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It is believed that primitive people began to domesticate grapes. But not for the purpose of obtaining sweet berries, much less making wine or something stronger (alcohol had not yet been “invented” in those days). And it’s unlikely that anyone would have liked the taste of those grapes - the small fruits were very sour. It’s just that our ancestors were also sick, and in order to somehow help themselves, through trial and error they tried what was available to them - herbs, roots, berries. It was then that the healing properties of grapes were discovered. People began to plant it near their homes, selecting those bushes whose berries tasted better. Perhaps this was the first selective selection.
Nowadays, more than 3 thousand varieties of grapes are grown in the territory of the former Soviet Union alone. Every year their number is growing, and the emphasis is on increasing frost resistance. There is nothing to be surprised here, not only in most of Russia, but in Belarus and Ukraine, with the exception of several southern regions, the sunny berry feels uncomfortable in winter. Perhaps breeders will one day solve this problem. Today we will tell you how to cover grapes for the winter.
Why cover grapes?
In order to protect the vine from grapes, it is covered for the winter. If this is not done, at best, next year you will simply be left without a harvest, or in extreme cases, the entire plant will die. But, most likely, the vineyards will freeze, and the vines will have to be shortened or cut at the roots.
Do not delude yourself that varieties with high frost resistance (up to –26 degrees) have already been created. Without shelters These grapes may be able to withstand a decrease in temperature, but the icing of the vines will definitely not. Kidneys deprived of oxygen will die in 2-3 days.
On ordinary grape varieties, if you do not cover the vines for the winter, if the temperature drops below 15 degrees below zero, up to 70% of the buds will die in four days. If the thermometer drops below 20, all eyes will freeze.
Grape roots are even more sensitive to cold than the vine; some of them will die at -6 degrees. Freezing of the above-ground part is only fraught with loss of harvest, perhaps even for several years. But the death of the roots can mean the loss of a valuable variety. So it’s better not to be lazy and build a shelter over the grapes.
Is it possible not to cover the grapes?
This issue requires separate consideration. There are a number of non-covering varieties. But!
- Firstly, their shelter can be neglected only in certain regions.
- Secondly, there is also no guarantee that the vine will not freeze in a particularly harsh winter.
- Thirdly, covered grape varieties are, as a rule, tastier.
In any case, you need to protect the root from the cold, at least by doing mandatory moisture recharging, loosening and mulching the soil under the bush. And of course, you need to make a shelter over the young grapes, no matter what variety they belong to.
Frost resistance of grapes
All grape varieties can be divided into 5 groups according to their frost resistance.
Group | Frost resistance | Temperature minimum | % preservation of ocelli |
1 | High | -28-35 | 80-100 |
2 | Increased | -23-27 | 60-80 |
3 | Average | -18-22 | 40-60 |
4 | Weak | -13-17 | 20-40 |
5 | Unstable | less than -12 | 0-20 |
This division is very arbitrary. Before sheltering for the winter you need to know the following:
- Some grape varieties are transitional from one group to another in terms of frost resistance.
- Old vines always endure winter better than young ones.
- The main buds are the most vulnerable to freezing, the most resistant are the dormant ones.
- Grape roots can withstand cold less well than vines.
- In areas where the thermometer drops below 21 degrees, grapes must be covered for the winter completely and always.
- Vines located under the protection of buildings freeze out less than those growing in open areas.
- Frost-resistant grape varieties can be left without shelter only when the temperature almost never drops below -20 degrees.
When to cover grapes
Even among experienced gardeners there is no consensus on when to cover grapes. The only thing they are unanimous on is that at a temperature of 8 degrees below zero, a winter shelter should already be built.
Proponents of early covering believe that it should be done immediately after leaf fall or at the slightest threat of frost. Other gardeners wait a few days after the temperature drops to -5 degrees, claiming that this way the vine can be hardened off so it will survive the winter better.
Without taking either side, we note:
- A well-ripened vine, even of the most delicate grape varieties, can withstand temperatures down to -14 degrees below zero.
- The first (low) frosts actually harden the plant and increase winter hardiness.
- Unripe grape vines cannot overwinter normally. They will definitely freeze or dry out. It’s better to listen to the recommendations of experienced gardeners and remove parts of the shoots that have not yet matured.
Preparing grapes for shelter
Before covering the grapes, prepare them for winter. This should be started about a month before the onset of stable frosts.
- Starting in early August, stop using nitrogen-containing fertilizers. They stimulate growth processes, and the vines of the vineyard simply do not have time to ripen properly.
- During harvest, the bushes stop watering. There is hardly anything more dangerous for the existence of any plant than dry, frozen soil. It is imperative to carry out moisture charging. Each adult grape bush will require at least 20 buckets of water. Be prepared that you will not complete this procedure in one go, and calculate the time correctly. It is better to carry out moisture recharging in stages, starting in September.
- Remove all the vines from the trellises in the vineyard, remove unripe tops and shoots that bear fruit in the summer. Simply put, fellow gardeners, don’t forget to do your fall pruning!
- Remove all fallen grape leaves from the area, as they are highly infectious.
- Tie the vines into bunches (fascines) using rope or wire and lay them along the rows, securing them with iron staples.
- Dilute 400 g of iron sulfate and treat the shoots and soil in the vineyard.
For example, copper-containing drugs stop working if the thermometer drops below 5-6 degrees Celsius. Iron oxides, on the contrary, require stable low temperatures, otherwise they will simply burn the plant.
Sheltering grapes for the winter
Now let's cover the grapes correctly. There are so many ways to do this that the list alone will take up a lot of space; there is no single correct one among them. Choose the best one, from your point of view, in accordance with the climatic conditions of the region and the varietal characteristics of the grapes.
We will give several ways to cover the vine. You can supplement, combine or modify them as needed at your discretion.
Covering grapes with soil
This is one of the most popular winter shelters for grapes, despite its labor intensity. The soil is taken from the rows and the tied vines are covered with a layer of 10 to 30 cm, depending on the variety and expected winter temperatures.
There are significant disadvantages here:
- The eyes of grapes may dry out under a wet layer of soil. To prevent this from happening, you need to cover the vine with slate, plastic bags or other material that can protect it from getting wet.
- Digging up grape shoots in the spring is even more difficult than covering them in the fall. You can make life easier for gardeners. To do this, you must again place additional material on the grapes, and in the spring simply remove it along with the soil.
- Some gardeners believe that vines covered with soil should be opened later, since the earthen shelter will give them protection from return frosts. Perhaps this is true for the north. But in the southern regions, delay risks the fact that the buds on the vines will open while still under cover. They are very fragile and break off easily.
As you can see, everything can be solved; we not only talked about possible problems, but also outlined ways to solve them.
Watch a video that shows how to cover grapes with soil:
Tunnel shelter for grapes
Place the vines along the rows and pin them to the ground in the same way as described in the previous method. Install arches made of wood or metal above them, cover the top with film and secure the edges by placing bricks on them or sprinkling them with earth. It seems simple, but this method is also imperfect. Let's look at what dangers lie in wait for grapes covered in this way.
- When there is a thaw, the vine may dry out under the film. This can be solved simply - leave a gap in the structure to be covered through which air can flow. In severe frosts, you can simply cover it.
- In the north, with low winter temperatures and no snow cover, one film may not be enough to protect the grapes from freezing. You will need to put spruce branches or old blankets on top of the tunnel shelter. Agree, this is not very convenient, and in a large vineyard it is unrealistic.
- Under the film there may be mice that will not refuse to snack on the vine in times of hunger.
Important! If we cover the grapes using a tunnel method, the owner must always be on the site to, if necessary, open and close the ventilation hole or remove and add additional insulation.
Air-dry shelter
This is the best way if the necessary materials are available on site. The vines are tied and placed between the rows, as in the previous paragraphs, and a shelter is built on top from spruce branches, dry leaves, straw, and corn stalks.The resulting structure is covered with:
- agrofibre;
- spunbond;
- fiberglass;
- film;
- bags;
- boxes;
- boxes;
- slate;
- roofing felt;
- foam, etc.
The shelter is secured with earth, stones or bricks.
By and large, this is a variation of the tunnel method of sewing up the vines.
Shelter of young grapes
The designs described above are perfect for young grapes. He is very sensitive to frost, and needs to be covered earlier than an adult - as soon as the temperature drops to -2 degrees.
Conclusion
Do not neglect our advice, build a shelter over the grapes and they will winter well. Have a good harvest!
