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How to cover grapes for the winter in different ways. How to cover grapes for the winter - the process in detail

Many gardeners grow on their plots various varieties grapes This is a plant that loves warmth and may not tolerate severe frosts. Even more warm winter presents a surprise in the form of severe frosts. A sudden change in air temperature can kill a large number of shoots. The weakest part of the bush is the young roots, which have just begun to form, and the buds.

When do you need to cover grapes for the winter?

It doesn’t matter what weather forecasters predict for the winter, in any case it’s worth being safe. Moreover, the whole process will not take much time and effort.

Timely preparation of plants for cold weather is very important. It is known that winter is accompanied by severe frosts, which can harm all plants, including grapes. Except weather conditions, the date of its hiding is influenced by the grape variety and its location.

To avoid losing a bush, you need to know the basic rules for covering it on winter period:

In mid-autumn, after harvesting, you need prune the vine: To do this, young shoots and unripe parts are removed from both sides of the bush.
Late October or early November water the grapes. Dry soil freezes faster than wet soil. The approximate calculation for one bush is 10 buckets of water, in several approaches. The soil should be very well saturated with water. In winter, moisture will escape in the form of steam and thereby warm the roots of the grapes.
Water the soil around the bush with fertilizer, such as: bird droppings, slurry or wood ash.
Process the vine .
Spread rodent poison, if necessary.

The first cold snaps will only strengthen the plant’s immunity. When the temperature drops below -5 degrees, the bush should be protected from frost. Otherwise, the vine will become fragile, which will not allow it to be tilted to the ground without damage, and the buds will freeze - this will lead to loss of harvest.

Covering methods

There are many types of shelter, but the main thing is to remember about air circulation, because the grapes must “breathe”, otherwise the plant will die in winter. Only frost-resistant varieties are left in a vertical position; other varieties need to be tilted horizontally.

Professionals highlight the following options:

Half-shelter;
Full cover;
Hilling.

Hilling

This is very easy way covering the vineyard for the winter, which will protect root system and the lower part of the shoots. An earthen mound 25 cm high is made around each bush.

Plants are usually earthed in the first year of planting. This method will not protect the buds, and during severe frosts the whole bush will die.

Half cover

This method will protect only the lower part of the grapes, which is closest to the ground, from frost. The remaining parts are covered with improvised means.

This method does not give the desired effect - some of the grapes remain unprotected, and in severe frosts they threaten the bush with death.

Full Cover

The best and most reliable shelter for grapes in the cold season is complete shelter. To do this you need to do a number of actions:

Wait until the leaves fall naturally.
Trim and shape the bush.
Tie the shoots together and bend them to the ground.

For complete coverage use old clothes or rags. The grapes are covered with film, pressed to the soil with iron clamps.

The main thing is that the buds do not touch the polyethylene, otherwise they may stop and the plant will begin to rot.

If there are thaws in winter, then you need to periodically lift the film, giving fresh air circulate inside the shelter.

How to cover it?

Cover the vineyard earth. This is a very simple and one of the most ancient methods. You need to lay the bush horizontally and cover it with dried leaves. fruit trees or about 10 cm of straw. Sprinkle the same layer of earth on top.
Cover film. Bend from metal wire U-shape, and stick it into the ground. Cover the top of the inserted arcs with film, sprinkling it around the entire perimeter, and leave small holes for air at the ends.
Cover wooden shields . Stretch the film under the vine and throw leaves on it. Install shields in the form gable roof and lubricate the joint with roofing felt to prevent water leakage. Sprinkle the sides with earth, close the ends so that you can open them at any time for ventilation.
Cover a bag of rice. They are cut on both sides along the perimeter, then the shoots, which are inclined to a horizontal position, are covered. Earth is poured on top of the bags; you can press them down using any available means. The fabric does not interfere with air circulation, thereby protecting the vine from rot.
After pruning the entire grapevine vines are tied together. When the grapes are pressed to the ground, only the lower parts will be in contact with the ground. Therefore, you should not tie the bushes tightly together - a maximum of 10 cm in a bunch. Tilt the vine to a horizontal position and roll it into a ring, placing a few bricks on top, cover with green pine needles.
Another way is sawdust. A film is spread under the bush, this is done so that moisture does not evaporate from the soil. Next, you need to tilt the vine to the ground and cover it with sawdust, place several bricks around the perimeter, and cover it.
Shelter reed mats It’s convenient because you can cover and open the vine very quickly. It must be laid in a double layer. The temperature inside each reed decreases much more slowly than outside. The downside is that it is very difficult to make them yourself - it is long and painstaking work, it's easier to buy them. The approximate service life of such a product is about 3 years.
Spunbond is technology nonwoven fabric. It does not allow air, light and moisture to pass through. Because of this, the material is highly resistant to corrosion. Special thermal films are made from spunbond, which are used to cover plants for the winter.

Shelter of young grapes

Dig a hole around the young bush.
Unripe vines are cut from the edge at a distance of 10–15 cm.
Treat the excavated soil with a 3% solution of iron sulfate: approximately 250–300 g per 10 liters of water.
Roll the bush into a circle and secure with wire.
Place the plant horizontally in the hole.
Cover with burlap and cover with soil: layer thickness 15–20 cm.

Young grapes can be covered in other ways:

Plastic containers;
unnecessary buckets;
thick paper tents;
fabrics;
dried grass or straw.

In all these cases, the vineyard cover is covered with earth.

Common mistakes

Gardeners who lack experience make the following mistakes:

throw a very large layer of soil on top of the insulation;
cover with grape leaves, which cannot be done - they cause rotting and fungus, which can lead to the loss of the bush;
only the branches of the vine are insulated (in order for the vineyard to successfully withstand frost, you need to cover the soil around the bush, because the root system is very weak);
forget about air ventilation;
tilt the vine onto the soil without any insulation;
young shoots are not pruned.

Basic rules to remember

When choosing any shelter method, you must consider:

proper landing;
well-groomed and the absence of diseases of various forms.

Weakened and diseased plants will not be saved by any shelter - they will freeze and lose young shoots.

If all wintering rules are followed, the grape bushes will delight you with a good harvest.

During the autumn-winter period, any plants go into a dormant state, which lasts from 4 to 6 months. - not an exception. It is dangerous not only from severe frosts, but also from unexpected thaws, which can cause sap flow and resume life processes in the plant ahead of time. Alternating decreases and increases in temperature are fraught with complete destruction their bushes.

To prevent young shoots of grapes from dying from severe winter frosts, they must be insulated for the winter. The quality and quantity of the harvest at the end depends on competently carried out and timely work. summer season. There are many nuances and secrets that allow you to preserve the root system of the vineyard and get many juicy and large bunches.

Before starting work, it is important to determine which of the existing methods will be optimal. Each of them is characterized by its own advantages and disadvantages. To properly cover grapes for the winter, gardeners usually use three methods:

Hilling

The first method, hilling, is used when growing newly planted cuttings and new vines. Dense earthen mounds up to 30 cm in height are made around them. This method is the least expensive and not the most labor-intensive, but is only suitable for covering young grapes for the winter. In those climatic zones where there are no temperature changes and severe frosts, it is quite possible to cover adult plants for the winter in the same way, but be sure to also wrap their tops. The absence of severe frosts will allow unprotected buds to survive and not die.

Vineyard semi-shelter

Semi-covering a vineyard is a second method of protecting plants for the winter, in which the crown, located up to 20-30 cm above the soil level, is covered with earth. The remaining part of the crown is draped using film, straw or dense fabrics. The thickness of such a protective suit should be no more than 4-5 cm. This method can be used to cover both annual vineyards and plants in those regions where the climate is warm and frosts will not destroy the crowns. But if the part of the bush that remains unprotected is exposed to severe frost, the grapes will completely die.

As you can see, both methods have disadvantages. And here it’s worth remembering that there are actually three of them... As you might already guess, the third method is the most correct. This is true! Therefore, it’s time to tell you how to properly cover grapes for the winter in order to ensure their safety as much as possible.

Complete vineyard cover

Because the most reliable way- complete cover. To do this, the vines must be completely removed from the trellis. Then defoliation is performed - artificial removal of the remaining leaves from the grapes. The shoots that remain above the surface of the ground must be collected in a bunch and gently pressed to the ground. You can cover the bushes with old blankets and unnecessary clothes. You can use film on top, but not everyone uses it. Here's the thing. The film creates a pronounced Greenhouse effect. When using it, it is important to ensure that the buds are not covered with insulating material, otherwise in mild frosts they will freeze, and at the first rays of spring they will simply burn through the film, like through a magnifying glass, especially if water collects in it. Therefore, instead, crush the vines with slabs of boards and throw earth on top. This way you will better designate the place where the vines will be stored and release them faster in the spring. In addition, there will be no strong rotting.

So, in the summer it is important to thin out the vineyards in a timely manner, removing the stepsons. First of all, the frost will hit the young shoots, which will remain for the winter. They won't get it required quantity moisture and draw strength away from the rest of the bush. Throughout warm season the grapes should have enough lighting. It is also important to remove ripe grapes in a timely manner.

Timely preparation of grapes for winter does not mean wrapping them up with the first drop in temperature. On the contrary, the first frost can harden the plant, positively affecting ripening in the next season. When the temperature drops below -2-3 degrees, it’s time to immediately begin covering the shoots. It is important to remember: the grape vine can withstand frost down to -23 degrees, and the roots will not tolerate temperatures down to -10 degrees. Why the rush then? Do you think that the roots of grapes are in the ground and they are not threatened by frost?! It seems like yes, but don’t forget that the frost will reach them through the juices of the vine... That’s why they are covered late autumn before or after the first frost. And frosts on the soil in gardens and cottages begin earlier than in the city...

After the bunches are removed and the entire harvest is harvested (usually mid-September), the bushes are well watered, preferably with the addition of potassium permanganate. The second step is organic and mineral fertilizer grape bushes using boric acid, superphosphates, ash and humus. The final stage preparation - pruning. Now everything is ready to cover the grapes for the winter and allow them to safely wait out the frosts.

Winegrowers have their own hiding secrets. For example, they know that it is better to use white film as a “coat” for the plant. Under it the grapes will be warmer than under black by 1-1.5 degrees.

An important point“wintering” of grapes is snow retention. Snow cover must be present on the soil, otherwise the bare soil will simply freeze. To prevent wind and snowstorms from blowing snow off the ground, you need to install one and a half meter shields (preferably wooden) on the side from which the wind most often blows in winter, at a distance of 2.5-3 meters from last row bushes. Fallen snow can be compacted and smoothed with a shovel, preferably before snowstorms.

" Grape

Each gardener uses his own methods of covering grapes to protect them from frost. However, when performing work, many mistakes are made, which leads to freezing of the vine or its overheating. Below in this article we will look at how to prepare grapes for covering for the winter, what material to choose for this and how to cover young and mature plantings.

Before preparing young grapes for winter, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the characteristics of the variety and its characteristics. Among existing varieties There are plants that are resistant to low temperatures and very sensitive to coolness. Besides important factor is the climate of the region where the crop is grown. Based on the information collected, a plan of preparatory activities should be built.

The southern regions are characterized by a mild climate, so frost-resistant grape varieties are not covered for the winter.

The winter hardiness of plants indicates their ability to withstand adverse weather conditions during the cold season. All varieties are classified according to this indicator into the following types:

unstable to low temperatures (can’t even withstand frosts down to -10°);
low-resistant, able to survive cold down to -15-17° (with preservation of eyes up to 100%);
medium-resistant (up to -21°), retaining eyes up to 40-60%;
with increased stability (up to -25-27°) while maintaining 60-80% eyes;
highly resistant (up to -27-28°) with preservation of eyes up to 80-100%.

Any grape variety should be prepared for winter, only the list of measures will vary in each individual case. When compiling a list of works, it is worth considering that the roots are more susceptible to freezing than the vine. The bush itself also tolerates cold differently: an older plant has increased resistance, unlike young plants.

If the grapes are not prepared for winter, the first frost can destroy them

In regions with unfavorable climatic conditions Wrapping the bushes is considered a necessity, because the indicators often drop below -30°. Plants cannot do without insulation. It is also worth providing cover for the root system of crops growing on sandy soils, where there is a high percentage of vine freezing.

How to properly protect a plant

Before we talk about when to harvest grapes for the winter, let's talk about preparation. At the end of the season, a number of measures are taken to restore vitality vineyard to ensure survival in conditions of frost and strong winds.

Autumn processing of the vine and preparation for pruning

The first thing people pay attention to after harvesting the bunches is the condition of the vine. On a bald bush, you can easily see all the damage and lesions. The plant at this stage must undergo treatment if, even during inspection, no signs of disease or the presence of insects were detected. Spraying will help avoid the development of various infections, as a result of which the bush cannot withstand the test in winter and dies.

If no serious damage to the branches was detected, then it is enough to carry out preventive spraying with a solution copper sulfate, Bordeaux mixture or urea. If signs of the disease are detected, you should resort to more radical measures– treatment with chemicals.

There is no need to be afraid of chemicals, because by the time the next season arrives, all toxic components will disintegrate and be completely removed from the soil. Future harvest will be completely safe. But to save the life of the vine without special means It will be extremely difficult, especially if we are talking about mildew or oidium. Popular fungicides include:

Ridomil;
Amistar;
Fundazol and others.

Autumn spraying of plants solves several problems simultaneously:

- increases the immunity of the culture;
- destroys larvae, harmful microorganisms and bacteria hidden under the bark;
- localizes the source of infection;
- replenishes the deficiency of useful microelements.

Trimming before covering

After the leaves fall (in a couple of weeks), begin pruning the bushes. The autumn procedure is less traumatic for the plant, because the process of movement of juice through the vine is suspended at this stage. In addition, over the winter the cut will have time to become woody.

Pruning young shoots is aimed at forming a bush. For this, a specific scheme is selected. From the vines growing from the ground at an angle, 3-8 sleeves are left. If you perform the procedure annually, there will be no problems with pruning. But with an adult plant you will have to tinker, especially if it has not previously been cleaned and thinned. Following simple rules, even the most neglected bush can be put in order.

- - - From perennial sleeves, remove young shoots that appear at a height of up to half a meter from ground level. This needs to be done in the first ten days of September.
    - Next, the level is cut from 50 cm to 1 m from the ground surface. On all young shoots, the tip must be removed (up to 10% of total length). Lateral stepsons are also superfluous on the bush; they should be removed.
    - In mid-October, approximately when all the leaves have fallen, you need to select the most developed shoots (2-3) at a height of up to 1 m from the ground surface.
    - Cut off the lower process formed from the outer sleeve, preserving 3-4 eyes. Thus, a substitution knot will be obtained.
    - The shoot located on the opposite side is cut off, preserving 5-12 eyes. This will form the fruit arrow.

After such pruning, only powerful perennial trunks and sleeves with buds will remain on the plant, which will be thrown out by young shoots and brushes in the new season.

Autumn pruning vineyard in front of shelter

Fertilizing, watering and pruning in the garden

Irrigation after harvest is carried out if necessary. Do not water the bushes during heavy rainfall. If the weather is persistently warm and dry, then it is simply necessary to saturate the soil with moisture. In October, only one, but abundant moisturizing is done. At this point, irrigation work stops until the next season.

At the end of the fruiting period, the grape bushes are completely empty, and fertilizing nutrients would be very appropriate. The plant needs to gain strength to survive in winter. In autumn, the young vine is necessarily enriched with organic matter (compost, humus, a mixture of peat and wood ash), an adult crop is fed once every 3-4 years. When feeding, it is important to observe a sense of proportion; with grapes it is better to underfeed than to oversaturate it with various microelements.

Autumn watering is necessary in case of dry autumn

At what temperature is shelter needed?

Unresistant grape varieties must be covered with a protective layer during the winter. The same procedure is performed with plants grown in harsh climates. If the vine is not insulated and covered, then the first persistent frosts will cause the death of the plant. Annual shoots are especially sensitive to low temperatures, so they are wrapped, even if the variety is frost-resistant.

Time to insulate grapes before cold weather

There is no need to rush to cover the bushes. At warm weather grapes can resist. A humid environment often provokes the development of fungus. But at the same time, delaying is also unacceptable, because even slight frosts pose a danger to unstable varieties. Optimal time defense construction falls at the end of October. But to a greater extent it is worth focusing on weather conditions, only they indicate the need to speed up the process.

IN northern regions Preparations are planned for the end of September - beginning of October. And in the southern part of the country and the middle zone, the period of preparation for winter falls at the end of October - beginning of November. The main thing is to finish everything before the first frost.

Sheltering period for grapes is October

Necessary materials

Along with the usual covering materials, it is recommended to use agrofibre. Thin and light, it perfectly allows moisture to pass through and retains ultraviolet rays. There are no dangers when contacting plants; agrofibre does not contain toxic substances, which confirms its environmental friendliness.

One of the advantages of the material is the ability to carry out thermoregulation, even with low temperatures ah, under such shelter the temperature is above zero.

The insulation will last for more than one season if you fix it correctly and carefully unpack the grapevine in the spring. And the main advantage is the ease of use of the canvas: just cover the vine and sprinkle everything with soil.

Along with agrofibre, film is used. There are several options for creating a shelter, but they all require constant monitoring and presence. During a thaw, the film material must be opened slightly to ensure air circulation. Otherwise, the grapes may resist.

The essence of creating a shelter is to install a small frame made of thick wire and cover it with polyethylene. This method suitable for regions middle zone, where frosts do not exceed 20°.

Spunbond refers to modern materials with thermal insulation characteristics. It allows air and moisture to pass through well. It is used both on the frame and as a wrapping fabric (similar to agrofibre).

Ways to cover lashes in winter

There are several ways to cover a vine, which makes it possible to choose the best option.

Dry shelter

With this method, the whip is tied closer to the root zone and tilted towards the ground (an interval of 10-30 cm is maintained). The position of the vine is fixed using metal brackets. The lower part is generously covered with sawdust or dry leaves, and the surface is covered with film. The edges are tightly reinforced with bricks or stones so that the wind does not blow away the shelter.

Partial closure

This method involves hilling the bushes and partially wrapping the part closest to the soil with material. This approach is more suitable for the middle zone, where frosts drop no lower than 25°.

Earth insulation

This method is used more often than others. The idea is to dig a trench and plunge a tied whip into it. In order not to damage the vine and avoid freezing, it is recommended to first cover the branches with boards and then dig in with soil. The layer thickness should be 20 cm.

The method using soil sprinkling is popular due to its simplicity and the absence of additional costs for the work.

Way house

Covering with a house is not difficult. It is also considered a low-cost activity and is used mainly in small farms. To create protection, you will need to prepare shields (150x30 cm), attach loops to them with inside and cover it with roofing felt for waterproofing.

The essence of the method is to place grapevine on the shield, the other two are fixed with loops, forming a triangle. The roofing material is attached from the inside, preventing precipitation from penetrating onto the lash. Advantages of the method: no contact of branches with the soil, an air gap created between the bush and the house.

Basic mistakes of newbies

When covering a vine, gardeners often make mistakes that can make the protection ineffective or lead to the death of the bush.

- - - To create a shelter for the vine, the soil is raked out from under the root system of the grapes. As a result, the roots freeze. If the whip needs to be sprinkled with soil, it must be taken from a free area.
    - When fixing the covering material wrapping the vine, make a weak tie. At the first gusty winds, the protection flies off the branches, leaving the vine without insulation. Experienced gardeners In addition to reliable tying of the vine, they recommend installing snow retention - sides made of wood or iron, installed with pegs around the bush.
    - Being carried away by insulating the vine, many forget about the roots, and they are most vulnerable to low temperatures. Therefore, you need to rake the soil under the bush, add dry leaves or peat.
    - Before creating a shelter, the bush does not undergo treatment. Under the covering material, insects and bacteria actively multiply, reducing the chances of plant survival.
    - Some gardeners place a layer of insulation between the soil and the vine. This is a grave mistake; the earth warms the bush. But on the surface such protection is simply necessary.
    - If you wrap grapes ahead of schedule or later, the protection will create more problems plant. The optimal period is the end of October.

Methods of protection against mice and rodents

A vine laid close to the ground can become a tasty treat for rodents, so it is important to protect and preserve wintering grapes. Gardeners recommend choosing one of the following options.

- - - Mechanical traps are installed around the perimeter fruit bushes for catching rodents. These can be ordinary five-liter plastic containers or glass bottles, to which a little vegetable oil is added.
    - Poisonous chemicals are the most effective method pest control. Among the popular ones: Difenacin, Brodifacoum, Flocumafen.
    - Repellers belong to humane ways rodent control. The idea is to install containers with a certain substance around the perimeter of the bush, the aroma of which repels mice and rats. Among the known odors: kerosene, Vishnevsky ointment, naphthalene, liquid smoke, etc., which will help save the vines in the garden.

Judging by the listed recommendations, carrying out preparatory work is not difficult task, even a beginner can handle it. If questions arise, it is better to seek advice from specialists. They can not only explain, but also help to insulate young grapes for wintering in the garden.

In order for the grapes to survive the cold, you need to take care of this. Experienced grape gardeners know that there are varieties that can easily overwinter, and some need to be covered.

Sheltering grapes for the winter is necessary when the temperature reaches -21 degrees. Then even the most frost-resistant varieties need insulation. Some species tolerate temperatures down to -16 and do not need to be covered.

Covering the vine in advance, even before the onset of frost, will help save the daily work of long cultivation and ensure good harvest next year.

Some parts of the plant are more resistant to frost, for example, thick trunks and roots, but thin branches do not tolerate low temperatures well, and if they are poorly covered, there is a risk of losing fruitfulness and freezing the buds.

To prepare the grapes for shelter for the winter, you need to start insulating them in September. Special attention you need to pay attention to the shoots growing for the first year. It is necessary to properly prepare them for insulation: stop watering when the berries ripen on them, and do not use nitrogenous fertilizers. First you need trim small branches after harvest. Those shoots that have not ripened during the season must be cut off completely.

Around mid-September start active watering, this especially applies to light soil. Dry soil freezes much stronger and faster in winter. To properly saturate the soil for winter, you need to calculate watering.

Growing strawberries in PVC pipes horizontal and vertical

It should be at least 15–20 buckets of water per plant bush. The result will be a greenhouse effect in winter - water from the ground will rise and evaporate, warming the covered plants.

Some experienced gardeners give the following advice: leave the grapes uncovered during the first frosts, so that “ harden young shoots, and then proceed to the actual covering of the plant. But at the same time, the temperature in the region at the first frost should not fall below 6 degrees.

Right before insulating the bush, you need to collect all the vines that remain after pruning, and tie them into small bundles. The branches should be bent to the ground and laid horizontally to the ground. To prevent the buds from becoming moldy and rotting, it is better to place them on wood flooring, and not on bare ground.

Ways to cover for the winter

To insulate grapes for the winter, you can cover them with earth. This method is the simplest and most inexpensive and does not require much experience in growing plants.

You need to dig trenches in the ground next to the bushes and lay them in wooden decking for branches. The tied vines are neatly stacked in them.

Grapes on top covered with boards or plywood, and then - an earthen embankment approximately 30 centimeters high. There is no need to make the mound too high, otherwise the grapes will begin to rot and the buds will die.

It is necessary to pay attention to the height of the embankment after rains and thaws. Due to water flows, it may decrease, so you need to add it regularly.

Growing vegetables in a greenhouse all year round

Wood flooring

Covering grapes with wooden flooring for the winter is a more labor-intensive method than the previous one, but the prepared wooden flooring will last for more than one season.

You need to build in advance from wooden planks special shields measuring approximately 100*25 centimeters. You need to attach loops of rope or wire to them.

Before sheltering, you need to lay a wooden flooring under the plants, and lay the vines on it. Thus, the grapes are isolated from the ground and protected from rot. Then you need cover the branches with wooden panels.

They should either overlap, or additional wooden planks should be placed on top of the joints. This option for covering grapes is more suitable for small children. personal plots because of its labor intensity.

Slate for protection

This method has also proven its effectiveness long ago. Before covering the grapes with slate, you need treat it with lime so that he doesn't cheat.

In general, lime treatment is necessary stage regardless of the covering method chosen for the site.

Vines collected in bunches, additionally wrapped in cloth or bag, and then placed in a hole dug near the bush. Outside the pit, arches are constructed from wire, onto which sheets of slate are folded. Thus, a kind of box with thermal insulation is obtained.

Using film

To cover grapes with film for the winter, you need to do the following:

Growing strawberries at home all year round

This method of covering grapes is suitable for regions with mild winters and relatively small temperature changes. IN northern regions Russia is not recommended to use this method.

Wooden box

One of the most common plants in our garden is grapes. But gardeners, especially beginners, should know that grapes are a type of plant that requires special care and reliable shelter. winter time, otherwise it may die from low temperatures.

How to cover grapes for the winter, and what material would be better suited For this purpose, small tips for beginning gardeners are described in this article.

When is the best time to cover?

The time of covering the plant is very important, since this procedure will help it successfully survive sharp autumn and spring temperature fluctuations and preserve the roots during frosts in winter. This is especially true for annual seedlings, which are absolutely not frost-resistant.

The grapes can easily tolerate temperatures dropping to -15 degrees. But a lower temperature will cause the uncovered plant to lose most of its buds. If you leave the seedlings uncovered for several days, then at this temperature about 70% of the grape buds will die. Lowering the temperature to -20 degrees will cause the plant shoots to simply die.

Before covering the grapes for the winter, they must be prepared for this procedure. First you need to cut off all the excess, old and unnecessary shoots that will interfere in the spring full development vines

After the first small frosts (the plant tolerates them without harm), you need to remove those shoots that will not bear fruit in the spring, starting from the very bottom of the support.

If heavy frost is not predicted at night, then the seedlings need to be watered abundantly, the calculation is about 10 liters of water per bush. Water intermittently so that the moisture has time to soak into the soil. You can add a little potassium permanganate to the water so that it turns pale pink, this will prevent the development of diseases.

Near the bush you need to loosen the soil well, remove debris and weeds and add mineral and organic fertilizers. Before sheltering, you can treat the trunk and lower branches with a solution of copper or iron sulfate to protect them from attacks by small rodents and various insects.

After carrying out all the above procedures, you can proceed directly to removing the vine and properly covering it. If you leave the branches on the support, they will definitely freeze, even if you wrap them well. It is also necessary to cover the trunk and roots of the grapes, since they are more susceptible to freezing; a decrease to -6 degrees can already destroy the plant forever.

There are, but experienced agricultural technicians still recommend covering them for the winter.

The most reliable methods

Young seedlings, hybrids and unstable plant varieties require mandatory shelter for the winter. Depending on the area, weather conditions and the availability of material, each gardener independently chooses what is the best and most reliable way to do this.

There are several types of shelter depending on the material used:

hilling;
half-shelter;
complete cover of plant bushes;
dry shelter;
covering with earth.

Covering with the dry method involves the use of various available means, for example: film, old slate, agrofibre, bag, wooden or cardboard boxes, straw or fallen leaves.

Covering with soil involves covering the seedlings big amount wet soil, which is taken from the space between the rows. But if the winter is warm and the bulk soil often becomes wet, the young buds of the plant may rot. Therefore, it is also advisable to cover the ground above with something: polyethylene, slate or boards.