Key points for managing grapevines overwintering

Winter is a crucial period in grape cultivation, which is directly related to the growth of grapes in the following spring. Therefore, proper management of grape vines is particularly important. So how should we manage grape vines in winter?

1. Plastic surgery

Shaping and pruning are important means to adjust the structure of grape vines, balance the growth of branches and fruits, ensure the uniform distribution of branches on the racks, and maintain good ventilation and light conditions. Typically, this work begins within two weeks after the vines naturally drop their leaves and continues until the beginning of the second year's growth in areas where they do not need to be buried in the soil to protect them from the cold. In areas where burying is necessary to protect against the cold, pruning is usually done before burying.

2. Garden cleaning and pest control

After pruning, a large number of branches will be left in the garden, among which healthy branches can be kept for cuttings and seedlings next year. At the same time, weeds in the garden need to be thoroughly removed. The removed weeds and dead leaves can be backfilled into the fertilizer ditch as base fertilizer. After cleaning the orchard, use lime sulfur mixture to spray the orchard. This is a broad-spectrum insecticide, fungicide, and miticide that can effectively prevent and control common grape diseases. The method of using lime sulfur is to dilute the original solution with 5 times clean water, and then spray it evenly on the grape branches and racks, ensuring full coverage to eliminate overwintering pathogens and insect eggs.

3. Apply basal fertilizer and winter irrigation

In order to ensure the grapevines to safely survive the winter and promote vigorous growth in the next year, reasonable fertilization and winter irrigation are required before wintering. Base fertilizer should be applied after the garden is cleaned, mainly with decomposed organic fertilizer . After applying organic fertilizer, winter irrigation should be carried out by pouring water into the fertilizer ditch. The amount of water should be based on the natural absorption of the soil and no water accumulation on the surface. Winter irrigation helps to increase soil temperature, prevent frost damage, and promote fertilizer decomposition and root absorption, creating good conditions for spring growth.

4. Low temperature protection

The two key factors for grapes to safely overwinter are low temperature and cold protection.

Low temperature: When the outside temperature is below minus 15 degrees Celsius, grape vines are prone to frost damage. In order to enhance the ability to resist cold, watering should be reduced in the later stage of harvest to prevent excessive growth, promote the maturation of branches and buds, gradually adapt to low temperatures, and enhance cold resistance.

Cold protection: Cold protection work should be carried out about a week before the local soil freezes, neither too early nor too late. This can not only allow the plants to be trained to resist the cold and improve their ability to resist the cold, but also prevent the soil temperature from being too high and the humidity from being too high, thus avoiding the breeding of pathogens. The main cold protection measures include adding soil to the roots, burying the plants in the soil to protect them from the cold, and covering them with plastic to protect them from the cold.

The above are the management methods for grape vines overwintering. Through these management measures, we can ensure that the grape vines are properly protected in winter and lay a solid foundation for next year's growth.