To harvest the delicious grapes you are happy, the plant should be properly and time to feed. Types of feeding two grapes: root and foliar. If the root fertilizing of grapes is considered basic, the main, this does not mean that foliar is not needed at all. The fact is that this type of fertilizing allows you to immediately respond to the needs and condition of the bushes, as the effect of fertilization is noticeable immediately.
Foliar top dressing
It should be noted that foliar top dressing of grapes is most often carried out in the summer, while on the bushes there are leaves. This procedure allows to improve vine ripening, because macronutrients are absorbed by the leaves immediately after treatment. However, the amount of useful substances obtained through leaves is negligible, therefore, as a whole, foliar top dressings are ineffective.
The undeniable plus of this type of top dressing is that zinc, iron, manganese, necessary for the plant, almost immediately bind to the soil during root application, losing the ability to move, that is, they do not enter or enter the roots in insufficient quantities.
Excellent nutrition in the market such as iron chelate, manganese chelate and other preparations in the form of chelate.
Root feeding
As already mentioned, there is no better way to feed grapes than the root method. Fertilizers must be applied to the depth of the so-called root layer (30-40 centimeters). Do not forget that after fertilizing the grape with ashes, mullein, chicken droppings or special solutions of the plant, it is necessary to water abundantly! It is recommended to carry out a soil analysis in advance in order to avoid excessive mineralization of the soil.
Terms for introducing additional dressings
Of course, the timing of feeding grapes directly depend on climatic conditions, such as soil, plant variety. For medium latitudes of our country, you can carry out feeding by the following scheme.
- The first basic top dressing is at the beginning of spring, when the vine is in the stage of weeping. 15 grams of urea or ammonium nitrate, 10 grams of potassium sulfate, 20 grams of superphosphate (extract) and 5 grams of sodium are applied per square meter of soil. After that, the grape bushes are watered abundantly.
- Three weeks before flowering, they begin to use the second root top dressing, applying the same fertilizers, except for ammonium nitrate. Please note, during the procedure before blossoming, you will provoke shedding of the ovaries!
- Two days later, it is recommended to carry out foliar top dressing of grape with ashes and fertilizers, which promote pollination of the ovary (humisol, boric acid, potassium chloride, zinc sulphate in the form of aqueous solutions). To ensure that the fertilizer does not drain off the leaves, add a sticker (for example, glycerin) to the solutions.
- After flowering, you can spend a third feed of grapes to ensure the best growth of berries. Use solutions of zinc sulphate, manganese, cobalt in doses indicated on the packages of preparations.
- During the intensive growth of grape berries it makes sense once again to implement the summer feeding of grapes. Use the same drugs that are recommended for the second basic top dressing.
- For the winter bushes should be fertilized with superphosphates, potassium sulfate or kalimagnesia, combining top dressing with water-filling irrigation.
If you are not firmly sure which fertilizer and how much should be used for a particular grape variety, it is better to refrain from carrying out additional fertilizing. After all, the average harvest is better than its absence at all. Excessive amount of fertilizers can lead to the death of the bush.