About 20 years ago, a vine in Siberian gardens was a rarity. About
how to grow grapes in Siberia, few knew, but it turned out to grow it from a few gardeners. Now this southern culture has reliably taken root in many areas: rich harvests of amazingly tasty, beautiful and healthy berries are obtained from it. The success of winegrowing enthusiasts is inspiring, every year more and more gardeners adjoin them, and the collection of varieties grown in Siberia is replenished with modern species with improved qualities.
Prepare a place to settle in the fall
If you have a dream to grow a vine in your area, start with a theoretical preparation for a new occupation. First you need to learn in detail about how to grow grapes in Siberia. Prepare to receive a new culture from the fall. You should choose a place in the garden (the sunniest and most aired, dry) and prepare the site for planting: dig a trench 70 cm deep and wide, to the bottom of which lay a broken brick (for drainage), pour a 10 cm layer of coarse sand on top, fill the trench with a nutritious soil mixture of peat, sand, decomposed humus and sod land with the addition of full fertilizer with trace elements. Spill well with water - moist soil will freeze less. Cover the top of the trench with straw, planks, cover with a film so that the soil does not freeze deep and warms up faster in the spring. Grapes need to be planted immediately in a permanent place, since it very quickly develops roots and a large number of small roots on the periphery. Transplanting a seedling that has grown in growth is not always a successful business, requiring considerable effort and caution.
Grape seedlings
Those who know how to grow grapes in Siberia are advised to start from early varieties, in which grapes and vine ripen in time in the short Siberian summer, which is necessary for wintering in harsh climates. Be aware that seedlings grown from grape seed do not repeat varietal qualities. To reward care and work, do not purchase seedlings from unknown people. The best will be annual and biennial, obtained from cuttings, or seedlings, branches, wintering in cool rooms. Obsolete varieties are unstable to disease, the taste of small berries in small clusters is low. These are such varieties as "Homeland", "Alpha", "Pearl of Saba", "Anniversary of Novgorod", "Seedling of Solovyov", "Madeleine Anzhevin".
Where to start growing grapes in Siberia?
After acquiring a seedling in early spring, immediately transplant it into a more spacious container filled with garden soil with sand. At the bottom of the pot, holes for draining excess water and a drainage layer are mandatory. Place a pot of seedlings on the most lighted window sill, but not close to the glass. Stick a high peg and tie a plant with a tag to it, where the name of the variety is. Water only dried soil with settled warm water. Gradually harden the plant, accustom to fresh air and ultraviolet. As soon as warm weather sets in, frosts pass, plant grapes with a lump of earth on the roots in a trench prepared from autumn. Set the trellis and tie the growing young vine to it.
New grape varieties for Siberia
"Luchisty Kishmish" - large-fruited nutmeg, the best of seedless varieties. Srednerosly, early-medium (ripening term 130 days). Berries 22x18 mm in size, cluster weight up to 1 kg. High sugar content (about 21%) with low acidity. "Rusball" - vigorous, with early ripening (from 115 to 125 days), fruitful, resistant to disease, frost-resistant (up to -25 degrees). Bunches of up to 1 kg, seedless white oval berries 18x16 mm, pleasant sweet taste. "Olga" ("Beauty of the North") is a large bunch with large pinkish-white berries, in which there is a lot of folic acid. Resistant to disease. "Rusven" - a very productive and early variety, with good ripening shoots. Large berry, green-pink, with a bright nutmeg taste. "Golbena Nou" is an early ripe, large-fruited, with amber-white nutmeg aroma. Vine has time to ripen over the summer. The variety is resistant to disease. "Tukay" - an early ripening of white with a golden tan berries with excellent muscat taste, a very productive variety. "Karmakod" - large elongated oval berries (red-blue), the taste is pleasant. Fruits in the second or third year.
Shelter of the vine for the winter
According to the advice of experienced gardeners who know how to grow grapes in Siberia, a beginner grower does not need to do summer pruning of green shoots in the first 2 years. First, let the seedling grow freely, adapt to the climate, and grow roots. Tear off the flower ovaries without sparing. In autumn, before freezing, the vine bushes are sheltered for the winter without pruning so that they are better preserved. The shoots are distributed on different sides of the trench and pinned, covered with a 25 cm high box, then a layer of dry straw is laid, covered with a film (or roofing material) - this is how the vine is prepared for winter. Spray snow for cover.
Vine formation
Without proper pruning, you cannot get a good grape harvest. But it is difficult to talk about existing bush formations in one article. We give one way - an inclined one-sided cordon. In the first year they grow one powerful shoot. Next spring it needs to be cut to the length of the distance between the bushes and tied obliquely to the lower trellis wire. After budding, remove all shoots at a height of 20-30 cm from the base of the bush, leaving well-developed shoots above (every 20-30 cm). In the spring of the 3rd year, cut all the shoots to 2-3 eyes. On the 4th year, fruit links will form on these horns.