HOW TO COLLECT BUNCHES OF GRAPES: TIMING, DEGREE OF MATURITY, RULES FOR COLLECTING AND STORING

Growing grapes is only half the task of the grower. It is very important to harvest in time so that it is well kept and is a quality raw material for making wine or juice. Let's look at what period is considered optimal in order to shoot ripe bunches, and how to do it.

Harvesting time: what the harvest time depends on

It is impossible to determine the exact date of harvest - every gardener must rely on his own experience, weather conditions, variety, as well as the degree of ripeness of the berries. The optimum temperature for ripening berries is considered to be 21-35 ° C, while it should be sunny.

A large amount of precipitation significantly slows down the accumulation of sugar and juice in grapes. In the same way, an insufficient amount of moisture adversely affects the sweets and the quality of the berries, so in a hot, dry summer it is necessary to monitor watering.

Important! Phosphorus-potassium and mineral fertilizers will help accelerate the ripening of grapes.

Grape varieties and hybrids are divided into ripening terms:

Superstore - the growing season of which is 95-105 days, that is, harvesting occurs at the end of July - beginning of August.
Very early - ripen in 105-115 days under favorable weather conditions. This means that ripe berries can be removed in the first half of August.
Early - Their growing season is 115-120 days.
Early mid-ripening - ready for consumption and processing in 120-125 days after bud break.
Mid-season - reach removable maturity by the end of August - the beginning of September, that is, in 125-135 days.
Late - for ripening which will take from 130 to 150 days. The harvest of such berries is removed in September-October.

You will probably be interested to read about the beneficial properties of grape seed, grape leaves, grape juice, raisins and grapes.

In addition, the state of the vineyard and how it is looked after affects the time of ripening of the crop. Compliance with the rules of agricultural technology helps to accelerate the ripening of berries.

How to determine the degree of maturity

Since the time of ripening may depend on numerous factors, the best way to find out how ready the berries are is to look at them inside and outside:

Dark grapes are considered ripe when their berries are colored dark blue or dark purple; the lack of maturity is indicated by the rind of the brown color.
White varieties should acquire an amber or golden hue at the time of removable maturity, and if the berries remain greenish, then they have not yet ripened.
The stem of grapes should stiffen.
Berries should be easily removed from the "legs".
They should be sweet in taste, without pronounced sourness.
Berries should cover the thin, transparent skin.
Sunflower seeds become light brown and are easily separated from the pulp if it is ripe.
Grape bunches should have a pleasant aroma, typical of this variety or hybrid.

Video: how to determine the degree of ripeness of grapes

Did you know? In the old days only those who made a testament were allowed to harvest. The fact is that the plants were planted close to the trees, and over time, the vine enveloped almost all of their crown - because of this, the lower branches were exhausted and dried out. When collected, they could cause significant damage to a person, even those that were lethal.

Harvesting rules

Regardless of the purpose for which the grapes will be used, it is recommended to collect it on dry and sunny days. This is due to the fact that precipitation and abundant dew are washed away from the berries of a waxy bloom, which is very necessary, for example, for long-term storage of the crop.

Clusters collected after lunch on a fine day are distinguished by a more intense aroma, which is important for winemaking and for table varieties.

Technical varieties

Raw materials for making wine and juice has its own characteristics. First of all, it is the acidity of the berries and the sugar content in them, which is measured using a special instrument - a refractometer or hydrometer. A favorable temperature for the cleaning of raw materials is 16-20 ° C heat. For the manufacture of some wines using grapes, which was collected after the frost, but only in those cases when it reached technical maturity before the frost. If green berries are frozen, then the quality of the wine leaves much to be desired, and there is a very high probability that it will not ferment at all.

The technical grades include such grape varieties as Krasnostop Zolotovsky, Alpha, Isabella, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling.

For technical varieties, continuous cleaning is most often used, that is, absolutely all clusters are cut, after the sugar content and acidity are at the required level.

But this method of harvesting is used only in those cases when there are no signs of disease or pest damage in the vineyard. At the slightest defeat of shrubs, it is recommended to remove grapes clusters selectively. Clusters are separated with a sharp pruner.

Table varieties

Dining varieties clean selectively, that is, the clusters are cut as they mature. If possible, to determine the exact time of harvesting it is desirable to use a hydrometer, which will show the amount of sugar in the berries.

Check out the cultivation of such table grapes as Romeo, Crimson, Sphinx, Arcadia, Original, Pretty Woman, Sensation, In Memory of Negrul, Timur, Moldova , "Talisman", "Kesha", "Helios", "Ruslan", "Extra".

As well as technical, table varieties are cut with a secateur or a sharp knife. It is necessary to minimize contact with the berries, so as not to disturb the wax on them. Therefore, grapes hold the stalk and gently cut.

Then you need to immediately remove the dry and damaged berries, so as not to waste time sorting after cleaning. You can take the crop from table varieties and after frost, but you should take into account the nuance that such berries will not be stored and should be eaten first.

How to store grapes

Not all grapes are suitable for storage, but only mid-season and late varieties. This is due to the fact that the structure of their berries is more dense, and the skin that covers them is more durable. Also of great importance is the friability of the clusters themselves, which are endowed with these varieties.

We advise you to read about whether to care for grapes during flowering, how to grow grapes from chubuk and bones, how to transplant and not damage grapes, how to feed grapes in spring and autumn, as well as how to graft and grape the grapes.

In the box

You can store grapes in shallow boxes that need to be lined with paper or grape foliage. Then bunches of grapes are placed in them in an even layer, from which the tainted berries were previously removed.

You can also lay grapes in boxes in layers and pour with pine sawdust each layer. The boxes are placed in a dark, cool place with a temperature of 0 ° C to 5 ° C.

Important! The storage time is influenced not only by what and where the clusters will be stored. To a greater extent, the term is determined by what kind of agricultural equipment was used in the vineyard. To improve these indicators, it is necessary to regularly feed and monitor watering during the growing season of the plant.

In a suspended state

Often the grapes are suspended on a wire so that it is better kept. The leg or part of the shoot is fixed with wire or twine and suspended in a dark, cool room. This method allows you to maintain the freshness of the berries from 3 to 5 months.

Did you know? Grapes - one of the few plants whose yield increases over the years. Some of his varieties, even 100 years after planting, bear more fruit than young ones.

In water

For this, the clusters are cut together with the vine; then a portion of the vine is placed in a bottle filled with water. The vessel is placed under an inclination and grape brushes are fixed with a twine or wire so that they hang freely and do not touch the bottle.

It is recommended to add activated carbon or salicylic acid to the water so that no harmful bacteria can multiply in it. It is also necessary to periodically update the cut vine. Regardless of how you decide to store the crop, it is necessary to periodically inspect and remove spoiled berries. Now you know when and how best to remove the bunches of grapes, as well as how to properly store them in order to enjoy the tasty, juicy berries until next season. Do not forget: the more carefully care for the vineyard, the more it brings the crop, which in turn is better stored.