Grapes are known for their beneficial qualities. This crop requires fertile soils, a humid and warm climate, and a lot of sun, which will make it possible to get a rich harvest.
What conditions are needed for planting grapes in spring
Most often, grapes are planted in the spring from March to June, sometimes in the autumn until the first frost. It is difficult to determine the most suitable time for this work, the timing depends on the weather conditions in the region, but this mainly happens in April, in which case the grapes begin to be prepared in the fall.
If you want to plant seedlings with a closed root system or green cuttings, then it is better to do this in late spring. Plants with open roots can be planted from the last decade of April, at this time the soil will already be warm enough.
A lot of light and sun is needed for a seedling, for this reason a place for planting is chosen at a distance from buildings and tall plants. It is important to choose a grape variety suitable for your climate, many southern varieties will not be able to produce a crop in the middle lane, and varieties intended for the middle lane planted in the south will bring a small crop. It is important to find out all the characteristics of the variety, find out what kind of soil is needed for it and whether it can successfully develop in your area.
Pay attention to the resistance of the plant to temperature extremes, and whether it can withstand the main diseases. On alkaline soil and in wetlands, grapes will develop poorly and often get sick. He needs aerated, sufficient, but not too moist, soil rich in nitrogen and phosphorus.
Seedling preparation
Planting grapes in the spring should be done only with healthy planting material. In this case, several nuances must be taken into account:
• There should not be brown spots on the root section of the seedling; it should be white;
• Last year’s shoot on a seedling should be fully ripened;
• On good shoots, elastic buds that hold well and do not fall off with a little pressure;
• When planting cuttings, they must be soaked in advance;
• The lower part of the handle is cut so as not to touch 1 cm of shoot near the first kidney and about 2 cm above the top;
Seedlings are kept for 24 hours in a honey solution, from 1 tbsp. honey in 3 liters of water to stimulate the growth of shoots. After soaking, the cuttings are slightly dried and treated with paraffin. To do this, mix 300 ml. water and paraffin and add 15 g. tar and wax, all are heated constantly stirring. Cuttings are dipped into the mixture one or several pieces, dipping first in the heated mixture, and then in cold water. Paraffin should be covered with no more than 6 cm of the length of the stem.
In addition to pruning and preparation, planting material of grapes needs to be hardened before planting in a permanent place. Otherwise, they can be severely damaged in the sun. For 7 days, the seedlings are kept in the shade under a canopy. After that, about 1.5 weeks under a dim sun. Plants that developed with a lack of light - the acclimatization period is increased by 1.5 times. Outwardly, they are distinguished by pale green leaves and elongated shoots.
Seedlings that are planted in a permanent place without hardening stop development for a long time, the growth begins to stiffen early - this is how the plant fights against severe stress. Closer to the second decade of June they will recover active growth.
Grape planting in spring
In April, there is already little moisture left in the soil for only planted plants, for this reason they need to provide daily watering and often feed seedlings. This is the only minus for planting grapes in the spring.
At the same time, there are advantages:
• After harvesting in the garden, there is enough time to plan the site;
• In the fall, you can fertilize the soil with high quality;
• Planting grapes in the spring, eliminates the need to protect young plants from frost and rodents.
Site layout
Proper placement of plants on the site is an important stage in creating a productive vineyard. Experienced growers often raise plants on a vertical trellis, which allows them to get the maximum amount of sunlight. The soil at the planting site of the seedling is pre-excavated, leveled and harrowed. Loosening preserves moisture in the soil, at the same time during planning, mark the exact places where the grape bushes will be planted so that smooth rows are obtained, after 2-3.5 meters, depending on the grape variety. Bushes in a row are planted at a distance of 3-3.5 meters when the shoots are formed in the same plane. This will provide adult plants with ample space for green mass nutrition and development.
How to plant grapes
If you want to have several grape varieties, then you need to place the bushes of the same variety in one row. Another variety must be placed in the next row.
Before landing, planting material must be prepared:
1. The roots are shortened, leaving at least 10 centimeters;
2. On shoots there should be 4-5 kidneys;
3. The root system is dipped in a mixture of mullein and clay, a root stimulant is added to the solution;
The most commonly used formulations that stimulate root development are succinic acid, heteroauxin, fumar, and various formulations with humic acids.
Prepared seedlings are planted in the planting pits or in the trench. The optimal depth for landing is 30-40 centimeters. The roots of adult plants are located in this layer; here, more nutritious soil is also better aerated. If the stalk or seedling is too short, it is still planted at this depth, but from above, at the planting site, make a recess.
Planting growing seedlings
Planting material with growing shoots is adapted for growth under favorable conditions of the greenhouse, before transplanting into open ground they will have to be hardened. Green seedlings are transferred for several hours to the street in a place where the sun's rays shine weakly. It is strictly forbidden to place them under direct sunlight, a powerful flux of ultraviolet radiation, falling on unaccustomed plants, will destroy them. At night, the seedlings are again brought into the room.
During transplantation, a pot or cup with a seedling on both sides is carefully cut and removed. Nutrient soil is poured at the bottom of the landing pit, a seedling is placed on this soil. The pit is half asleep, the soil is slightly trampled and watered. When the moisture is absorbed, the planting hole is filled up. You can start planting green seedlings only when the weather is completely warm.
Planting cuttings
Not all grape cuttings take root, they are planted in several ways:
• Vertical landing;
• Inclined landing;
• Stack the handle with an arc.
To get a bush with a powerful root system, cuttings need to be planted 0.5-1 meter long. The bottom of a long and flexible shoot must be carefully laid in a ring at the bottom of the pit. After planting, the pit is covered with soil, one kidney should remain above the surface, it is carefully sprinkled to protect it with a small layer of soil. The roots on the handle will be formed on each node, as a result, the plant will receive many strong roots.
In depleted (after uprooted garden plants or vine bushes), infected with diseases or frozen soil, cuttings will develop poorly or simply die. It is best to cut cuttings from juicy, flexible and hard shoots with a diameter of at least 8 mm. Cut planting material should be in the fall, until spring cuttings are stored in the basement.
