How to grow grape seedlings from cuttings? At first glance this question seems very complicated. There is an idea that for this you need to have a lot of special knowledge and skills. Yes, indeed, you will have to make enough effort and patience, but with a great desire, this can be done. On how to properly grow grapes from cuttings, we will discuss further.
Methods of propagation of grapes
Grapes can be propagated in two ways: with seed and seedling. Propagation from the seed is used mainly in breeding, although some gardeners who are ready for experiments or want to grow grapes of the desired variety choose this method. There are some features, from harvesting seeds to planting them in the ground and ending with the care of young seedlings. But that is a different topic.
If you want to grow grapes at home and preserve all the characteristics of the variety, you need to plant seedlings. They are grown in a vegetative way, namely by rooting a particle of the vine called a stalk. This method is considered the simplest and at the same time ideal, because it is based on the ability of a culture to completely revive from only one piece of planting material, while preserving all the properties and qualities of the mother vine. Let us further consider how to grow grape seedlings from cuttings in winter.
Harvesting cuttings
So, the cultivation of grape seedlings begins with the harvesting of cuttings. This is carried out in late autumn, after the first frost, when pruning the bushes. Annual shoots are well suited for this, the main thing is that the vine ripens well (how to grow grapes from cuttings, we will consider in the article).
An unripe vine usually has a dirty green color and a “wrinkled” surface. Such material is not suitable for harvesting cuttings. Next, the middle part is selected from the shoot, the top and the first two or three eyes are cut off.
Storage
If you decide to grow grapes from cuttings, in winter the selected material must be sent for storage. The vine is better preserved as a whole, for this it needs to be covered with coarse-grained, moderately moist sand and taken out to a cool place. A basement in which a relatively stable temperature plus 2-4 ° C is well suited.
It is necessary to take into account an important detail - the oxidation process takes place in the vine during storage, otherwise it is called the “vine lives”. Therefore, the higher the temperature in the room, the more actively it "lives", that is, it is oxidized. This leads to the fact that the planting material is weakening, and its shelf life is significantly reduced. In addition, you must always monitor the humidity, because at low humidity the vine can dry out, and at high humidity it can become moldy.
Before growing grapes from the cuttings, in the spring, approximately at the beginning of February, a few weeks before planting in the soil, planting material must be checked for integrity and safety. To do this, gently press the secateurs onto the transverse incision of the twigs: if a drop of juice comes out, the stalk is fresh and well preserved, if the juice does not protrude, it means that the temperature was high in the room and the stalk was dry. If water came out of the cut even without pressure, the vine rotted out of excess moisture. Another way to check how planting material is saved is to make a small incision: its color should be pale green, without any black or dark spots.
In the spring, approximately in March, the vine is taken out of the cache and taken out into a warm room. After that, it must be correctly cut into cuttings. They should be 30-35 cm long and have three to four eyes. The lower cut of the stalk should be almost under the eye (2-3 mm lower), and the upper 2-3 cm above the eye.
Soaking Chubuk
In order to grow grapes from cuttings at home, the cut vine is dipped in water and soaked for 1-3 days - depending on how much moisture the planting material gathered. It is very good to add biologically active substances (for example, flower honey) to the solution, as well as root formation stimulants. This will increase the positive result and will contribute to faster root formation. After all, winegrowers have long noticed that the bud at the vine swells and develops faster, and root formation takes a longer time, about two to three weeks. Therefore, it is prematurely formed and the swollen kidney can dry out.
Germination of cuttings
Let us consider further how to grow grape stalks in a pot. After soaking, the chubuki must be placed in a bowl with special soil to undergo the process of root formation. Large plastic glasses or bottles may be suitable for this. So, at the bottom of the tank, after having punctured it with an awl in several places, pour a drainage layer, on top of it are several tablespoons of the soil mixture with the addition of sand and humus. In this mixture, we make a hole in the center and gently lower the stalk there at an angle so that the upper kidney is at the top of the bottle or glass. On top of the soil mixture, pour steamed moist sawdust. Again, this entire structure is covered with a large plastic glass without a bottom, which can be removed after four leaves have grown on a twig. Cuttings placed in such mini-greenhouses are put in a warm place, the main thing is that there are no drafts.
Watering
Watering is necessary every two days, but it must be done through a pallet. It is necessary to pour warm, settled water into it and put in a glass or a bottle with a handle for 15 minutes. Through the holes in the bottom of the glass, exactly as much moisture as the plant needs will fall into the container.
Within two to three weeks, the bark should crack on the bottom of the stem (some say on the heel), after which the root will appear. All this will be clearly visible through a transparent glass. If the bark does not crack and the roots do not appear, this means that the temperature and humidity of the environment in which the planting material was located was low. Therefore, the cuttings need to hold longer.
Next, there will be swelling of the buds on the shoots and the germination of young leaves. Some winegrowers recommend that during this period it is imperative to harden the seedlings, taking them out daily and gradually increasing the time spent. First put in the shade, and then in the sun, while carefully avoiding drafts. As mentioned earlier, after the emergence of roots and several leaves on the shoot, remove the upper glass. So, we already have finished material for planting in the prepared soil. Do not keep the seedling in the container for too long, because the longer the roots grow, the easier it is to damage them when replanting.
Landing
Before disembarking in a previously prepared place, you need to carefully monitor the weather forecast and how much the soil has warmed up. If planted in cold soil, the stalk is unlikely to take root well. But, on the other hand, if you hold it longer and plant it later, then it can become weakened from long maintenance, so if it takes root, then a healthy vine is unlikely to ripen. In addition, young grape seedlings are very sensitive to temperature changes, the slightest frost will ruin the root system and all work will be wasted. Therefore, sprouted seedlings are planted around the end of June, when it has finally warmed up.
Care
Growing grapes from cuttings at home is easy, the main thing is to ensure proper care. After planting in the soil during the growing season, you need to maintain the necessary moisture, protect young leaves and buds from the scorching sun or excessive cold, feed the seedling with special fertilizers (nitrogen or phosphorus). But you need to know that in the second half of summer it is not recommended to apply nitrogen fertilizers, because they stimulate growth, but slow down the maturation of the vine.
During the growth period during the summer, green operations are performed: they consist in removing excess shoots (you need to leave one best), stepsons and other procedures. But the main thing in this process is not to overdo it and not to do all the operations at the same time, since you can weaken the plant.
If the weather conditions were not very favorable, the seedling (to grow grapes from the cuttings, as you can see, the task, albeit not very difficult, but requiring a competent approach) can affect fungal diseases. Therefore, it is necessary to timely spray with fungicides. If the shoot is damaged by ticks or midges, treat with acaricides.
At the end of summer, minting is carried out - the top of the shoot is cut off. But all this is carried out gradually: you can not simultaneously remove the extra shoots and minting, it will harm the plant.
In late autumn, after falling leaves, the seedlings are dug up, carefully folded into a convenient container, sprinkled with moist sand and lowered into the basement for storage, maintaining the proper temperature (2-4 ° C) and humidity there. In the spring, after repeating the above described procedure of quenching and disinfection with a weak solution of manganese, they are again planted in already warmed up soil for “permanent residence”. A seedling is considered to be of good quality and in the future fruitful, with no less than 3-4 roots arranged uniformly in a circle, the growth thickness is 4-5 mm approximately, and a well-ripened vine is no less than 15-20 cm long.
Like all living things, a plant requires attention and care. It should be borne in mind that not all grape varieties reproduce equally. Some are easier to root and grow grapes from cuttings of this variety is easier. Others, without special fertilizers and biostimulants for the formation of the root system, are quite difficult to grow. But, despite all the difficulties, it is impossible to refuse to plant such “complex” grape varieties, because these species have a lot of other positive qualities - high resistance to temperature extremes and frost resistance, endurance to various diseases, or just an excellent presentation.
Conclusion
So, we looked at how to grow grapes from the cuttings. If you follow the breeding technology in the cultivation of this crop, and if you have the desire and patience, you can get a very rich harvest of large and tasty grapes on your own site!