How to best cover grapes for the winter: simple methods

Despite their hardiness and low maintenance, grapevines require protection during the cold season; otherwise, they may be killed by severe frosts or survive but produce a very poor harvest. There are several reliable methods for covering grapes for the winter, the choice of which directly depends on the climate of the growing area.

Basic concepts of concealment

There is an opinion that you can easily do without covering grapes for the winter V middle zone because of its moderate climate, although this is a serious misconception. Grapevines should be covered not only in the most remote regions, but also in the Moscow region, the Volga region, Urals and other areas with cold, prolonged winters and fairly hot summers, another thing is that the timing of sheltering will directly depend on the area.

Timing of the procedure

One-year-old seedlings are most susceptible to the negative effects of frost, requiring covering as early as mid- to late autumn. Young vines are so vulnerable that additional protection should be provided during the cold season, especially if the winter is snowy and frosty. Otherwise, there is a high risk of new shoots dying, resulting in a complete lack of fruiting.

When considering how to properly cover grapes for the winter, the first thing to consider is their location. When asked about when to cover grapes for the winter in the Volga region, experts recommend starting the process in mid-autumn, emphasizing the importance of this procedure to novice gardeners. Residents of regions such as the Far East and Siberia, where growing indoor grapes is most difficult and challenging, should also follow these recommendations.

Vines should be covered in the fall in the Moscow region and neighboring Belarus. However, experienced specialists offer completely different recommendations regarding when to cover grapes for the winter in Ukraine and southern regions of Russia (Kuban, Krasnodar Krai, etc.). In these areas, covering can be completely avoided in favor of hilling, regardless of the grape variety.

If the vineyard site is located further north (for example, in Voronezh, Saratov, or Samara), then it's important to consider not only the local climate but also the key characteristics of the varieties being grown. This primarily concerns such a crucial indicator as frost resistance, which can be conditionally divided into four types:

1. High. It is characterized by its tolerance to critically low temperatures, ranging from 25 to 28 degrees Celsius below zero.
2. Increased. Lower tolerance to temperatures from -23 to -27°C is observed, allowing no more than 80% of all viable buds to survive until the thaw.
3. Average. This variety is even less tolerant of low temperatures, ranging from -18 to -21°C. Typically, vines of these varieties retain up to 40-60% of their viable buds by spring.
4. Low, with a maximum permissible wintering temperature of 13 to 17 degrees below zero. These varieties are recommended for cultivation in the most favorable climates with mild winters and early springs.

As for the timing of covering, it depends not only on the climate of the region and the characteristics of the chosen grape variety, but also on the air temperature. There is no point in waiting until the end of autumn if frosts began in the middle of it. There are several unspoken rules for sheltering, based on temperature and weather conditions:

1. Don't cover the grapevine until the first steady frost, as a slight drop below -5°C will only harden the plant and make its stem and root system more resilient and stress-resistant when severe cold sets in (especially relevant for regions with harsh winters and heavy precipitation).
2. It is necessary to prepare protection in advance so that it can be used as early as the end of October, if necessary.
3. Whole vines without visible damage or cracking in the bark tolerate cold much better than sick or injured plants, so they can be covered a little later than others.
4. The critical temperature for vineyards is considered to be -12°C, so it is better not to wait until the thermometer drops to this level to wrap the vines at the last moment.
5. Old vines have higher frost resistance than young ones, so the latter needs reliable shelter for the winter.
6. The greater the harvest, the weaker the plant becomes, which immediately affects its ability to withstand cold. This is why vines that bear fruit abundantly are covered earlier and more heavily.

Preparatory process

Much depends on how well the grapes are prepared for winter, because if this issue is not taken seriously, not only individual shoots but the entire vine can perish. As a rule, preparing the vines And covering material is carried out in several stages, which include:

1. Removing the vine from the metal mesh or any other support used in the spring and summer.
2. Pruning shoots.
3. Removal of old leaves and removal of all waste.
4. Treating the entire bush with copper sulfate in a certain concentration or any other disinfectant.
5. Abundant watering, which will be the final one this year.

The ideal time for vineyards to remain uncovered for a month is after the leaves have naturally fallen and the first frosts have set in. If temperatures are unfavorable, the foliage should be trimmed manually, with the covering process completed as soon as possible. As for the film or any other material used for covering, it should be thoroughly cleaned and treated with antifungal agents.

If dried foliage is used for covering, dried herbal bundles can be added. These herbs have powerful natural insecticidal properties that prevent the development of fungal infections. The use of special poisonous antiparasitic baits is permitted, provided that the substances they contain do not harm the plant.

Types of winter protection

There are several methods for covering grapes, the choice of which in the vast majority of cases depends on the location. It's one thing to cover grapes for the winter in the Volga region, but quite another to ensure the bushes overwinter as warmly as possible in the cold Siberian soil.

In warmer regions, hilling and semi-covering are most common, while in colder climates with harsh, prolonged winters, it's common to completely cover the plants using various available means. But before you begin, it's important to familiarize yourself in more detail with the specifics of each of these methods for covering vines for the winter:

1. Hilling, also known as trunk piling, is practiced in the warmest climates without preparatory pruning of the vines. In this case, all the branches of the grapevine are gathered into a single bundle, bent as close to the ground as possible, with a sheet of plywood or slate placed underneath. The mound is then piled up, covering not only the lower part of the resulting trunk but also the crown of the vine itself. The height of this mound should range from 10 to 25 cm, and it is recommended to take soil from the existing row spacing.
2. Semi-covering is ideal for areas with warm, short winters, as it involves burying only the lower part of the plant and covering the upper part with plastic or other frost-proof material. In this case, there's no need to plant the grapes in a standard form. The thickness of the top, sealed layer should not exceed five centimeters, which will help prevent a greenhouse effect.
3. Complete covering is practiced in the coldest climates. In this case, simply burying the vine at the base is not an option, as there's a high risk of its upper portion being damaged by severe frost. Only complete pruning, gathering the vines into a bundle, and bending them as much as possible toward the ground can save the plant. After these steps, the vines are covered using a variety of materials and tools.

The choice of covering materials also depends on the climatic characteristics of the region in which the vineyard is grown. Currently, the following are used in practice: 3 method of wrapping grapes, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages:

You may be interested in:

Grape diseases: description, photos, treatment methods
Have your grapes stopped growing, the leaves are falling off, and the berries are looking wilted? Does this mean the plant has been attacked by one of...Read more…

1. In regions with heavy precipitation, snow is used as a covering material, as its dense crust allows grapes to survive cold weather well. Weak plants and young trees are an exception. They require special care and additional covering materials.
2. An alternative to covering with snow is digging in soil from between the rows, which is used most often due to its simplicity, reliability, and maximum savings in money and time.
3. Dry sheltering involves the use of additional materials, including slate and plywood sheets, various cardboard boxes, and other available materials. In this case, the bush is placed on top of the plastic sheeting, covered with dry leaves to retain heat, and covered with material that forms a kind of gable roof.

Execution of works

In regions with a temperate climate, either full soil cover or semi-covering with film can be used, as both methods produce approximately the same effect. It is recommended to adhere to the following algorithm of actions:

1. When covering with soil, simply dig a small hole close to the plants and place the vine in it, covering it with soil. The soil layer thickness can range from 15 to 50 cm, depending on the age of the vine and the size of its root system. The soil should be collected in such a way as to avoid exposing the vine's roots, which will make it even more vulnerable. Alternating layers of covering are acceptable, using dry leaves and straw in addition to soil, which is especially important in areas with harsher and longer winters. To facilitate the uncovering process, these areas are marked with wooden or metal stakes.
2. In warmer climates, you can use a plastic cover for the vines. To do this, install a support arch made of a metal rod or thick wire over the bush, and place a thick plastic bag over it. The lower part of the plant is covered with a thick layer of soil, leaving a small depression to ensure air circulation and prevent fungal growth. When the first frost arrives, the depression is completely covered with soil to prevent cold air from entering.

If desired, you can experiment with materials, using denser glass fabric, greenhouse film, slate (if completely covered with earth) and other universal construction waste.