Spring feeding of grapes: the best tips

Nutrients (macronutrients) can be considered as those that help the plant develop and grow. The lack of at least one element is dangerous for the development of a plant. Grapes are no exception and picky about enriching the soil with nutrients. That is why it is important for every gardener to know how and what to fertilize grapes in spring and which fertilizer is suitable for increasing the yield.

What nutrients do grapes need

Grapes need many nutrients. When planting, it is always recommended to bring a large amount of fertilizer into the pit. Thus, you do not need top dressing for the first three to four years, when the plant does not produce a crop yet.

But in the following years it will be necessary to fertilize the bush in autumn and spring. And for the full development of the grapes will definitely need the following macronutrients:

• Nitrogen. It affects the growth rate and the sweetness of the berries. The more nitrogen in the soil, the sweeter the berries will be.Also, nitrogen can be present in the soil in two forms: nitrate and ammonium. The first is washed out quickly and acts just as quickly. Nitrogen enters the nitrate form by oxidizing nitrifying bacteria. The second form lasts longer in the soil, therefore, has a longer effect on the plant. This is due to its interaction with clay particles of the soil. Which form is better for grapes depends on the pH of the soil, as well as its type (loamy or sandy). Affects the regularity of watering.
• Phosphorus. For grapes is not necessarily high phosphorus content in the soil, as for other crops. However, due to the level of this substance being too low, the grapes will stop growing up and will start to spread too wide, and the roots will begin to weaken. Therefore, it is important to regularly feed this element so that the metabolism, in which phosphorus acts as a binding element, is fully produced.
  Important! Violet spots on the leaves of grapes may indicate a lack of phosphorus.
  

• Potassium. This nutrient is required by grapes during the active growing season, because it affects photosynthesis and the quality of absorption of nitrogen compounds. The largest amount of potassium is found in young leaves and shoots.He is in clusters, but its content is insignificant. It is thanks to potassium that evaporation of water from the soil is reduced, and the grapes withstand drought. Potassium is slowly washed out of heavy soils. Its content in the soil should exceed the nitrogen content.
• Magnesium. Yellowing of the leaves can be a sign of low magnesium. It is this nutrient that helps in the production of chlorophyll - the green pigment of the leaves. Magnesium is also involved in the assimilation process. Magnesium should always be present in the composition of fertilizers, because it contributes to the formation of new shoots.
• Calcium. This element in grapes contains much less than potassium. In addition, calcium is largely found in old leaves, unlike potassium, which is predominant in young leaves of the plant. Due to the presence of calcium in light soils, acidification does not occur with excessive precipitation. Calcium affects the development of the root system.
  Did you know? Grapes and milk are very similar in content of nutrients.
  

• Sulfur.The presence of sulfur in the soil provides the plant with a complete protein metabolism. This substance is found in compounds with calcium and iron.It is sulfur that helps in the fight against powdery mildew and grape pruritus.

But apart from the nutrients without which the bush will die, you should not forget about useful trace elements (cobalt, sodium, aluminum, etc.).

Without them, the plant can develop, but if some trace elements are part of the soil, the nutrient deficiency is not terrible grapes. For example, if little potassium is present in the soil, then sodium can neutralize this problem.

Root dressing

Top dressing of grapes in the spring is made both mineral and organic fertilizers. Since in the spring this process takes place in two stages, alternation of fertilizers is possible, and the option of combining them is possible.

At the same time, adult bushes are paid less attention, preferring young ones who have recently begun to produce crops.

We will understand what you can feed the grapes under the root in spring.

Organic fertilizer

Organic matter is considered the most valuable fertilizer, since nitrogen, copper, iron, boron, sulfur and many other elements are simultaneously included in its composition.

This type includes:

• humus
• manure
• bird droppings
• humus
• compost.

All of them are derived from animal and plant waste, thanks to this they contain microorganisms that allow nutrients and beneficial trace elements to be absorbed in the soil.

So, in order to prepare organic manure based fertilizer, you will need:

• 1 part manure
• 3 parts of water.

Mix everything in the container and let it brew for a week.

To use the already prepared solution from the manure you need 10 liters of water. In this amount is added 1 liter of the solution and mix thoroughly. If you have ash, you can add it by mixing water and slurry. Just need 200 grams of ash.

The same method of preparation of fertilizers can be applied to other types of organic matter. The main condition is fermentation of produced fertilizer during the week. This process provides a high level of nitrogen.

Organic fertilizers - this is exactly what you need to feed the grapes in the spring after opening.They will help the bush recover after winter.

Mineral fertilizers

This type of fertilizer is divided into several subspecies: one-component, two-component and multi-component. The first two subtypes include potassium salt, nitrophosphate, superphosphate, ammonium phosphate, ammonium nitrate, sulfur, boron.

Among the multi-component emit "Mortar", "Kemira", "Akvarin". But mineral soils give the grapes only an additional feed and can not so comprehensively affect the condition of the soil as organic.

Therefore, it is recommended to combine two types of fertilizers. For example, 10-14 days prior to flowering, you can feed a mullein with the addition of granulated superphosphate and potassium-magnesium fertilizer. For this you will need:

• mullein solution (1 liter mullein per 10 liters of water);
• 25-30 g of superphosphate;
• 25-30 g of potassium-magnesium fertilizer.

But do not forget that superphosphate does not dissolve in water, so it must be applied separately to the soil. To do this, dig a small groove 15 cm from the center of the bush. The groove should be no more than 5 cm deep.

Having filled up superphosphate there, cover it and pour it with a small amount of water.Then add potash-magnesium fertilizer to the container with the solution of mullein. Having stirred, it is possible to pour out in pipes for watering of grapes.

If you do not have any, then dig a groove around the bush with a radius of 30 cm. Its depth should be at least 20 cm. After that, fill the fertilizer. When you have spent such dressing, the grapes must be poured another 10 liters of pure water.

But there are cases when mullein is not used. After all, it must be prepared in advance, and the final product itself has an unpleasant smell. In this case, the feeding of grapes in the spring before flowering can be produced by nitrogen fertilizer - urea. For this you will need:

• 80 g of urea;
• 10 liters of water;
• 40 g of superphosphate;
• 40 g of potassium-magnesium fertilizer.

Preparation begins with the addition of superphosphate to the soil - fertilizer is added to the dug groove and watered. Then in the tank in which there is 10 liters of pure water, add the right amount of urea and potassium-magnesium fertilizer.

The entire solution is poured into pipes for watering or a groove dug around the bush.

Foliar top dressing

Foliar nutrition is also performed at different stages. It is mandatory, because not all trace elements are fully absorbed by grape roots.

So, first foliar dressing held three days before flowering. For its preparation it is necessary to take 5 g of boric acid and 10 liters of water (this is based on one bush).

Second foliar top dressing held 10 days after the start of flowering. For it is possible to use phosphate fertilizers and the elimination of nitrogen.

Know the time frame for foliar feeding is not enough. It is necessary to understand the correctness of the introduction of various macro-and micronutrients. For example, zinc is poorly absorbed by the roots of grapes, so spraying zinc solution or its oxide will be more effective. But this applies only to sandy soils with a high pH. In other cases, additional zinc spraying is not required.

Useful tips

To properly feed the grapes in the spring, it is enough to follow the following tips.

• Be sure to spend the first feeding under the condition of good weather. This means that in the following days after it will not freeze.
• If you apply fertilizer through the leaves, then consider the temperature and lighting of the bush. The best conditions will be the temperature of + 18-22 ° C and the cloudy sky or in the evening when the temperature is lowered and direct sunlight does not fall on the leaves.
• It is necessary to spray the bottom of the sheet.
• Foliar nutrition should be not only in spring but also in summer. For example, the third is carried out 30–35 days after the beginning of flowering (20–25 days after the second) with phosphate preparations, and the fourth - with a phosphate-potassium composition two to three days before harvesting.
  You will probably be interested to read about which drugs to use for the vineyard.
• If your soil is sandy and has a high pH value, a foliar fertilizer with zinc solution will be needed. It can be held after the opening of the bush, before flowering.
• Organic and mineral fertilizers are best combined.
• Black earth must be fertilized every three years. Sandy and loamy soil is supplemented with mineral and organic compounds every two years.Sandy soil requires annual feeding.
• It is undesirable to conduct foliar feeding simultaneously with the use of drugs against diseases and pests. In some cases, increases the toxicity of these drugs.
• Remember that spring is the time of abundant enrichment of soil with nitrogen, and summer - with phosphorus.
• Before flowering possible combination of foliar and root dressing.

So, spring dressing of grapes is an important part of caring for the bush, as it helps the plant to recover after winter. When using fertilizers, stick to proportions.

Do not forget that each root dressing is accompanied by abundant irrigation of grapes, and the best time for its holding is dry and warm weather. Thus, the first root dressings are made 10-14 days before the beginning of flowering, and the second - 10-14 days after the start of flowering.

In these procedures, the same fertilizer compositions can be used. Extra root compositions are applied for the first time several days before flowering, and the second time - 10 days after flowering. Do not neglect fertilizers, which not only preserve the immunity of the plant, but also increase the yield.