When to bury grapes for the winter. Preparing the bush for shelter

To protect the grapes winter frosts a set of measures is applied, which includes the selection resistant varieties, as well as a number of agricultural practices:

• choice for planting grapes protected places;
• deep preplant tillage;
• deep landing;
• potash fertilizers in the fall;
• trimming, fragmentation, pinching, chasing, etc.;

grafting on frost-resistant rootstocks, direct protection of the aerial parts and roots from the harmful effects of low temperatures: sheltering grapes for the winter, snow retention and snow accumulation, mulching between rows with organic materials, rolling.

Shelter of grapes is carried out wherever the average of the absolute annual minimum temperature is below minus 15 degrees.

Lowering the soil temperature to -5, -6 C causes damage to the fibrous part of the roots. If it recovers during frostbite of the aerial part of the bush, then when the grape roots freeze, the plant will die.

In areas where the temperature never drops below -16 C in winter, you can not cover.

If in winter the temperature drops to -16 C - -20 C, you can not cover only special frost-resistant varieties grapes, if the temperature can drop to -21 - 24 C - you need to cover all varieties.

Shelter of grapes for the winter should be done in dry weather. It is necessary that by the time the grapes are sheltered, the first frosts have passed. Enough for several days with morning frosts of -5 -8 degrees, at this temperature the vine will be hardened. Hardened vine is being made light brown and is considered ripe. In this case vine overwinter well until spring.

Ways to shelter grapes for the winter

Covering grapes with soil from row spacing

With this method of shelter, it takes into account protective property land of poor thermal conductivity of air. Of course, it is necessary that the earth at the same time be sufficiently loose and slightly moist, because. heavy wet clods of earth are unlikely to be good protection for grapes. The layer of soil for sheltering grapes should be about 25-30 centimeters above the laid vine. Land for sheltering grapes should be taken no closer than 0.5 meters from the bush, so as not to damage the roots. In areas with severe winters, layered shelter can be applied. With such a shelter, a layer of straw or dry leaves is laid on the laid earthen layer 10-15 cm thick, and another earthen layer is laid on top. In areas with little snowy winters, it is recommended to increase the thickness of the shelter.

Shelter of grapes for the winter - air-dry

Roofing material or spruce branches are laid under the vine prepared for wintering. Vine and pinned with wire brackets. A layer of spruce branches, dry leaves or straw is laid on top. Arcs are installed above them for the frame, as for a greenhouse, and a film or roofing material is stretched. Instead of a frame, you can install wooden shields over the vine and cover it with a film. This method of sheltering grapes has a low probability of severe freezing of the soil and freezing of the vine. The risk of necrosis of the vine is also prevented. Shelter of grapes air dry method is recommended for the climate of central Russia. In such a shelter, it is possible to provide holes in the form of pipes for ventilation, but in severe frosts they must be closed.

Snow shelter of grapes for the winter

In areas with abundant snow cover, gardeners have a great opportunity to cover the grape bushes with snow. Snow is a reliable insulator. Every centimeter of snow cover gives a degree of heat. Therefore, in such areas, cover with earth or covering materials can be very small, and nature will do the rest.

When wintering grapes, the most important thing is that the bush has a good root system, not overloaded with crops and without diseases. To do this, grapes need to be prepared for wintering the whole season.

Working for garden plot Be sure to use hand protection. Work gloves are great for protecting your hands.

Temperature fluctuations in last years destroy the work of the vine-growers much more than the most gluttonous locust. Seedlings planted in autumn not in school, but in open ground.. As the century-old folk wisdom, “God saves the safe”, so it’s more rational to spend a little time in the fall to hide the plantings for the winter than to start everything from scratch in the spring. And you just need to build simple shelters for your pets and protect them from frost.

Young vine bushes, hybrid forms and unstable varieties, as well as complex-resistant ones, are subject to shelter, because it is impossible to predict temperature fluctuations.

There are three types of shelter grapes:

• hilling,
• half-cover
• and full shelter bushes.

When covered directly with soil in warm winters, some of the buds scorch and die. Therefore, it is desirable to cover the vines in an air-dry way. Directly on the bunches of shoots, or on the wire arcs, they throw either a black film or, much better, plastic burlap (bags for sugar or flour are sewn from this material). The second material is preferable, it allows air and moisture to pass through, water does not condense on it. And only after that the bushes are completely buried with soil or only covered with it. If you apply the second method, then you can, if necessary, open the ends of the shelters to ventilate, dry and cool the shoots.

An option for such a shelter is to cover the vines with dry organic material - straw, sawdust, fallen leaves. From above, stretch the polymer film, the edges of which are pressed with earth or stones.

In areas where harsh winters can alternate with warm ones, it is rational to use special semi-covering forms of the grape bush. Their peculiarity lies in the fact that there is a high-stem non-covering part, and a non-stem or low-stem surface - covering. The meaning of this design is that at least one of the parts will endure any winter safely.

In areas with stable and high snow cover, it is enough to plant grapes in trenches 40–50 cm deep, and press the shoots to the bottom for the winter. Snow accumulates in such recesses and reliably protects the vines from frost.

In the southern regions, it is enough to cover the plants with a soil layer of 20-25 cm, in the more northern regions, the soil layer is adjusted to 30-50 cm, or a three-layer shelter is used - soil - 5-15 cm, then an organic layer - 10 cm, and again a layer of soil - 20 -30 cm.

Shelter of the vines must be completed before the onset of frost, otherwise the vine will become brittle.

Shelter with polyethylene film. Although many practice, however, my opinion is that it is impossible to cover grapes in this way. With clear days in February, there will be such a greenhouse effect that mom do not worry! The kidneys wake up, and later the cold. And swollen kidneys -2 or even -1 are already terrible. If you already decide to cover with a film, then it’s better than a dark one. However, this is just my guess.

Shelter with fallen leaves, debris, etc. - bullshit! Vypreet 100%! If this is how you create it, then you need to take the technology of sheltering with sawdust, described above.

Also, certain dreamers covered with fresh manure (as if it kills fungi wintering on the vine). So, it also kills the kidneys!

Shelter with agrofibre, spunbond, etc. For the 3rd year I have been covering 1 bush with black spanbond as an experiment. So far, everything is ok, but there were simply no frosts on the bare ground during this time. However, in theory, if they are folded into 2-3 layers, in principle it is possible to try. The fact is that these materials breathe, removing condensate from the vines.

About the timing and time of shelter. Yes, in principle, it doesn’t matter when, the main thing is that the cold does not hit more than 15 degrees on uncovered shrubs for European subspecies of grapes and 20 for modern hybrids. Due to lack of time, I always manage to cover in early December.

About to hide or not to hide. There is nothing to think about - to cover by all means. Even in the last comparatively mild winter, the uncovered shrub of Plevna (Augustina) froze out at my neighbor. However, the smallest t was -24. And Pleven type -25 holds. Well, I'm talking about the normal subspecies of grapes, Isabella and Lydia may naturally not be covered.

In order for the grapes to survive the cold, you need to take care of it. Experienced gardeners Those who grow grapes know that there are varieties that can easily overwinter, and some that need to be covered.

Shelter of grapes for the winter is necessary when the temperature reaches -21 degrees. Then even the most frost-resistant varieties need warming. Some species tolerate temperatures down to -16 well, and you can not cover them.

Sheltering the vines in advance, even before the onset of frost, will help to save the daily work of long growing and ensure a good harvest next year.

Some parts of the plant are more resistant to frost, for example, thick trunks and roots, but thin branches do not tolerate low temperatures well, and if they are poorly covered, there is a risk of losing fruitfulness and freezing the buds.

To prepare the grapes for shelter for the winter, you need to start warming in September. Particular attention should be paid to shoots growing the first year. It is necessary to properly prepare them for warming: stop watering when the berries ripen on them, and do not use nitrogenous fertilizers. To get started you need cut small branches after harvest. Those shoots that have not matured during the season must be cut off completely.

Around the middle of September start active watering especially for light soils. Dry land in winter freezes much stronger and faster. To saturate the ground well for winter, you need to calculate watering.

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It should be at least 15–20 buckets of water per plant bush. The result will be a greenhouse effect in winter - water from the ground will rise and evaporate, warming sheltered plants.

Some seasoned gardeners give this advice: leave the grapes uncovered in the first frosts, so that " harden off young shoots, and then proceed to the very shelter of the plant. But at the same time, the temperature in the region during the first frosts should not fall below 6 degrees.

Right before warming the shrub, you need to collect all the vines that remain after pruning, and tie them into small bundles. Branches should be bent to the ground and laid horizontally to the ground. So that the kidneys do not mold and do not rot, it is better to lay them on wood flooring and not on bare ground.

Ways to shelter for the winter

To warm the grapes for the winter, you can cover it with earth. This method is the simplest and most inexpensive and does not require much experience in plant breeding.

It is necessary to dig trenches in the ground next to the bushes and lay them in wood flooring for branches. Tied vines are neatly folded in them.

Grapes from above covered with boards or plywood, and then - an earthen embankment about 30 centimeters high. Do not make the mound too high, otherwise the grapes will start to rot and the buds will die.

It is necessary to pay attention to the height of the embankment after rains and thaws. Due to water currents, it can decrease, so you need to add it regularly.

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wooden flooring

Sheltering grapes for the winter with wooden flooring is a more labor-intensive method than the previous one, but the prepared wooden flooring will serve more than one season.

You need to build in advance from wooden boards special shields about 100*25 cm in size. To them you need to attach loops of rope or wire.

Before sheltering under the plants, you need to lay a wooden flooring, and vines should already be laid on it. Thus, grapes are isolated from the earth and protected from evil. Then it is necessary cover the branches with wood panels.

They should either overlap, or you need to additionally put wooden planks on top of the joints. This option for sheltering grapes is more suitable for small household plots because of its laboriousness.

Slate for protection

This method has also proven its effectiveness for a long time. Before covering the grapes with slate, you need treat it with lime so that he does not prel.

In general, lime treatment is necessary step regardless of the covering method chosen for the site.

Vines collected in bunches, additionally wrapped in cloth or bag, and then fit into a hole dug near the bush. Outside the pit, wire arches are constructed, onto which slate sheets are folded. Thus, a kind of box with thermal insulation is obtained.

With film

To close the grapes for the winter with a film, you must perform the following steps:

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This method of sheltering grapes is suitable for regions with mild winters and relatively small temperature fluctuations. In the northern regions of Russia, this method is not recommended.

Wooden box

Each grower has his own secret about how to effectively cover the grapes for the winter. From this process will depend on how plentiful and rich the harvest will be. All varieties of this plant need their own climate. Some species feel comfortable growing in a subtropical climate, others are suitable for a temperate climate, and others are pleasing. bountiful harvest in the tropics.

There are those varieties that will grow exclusively in mild climates. Those that can withstand the most severe frosts have also been bred.

Gradation of varieties

Frost hardiness is how well grapes can survive cold temperatures. With regard to winter hardiness, this is the ability of varieties to counteract natural phenomena characteristic of the winter period.

About varieties with a high degree of frost resistance:

• Grapes belonging to highly resistant varieties. Will withstand bad weather, even when it's cold, and the thermometer drops to -25 and -28 degrees. These varieties retain the viability of eyes up to 80%, and even up to 100%.
  Those types of varieties that are resistant to low temperatures, and can withstand cold temperatures from -23 to -27 degrees. From 60 to 80% of the eyes are preserved.
• The group, which is classified as moderately resistant, is the most numerous. Grapes tolerate winter temperatures well, when the thermometer drops to -18 to -21 degrees. The percentage of safety of the eyes is from 40 to 60.
• Weakly resistant grape varieties endure temperatures from -13 to -17 degrees. Unfortunately, for the entire winter period, they lose all their eyes, 100%.
• Certain varieties that die at -10 degrees.

This is an approximate division according to frost resistance. There are grape varieties that can be included in 2 categories at once. At different parts grape bush - its sensitivity to low temperatures.

For example, old wood has every chance to withstand harsh frosts. But the young one doesn't. The main buds are the part of the plants that is most vulnerable to the negative effects of cold weather. The dormant parts are those parts that endure cold temperatures best. Grapevine - less sensitive to frost than root system.

If the grapes grow in an area where temperatures can reach -21 degrees (and below) during the winter season, the grower must definitely cover the grapes for the winter. This applies to any variety. In the event that the cold is in the temperature range from -16 to -20 degrees, it is not necessary to cover varieties that belong to frost-resistant ones.

As practice shows, if grapes are planted next to the wall of the house, they do not suffer so much from wind and precipitation. Than one that grows in the open area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe site. Probably, if a grape variety is resistant to frost, but grows in an open area, it is better to cover it anyway.

Time and date of winter shelter of grapes

Vine growers are unanimous in their opinion on how to equip winter shelter for grapes. But, as for the timing, here their opinions become completely different. Some growers are convinced that at the slightest hint of a drop in temperature, they should immediately cover the vineyard.

Growers of both the first and second categories give their reasonable arguments regarding what should be the timing of sheltering grapes.

1. You can study the ampelography of the variety. The maximum minus temperature will be indicated there. Therefore, if the buds and vines are in good condition, they will withstand frost. Most of the varieties that are the most tender can withstand -14 degrees in winter.
2. The occurrence of the first natural frosts is the stimulation of vital processes occurring in the vine in order to increase winter hardiness. This process is called "hardening the vine".
3. When the shoots are not ripe enough: there were diseases, the harvest was plentiful, the bush is young or weak - even at low sub-zero temperatures, this grape will be damaged.

As a result, we can conclude:

If the vines of grapes are healthy, perfectly ripened on grape bushes that have abundantly given fruit, you can not cover them. Wait until sub-zero stable temperatures come. It is necessary to "harden" the grapes when the first "hints" of pestilence appeared, in the form of the first frosts. This will help increase their overall frost resistance.

For example, in the Republic of Belarus, this time corresponds to the last days of November.

seedlings, annual plants, weak and poorly ripened grape bushes should be covered before the first frosts come into force. As a rule, light covering material is used, 3 layers of SUF 40 spunbond. Then, as for other bushes, a laminate is laid using a substrate.

What mistakes do beginners make when sheltering grapes for the winter

Shelter preparation

Vine bushes need to be prepared for shelter. If this is not done, the vine and root system may suffer from rodents. In addition, if the whips are not covered according to the rules, the appearance of mold and other fungal diseases is not excluded, the eyes may die, etc.

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To properly prepare the grapes for the coming winter, perform the following list of activities:

• If the autumn is dry, the owner of the site should water the grape bushes well.
• Usually, in September, bushes are fed with fertilizers containing potassium and phosphorus.
• As soon as the leaves have fallen, sanitary pruning of shoots that have not matured is carried out. They are easily distinguished by their green or greenish tint. During the winter months, shoots that are not ripe always freeze.
• Form a load. For this, an additional 2 or 3 buds are left in order to control in the spring.
• It is necessary to process the grapes, using, for this, a solution of 3% blue vitriol(or iron). You can use other drugs to control pests and diseases.
• Prepare for shelter part of the bushes above the ground. The wire is removed, the branches are tied, in the form of loose bundles.
• If the technology provides, trenches are prepared to lay grape shoots for shelter.
• Take care of the acquisition of covering material.

Video: how to cut grapes before shelter for the winter

Shelter methods and types of materials

Specialists, today, have developed a large number of various methods of sheltering grapes. They are distinguished, depending on the type of material used, and on the technology used, according to which the procedure is carried out.

Depending on the type of material, the following methods are used:

• Cover grape bushes with snow cover.
• Use soil.
• Sawdust is used. Some experts and growers believe that sawdust, as an independent means of shelter, does not good result. They are convinced that sawdust should be used when the combined method is applied. Then they will be one of its elements.
• Bushes are covered with straw.
• Cover with spruce branches (these are branches of pine, spruce, etc.).
• Shelter is carried out using polyethylene.
• Use of agrofibre (industrial material).
• Shelter in a combined way(when 3-5 types of materials are used). By the way, this is one of the most popular and effective methods.

The soil is the most accessible, simple and cheap material used to shelter vines. The layer of soil to be covered may vary. It will depend on what kind of grapes, on climatic features. Its thickness can vary from 5 to 50 cm. Usually, growers take the soil between the rows.

Carefully observe, at the same time, so that, when moving the soil, the roots are not exposed.

This method has a major drawback: there is too much risk that the plant will start to rot if there is a thaw or high humidity.

The film is used by many site owners, as it can be bought at any store. This material is inexpensive and easy to use. So, it has a lot of "pluses". But you can’t do without disadvantages:

1. as soon as sections of the grape bush come into contact with the film, in winter, they can be seriously damaged;
2. if a thaw occurs, there is a great risk that the greenhouse effect cannot be avoided. This means that vital processes in the vineyard are activated. As a result, the process of decay will begin, the grapes will become susceptible to frost.

To reduce the negative qualities of the film, you need to buy it: color, reflective, dark.

The technology of sheltering grapes for the winter is carried out in 2 ways:

• application of the wet method
  dry.

What is the wet method? It means the use of: soil, snow, spruce branches, hay, etc. The main thing is that moisture has free access to grape bushes.

The dry method is when the grower is busy preparing special fixtures. These include: shields, reinforced trenches, multilayer tunnels made of agrofiber or film. With their help, it is possible to create protected conditions. Reusable protection tools are possible.

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There are three types of protection:

1. The first is hilling.
2. The second is a half-open cover.
3. Third - complete shelter of vine bushes at 100%

If the bushes are young, then hilling is exactly the way that is suitable for them. In the southern regions, it is also advisable to use this method of shelter, since in winter there are rarely strong sub-zero temperatures. Protection of grapes from frost consists in creating a soil mound with a height of 30 to 40 cm around the bush. Depending on the size of the bush, this will be the height of the mound.

Open buds - from the negative effects of frost, are not protected if hilling is used. The grower should apply this method only in certain climatic conditions, and in a suitable region.

South and regions with warm winters- those places where it is advisable to use half-open shelter. Shtambu ( lower part bushes) cover with soil. top grapes are covered with film, fabric, spruce, hay and other materials. This method also involves the use of agrofibre. The "upper" shelter should have a thickness of 5 cm, no more.

Most often, site owners completely cover the grapes. In those regions where winters are very severe, this method is especially relevant. The process involves the removal of shoots from the trellis.

After that, foliage and other organic formations that have already “served” during the season and are no longer needed are removed from them. Then the cutting is done. The shoots, which are thus prepared, are collected in a bunch and pressed against the soil.

Detailed shelter of the vine for the winter

Earlier, we talked about several options for protecting grape bushes from winter low temperatures. Now we need to consider one of the methods more carefully. How to create the best central regions Russia's air-dry shelter for a vineyard?

1. The vine is removed from the trellis.
2. Thick branches of trees are laid across the ridges (spruce branches, timber, dry logs can be used).
3. Carefully remove the vine from the wire.
4. Cut ties with scissors. In the process of this, it is necessary to inspect each branch of the grapes, since after frost the ends of some shoots could freeze. They need to be cut off. All green and light green vines (unripe) are removed because they will die in winter. Only the stiffened part is subject to shelter. This is the whole trick: how to properly prune grapes before sheltering them for the winter.
5. Grape lashes must be pulled along the rows, from one bush to another, on the crossbars that are planted.
6. Lay cover material. To do this, use any kind of film. It's best if she dark color. There is no urgent need to install arcs, or something similar, if there is no alternative to them. You just need to put the material on the shoots.
7. After that, with the help of bricks, press down the edges of the film. It does not hurt to fall asleep with earth. If flooring is performed on arcs, they must be installed as often as possible. If the frosts are strong, it will be necessary to completely cover the grape shoots with earth. If the material for shelter will lie on the lashes themselves, it will be inconvenient to work.

In the end, about a few secrets: how to make sure that the grapes successfully overwinter? Most importantly: do not forget to pay attention to the root. If it freezes, the grape bush will die.

Vine is easier. If she dies, a new shoot can easily be grown from the bole. That is why it is advisable to pour as much as possible around the bush more land, sketch more mulch on top. The layer should be 5 cm, no less.

Covering material for grapes must be periodically lifted so that the bushes are ventilated. This is done so that the vine does not start to rot during the thaw.

Video of sheltering grapes for the winter with a film step by step

Only proper preparation will providevine a prosperous wintering. Autumn starts every year different time. At the same time and temperature regime it is difficult to predict, which means that every time you need to prepare for the onset of cold weather, assuming the worst option. You need to be prepared for unexpected early frosts, which are especially detrimental to unripe annual shoots. To do this, the process of care during the growing season is built in such a way that the entire annual growth of the vine meets the beginning of cold weather as a qualitatively mature one. This is facilitated by the cessation of watering the grape bush during the ripening of berries, the exception nitrogen fertilizers from the last dressings, thinning bushes and removing leaves after grape harvest by the end of autumn - defoliation, later shelter, in late October, early November.

The main factors affecting the successful overwintering of the vine:

• directly winter hardiness of the variety;
• weather and climate characteristics of the given region and the current year;
• how the bush was formed;
  
• crop load level;
• soil condition during the growing season;
• agricultural technology applied to grapes;
  
• way to shelter the vine for the winter.

Covering grapes with earth.

The simplest and ancient way shelters of the vine - directly to the ground, it is widely used by amateur vine growers, it is also used in industrial scale. The effectiveness of sheltering grapes will depend not only on the size of the earthen rampart and grooves in which the vines are laid, but also on the method of shelter, as well as on the moisture content of the soil used.

In winter, dry land cools to a greater extent and freezes to a greater depth than wet. As a result, in order to increase the heat capacity of the soil and reduce thermal conductivity, it is recommended to perform winter water recharge irrigation. In the case of a snowless winter, it is very useful to repeat the watering in the spring before releasing the vines in the same ditches.

Shelter with soil also has its disadvantages, experts in the field of viticulture believe that earthen winter protection reduces the frost resistance of the vine, while most favorable conditions for wintering a grape bush at a depth of a covering shaft of about 30–40 centimeters. Due to the high probability of freezing of the buds as a result of jumps in low temperatures, the thickness of the earth layer above the eyes of the sheltered lashes of grapes less than 15–20 centimeters is unacceptable, this is especially true for light sandy soils. It is also necessary to take into account the impact of rainfall that erodes the earthen rampart above the vine, and during the thaw period the soil settles, which does not contribute to protection from frost.

Excessively careful shelter of the vine, especially on black soil, can cause scorching and, as a result, the death of the bush's buds. Therefore, first of all, it is necessary to eliminate the contact of the sheltered vine with the bulk layer of the earth, for this purpose it is rational to lay fragments of slate over the tied lashes of the bush, plastic pipes, waste board or other similar material, which will be at hand, and only then cover with earth. As a result of such manipulations, an air layer is formed under the bulk soil layer, which is an exceptional thermal insulator that significantly expands the temperature range. negative impacts on the grape bush both in frost and during the thaw. It would be useful to cover the bulk shaft from above with any organic material to prevent blurring under the influence of rainfall, straw, or tops remaining from harvesting the garden, or other similar material will do.

Before covering the grape lashes, armed with a broom, it is advisable to lightly whitewash the vines; any lime can be used. This technique replaces the treatment with iron sulphate, prevents the formation of mold during wintering, eliminates the overheating of the vine, nullifies the defeat of spotted necrosis, and helps the grape bush to tolerate temperature fluctuations under cover more painlessly.

Shelter of grapes shields.

The technique of sheltering grapes with shields is quite simple, a wooden structure is made, consisting of two or three segments, shields measuring about one and a half meters long and 30–35 centimeters wide. Segments can be separate or fastened together door hinges. The planes of the surfaces of the shields are upholstered inside and outside with roofing felt or roofing material. As a result, we obtain a gable stationary shelter with air gap inside the structure, which will regularly protect the grape bush for more than one year. From both ends of the shelter, the holes are closed with roofing paper, additional wooden shields of the appropriate size are attached or simply sprinkled with soil.

The grape vine inside the shield shelter must also be treated with lime. It is advisable to lay the lashes not directly on the ground, but put something under them to exclude contact with the ground, any will do material, such as pieces of boards, branches left over from autumn pruning fruit trees or just normal plastic bottles from under the water. In case of severe frosts, it does not hurt to construct a shield structure, of course, to additionally cover it with some kind of heat-insulating material, but if a drop in temperature below 10-15 degrees is not expected, the shields themselves will be quite enough.

In order for the covering structure of the shields to last longer, as additional shelter, it is better to refrain from the earth. Old empty bags, pieces of tarpaulin are quite suitable, if there is a forest nearby - pine branches, the so-called spruce branches, even just straw will protect the vine with high quality.

The only drawback of sheltering grapes with shield structures is, of course, the laboriousness of their manufacture. They will be appropriate if you have several vine bushes on your farm, having made shelter structures from shields once, you can not worry about the safety of the vine for many winters. A similar method of shelter is very suitable for summer residents whose vine bushes are surrounded by a lawn and digging ditches for laying lashes is impossible. Without a doubt, this way sheltering grapes for owners of large vineyards will be problematic, on the other hand, sheltering in the old fashioned way with earth involves a lot of labor and, probably, one should think about what would be more rational.

Shelter of grapes with slate or plastic grooves.

As the name implies, the method is also elementary, with the exception of some nuances. The lashes of grapes divided into two sides are tied into the so-called fascinators, peculiar bundles, using old bags or something similar as wrapping material. We put the grapes in pre-dug grooves about 20 centimeters deep and pin them with wire staples directly to the ground, without any bedding. We preliminarily process the vines with lime in the manner described earlier. On top of the bundles of vines, we impose plastic or slate grooves end-to-end or with overlap, while the resulting minor gaps do not play a role. Then we cover the grooves with a layer of soil, while inside, a thermally insulating air layer is again formed.

Terms of shelter and release of grapes from shelter.

For a certain region, own terms, for example, climatic conditions Rostov region, assume the shelter of grapes at the end of October, the deadline is November 5, in the southern regions - the 10th of the same month. It is, of course, safer to cover the grapes before the specified period, but it is undesirable, since the bush will not receive enough nutrients, the outflow of which is still ongoing until the specified time. Vine growers consider it ideal to cover the grape bush immediately after leaf fall.

It is also necessary to release the bushes from under the shelter after wintering carefully, on the one hand, it is undesirable to rush ahead of the deadline for this region, due to the possibility of unexpected spring frosts. With reverse side late opening of the grape bush with the beginning of sap flow, with sufficient warming of the earth, threatens to open buds under cover. This factor is especially characteristic for chernozem soils, which warm up earlier than light soils. The hatched etiolated sprouts of the buds are very tender and brittle, it will not be possible to free the vine from shelter when they are swollen, without loss, some of the eyes will be damaged when the bush opens, many will die, falling immediately into daylight, and as a result, a significant part of the crop will be lost.

A mandatory event in the spring, which also delays the opening of grape buds for several days, spraying the vines with a solution of iron sulfate, at the rate of 400 grams per bucket of water. They spray the vine immediately, only freeing it from under cover and shaking off the adhering earth, tying it to the trellis.

If, nevertheless, the opening period of the grape bush was missed and part of the etiolated buds was lost, there is no need to despair, after 8–12 days new shoots will develop from the replacement and sleeping buds, but they are fruitful, only in some varieties. On barren shoots, early deep pinching of the tops, by 6–8 centimeters, can cause early stepchildren, which on many varieties will give additional small clusters, thereby reanimating the grape bush, returning the crop. Pinching can be done only when a barren shoot releases a formed tendril. I’ll warn you right away that additional clusters awakened by pinching will be able to ripen only in the southern regions, since time has still been lost significantly.

How not to cover grapes for the winter.

With a large formation of a bush, for example, the so-called Don bowl, not wanting to stretch the vine when sheltering for the winter in full length, some growers fold it in a ring. Indeed, it is theoretically easier to cover a vine in this way, an old car tire is enough. But as practice shows, this method of winter shelter is the worst thing you can think of to undermine the health of a grape bush.

When twisted into a ring, grape vines and annual vines receive numerous cracks and mechanical damage, not to mention the deplorable state of the eyes, most of which will be irretrievably lost by spring. To expect a decent harvest from such injured grape bushes would be, to put it mildly, strange. The tormented sleeves of such grape bushes, almost without exception, are subject to the disease of spotted necrosis and, accordingly, become unusable several times faster.

It is necessary to make it a rule that grape lashes for sheltering for the winter must be laid in length, on two opposite sides, and take this into account directly when forming a bush, letting the vine grow in the right direction.

As you know, grape buds begin to freeze at temperatures from minus 16 to minus 22 degrees Celsius, depending on the variety. Grape roots are more sensitive to cold and freeze at -5…-7 °C. middle lane More than 50 varieties of grapes are successfully grown in Russia, the middle Volga region, the Urals and Siberia, but almost all of these varieties must be covered for the winter. Cover the grapes different ways, but after the aerial parts of the grapes covered with pine spruce branches almost all froze out, when the frost without snow in November was minus 25 degrees, I began to cover the surviving and young grapes more strongly.

The main problems are created not so much by the frost itself as by the frosty wind. It seems to “dry out” the kidney, so any shelter should protect from the frosty wind. The second negative factor is humidity. If the vine lies on the ground, then the problem is excessive wetting of the vine, at the beginning of winter, or at the beginning of spring. Well, vyprevanie eyes, if there is no ventilation. That is, the vine from below should not lie on bare ground, and moisture should not flow from above. By itself, any covering material that meets these requirements is already suitable for shelter.

Basically, it is widely believed that everything needs to be covered with spruce paws. But although this is a good material for shelter, it is still not available to everyone, especially in large quantities. Therefore, there are many things that are easier to get and easier to use. For example: ordinary packaging cardboard, which is not a problem to get, and plastic film, preferably opaque, of course, or roofing material. After pruning, we tilt the vines to the ground (I pulled a wire at the bottom of many trellises at a distance of 15-20 cm from the ground, and tie the vines to it), you can put the same spruce paws under the vines, or the same roofing material. Then cover with cardboard on top, and a film on the cardboard. If the winters are very cold in your area, you can use a couple of layers of cardboard.

Also, as a covering material, you can use foamed polyethylene (substrate for laminate), or straw and roofing material. In this case, it is better to use last year's straw, so that mice do not get into the shelter. In Poland, foam sheets are used, in more northern regions they use wooden boxes that cover the vine.

In general, the main requirement for shelter is waterproofness, ventilation, and protection from the wind. Yes, one more thing - a transparent film is not used without anything, there must be some kind of opaque shelter under it, otherwise we will get a greenhouse effect under the first rays of the sun. And do not forget to leave vents at the ends of the shelter.

Significant temperature fluctuations in autumn and winter, which are typical for the Moscow region, Volgograd, the Volga region and the Urals, annually destroy a large number of vines. Especially Negative influence negative temperature has on young and annual seedlings. To avoid such disastrous results, the grapes for the winter need not only to be covered, but to do it right.

So when is it not necessary to start sheltering grapes for the winter? It is known that with a relative rest of its above-ground part, grapes without shelter can tolerate a decrease in air temperature to -15. In the event of a further drop in temperature, the plant's eyes die. At this temperature environment in four days, up to 70% of all eyes can die, and at an air temperature of 20 ° C or more, all eyes die (both on an annual seedling and on an adult bush).

But the root system of grapes cannot boast even such frost resistance. Lowering the temperature to -6 degrees Celsius damages the fibrous part of the root system. Damage to the roots is more serious, since the frostbitten ground part can still recover in spring and summer, then frostbite of the root system almost always entails the death of the entire grape bush.

This information is correct, to a greater extent for covering grapes, although they are, in general, reliable for other varieties.

In areas where in winter the air temperature does not drop below -16 degrees, grapes (even covering varieties) can not be covered. And if the temperature drops below -20 ° C - you need to cover only non-frost-resistant varieties.

Knowing the temperature regime that is typical for winter in your area, you will be able to cover the right vines without doing unnecessary and unnecessary work.

In the risky horticulture zone, we cover all grape varieties, even the most frost-resistant ones, with a standard air-dry shelter. The purpose of this shelter is to create an optimal mode of heat and dryness for grapes, to exclude freezing and damping. Then a harsh or changeable winter will not prevent the vine from waking up safely in the spring.

Preparing grapes for winter. In autumn, the grower must do everything possible so that the vine on the grape bushes ripens well, in particular, this is facilitated by spraying the bush with potassium monophosphate (15 g per 10 liters of water). For hardening grape bushes, you can use this interesting way used by experienced growers. It is necessary to break through the soil with a sharp blow of an ordinary metal scrap about 10-15 cm from the head of the bush and break the integrity of the near-surface roots of the bush. This will start the hardening process of the plant and speed up the maturation of the vine.

By the beginning of October, you need to remove the last bunches of grapes and carry out the mandatory winter watering.

But do not rush to cover an adult vine, it is not afraid of the first frosts, they will only affect green leaves and shoots, and harden the woody vine.

After the first hard frosts and natural leaf fall, remove the vine from the trellis and prune. If leaf fall has not occurred by this time, then carefully, without touching the eyes, remove the leaves from the vine. Remove all weak and fruitful shoots this year, as well as all the green unripened part of the shoots. When pruning by the most common method of fan formation in the North, one of the strongest idle shoots is left on each sleeve, located closer to the head of the bush, shortening it to a length corresponding to the recommendations for a particular variety, on average - by 6–8 eyes. For insurance, you can leave an additional replacement knot for every two vines, cut into 2-3 eyes.

Then loosely tie the vine into bunches (fascines) and gently press them down, connecting the bushes in pairs towards each other about 10–20 cm above the ground. Place prepared boards or dry spruce branches under the vine in advance.

The sheltered vine itself must also be dry. These operations are necessarily carried out at a positive temperature so that the fragile vine does not break. Already in a cut and bound state, it is advisable to spray the bushes with iron sulfate at a concentration of 3–5% (300–500 g per 10 liters of water), for “youth” use a lower concentration. inkstone(iron sulphate) - the simplest fungicide used in the fall to protect vines and eyes from mold in winter and to eradicate pathogens of certain diseases from the surface of the vine.

What do you need for an air-dry shelter?
Strong welded mesh 1–1.5 m wide (depending on the depth of the trench). We cut the mesh into easy-to-use one and a half meter fragments and bend it with the letter “P” with a crossbar along the width of the trench and “legs” of 30-40 cm so that the “letter” almost does not rise above the trench and in winter the snow does not fall off it.

Non-woven covering material (spunbond 60 or agrospun 60), which can be folded in half in areas with severe frosts. This material provides a dry state of air in the shelter. External humid air does not penetrate into the shelter, because the air temperature and pressure inside the shelter is higher than outside. In frosty weather, this difference is especially large.

Thick durable polyethylene film. We advise winegrowers to buy such materials in rolls for long-term use, it will not be very expensive. Tunnel shelters from these three components are mounted quite quickly. Instead of a non-woven covering material, you can use straw or reed mats, instead of a film - slate, roofing felt or roofing material. The ends of the tunnels are left open until constant negative temperatures are established. With the onset of constant frost, we close the ends - not tightly and with a bend of the covering material inward.

Do not forget to also put pieces of burnt felt or rags soaked in used engine oil in each tunnel to repel rodents.

Shelter of grapes. On a dry, clear day around the end of October - beginning of November, proceed to cover the grapes. By this time, the first frosts with a temperature of -5 ... -7 ° С usually already pass, but constant negative temperatures have not yet been established. It is necessary to cover the grapes not only under the vine, but, if possible, the entire zone of the horizontal projection of the root system, otherwise the roots may suffer in a snowy winter.