Summer grape care: what to do to get a good harvest

If grapevines aren't tended to annually, they become wild thickets. This leads to a decline in yield: fewer fruits and a lower quality. To avoid this, it's important to properly care for the plant throughout the summer.

The first summer after planting

Grapes will produce a bountiful harvest only with proper planting and care. Vineyard care in the first year consists of the following procedures:

• loosening and mulching;
• weeding;
• watering.

Mulching and loosening

Mulching and loosening the soil around the bush and between rows helps retain moisture and slows weed growth. As soon as the first leaves appear on the young shoots, create a hole around them to stake the trunk.

In June, when the plant has formed 3-4 branches, select the strongest one and prune the remaining branches. This will ensure the remaining vine is strong and well-developed by fall.

Weeding

During the first year, it's important to carefully dig out the plant's shallow roots. This is essential to ensure proper development of the roots located deep in the soil. During frosts, the upper roots can freeze, preventing the grapes from receiving sufficient moisture.

The procedure is carried out as follows: you need to make a 20 cm hole around the bush, trim the upper roots with pruning shears, then fill the hole up to the first green leaves.

Regular weeding prevents weeds from growing and allows the soil to breathe. It's especially important to weed grapes after rain or watering, when the soil becomes crusty.

Watering

Grape bushes need to be watered once every seven days. Each bush will require 10 liters of water. Watering should be continued until flowering begins. Various fertilizers can be diluted in the water.

Annual summer care

To ensure large, high-quality grape clusters every year, it's important to follow certain rules and recommendations. To speed up the ripening of the berries and promote vigorous growth of the grapevines, follow these steps:

1. Tying up.
2. Topping.
3. Pinching out stepsons.
4. Coinage.
5. Fragment.
6. Removal of inflorescences.
7. Thinning the leaves.
8. Top dressing.

Tying up

Caring for grape vines begins with staking. This is done in June, when there is no risk of night frost. The branches are secured to the trellis, which helps shape the correct growth direction.

Topping

Pinching should be done at the end of June. Pinching involves shortening the fruit-bearing shoots to ensure the grape clusters receive more nutrients. Pinching is done at the top when the vine reaches 2.5 m. Failure to do this will result in less sugar being released into the bunches.

Pinching out stepsons

The procedure involves removing unwanted foliage from the bushes. During growth, side shoots and runners form in the leaf axils, which do not affect fruit production. Therefore, they must be removed to ensure all the plant's energy is focused on harvesting. This procedure should be performed throughout the summer.

Coinage

Pruning is necessary to reduce the intensity of branch growth and direct all energy toward forming grape clusters. Pruning involves cutting shoots back to the first full leaf, approximately after the 15th leaf. The procedure is performed in early August.

Fragment

Branch pruning removes old and weak shoots that don't provide any benefit to the shrub, but rather drain excess energy. Barren branches are removed at the very base of the bush. This procedure is performed in July.

Removing inflorescences

In July and early August, you should begin removing excess flower heads. This procedure should be repeated more than once. This will ensure that the remaining flower heads produce large, sweet grapes that are less susceptible to rot and cracking.

Leaf thinning

A month before harvest, it's important to thin out the leaves. First, remove those growing at the base of the vine, followed by those that shade the grape clusters. This will improve ventilation in the vineyard and allow the berries to receive more sunlight.

Top dressing

Summer fertilization involves adding superphosphate, nitrogen mixture, and potassium to the substrate. This is done before the plant blooms. In late July and early August, when the first berries appear, potassium and phosphorus fertilizers should be added to the soil.

To ensure the grape clusters receive sufficient sugar and the vines ripen better, the bushes are sprayed with a solution of monopotassium phosphate in August. An infusion of wood ash can also be used.

Care during flowering

At the beginning of the flowering phase, it's important to prune the ends of the shoots. Failure to do so promptly will reduce the quality of the harvest, and the clusters will produce many fruits, but they won't be sweet or large. If this is missed, you'll have to pinch off the ends of the shoots (more than 20 cm), which will negatively impact plant growth.

During flowering, it's important to properly and timely feed grapevines. Foliar feeding with wood ash infusion can ensure the formation of full-fledged clusters with berries that contain sufficient sucrose. Furthermore, this feeding promotes the development of fruiting organs, which will ensure a good harvest next season.

Fertilizing is done in conjunction with disease treatment. This procedure is performed twice: morning and evening.

Protection from diseases and pests

Throughout the summer, it's important to inspect grapevines daily for serious fungal diseases and pests. Healthy grape leaves are green and free of plaque and roughness. If, however, yellow leaves or an ashy coating are discovered during inspection, the entire vine should be treated immediately with specialized products. This could be powdery mildew or mildew.

This should only be done before the vines bloom. Bushes that are already bearing fruit are best treated with a solution of baking soda or potassium permanganate.

Grape clusters also need to be carefully inspected. If rotten, cracked, or blackened berries are found, the entire cluster should be removed from the bush, as it may be infected.

Conclusion

Caring for a vineyard during the first year of summer doesn't require much time or expertise. It's enough to water it regularly, loosen the soil after each watering or rain, and weed the inter-rows. Subsequent care involves timely pruning, cutting back, removing side shoots, and pinching.

When removing shoots that don't produce fruit, it's recommended to leave a few branches on the bush. On average, if there are three fruiting branches, one non-fruiting branch can be left.