Not all varieties of berries take root equally in different climatic zones and conditions - this is a rule. There are no exceptions to it. Therefore, practical tips on caring for grape bushes in the Urals or Siberia in the summer will be useful for beginning gardeners.
Grape varieties for the Urals
The popular wine berry has always ripened better in southern latitudes, where it was originally cultivated. Recently, special frost-resistant species have been developed for cultivation in cold regions. The peculiarities of the local climate include a short but hot summer, which the breeders took advantage of.The best grape varieties for the Ural region are considered to be those that ripen in the period of 90-110 (early) and 115-130 (middle) days.
The following varieties are most often recommended because they have been tested under extreme conditions:
- in memory of Dombrovskaya;
- in memory of Shatilov;
- early pink nutmeg;
- Samokhvalovich;
- Beauty of the North (Olga);
- Aleshenkin;
- Lydia;
- Little Negro.
This list of species adapted for cultivation in the Southern and Middle Urals is constantly being updated, and work is underway to further improve the qualities of grapes, such as yield and frost resistance.
Experienced agronomists strongly recommend first planting the species Alyosha, Pamyati Shatilov, Pamyati Dombrovskaya, as they are less susceptible to cold, unpretentious, and do not require special conditions for breeding, and then move on to others.
Landing Features
To properly plant grapes in the Urals, you need to know the rules for growing shrubs, the nuances of choosing a place and time. There are a number of basic methods practiced by gardeners.
The outcome of the event depends on the practice of mastering the skills, understanding when to plant a certain variety and why.
Two methods are used: propagation by seedlings and from cuttings. The best time for the first option is mid-summer, June-July. Let's look at the landing details.
Important:
- soil temperature (at least +15 ˚С);
- specific area of the site;
- soil condition.
Grapes love the sun; shade is destructive for it, as are tall plants growing nearby. Therefore, the lighter it is, the more suitable the conditions for the growth of seedlings. Heavy soils, impermeable to air and water, are not suitable: loose, systematically dug and fertilized soil is needed.
Planting holes are prepared at the rate of 1 square meter for each bush.There is an option for placing grape stems in a row: to do this, dig a ditch of uniform width along the entire length (one meter), with the same depth. The length of the trench depends on the number of seedlings; there should be at least 100 centimeters between them. The recommended orientation is from north to south.
The bottom is covered with a layer of drainage material (expanded clay, gravel), combinations are allowed. A soil mixture prepared independently from ordinary soil, sand and humus, taken in equal proportions, is placed on top. Sometimes mineral fertilizers (with phosphorus and potassium) and ash remaining after burning leaves and branches are added there.
The soil in the hole is watered abundantly to compact it. Preparations begin 50-60 days before planting the chibouks, in early spring (March-April). The ground level does not reach the top of the hole by 15-20 centimeters. A small hole is made in the middle of the resulting pie, and grapes are planted in it, tamping the soil around it and watering as the liquid evaporates from the soil.
The next year, the sagging ditch is filled up, at the same time hilling up the established seedlings by about 25-30 centimeters, creating a ridge of soil. Care should be taken with watering: grapes loves water, but does not tolerate stagnant moisture.
Care and cultivation
Growing grapevines in the Urals has its own subtleties: greenhouses and greenhouses are not used, planting in open ground with mulch and snow cover is practiced. The top is pruned after a pair of vines appears (approximately the second year of development). Weak shoots are mercilessly removed, leaving the strongest ones.
How to care for a vineyard in the summer, in August: water, pruning, pinch out the top vines, mulch. In autumn, they cut off the shoots, always leaving one of the male shoots: it is needed for pollination.It is permissible to sow grass near the vineyard, which in the future will be used as mulch. Concerns in the summer (July) include abundant fertilization of the soil with mineral complexes, destruction of pests, and treatment with drugs against diseases.
The subtlety of growing in a cold region lies in controlling the growth of buds: in the Urals, grapes produce more of them than they can feed with the energy of the sun and the root system. Therefore, the “extra” ovaries are removed, leaving 3-4 pieces on one vine. When choosing from 2 neighboring clusters, the weaker (smaller) one is destroyed - this is how beginners are advised to grow grapes.
September is the time to “clean” the stems of foliage to allow sunlight to reach the ripening berries. It is important not to overdo it here: shaded bunches will not be able to ripen, too open ones will burn in the sun. To create the opportunity for the vine to curl and strengthen itself, arrange supports, stretch wire, and dig a pole or pipe with crossbars near the bush.
Following the basic rules of care will allow you to grow large, sweet berries and harvest a generous harvest. Neglecting them will lead to the gradual decline of the vine, degeneration of the vineyard, death from disease, waterlogging, sunburn or cold.
Pruning Tips
It’s not just chickens that are considered autumn: it’s also the time to spend grape pruning in the garden, picking berries and preparing for winter. By carrying out this work, you can radically change the growth of the bush, weaken it or strengthen it (depending on the experience of the gardener and his understanding of the essence of the issue).
Measures to form the contour of the vine affect:
- For productivity.
- Increasing the size of the bunch and berries.
- Development of the root system.
- Comfortable transition of the plant to hibernation.
The importance of pruning is undeniable; everyone, including beginning winegrowers, should understand this.It is allowed to maintain it throughout the entire season of growth and ripening (removing weak stepsons). The main volume occurs in autumn, when the harvest has already been harvested and the vines have been freed from heavy bunches.
In the summer, areas that have dried out during the winter are sequentially removed, the buds are thinned out (defective ones are removed), then the same is done with the sprouts. Of the stepchildren, no more than one male is left. Shoots must be divided into strong and weak, which interfere with the active development of the plant.
The grapes are pinched from mid-July to the end of August, and in the fall they begin to lighten the ripening bunches (removing the lower and damaged leaves that block the sun). At the same time, fruit sleeves are formed. For the Urals, gardeners experimentally established a fan pattern for 4 vines. To do this, the strongest shoots are left on the stem (trunk) by successive pruning. The first stage includes the removal of “extra” vines, tendrils, and leaves. The shoots and the only stepson are shortened to 4-6 buds.
Next, the vines are fixed horizontally, bent to the ground, then sprinkled with a layer of mulch and prepared for wintering. The second stage, next year, involves the development of renewed vines from the remaining buds, which will also be thinned out in the future. You need to leave the strongest ones, 2 on each sleeve, remove the remaining ones.
If pruning is done correctly in the fall, it will be possible to harvest the first harvest from the developed vines. Experienced winegrowers know that the most productive part of the sleeve is its middle: this is what they follow when forming a contour of 8-10 strong buds in the fall.
In the spring, a shoot is found at the base of the vine, from which a replacement one can be made (when the entire branch bears fruit and begins to need rejuvenation).After 3-4 years, the old vines are cut off, leaving pre-selected young branches. This scheme allows you to regularly obtain a harvest from a grape bush up to 30 years old, systematically removing weakened and “aged” vines, replacing them with renewed ones.
Sheltering grapes for the winter
Before the cold Ural winter begins, the grape bush is prepared for hibernation: it is freed from leaves and branches, bent to the ground and sprinkled with a layer of mulch (hereinafter referred to as snow). The subtlety of preparing for winter is that premature, hasty shelter will allow mold fungi to develop, and this will lead to the death of the buds.
Work on preserving the bush begins when the average daily temperature drops to -5 °C and the soil freezes in the upper part (approximately November). You should not pay attention to the excessive “pampering” of the buds: in specially bred varieties they can easily tolerate frosts of 20˚C or more. It is prohibited to place vines on bare ground: it is wiser to use a wooden lattice, an old picket fence, or a layer of pine or spruce needles.
This precaution is necessary so that after the spring snow melts, the vine does not become saturated with moisture and begin to rot. The top covering is the same pine needles, spruce branches, and tarpaulin.
For small bushes, they use “know-how”: they roll the vine into a spiral, lay it on a pre-made litter, and then cover it with a bucket, an old basin or a wooden box. Next, fill the resulting “house” with any available material - leaves, straw, pine needles.
As soon as snow falls, a layer of 40 centimeters or more is created above the storage area of the vines. If there is little precipitation, you will have to use slate, roofing felt, boards, or even tarpaulin, creating a layer of protection for the vineyard.It is important not to leave the vines on the trellises (this will cause them to ice up and be irretrievably damaged) and to secure the shoots thoroughly, preventing them from being damaged by gusts of wind.
