Caring for grapes requires annual pruning of the bush. This sanitary measure protects the crop from diseases and pests. In addition, removing excess shoots rejuvenates the plant and increases its yield. However, novice gardeners often make mistakes when shaping the vine.
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The most common mistakes
Pruning vines is a standard procedure, subject to some rules. It is difficult for newcomers to gardening to prioritize actions, so they often do this task incorrectly.
Shortening tops
The fear of harming the plant keeps inexperienced summer residents from removing excess growth. They shorten only the tops, leaving long stems on the bushes, thickening the crown. Such pruning is not beneficial, rather the opposite. In the next season, extra shoots will hinder the development of a young vine.
Due to a lack of light and normal nutrition, new shoots will be weak, unable to bear fruit. Too thick crown will take over all the resources necessary to form the future harvest. To remedy the situation, it is necessary to prune at least 50% of the vines annually.
Incorrect stem removal
In order to properly prune a grape bush, a novice summer resident needs to learn that shoots that bear fruit in the current season are subject to removal. Regardless of the thickness of the vine, it is cut without regret.
Thus, gardeners provide adequate lighting and nutrition to the vine, on which the next year's harvest will be formed. A skeleton of several perennial branches (arms) should remain on the treated bushes.
Pruning period
The event is usually planned for the period of the end of leaf fall (October). Plants that are covered for the winter are pruned 10-15 days after the end of sap flow. Frost-resistant grape varieties can be subjected to this procedure a week later. The main thing is that these days the air temperature does not fall below -3 ° C. In severe frosts, the stems will get frostbite and begin to crack. By spring, the frozen branches will simply die.
Removing skeletal branches
Inexperienced summer residents do not always carry out pruning of old shoots correctly. The stump left after removing the thick stem should be no more than 1 cm in height. Cutting points are treated with wood ash, pharmacy brilliant green or crushed activated carbon. Otherwise, an infection in the wound can cause the process of decay, and the entire bush will be in danger of death.
Removing stepchildren
Second-order shoots (stepchildren) forming in the leaf axils must be disposed of annually. These processes, which strongly thicken the crown, slow down the development of the shoots, on which the ovaries are formed.
By improving air exchange it reduces the risk of infection of the bush by infections and pests. In addition, due to crown thinning, promising stems will receive more light and nutrients.
The health and productivity of the plant depend on the correct pruning of the grape bush. Armed with the recommendations of experienced gardeners, you can confidently start this event.
Do you know when to cut grapes?
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