The nuances of caring for grapes in the first year of planting

In the first year after planting, young grapes, like other plants, need special care. Indeed, it is on how well the bush develops during this period that its yield depends.

Young grapes need regular watering. The frequency of watering directly depends on the conditions in which the bushes grow. On average, plants are watered every two weeks. If it rarely rains, the bushes have to be watered more often. It is very important to pour enough water under the roots of the plant. The soil should always be well moistened.

For watering young grapes, it is best to use warm and well-settled water. It is recommended to water the plants in the early morning or late evening. During the day, irrigation of the bushes is possible only in cloudy weather.

When growing grapes, the soil should not be too wet. This can lead to root rot. If it rains frequently in summer, you need to be careful not to erode the soil under the grapes. For prophylaxis, small grooves can be dug near the bushes to drain water.

Watering of early grape varieties is stopped in the second half of July, late ones - in the fall. In the process of preparing the vineyard for winter, the site is well watered again. This procedure helps to protect the roots of the plant from freezing.

Timely feeding of the bushes also plays an important role. When planting plants, a large amount of fertilizer is usually placed in the hole. Therefore, in the first year after planting, the grapes, as a rule, are not additionally fed. But gardeners are still advised to closely monitor the seedlings.

If they look weak, they may need summer feeding. At the end of August, potassium and superphosphate are usually added to the soil, mixed in a ratio of 1 to 2. Such feeding allows the grapes to better prepare for winter.

Caring for grapes also involves the timely loosening of the soil. It is necessary to destroy the drying crust very carefully. After all, young seedlings are quite fragile, so it is very easy to break them. It is important to remove all weeds during the loosening process. Indeed, for the cultivation of grapes, it is important that they receive a sufficient amount of nutrients.

In a timely manner, it is necessary to carry out catarovation of the plant. This is the name of the process of removing the superficial roots of grapes. This procedure allows the rest of the roots to go deeper into the ground. Because of this, the plant adapts better to the winter cold.

To carry out this procedure, you need to dig a small hole around the trunk. After that, all surface roots are cut off. After that, the hole must be covered with fertile soil. This procedure is usually performed at the end of the first summer month.

In the first year after planting, the gardener should start forming a bush. Young grapes should have two main shoots. All other branches must be removed. Otherwise, the main shoots will lack nutrients. In addition, if the vineyard is too thickened, the bushes will be more likely to hurt and be attacked by pests.

In order for the plant to produce a good harvest in the future, in the first years after planting, a large number of fruits should not be allowed to appear on the branches. Some of the inflorescences must be removed during the flowering of the grapes.

In the first year of the life of a young bush, the chasing of shoots is also important. It is recommended to carry it out in the fall, after the crowns of the tops are completely straightened. It is at this time that the process of active growth of young shoots ends. If you notice such changes, the upper part of the branch must be removed. Usually gardeners remove 30-35 centimeters of the shoot. At the same time, all stepchildren must be removed.

To protect the plant from the wind, it must be additionally tied up. As a rule, shoots are attached to a special trellis using soft material. It is not recommended to use twine or fishing line for this purpose. Over time, they will cut into the vine, thus injuring the plant.

To keep plants healthy at all times, it is important to protect them from pests. Young shoots are most often attacked by insects such as a grape moth, a flea or a thin tick. Proven chemicals can be used to control these pests. Most often Chlorophos is used for this purpose.

Instead, a soap solution can also be used to treat the plants. They are sprayed with young shoots in the morning or evening. For the complete destruction of pests, the site will have to be processed 2-3 times.

Another safe way to control pests is to plant herbs next to grapes. You can place dill, spinach or sorrel there. But you should not plant lemon balm and mint nearby. Bushes next to them do not grow very well.

In addition to pests, fungal diseases are also dangerous for young grapes. To combat them, the bushes are treated with pesticides or ordinary Bordeaux liquid.

Young grapes are sensitive to cold. Therefore, a thermophilic plant in the first year of its life must be properly prepared for winter. This process consists of several important stages.

1. In September, the soil next to the bushes must be well dug up. In the process, all weeds and fallen leaves will be destroyed.

2. Further, the earth must be watered abundantly. This should be done in the first half of autumn.

3. A couple of days after watering under the grapes, you need to dig a deep ditch.

4. Young shoots must be carefully tied with twine, and then bent to the ground and laid in a ditch.

5. From above it must be covered with earth. The thickness of the soil layer depends on how cold the winters are in the region.

6. Some gardeners prefer to additionally cover young growths with tarps or plastic bags. You need to use them very carefully. If such a shelter is not removed in time in the spring, young shoots can rot. Instead of such dense materials, gardeners can also use spruce branches or dry straw. But in this case, traps or high-quality poison for rodents will need to be placed next to the bushes.

7. When the first snow falls on the site, it must be carefully thrown over the shelter from above. This additional protection will help keep the roots from freezing.