Top dressing of grapes in spring: before flowering, for a large harvest, under the root

You can feed the grapes in the spring for good growth and subsequent abundant harvest. It is necessary to apply fertilizers at the right time and taking into account the real needs of the plant.

Why do we need to fertilize grapes after winter

In early spring, grapes especially need fertilizers, as they recuperate after the winter period. Timely feeding helps:

• ensure good flowering and ovary formation;
• strengthen vines that have weakened over the winter;
• improve the volume and quality of the future harvest.

Young grapes do not need top dressing for the first three years of life, provided that it was introduced during planting.

Timely application of top dressing increases the immunity of grapes and makes it more resistant to fungi

When to carry out spring feeding of grapes

Top dressing in the spring is usually applied three times. When choosing dates, they are guided by the climatic features of the region, but in general they adhere to the following scheme:

• the first top dressing is made at the end of March or the beginning of April, when the grapes have not yet come out of dormancy;
• the second time, fertilizers are added two weeks before the formation of inflorescences, around mid-May;
• the third time the grapes are fed in early June after the formation of the ovaries.

Proper fertilization helps to supply the plant with useful substances at the most important moments of the growing season.

Fertilization methods

Fertilizers for grapes in the spring are applied in two ways – by spraying and under the root. It is best to combine both methods, since when used separately, they do not give the full effect.

Foliar top dressing

Spraying of grapes is carried out as an addition to root dressings. Usually fertilizers containing potassium, zinc, phosphorus, calcium and boric acid are used. It is useful to add a little glycerin or sugar to the prepared mixtures.

When carrying out foliar top dressing in the spring, you need to follow a few rules:

• carry out the procedure early in the morning or in the evening, when the sun cannot leave burns on wet leaves;
• choose warm but dry days without precipitation that can quickly wash off fertilizer from the bushes.

Spraying in the spring is often combined with disease prevention. In this case, fungicidal agents are added to the fertilizer mixture. The first foliar top dressing is usually carried out two weeks before the start of flowering, so that the grapes have time to receive nutrients before the fruit is set.

Root top dressing of grapes in spring

Root top dressing of grapes in early spring is considered the most effective, because they allow you to quickly and fully deliver nutrients directly to the underground processes. Fertilizers are applied in two ways:

• in liquid form – minerals are pre-dissolved in water;
• in dry form – fertilizers are scattered over the site in the process of digging the soil, and then moisten the soil.

To apply liquid dressings in the spring, you can dig a shallow ditch up to 40-50 cm around the grape bush and pour nutrient solutions into it. Useful substances in this case will quickly get to the roots and be distributed as evenly as possible. Also, 50 cm from the base of the bush, you can dig a plastic pipe to a depth of about 40 cm and deliver top dressing to the soil through it.

How to fertilize grapes in the spring after opening

In spring, grapes need to be fed with the most important substances for the health of the crop. Usually several types of fertilizers are applied alternately or simultaneously in approximately equal amounts.

Nitrogen

The first feeding of grapes in the spring is carried out using nitrogen – it is responsible for the rapid development of the crop and for the growth of green mass. Fertilizers containing this substance are divided into two types:

• ammonium;
• nitrate.

The most popular is the first variety, which includes ammonium salts and urea. Saltpeter is also used for grapes in spring. It combines both ammonium and nitrate nitrogen. Since the substances of both groups in the fertilizer are optimally balanced, its use does not lead to the accumulation of harmful compounds in the fruits of the plant.

Nitrogen fertilizers are usually used in dry form and are not used for spraying in the form of a solution.

Potash

You can feed the grapes in the spring in the Moscow region and other regions with potassium. The substance strengthens the roots of the plant, increases its endurance and resistance to fungal diseases. Potassium is given special attention, since it is quickly washed out of the soil during irrigation and during precipitation. This substance is almost never present in the soil in sufficient quantities.

Of the mineral fertilizers for feeding grapes in spring, potassium chloride is the most popular, containing up to 60% of the desired element. The granules are dissolved in water and applied to the soil when watering in pure form or in combination with other useful components. You can also use potassium sulfate, it is well reflected in the sugar content of the fruit.

Potassium chloride when feeding grapes in the spring should not be mixed with urea

Phosphoric

Phosphorus is responsible for the formation of large and healthy fruits, prevents the development of fungi and makes the plant more resistant to pests. With this element, you can feed the grapes in the spring in May at the flowering stage before the formation of ovaries:

Usually the following substances are used as fertilizer:

• superphosphate – top dressing contains phosphoric acid, suitable for almost any soil, but requires mixing with lime on acidic soil;
• double superphosphate – the concentration of phosphorus in the fertilizer is twice as high as usual;
• precipitate – top dressing contains about 35% of the desired element, it is usually used on gray soils and acidic soils;
• fluorine-free phosphate – granules are used on chernozem, podzolic and soddy soils.

To feed grapes before flowering in central Our Country, superphosphate is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10 and each bush is watered with 500 ml of solution. The precipitate and defluorinated phosphate are usually used in dry form and scattered over the area in the process of loosening the soil.

When using double superphosphate in the spring, the fertilizer rate is halved and the proportion for a solution of 1:20 is taken.

Complex and complex

Complex and complex fertilizers are called fertilizers, which include at least two chemicals. These top dressings include:

• Nitrophoska – the substance contains nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus 16% each;
  
  

  Nitrofosk may contain additives of zinc, copper, cobalt and other substances

• Bischofite – liquid fertilizer is used for spraying, the solution contains magnesium, iodine, boron and other elements;
  
  

  To prepare foliar top dressing, 100 ml of Bischofite are diluted with 10 liters of water

• Azofoska – fertilizer includes nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium and is suitable for all types of soil.
  
  

  Azofoska can be purchased both in liquid and dry form.

• Agro-Nova – complex top dressing with mineral elements and bioadditives stimulates the growth of grapes in spring.
  
  

  For root dressing, 90 g of Agro-Nova is diluted in a bucket of water

The category of complex fertilizers also includes self-prepared mixtures of potash, phosphorus and nitrogen preparations.

Organic

You can feed the grapes in the spring not only with mineral mixtures, but also with organic matter. This group of fertilizers includes waste products of plants and animals, which decompose and form useful substances in the process.

The following types of dressings are most popular:

1. Compost. To prepare the fertilizer, you need to mix the fallen leaves, mowed grass and household organic waste with peat, earth and water. Top dressing is insisted for a long time, periodically moistening and mixing, and then scattered over the area with grapes. It is necessary to use in cooking only healthy plant residues that are not infected with fungi and pests.
   
   

   Compost infusion takes 1-2 years

2. Manure. Top dressing is usually cattle excrement, rich in nitrogen. To fertilize grapes in spring, manure is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10 and applied to the soil during irrigation.
   
   

   Manure can burn the root system of grapes, so it is not used in concentrated form.

3. Bird droppings. Top dressing is usually used in the form of a solution – a handful of dry fertilizer is poured into 5 liters of water and insisted in a warm place for a week. The finished product is once again diluted with liquid in a ratio of 1:10. For each bush, when top dressing in the spring, up to 500 ml of solution is consumed.
   
   

   Dry bird droppings can be scattered in the spring along the perimeter of the plot with grapes

Organic fertilizers for grapes are convenient because they contain a large amount of valuable substances, improve the quality of the soil and, moreover, do not require special material costs for the purchase. However, top dressings have their drawbacks. When they are introduced in the spring, it is difficult to dose the volumes of certain elements, so there is a risk of overfeeding the plant. If the fertilizer is of low quality, the grapes may suffer from insect larvae or fungal spores when applied.

Folk remedies

It is allowed to feed the grapes in the spring with folk remedies – such fertilizers are easy to prepare from available ingredients. For example, to increase the endurance of a plant, they use:

1. Yeast. The solution is prepared at the rate of 1 liter of water per 1 g of raw materials, 1 g of sugar are added for each 5 liter of top dressing. The agent is insisted for about three hours, and then diluted with liquid in a ratio of 1: 5 and watered the grapes.
   
   

   For each grape bush in the spring, you need to spend 2 liters of yeast top dressing

2. Wood ash. To prepare a solution, about 10 g of dry powder is diluted in 300 liters of water, insisted for a week and watered plantings of 5 liters for each bush. Ash infusion can also be used for spraying.
   
   

   Deciduous ash is used to saturate grapes with potassium, and coniferous ash is used to increase the concentration of phosphorus.

3. Eggshell. Spring feeding of grapes in Siberia and other regions can be carried out using a powder with a high content of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. To prepare top dressing, you need to rinse and dry the shell, and then grind it to a state of fine dust.
   
   

   The eggshell does not dissolve in water, so it is simply scattered over the area when digging

Folk remedies serve for grapes as a prevention of nutrient deficiency. But if the bushes are already suffering from a severe lack of one or another element, it is better to use stronger mineral and organic mixtures.

Microfertilizers

Basically, grapes need potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen – these substances have the strongest impact on the health of the crop. But besides them, other elements are also useful for bushes, in particular, iron and copper.

To compensate for the lack of valuable substances, the following microfertilizers are usually used:

1. Inkstone. A solution of 0,5-1% is used for spraying a week after removing the insulation, or powder is added to the water for irrigation in the amount of 15 g per bucket of liquid.
   
   

   Iron sulfate prevents the development of chlorosis and mildew in grapes

2. Copper vitriol. The solution is prepared at the rate of 1 g of powder per 1 liter of water, the bushes are treated with the resulting preparation shortly before flowering.
   
   

   Copper sulfate is especially useful for grapes on clay and peat soils.

3. Spraying plantings with iron or copper sulphate in the spring helps to delay the onset of the decorative period. Solutions are recommended to be used before return frosts. In this case, the bushes will bloom a week later, and the buds will not suffer from the cold.

How to fertilize grapes in spring to increase yield

It is recommended to fertilize grapes in spring for a better harvest with complex mixtures containing basic nutrients. The lack of at least one important element leads to a slowdown in the development of bushes and a decrease in the number of ovaries.

You can determine which fertilizers the plant needs most after winter by looking at the appearance of the grapes:

• too pale leaves and slow growth indicate a lack of nitrogen;
• if the plates turn yellow, and the veins on them remain green, the grapes need iron;
• too saturated green leaf color and brown spots indicate a phosphorus deficiency.

Grapes on the site in the spring, it is important not to overfeed. With an excess of minerals in the soil, it will actively form a vine, but bear fruit worse.

Brown edging of grape leaves indicates a lack of potassium

Common mistakes

Videos about feeding grapes in spring for beginners mention common mistakes that inexperienced gardeners make.

The beneficial effect of fertilizing is reduced:

• when dry granules are scattered on the soil surface, valuable substances must be embedded in the soil to a shallow depth, otherwise they will not be able to penetrate to the roots;
• with insufficient feeding – adult plants older than three years require annual and abundant fertilizers;
• when only one type of useful elements is introduced, it is impossible to feed the culture only with nitrogen, phosphorus or potassium, the substances must be combined and alternated with each other.

It is not recommended to use exclusively organic matter for care, it is used as an addition to mineral mixtures.

Conclusion

You can feed the grapes in the spring with organic substances and mineral mixtures. After winter, the crop needs nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, as well as additional microelements responsible for the healthy development of bushes and fruiting volumes.