Grape cultivation and maintenance methods
Today, I will explain the related topics of grapes for netizens, including the cultivation and maintenance methods of grapes, as follows:
Grapes have strong adaptability and are cultivated in a vast area of China. Generally, well-managed grapevines bear fruit in the second year, enter the full fruiting period from the fourth to the sixth year, and have a fruiting period of 40-60 years, with a yield of fresh fruit of 1000-2000 kilograms per mu.
I. Requirements of grapes for environmental conditions
1. Grapes are warm-loving plants. They begin to germinate when the temperature is 10°C in early spring, and the higher the temperature, the faster they germinate. The flowering period is preferably 25-30°C. If exposed to low temperatures (below 15°C), rainy fog, or dry winds, they will have poor pollination and fertilization, causing a large number of flowers and fruits to fall off. July to September is the maturation period of the berries. Insufficient temperature may lead to poor coloring of the berries, reduced sugar content, or even incomplete maturation. Whether the local area can meet the temperature requirements for the full maturation of grape fruits is usually referred to by accumulated temperature. For example, the accumulated temperature for the maturation of "Shifeng" (the sum of daily average temperatures from flowering to maturation) is 2564°C, with a period from flowering to maturation of 102 days.
2. Grapes have a strong preference for light. Under sufficient light conditions, the leaves are thick and dark green, photosynthesis is strong, the plant grows robustly, there are more flower buds, the berries contain high sugar content and are sweet, and the yield is high.
3. The humidity should not be too high. Excessive rainfall before flowering leads to excessive growth of new shoots, consuming the stored nutrients of the plant; excessive rainfall during flowering results in poor pollination and causes flowers to fall off; excessive rainfall from the fruit enlargement period to the maturation period, combined with insufficient light, leads to low sugar content, poor coloring, inferior quality, and easy cracking of fruits. High temperature, excessive rainfall, and humidity are also the main reasons for the increase in grape diseases.
Fertilization and water management
Grapes are perennial plants that need to absorb a large amount of nutrients from the soil every year for growth and fruiting. To maintain the healthy growth of trees and continuously improve the yield and quality of products, it is necessary to pay attention to reasonable fertilization. According to measurements from some grape productive gardens in China, to increase the yield of 100 jin of berries, it is necessary to apply 0.25-0.75 kilograms of nitrogen, 0.2-0.75 kilograms of phosphorus, and 0.13-0.63 kilograms of potassium. Areas can adjust fertilization amounts according to local conditions through production practice and scientific experiments. Fertilization can be divided into base fertilizer and top dressing. Base fertilizer should be applied from fruit harvest to the end of September or early October when new shoots are fully mature. Base fertilizer should be mixed with slow-release fertilizers such as decomposed human waste, barnyard manure, poultry manure, green manure, and phosphorus fertilizer (calcium superphosphate). Top dressing is usually applied about ten days before flowering with fast-acting nitrogen fertilizers such as decomposed human waste, cake fertilizer, etc., and in early July with potassium fertilizers such as wood ash, chicken manure, etc. The fertilization method involves digging annular trenches about 1 meter away from the plant, with a depth of about 40 centimeters for base fertilizer and shallower for top dressing to avoid excessive root damage. After fertilization, watering is necessary. Foliar fertilization of grapes has a significant effect on increasing yield and quality and is easy to apply. Spraying 1-3% phosphorus pentoxide solution before flowering, during the young fruit stage, and during the berry maturation period can increase yield and improve quality; spraying 0.05-0.1% boric acid solution before flowering can increase the fruit-setting rate; and spraying 0.02% potassium salt solution or 3% wood ash extract (soaked the day before application) during the fruit-setting stage and fruit growth period can increase the sugar content and yield of berries. When applying foliar fertilizers during dry spells, the concentration should be reduced appropriately to avoid leaf burn; in areas where it has not been applied before, it is advisable to try a small amount first and gradually promote it after gaining experience.
Grapes are relatively drought-tolerant, but yields can significantly increase with timely irrigation. From the movement of sap to before flowering, it is important to keep the soil moist. If irrigation is combined with top dressing at this time, it can create favorable conditions for flowering and fruit-setting. However, excessive water during the flowering period can cause a large number of flowers and fruits to fall off, unless the soil is too dry, in which case watering during the flowering period is not recommended. From fruit setting to before coloring, during the high-temperature period, the leaves have a high transpiration rate and require a lot of water, which can be watered every 7-10 days depending on the weather.
When the fruit grains start to color and become soft, excessive water in particularly dry years can reduce the sugar content of the fruit and make them unsuitable for storage and prone to cracking. During the dormancy period, excessively dry soil is not conducive to overwintering, and excessively wet soil can cause bud rot. Generally, after harvest, a thorough watering is done in combination with autumn fertilization, and in northern production areas, another watering is done before anti-freezing measures to prevent cold damage, which is an important measure for grape protection.
The above is a specific introduction to the cultivation and maintenance methods of grapes. I hope you all enjoy it!