How to prepare a grape seedling

Often people think about planting grapes in their garden when they see a healthy and fruitful vine on the site of a friend, neighbor or relative. With the consent of the owner, you can prepare the stalk yourself.

It is best to start preparing grape seedlings in the fall. They will be stronger and healthier than those that were cut in the spring, since during the period of leaf fall, the maximum of useful substances is contained in wood.

First, on the vine, you need to find ripe shoots about the thickness of a pencil. Cut cuttings should be about 30-40 cm long. A prerequisite is the presence of 3-4 buds on them, and the distance from the cut to the upper bud cannot be less than 4 cm.

Prepared cuttings need to be wrapped in a damp cloth or moss. To store future grapes in winter, a moist and cool space is needed. To do this, choose a cellar or refrigerator.

In the latter case, an additional layer of polyethylene is needed on top of the fabric so that the air in the unit does not dry out the cuttings.

The workpiece must be removed from the storage location around mid-March. The main task of the gardener is to stimulate root formation as much as possible. To do this, it is necessary to make an oblique cut two cm above the upper kidney so that the juice stacks on the other side of it. The lower kidney is removed completely, and on the lower third of the cutting, the bark should be damaged with any sharp object.

The shoots prepared in this way should be put in a bucket and completely filled with water for a couple of days. The temperature of the liquid is not more than 18 degrees.

Honey is considered a natural remedy for accelerating root growth. If desired, you can use hormonal preparations, such as humate, epin, root, and so on.

What to consider when buying a finished seedling

Since it is not always possible to turn to a friend for a grape cutting, a common way to purchase a seedling is to buy on the market. But so that the acquisition does not become a source of disappointment, it is important to take into account some points.

Firstly, varieties of grape seedlings are distinguished, which are determined by the rate of growth, the number and uniformity of the distribution of roots near the trunk. All this affects the time during which the plant reaches the required size and begins to bear fruit.

Since the production of wine involves large-scale cultivation of grapes, in this case, the purchase of elite varieties is preferred. For those who like to enjoy fresh berries, the first or second grade of the plant is suitable.

Moreover, if there are less than two roots on the shoot, and the growth has not formed, this is called substandard. Since such plants have not yet fully formed, you should not purchase them.

Secondly, grapes are distinguished by type:

• new, grown within the same climatic zone for about 20 years;
• supernovae, recently bred and tested in different climatic zones over the past 5-8 years;
• zoned or grown by amateurs, but distinguished by good fruiting in their region.

In this case, it is worth paying attention to the region from which the grapes were brought. This is to determine how easily it will endure temperature changes in one direction or another. And it will be easier for the owner to save the seedlings.

Therefore, before acquiring the stalk you like, you should pay attention to the following features:

• the presence of a polyethylene box and a layer of drainage and wet soil;
• the presence of at least two roots without thickenings and growths;
• a tag indicating the plant variety;
• the presence of at least three blossoming leaves on the trunk;
• the trunk itself must be strong, without mold, growths, stains, seals;
• at least 6 brown buds.

If at least one of the parameters does not meet the standard, it would be prudent to postpone the purchase or choose another cutting.

How to plant a grape seedling

In order for the planting of grape seedlings to be successful, two basic conditions must be met. First, the plant needs to be planted to a sufficient depth. Secondly, you need to provide watering to deep roots.

A hole is dug under the seedling up to a meter deep. It is a square recess with a side width of 60 cm. Ash is placed at the bottom of the pit, and on top it is covered with a 1 cm drainage layer of broken brick, expanded clay or pebbles.

A mandatory element of the system will be a vertically installed pipe, which is located on the north side of the plant. It should be made of a material that is less susceptible to rust, so watering will be carried out through it.

The top opening of the pipe must be closed. This is how protection against blockage is made, and the access of pests to the root system of grapes is limited.

Then you have to prepare the soil for backfilling the seedling itself. The soil that was taken out when preparing the pit should be mixed with two buckets of fertilizer. If the soil is heavy, sand should be added to it to facilitate the growth of grapes.

Before planting a seedling of grapes, in the center of the prepared bottom of the recess, you need to pour the earth in the form of a hill, on which the cutting is placed. In this position, it will be easier to evenly distribute the root system of the cutting. Then the planted plant remains sprinkled with soil so that the two lower buds are completely covered with earth.

From above, the sprout can be covered with a layer of mulch in the form of foliage or straw. But you need to do this so that the branches remain on the surface. Planting cuttings should be done in spring or autumn.

In the first case, watering a new plant can be started almost immediately in an amount of up to 20 liters per week, depending on climatic conditions.

In the second case, immediately after planting, the grapes are covered for winter storage. And, starting in the spring, watering begins. And with good care, the vine will reach its size by the end of summer, and in a year the owner can count on the first harvest.

Photo of grape seedlings