Grape seedlings

The most popular and convenient way to grow grapes is vegetative, that is, using the property of a plant to recover from one shoot without losing its varietal properties. The simplest variant of reproduction is the rooting of the layers from the maternal vine. But in this way you can get a relatively small number of seedlings. If it is necessary to grow shrubs of a new variety or in large quantities, it is necessary to use another method: planting seedlings and grape cuttings.

Saplings and grape cuttings: advantages and disadvantages

The beginning wine grower is asked a natural question: what is better to buy - cuttings or seedlings of grapes? Both options have their pros and cons. Ready grape seedlings easily and well become accustomed, do not require special preparation before planting. The biggest disadvantage of this method is the high probability of bringing with the planting material various diseases and pests. In addition, the chance to purchase non-viable seedlings of grapes is great because of the violation of strict requirements for their storage and transportation, drying or root damage.

The second option, namely the purchase of cuttings and the independent cultivation of grape seedlings has its undeniable advantages. First of all, this price - with little effort, you can grow a half or two times more seedlings. Special treatment of cuttings before laying for storage and planting virtually guarantees the absence of diseases and pests. Grape cuttings are unpretentious and do not require complicated conditions of storage and transportation.

How to procure and save grape cuttings?

Preparation and laying for winter storage of cuttings of grapes is made in the late autumn, not earlier than the second half of October. For further cultivation, cuttings from one-year-old, fruit-bearing vines with a thickness of 5 to 10 mm are suitable. Before slicing, you should carefully inspect the vine, it should be absolutely healthy, well ripened, free from stains and mechanical damage. Cuttings cut into a length of 1-1.5 m (long vines are better kept), cleaned of shoots, leaves and antennae, and then bundled with tags-pointers of the variety. To increase the moisture, the bundles of cuttings should be soaked in pure water for a day. In order to prevent rotting and spoilage of future seedlings, cuttings should be sprayed or washed with a solution of copper or iron sulfate.

After drying and wrapping in polyethylene film, the bundles of cuttings are ready for storage. A cellar, a cellar or a refrigerator can be used as storage space. Over the winter 1-2 times, it is necessary to inspect and turn the bundles.

How to grow seedlings of grapes from cuttings?

In late February-early March, you can start growing saplings. First of all, the cuttings should be carefully examined, the spoilage should be discarded. Well-preserved and suitable for further work of the vine will be light green in the cut. Long cuttings are cut into 2-4 eyelets with a sharp knife and placed in a jar with water. Change the water should be daily, with the simultaneous cleaning of the lower sections.

It is necessary to carefully monitor the appearance of the first roots, once they reach a length of 1-2 cm, the seedlings can be transplanted into the ground. To do this, any capacity of 0.5-1 liter with good drainage and light soil is suitable. In case of too active growth, the seedling can be nipped.

Planting of grapes seedlings in the open ground begins with the onset of stable heat, usually in early May.

How to save seedlings of grapes?

The rooted seedling of the grapes must be stored before planting in a sufficiently humid, non-freezing room. The optimum temperature for storage is slightly more than 0. The most important thing in storing seedlings is to prevent them from drying out. Therefore, the seedling is lowered into a container with moist sand and moved to a cool room, for example, a cellar. It is worth recalling the importance of processing the acquired seedlings with disinfectant solutions, in order to prevent infection of the entire vineyard.