Before the winemaker can process his harvest, a lot of work has to be done. The vines require a lot of attention from budding to hibernation. An important care measure is the Ausgeizen, which is similar to tomatoes and serves to increase yields.
Grapes need space
What are greed?
A stinging shoot is not a water shoot, but resembles the green annual shoots. The shoots grow from buds located in the leaf axils of the main stem and form normal plant structures. Because of the later sprouting, the leaves do not reach the normal size. Misers lignify incompletely and develop smaller fruits called misers. Vintners understand the squeezing out of these parts of the plant, which is intended to promote the growth of the existing vine shoots.
Useful?
The side shoots have some advantages. The earlier they sprout from the so-called summer buds, the more assimilates the plant can draw from them and put into the development of the main fruits. Like a normal main stem, this part of the plant develops flowers. However, these are characterized by a growth retardation, so that the fruits do not fully ripen. Occasionally the stunted bunches of such branches are used for the production of brandy or as an acid supplier for young wines.
Benefits of squeezing
Where the grapes grow and ripen, stinging shoots are not wanted. Due to the dense foliage, these shoots suppress ventilation in the grape zone, so that rot develops more quickly. If pesticides are sprayed, they stick to the leaves and cannot develop any effect against fungal diseases. Last but not least, the side shoots make it difficult to care for and harvest the main shoots. Therefore, these must give way at the latest when pruning.
method
The sooner you pinch the vine, the easier it will be to get the job done. When young, the stinging shoots are not yet firmly attached to the stick. With age, these branches develop normal leaf mass and become lignified at the base.
How to skimp:
- in summer before or at the beginning of flowering
- break out with light pressure
- cut older specimens with scissors
tips
It is not always necessary to remove this stinginess. Since they also promote fruit ripening, they are even desirable in unproblematic areas outside the grape zone.