How to tie grapes?
Grapes are considered one of the most common fruit plants in the world. Popular varieties can be found not only in the southern regions of Russia, but also in the west, north and central regions of the country. Each variety has its own characteristics, which must be taken into account when growing.
Despite the differences in agricultural techniques, some of its components remain the same, such as the pouring ribbon of the vine. Heat-loving fruit plants in natural conditions grow quickly, so they cannot do without pouring tape. Special supports are used for the work, they must be strong and reliable enough to cope with powerful shoots and withstand rapid atmospheric precipitation.
The need for the procedure
According to experienced gardeners, pansies are mandatory, despite the place where the bushes grow: in the dacha or in large commercial vineyards.
This procedure performs several functions at once:
Manipulation is carried out to ensure that the vine does not curl plants, buildings and other objects growing nearby.
The association helps to harvest quickly and easily;
The berries receive enough sunlight for full ripening and sweetness.
Maintenance is simplified, particularly the trimming of broken and deformed discs;
Properly created tight ribbon with the beginning of spring allows the vine not to stretch out and maintain the desired shape and length; The records grow the same size, so you can shape the plants to improve decorative qualities.
Grapes grow comfortably and the branches won’t crowd each other;
The strapping of the vines ensures full ventilation and oxygen exchange, which is necessary to prevent the emergence and development of fungus.
A thickened and well-maintained crown is often home to dangerous insects that will attack the plant and eat the fruit.
A well-maintained plant looks attractive and neat. Grapes are often planted not only to collect juicy and sweet berries, but also to decorate the yard area, as well as to create a hedge or archway. In order to get all the benefits of a prickly ribbon fruit crop, timely work must be done.
Activities
Optimal timing has been established to carry out the work. Grasscutting plants in early spring to many inexperienced gardeners seems to be a costly and difficult process. However, if you choose the right scheme of work, the care of grapes will not be difficult. Various methods of grafting have been developed, each of which is carried out taking into account the time of development of the system.
Early spring is carried out in the early spring greens. It is necessary to have time to perform this work before the process of sap movement begins. The buds on the branches must remain closed, otherwise they can suffer during the wilting, which will adversely affect the fruit and the quality of the harvest.
To make the bunches grow upwards, the branches are fixed at an acute angle (45 to 60 degrees) or horizontally. Such fixation affects not only the size of the bunches, but also the taste of the fruits. The berries become juicy, sweet and fragrant.
If the variety is characterized by a high pistil or long sleeves, the shoots lie down at an angle of 90 degrees.
As the vine grows and pulls out, it must be sporulated again. The procedure can be carried out only before flowering and the formation of ovaries. Otherwise, there is still a risk of damage to the fruit brushes. At least 4 gartering procedures are carried out per season.
And in summer, green gartering is also carried out to create comfortable conditions for the plants and protect them from bad weather and precipitation.
Choice of material
In order to properly girdle grapes without leading the plant inside, it is necessary to prepare not only supports, but also a suitable undergrowth material. To attach the branches to the structures, it is advisable to use soft textile, cut into small strips. Thick wire or twine will also do. Thin steel wire or fishing line will damage the shoots, so it will have to be abandoned.
If you choose unsuitable rootstock, you can easily injure the plant. In addition, the sap flow will be disrupted, causing the branch to lose its nutrients and wither.
When fixing, you should not tighten the fabric sharply, it should be a little loose so as not to squeeze the shoots as they grow. Tight support has a place only when performing green garter, as young shoots develop slowly and can break from strong winds. A rigid connection protects them from possible damage.
The main elements of the vine, laid in the ground strictly vertically, can be made of metal or a suitable type of wood.
NOTE: galvanized metal wire is usually used. It is suitable for horizontal rungs. For the tiers to support the weight of the vines, the wire should be about 2 millimeters thick.
The best wood species for making wooden pencils are mulberry, alder, oak and poplar. This is a sturdy wood that is highly resistant to the rotting process. Because of this feature, such coasters last longer than others.
Gartering methods
There are two main methods of gartering grapes – dry and green, each of which has certain features. For the fruit crop, both the first and the second options are used.
Dry
This option of tying is chosen when working with shortened, already strong and thickened vines. In this case, the branches should be tied to the lowest tiers of the trellis. If the load on the lower part of the support is too high, additional higher tiers are used. The main mass is laid horizontally, and what is necessary for the future trunk is attached vertically.
Gartering is combined with pruning and getting rid of old, broken and frozen shoots.
Green
Green tying is started only after the young and still fragile vine grows to 0.5 meter. The main purpose of the work is to protect the delicate shoots from entanglements and the vagaries of the weather, including strong and gusty winds. When choosing this method of fixing, the shoots are attached strictly vertically. The entire mass of plants is distributed in such a way that a maximum of 3 branches are gathered in a knot.
If the above requirements are not met, problems arise that adversely affect the quality and volume of the crop. When tying, the first thing to determine is the material to be used. First it is wrapped around the support, and only then begin to fasten the vine.
This way of fastening protects the vine from crushing and other excessive damage. In addition, proper tight tape protects the plant from burns that can be caused by overheating the metal wire.
The possibility of such damage increases significantly in the hot season.
With subject formation
To beautifully shape the fruit plant, use fan tights. The method of remontant grapes in the form of a fan is actively used by ordinary gardeners and experienced gardeners. This method is widespread in different regions of the country. This option of formation is ideal for varieties, which with the beginning of winter are placed in trenches and covered.
When choosing this sleeve technology, which is formed from the base, they grow at the same rate on different pages. All last year’s shoots are attached in a strictly horizontal position. The young vine is carefully built up and vertically defined. As a result, an attractive bush with a fan arrangement of branches is maintained. Such a plant becomes an expressive decoration of the garden or country site.
How to consider the age?
When making grape rootstocks, not only the season and period of development of the system is taken into account, but also its age.
Young
The rootstock is attached to small wooden supports in the first year of life. If necessary, a compact grid of netting can be placed on the plots. It should be strong and thick enough. Soft and dense material that does not harm the tender and not yet acclimatized vine is used for attachment.
It is also possible to opt for a network with large cells. In this case, it must be screwed into a wooden or metal support. The direction in the process of growth and rearing will be eliminated by the flexible branches independently of each other.
Adult
If you are caring for adult shrubs, you need to pay special attention to the trumpets and do the job properly to end up with a tasty and rich harvest. Long and massive sleeves are attached to a sturdy and stable lattice and placed at an acute angle. The lower rung is used to attach the replacement nodes.
These shoots, which bear fruit in the current season, are carefully braided around a thick wire. Soft, sturdy strips of fabric are suitable for the fasteners. Cord is also suitable for binding with a built-in trellis.
The main difference between tying adult fruit plants and young shrubs is the arrangement of the sleeves at a 90-degree angle. Each action must be carried out very carefully. Even the slightest injury can lead to the death of the fragile vine.
Possible mistakes
The following basic rules should be kept in mind when performing fixing:
New branches are defined around level 3 or 4;
Young vines are fixed in the second row and placed at a slight angle.
The last levels are for skeletal branches.
These rules are widespread and universal, while the workflow may vary, given the characteristics of the variety and other parameters.
In Garting ‘Eight’ grapes, shoots are attached separately, not in groups. The vine that forms the harvest is fixed horizontally, and the shoots are angled.
When tying grapes, many gardeners, especially those who do not have the necessary experience in caring for the fruit plant, often make mistakes. Some find this procedure difficult to perform and refuse to do it completely for fear of damaging the grapes. However, all it takes is a few times of doing it correctly to see how easy the process is.
One of the most common mistakes is using unsuitable tight straps and bandages, which often leads to the death of the vine. If it is not possible to prepare the necessary material, it can be purchased in specialized stores. There is a wide range of clamps, hooks, wire and other staples.
To assemble the structure, some dacha owners use a furniture booklet or a glue gun. The support structure should also be reliable and stable when growing low-growing varieties.
The next common mistake is improper placement of the vine. Beginners often tie the shoots strictly vertically. This leads to weighty brushes. Another violation is fixing the vine through the top. After some time, the shoots begin to grow in different directions and thicken the crown. Wither all the internodes growing next to each other.
Strongly bend the vine is also not allowed. When fixing long shoots, many gardeners often form ovals or rings, which negatively affects the health and yield of grapes. Improper placement constricts the pathways by which micronutrients reach the discs. As a result, the plant begins to starve and can no longer form a rich and juicy crop.
Taking into account the above-mentioned violations, it is possible to achieve maximum productivity and collect a large number of tasty and useful berries every season. The above mistakes are made not only by beginners, but also by experienced gardeners, so familiarization with them is mandatory for everyone.
Detailed information about the methods of grape pruning you will find in the following video.
Pruning peculiarities of grape pruning in spring
In order for grapes to actively grow and develop, it is important to organize the appropriate conditions for it. Poor pruning of grapes in the spring is a necessary procedure. It affects the health and yield of the culture.
Pruning peculiarities of grape pruning in spring
Why to bandage grapes
Taping is a mandatory agricultural technique when growing grapes. It’s all about active growth, which can be observed in the culture in the spring. With the beginning of the outflow of sap, the vine stretches out. Afterwards it is covered with discs and leaves. Unmanaged plantations are poorly exposed to the sun and can suffer from pests and fungal diseases. This also affects yields. Properly placed plants on a trellis ensure good flower pollination.
Tying grapes in the spring is necessary for further cultivation of the crop. If this process is done correctly, subsequent maintenance activities are not a problem. The tied plant is suitable for watering, pruning, spraying, etc. Importantly, tying is also a good way to create a shady area near the house. This applies to a vineyard with a full bind-off.
Gartering methods
When building an arch or trellis, consider that the tensioned wire between the posts and supports should look like a trellis. You can also use a special trellis for growing plants. The vines should be properly positioned on the support, which will lead to good growth of the plantings and a large harvest in the future.
To garter grapes in the spring, it is important to consider the peculiarities of dry and green gartering. In the spring, old damaged vines are pruned. At the end, a dry garter is performed. This is done as follows:
- The branches are attached to the lower horizontal wire;
- Twigs next to the wire are tied to the net;
- Young branches that form in the future are also tied to the net.
The second method is twisted later, when the adult shoots grow to 30-35 cm. Without additional support, such bushes will not be reliably protected from gusts of wind, so it will be necessary to tie the branches vertically or at an angle. This method is useful for gardeners in the summer, because during this period the bushes need a reliable support more.
Gardeners consider the green method inconvenient, especially when growing shelter varieties. Vertical binding of the vine threatens the poor development of its central part. It can break when laying the bush for the winter. It is also important that with this supporting method, the lower buds develop poorly, which brings inconvenience in the organization of spring pruning.
Reference technique
The reference technique has many functions. Therefore, it is important to make sure that the vine is not squeezed by the wire or other materials for the rootstock. It is important to avoid slippage, so it is recommended to return the stem of the plant in a figure of eight or one loop.
The most effective is a professional device – the tapiner. Such a device resembles a stapler in many ways, but it is designed only for writing plants. Soft polyethylene is used to fix the vine. Such a device is effective when taking care of large vineyards. In order to properly tie grapes (in spring or summer) on small plantations, it is inexpedient to spend money on the purchase of a tapiner.
Recommendations for beginners
Create all the conditions for good cultivation
To organize the gartering of grapes in the spring, it is important to follow some recommendations. They are all related to improving the conditions of the crop.
- It is important that the construction of new buildings used materials that will not damage the plant during its growth.
- It is not recommended to use wire (except for the main vine). It is more expedient to use wet, thread and fabric tapes.
- The main shoots should be tied horizontally, and the annuals and biennials vertically. It is important to handle young plants carefully, so as not to accidentally pull the vine, they recover safely.
- Striped women’s tights or stockings have gained separate popularity among gardeners. Such material is flexible and durable, which is exactly what is required for the proper tying of plants.
In order not to make gardening mistakes in the first years of cultivation, other recommendations are important.
- For reliability and to prevent the plants from striking, they should be tied in a figure of eight (a string, cord or ribbon describes a figure of eight around the vine and wire).
- Use a garter cord and looping scissors. These tools not only make gardening easier, but also faster.
- They make sure that the vine does not bend at a great angle. A smooth small bend is allowed.
- It is not recommended to connect with internodes located at their end.
For young bushes, it is enough to dig small pegs and tie the plants to them with cloth or plastic tape. With mature plants, it is more complicated. You need a sturdy wire mesh between metal or wooden poles. A special netting may also be required.
With the recommendations, tying grapes in the spring will turn out without mistakes. The main thing is to monitor the growth of the plant and timely attach the grown shoots to the trellis.
How to make supports or a trellis
Even for a young plant, it is necessary to make a trellis or supports. You can make them yourself, using wooden staples. Already in the first year after planting the seedlings it is necessary:
- Prepare 2 beams of height 1,5-2 m;
- dig them into the ground on opposite sides of the bushes at a depth of 40-50 cm (the distance between the posts depends on the number of seedlings);
- Stretch the wire between the posts at a distance of 40 cm from the ground.
If necessary, the wire is stretched in rows at an equal distance from each other.
The larger the bush grows, the more important it is to provide a reliable support. Instead of a wooden bar, metal pipes or boxes can also be used. The resulting construction is more reliable, but it is necessary to make holes for the wire.
