Fertilizing grapes root and foliar - how and with what to fertilize?

If, when planting grape seedlings, fertilizers were immediately applied to the soil, in the next three to four years, fertilizing the grapes will not be required. Adult bushes, for good fruiting, need certain trace elements, which are not always enough even in fertile soil.

Pictured grapes

Grape plants thrive and thrive best in nutrient-rich soil. But over time, the content of useful trace elements in the earth is steadily falling, and without fertilization, the soil becomes depleted. In such conditions, the yield of grapes deteriorates noticeably, the bushes grow poorly, suffering from drought and frost.

It would seem that it is enough to feed the grape bushes several times a season. complex fertilizers and the plants will come back to life. However, in grapes, the need for different nutrients varies depending on the growing season. And if you want to succeed in viticulture, you should definitely figure out how certain microelements affect grapes, at what time they are especially needed for plants, and how they should be applied to the soil.

Video about proper fertilizing and fertilizing grapes

Nutrients needed by grapes:

Nitrogen. Responsible for the growth of green mass (leaves and shoots), therefore, the main part of nitrogen fertilizers is applied in the spring, at the very beginning of the grape growing season. In summer, the need for nitrogen decreases, but from August, nitrogen fertilizers become harmful to vines, as untimely rapid growth of greenery will prevent the ripening of wood. Contribute in the form of urea or ammonium nitrate.
Phosphorus. Most of all, the vineyard needs at the very beginning of flowering: thanks to phosphorus top dressing (superphosphate), inflorescences develop better, berries are tied and clusters ripen.
Potassium. Closer to autumn, it is very useful to feed the vineyard with potassium chloride, as it accelerates the ripening of vines and fruits, and also prepares plants well for winter.
Copper. Helps to increase frost and drought resistance of shoots, enhances their growth.
Bor. The introduction of boric acid into the soil helps to increase the sugar content of grapes and speed up their ripening. In addition, boron stimulates the germination of pollen.
Zinc. Thanks to this trace element, the yield of grapes increases markedly.

In the photo, phosphorus fertilizer

Calcium, magnesium, sulfur and iron are also useful for grapes, but usually these elements are found in sufficient quantities in the ground. Additionally, it is not necessary to feed the vineyard with them.

Grapes can be fed with one-component mineral fertilizers (ammonium nitrate, potassium salt, potassium chloride, superphosphate, etc.), fertilizers containing two or three elements (nitrophoska, ammophos), or complex (Kemira, Florovit, Mortar, Novofert, Aquarin).

But mineral fertilizers alone will not be enough: grapes need manure to fully utilize the incoming nutrients. The addition of manure improves the aeration and permeability of the soil, and also stimulates the development of microorganisms in the soil that grape roots need for the best absorption of trace elements. In addition, rotted manure provides the vineyard with nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and other beneficial substances.

Instead of manure, you can use compost as an effective and affordable remedy for any gardener. Food waste, haulm, grass clippings, sawdust, bird droppings and pet manure, wood ash, chopped branches and other organic waste are suitable for making compost. Ready-made compost is rich in useful substances no less than manure.

Photo of mineral fertilizers

Another valuable organic fertilizer is bird droppings. It also contains the most important elements for grapes in a highly digestible form. A week and a half before use, bird droppings are diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 4, and before direct application to the ground, an infusion is made, diluted with water another 10 times. One vine bush consumes half a liter of infusion.

Well, instead of potassium chloride, which can harm the vineyard due to the high content of chlorine, it is better to use ash. It will provide grape bushes with the intake of not only potassium, but also phosphorus. The most useful is the ash from.

To feed the root system of grapes, you should dig grooves about 40 cm deep around each bush at a distance of at least 50 cm from the trunk. Through such grooves, the main roots of plants absorb nutrients much more efficiently, especially if you combine fertilizing with watering the grapes.

In the photo, top dressing of grapes

When to Fertilize:

in the spring, before opening the bushes after wintering, superphosphate (20 g), ammonium nitrate (10 g) and potassium salt (5 g) are dissolved in 10 liters of water - this portion is enough to water one grape bush;
a couple of weeks before the grapes begin to bloom, they are fed with the same aqueous solution;
before the grapes ripen, the land in the vineyard is fertilized with superphosphate and potash fertilizers (nitrogen is not applied);
after harvesting, the grapes are fed with potash fertilizers to increase the winter hardiness of plants.

During spring feeding, slurry can be used instead of mineral fertilizers: 1 kg of solution is consumed per square meter of planting.

Once every three years in the autumn months, the vineyard should be fertilized with manure with the addition of ash, superphosphate and ammonium sulphate. Fertilizer is distributed over the surface of the earth, after which a deep digging is done. If, on a sandy soil type, it is worth fertilizing for digging in a year, then on sandy soil - annually.

Foliar top dressing of grapes for the best harvest

Through the leaves of grapes, useful substances dissolved in water are remarkably absorbed. Therefore, in addition to the usual root top dressing, it is also desirable to carry out foliar top dressing - on the leaves. This will help the plants develop better, bring maximum yield and tolerate winter frosts well.

Regardless of the fertilization of the root system, the grape foliage is sprayed for the first time with a solution of trace elements before the flowers appear to prevent their shedding and to increase the ovaries, the second time after flowering, and the third time when the grapes ripen. With the last two sprays, nitrogen fertilizers are excluded from the top dressing.

Video about fertilizing grapes

For foliar top dressing, you can use solutions of micro or macro fertilizers, which are easy to find on sale in a large assortment. An aqueous infusion of ash mixed with a fermented herbal infusion of herbs is also suitable.

Foliar spraying should be carried out on windless days in the morning or evening, or during the daytime in cloudy weather, so that the plants do not get burned under the sun, since the solution remains on the leaves in the form of small droplets. For the best absorption of trace elements, you can add 3 tbsp to the nutrient solution. Sahara.