Grape Thinning and Cluster Management Methods
This article provides a detailed explanation of the grape thinning and cluster management techniques for flower planting enthusiasts. Let's delve into the details together.
Grape Thinning and Cluster Management Methods
Grapes are a fruit commonly cultivated in many regions. For growers, high-quality grapes are a shared goal. Generally, good grapes have uniform color, cluster shape, berry size, and powdery coating. So how can we cultivate excellent grapes? Let's find out.
Full Grape Cluster
Large berry varieties such as巨峰 (Jùfēng) and Sun Shine Rose should be managed as full clusters. Before flowering or just after fruit setting, it's best to determine the top 2-3 layers. The berries should be evenly distributed, with uniform size and no variation. Generally, round berries are not retained, and instead, agate-shaped (teardrop-shaped) berries are kept.
Regardless of size, the tip of the cluster is called the "spike." Trimming the spike requires using scissors, and it should be progressively smaller from top to bottom to retain the spike. It is not recommended to use the "ear tip" because there's no space for lateral growth. Typically, the small "claws" below the ear can be left as the ear tip. Small varieties like Ruby and Corison are easier to thin, and as long as there are no pests, there is a possibility of producing premium quality clusters.
Grape Cluster Removal and Pruning
1. Pulling the cluster is a crucial step. It's easy to repair after the ear is opened. It's easier to repair the ear before flowering. Right after the flowers fade, the ear can be pruned, but it's difficult to delay this process. If the ear cannot be opened, differentiate between large and small clusters. If the large cluster is pinched in the middle with the hand, the small and misshapen ears should be removed.
2. Watering and fertilizing during the flowering period can cause some berries to fall off, achieving the thinning effect. Fertilization can be done during early flowering, full flowering, late full flowering, and the "grain" stage. Early flowering promotes early berry drop; the berries in the middle stage bloom fully; at the end of full flowering, the tip and secondary spikes are lost. Adding nitrogen fertilizer during the grain stage can increase the number of grain berries. The part of the ear you want to keep and the number of berries depend on your own needs. If two new shoots are left before flowering to direct nutrients, the yield will also decrease. In extremely unusual weather or if the cluster is weak, the tip should be removed before flowering to increase fruit setting.
3. The expansion of grapes not only requires water and fertilizer but also temperature differences. The temperature difference period after the flowers fade is about 40 days. When hot, humid days arrive, the fruit does not like to grow. During these short 40 days, there are also rainy days and bagging. On rainy days with no sunlight, grapes do not like to grow; newly bagged grapes need to adapt to the environment inside the bag, and they do not like to grow.
Grape Thinning
1. It's best to leave a short section of the ear above as a drainage strip, placed outside the bag, to direct rainwater and dew outside the bag, reducing the incidence of diseases inside the bag.
2. Corison has a single berry weight of about 6 grams, with a cluster weight of 1.5-1.8 pounds, which means 120-150 berries are enough. Ruby has a single weight of about 5 grams, with a premium cluster weight of about 2 pounds, meaning 200 berries are sufficient.
3. Based on the traditional ear shape, pruning can be roughly summarized into several patterns. Two pairs of symmetrical ears, two small spikes per layer, four layers plus a tip, totaling about 1.2 pounds. Three layers, three secondary ears per layer, three layers plus a tip, totaling 1.5 pounds.
Not all grape clusters are thinned in this way; the method of thinning can be adjusted according to different cluster shapes. Generally, the basic requirements for pruning and thinning are no inner fruit and no bag support.
The above provides a detailed introduction to the grape thinning and cluster management methods, hoping to bring some floral knowledge to flower enthusiasts.