Grapes and spring frosts
Poor climatic conditions can be an obstacle to the successful cultivation of grapes. Grapes and spring frosts are incompatible. Therefore, gardeners often have to look for effective ways to protect and restore plants from the harmful effects of low temperatures.
Grapes and spring frosts
Danger of frost for grapes
Spring is not only the time for the awakening of plants, but also a dangerous time for the temperature drop. So, grapes, regardless of varietal frost resistance, love heat and suffer from cold. Therefore, many gardeners prefer to play it safe and shelter their plantings for the winter, digging them out only during the period of the established temperature of 8-12 ° C.
During the period of revitalization of the vine, a temperature indicator of even -0 degrees can lead to freezing of the eyes. And this affects both the growth of the plant and the time of flowering and the amount of harvest. If the vine is beaten by frost, then the juice channels are frozen and the plant no longer receives the required amount of nutrition from the soil.
Frost types
It is also important what type of frost came to the vineyard growing area - advective or radiation. The most dangerous is advective cooling. It is very difficult to fight him, sometimes even impossible. Such frosts are characterized by a decrease in temperature for several days.
More often, the culture can withstand radiation cooling, that is, if the vines are frozen at night, then they should warm up during the day. This type of frost occurs more often at night and is concentrated at the ground level where the vineyard grows. Such frosts can and should be fought.
Freezing symptoms
Freezing of the vine often bothers gardeners in the spring, when the active sap flow has already begun.
The vineyard can be seriously affected by bad weather conditions, which will affect the future growth and yield of the crop. Its most vulnerable spot is its eyes. It is important that replacement buds are damaged less often than those that are called central, the most fertile. Annual shoots also suffer from spring frosts, and in severe frosts, the roots of the plant.
You can find out if the vineyard needs restoration in early spring. You should take a knife and make an incision in the eyes. Those buds that are not frozen will be green. Those that have a brown or brown tint are damaged. The browning of a small part of the bud indicates that the vine will recede and no action is needed.
Frost damage to the root system is more dangerous. To test the viability of a culture, you should:
- Dig a small hole near the bush until the roots of the plant are exposed.
- Make an incision with a garden knife on the surface of one of the roots.
- Check the color of the structure at the cut. It should be white. Brown or black - the plant is dead.
It is worth checking the roots only if signs of kidney freezing are detected.Their healthy green color indicates a healthy, intact root system.
Ways to protect plants from frost
You can't plant grapes in a windy place
Frost protection must be provided to the culture even during the period of its planting. The best place for such thermophilic plants is a section of the garden protected from the wind. The wall of a house or some kind of outbuilding can serve as a barrier to the wind.
If you need to care for an existing plant that is not protected by a wall or other devices, you should know some features. To prevent grapes from freezing with the onset of worsening weather conditions in spring, you should protect them in one of the following ways:
- Using cover. Polyethylene film, spunbond and other materials can be used. You can build a small greenhouse at the site of growing bushes by pulling the material used on the trellises from different sides. You can also make a removable hinged greenhouse on a wooden frame or on arches. Shelters are especially needed in regions where the risk of frost is highest. Only when it is warm outside (at least 10 ° C) can you dig out the bushes from the shelter, shake off debris, soil particles and straighten them. This must be done in order for the plant to ventilate. On the same day, before the onset of a cool night, a mini greenhouse should be built, where the bush will be reliably protected from any frost. It is most effective to use a mini greenhouse on arches. Such a shelter allows you to leave a large space in the greenhouse, which will save the plant from heating.
- Smoke. It is necessary to provide a thick smoke that will warm the plants. You can use special smoke bombs or make a fire.
- Abundant watering and feeding. Water should be done before the temperature drops. The moisture evaporates and protects the plants from damage. Mineral fertilizers (except for nitrogen fertilizers) have the same effect.
- Sprinkling. Carried out during freezing. The shoots freeze, which will save the plant from exposure to severe frost.
- Weather conditions should be monitored. In warm calm weather, the greenhouse can be removed. At night, the plant must be protected.
The gardener can choose the most suitable way to protect the shelters. It is worth remembering that greenhouses have the longest and most reliable effect. The rest of the methods are short-term and can only help with frosts, lasting 1-2 days.
In regions where spring frosts are not uncommon, gardeners can take action as early as fall. After the foliage has fallen, the bushes should be sprayed with a solution of copper sulfate. In addition to the preventive action against pests and diseases, such an operation will affect the development time of the eyes. A plant treated with such a solution is delayed in spring awakening for 7-10 days.
Restoring frozen bushes
Fruiting eyes and annual shoots are the first to suffer from frost. Provided that the root system has not suffered from spring frosts, you can restore the bush.
With minor damage to the root system, gardeners recommend removing most of the vine, leaving only the root stem with the first eye from the soil. It should be buried in the ground for 1-2 weeks so that the healthy part of the roots begins to lay down. This method will save the vineyard, but the next harvest will have to wait for several years. For a faster recovery of the plant, it is recommended to water it frequently.
It is easier if only some parts of the bush are affected. Don't worry. With the beginning of sap flow, some spare buds will give growth to young shoots. Within a month, new shoots will appear and leaves will begin to form. Those shoots that remain unchanged should be cut off.
If the grapes show no signs of life, they should be disposed of. Such a plant can no longer be restored.
Conclusion
It is easier to protect a crop from spring frosts than to restore it from the harmful effects of frost. You can make a mini greenhouse, smoke the plantings, irrigate and water them abundantly. But, if this was not done, appropriate measures will have to be taken. Frost-affected grapes in spring can only be restored if they are partially damaged. The parts of the vines that have not come to life can be cut off after the end of the sap flow. You can restore the bush even when some of the roots are frozen. Depending on the degree of loss of plant viability, it is necessary to cover the grapes for a few more weeks in the ground or remove most of the vine to stimulate the emergence of young shoots.