In traditional practice, the vine is propagated in the usual vegetative way, that is, with eyes, cuttings and layering. A similar method is able to provide high-quality reproduction of the very variety that served as a source of planting material. The question arises of how to preserve grape cuttings until spring so that they do not lose their ability to grow rapidly.
In large industries, this plant is not propagated using seeds. This is due to the fact that when sowing very rarely vines are obtained that would have the same qualities as the mother bush. If breeding is carried out, then hybrid seedlings are often used, which are obtained by simply crossing suitable parental pairs. That is why growing by cuttings or layering is such a popular way of cultivating this plant. Planting material is harvested in the fall, mainly from annual vines, which are cut from fruiting stands. How to save grape cuttings further is a task for patient gardeners.
Selection of planting material
The ideal vine should be absolutely healthy and not thin. Poorly ripened, infected with diseases or pests, as well as too thick a piece is not suitable. In addition, you can not select pieces that have short or too long internodes, as well as growing on barren bushes. If you do not observe at least one indicator of selection, the search for an answer to the question of how to save grape cuttings until spring will be meaningless, since the plant will die or will not produce a crop. For harvesting only healthy specimens, mass selection of the entire fruiting plantations is carried out. The purpose of such an event is to leave in the end only vines that give a tasty and plentiful harvest. Selection is carried out on negative or positive grounds, but for pure-grade plantings only the first option is used.
How to save grape cuttings in winter?
The usual place for keeping vines in the cold season is a dry basement or a special garden trench. If the cellar was chosen as the answer to the question of how to save grape cuttings until spring, the following scheme is used. All prepared vines are stacked in piles, carefully pouring each of the rows with slightly moist, but not wet river sand. The layer of such a shelter should be 8-10 cm, and the ambient temperature should not fall below -5 ° C or be higher than + 4 ° C. A constant 0 ° C would be ideal.
In order not to take up the living space, garden trenches were invented. Experienced gardeners share secrets on how to keep grape cuttings until spring in special covered pits. For this shelter, they dig a trench with a width of about 1.5 m, and the height of the walls should be equal to a meter. They dig a hole in length, depending on the total amount of planting material.
A gable roof made of ordinary wooden boards is installed directly above the trench. From above, the structure is covered with vine cuttings and ground - the layer should be about 50 cm. For reliable ventilation from the bottom of the trench and through all the upper shelters, special air vents are installed. Putting cuttings in such storage should be the same as in a regular basement. Following these simple tips and building a trench once, for many years you can not only worry about the wintering of vines, but also about the storage of many types of garden shrubs and flowers.