be poured under each bush of grapes.

Ash. This substance is a natural source of potassium for plants. The grape needs this element to prepare for winter. The most valuable is the ash remaining after burning the husks of sunflower seeds.

The right time for autumn dressing grapes

Large-scale top dressing in the fall for grapes is arranged every year only in those cases if it grows in sandy soil. Sandy loam soil forces gardeners to resort to the event after a year, and if the soil is clayey, every three years. Many winegrowers mix organic and chemical substances. For example, an effective top dressing for grapes is widely known, created by mixing manure, ash, superphosphate and a small amount of ammonium sulfate.

As for suitable dates for feeding in the winter, it should not be the last autumn months. The fact is that grapes cannot pull out nutrients from frozen ground. It is better to carry out the event before the full harvest.

Rules for feeding grapes

When feeding grapes, you can’t just pour the prepared nutrient solution under each bush. First you need to dig round grooves at a distance of 50 cm from the trunk, about 40 cm deep. Do not be afraid to damage the roots of plants, as they will quickly resume.

An interesting way of feeding was proposed by one well-known wine grower in his circles. He advises digging deep grooves between rows of grapes and filling them with compost mixed with humus. All this is filled up with earth extracted from the groove. There is one important clarification: recesses should not be torn out at each gap between the rows, but through one. Otherwise, the roots can be damaged too much. After this, autumn watering should be carried out only through these grooves.

Autumn top dressing of grapes in winter: timing and means – this was exactly the topic of our discussion today. You don’t need to have many years of experience in growing this crop to understand that it needs to be fed every few years and before winter it especially needs potassium. Eat your grapes correctly – and he will nourish you with his sweet berries!