Grapes love warmth and fertile soils. Therefore, the plant is not easy to grow in cool regions. Many gardeners do not know what to do when grapes grow poorly. Even with proper care, the plant does not bear fruit. The most important thing is to find out the reason that leads to growth retardation. It is worth familiarizing yourself with the main factors influencing the development of the grapevine.
Possible reasons
There are several unfavorable factors affecting crop growth. Main reasons:
- Excess fertilizing. When the soil is oversaturated with nutrient mixtures, plant growth slows down.Fertilizers must be applied according to a certain system. Choose fertilizers intended for grapes and comply with the terms and conditions specified by the manufacturer. Oversaturated soil with nutrient mixtures allows the plant to increase its vegetative mass, but does not allow the grapes to bloom and form fruits.
- Incorrect trimming. When pruning fruiting eyes, the plant does not form fruit clusters well. Before the procedure, learn the correct pruning technology.
- Pollination. The predominance of female flowers on a crop prevents the plant from bearing fruit. If the variety does not pollinate, it means that other varieties of grapes need to be planted nearby.
- Freezing. Many varieties are not adapted to harsh winters. If there is insufficient winter shelter, the fruiting eyes freeze slightly. In spring, shoots damaged by frost are cut to the ground. The procedure will help stimulate the plant to grow and form berries.
- Not enough nutrients. With insufficient fertilization, the plant slows down its growth, the leaves become small, limp and, as a result, fall off.
Determining the cause in time will allow you to take the necessary measures to obtain a bountiful harvest.
What to do if grapes grow slowly
Important Recommendations:
- In order for the seedling to grow and develop well, it must be provided with good lighting when planting. The plant also loves warmth. Ruberoid spread around the crop or stones thrown around accumulate heat during the day and release it to the air at night. Nearby growing plantings should not shade seedlings. In a dark place, the vine will grow, but will not bear fruit.
- After planting in a permanent place, the plant is watered every week. From the second year, watering is carried out no more than twice a month. The need for watering is regulated by the bush itself.When straightening the tops in early summer, the soil should be moistened. Limit watering during fruiting at the moment of softening of the fruit.
- It is recommended to plant seedlings no deeper than half a meter. Such planting will allow the earth to warm up quickly, and the plant will begin to grow faster in the spring.
- Young grapes require good shelter for the winter.
A bush transplanted into the ground requires careful care, adherence to recommendations and constant monitoring.
Planting seedlings will be successful if the necessary conditions are properly created. For generous and stable fruiting, follow the recommendations of experts:
- before purchasing, study the characteristics of the variety and choose one suitable for growing in a given region;
- the crop is sprayed with fungicides, strictly following the instructions;
- if the ovaries form slowly, the bushes are thinned out, and foliage that blocks the sun's rays is removed from the clusters.
With proper care, homemade grapes will delight you with healthy and tasty berries for many years.
The grapes stopped growing
Inspection of the bush will help determine the causes of growth arrest. Parasites and diseases are often the cause.
The most dangerous pests:
- Aphids attack the root system and above-ground parts. At the same time, growth is disrupted and development is inhibited. Yellow swelling and ulcers appear on the roots. With such manifestations, the plant cannot be saved.
- Spider mite. With abundant distribution, the development of culture sharply decreases. As a result, it leads to the death of plantings. Damaged foliage is torn off and sprayed with a preparation containing sulfur. "Bi-58" or "Sturm" are good. Also sprayed with colloidal sulfur. The treatment is carried out twice. The interval is two weeks.
Controlling insects is easy.The main thing is to recognize the threat in time and apply an effective insecticide to treat the vine.
If the grapes stop developing, the cause may be diseases. The most common ailments encountered by plant owners:
- Mildew. As the disease develops, oily spots form on the shoots, and the lower parts of the branches become covered with a gray coating.
- Gray rot. The bush is covered with a gray coating. When you touch the affected fruits, their surface begins to become dusty.
- Fungal diseases are characterized by the appearance of brown spots on the foliage. The inflorescences dry out and the berries become covered with gray spots.
- Shortknot virus. The disease is rare, with weak growth observed, the leaves grow small and jagged. At the first symptoms, the bush must be dug up and destroyed. The disease has no cure and infects the entire vineyard.
If you do not immediately begin to combat ailments, the leaves of the plant will completely fall off. Fungicidal preparations intended for spraying grape bushes will come to the rescue. The best option for good growth is timely preventive treatment of the crop. In this case, you won’t have to think or worry about the well-being and development of the plant.
The treatment solution must not contain chemicals.
In the first year after transplantation, the plant grows its root system, so the growth of the vine is weak, and there is no need to worry about this.
Useful tips from gardeners
Lyubov Morozova: “If a bush freezes slightly in winter, then after a certain time it will recover and bloom. But it’s better to pick off the flowers. The fruits will not have time to ripen, so there is no need to waste the grapes’ energy. It’s better to give it time to gain strength, and next year you can enjoy a bountiful harvest.”
Petr Kuzovskoy: “Underground pests influence the development of bushes. Frequently encountered are beetle larvae. Fighting them is difficult and ineffective. In certain years, May beetles have mass flights. In this case, they are caught on raspberry bushes. At night, at low temperatures, the activity of insects decreases, and they are shaken onto the bedding. The caught beetles will not be able to lay eggs, thereby reducing the number of larvae.”
Vasily Pavlov: “You cannot plant a seedling in unheated soil. The bush will get stressed and freeze for a long time. In well-warmed soil, favorable conditions are created for the root system, and growth will not be delayed. If the plant was planted too early, then treating each leaf with humate will help restore growth.”
Margarita Vasilyeva: “If it is not possible to determine the reasons for the poor growth of plantings, then I recommend having the soil analyzed. With an excess or lack of salts, the growth of the vine stops. Drought also has an effect. On hot days, to improve the passage of moisture to the root system, I pierce the soil deeply with knitting needles. This procedure helps water penetrate faster and deeper into the ground. In the fall, I insulate the bushes well to avoid freezing of the grapes.”
