If you want your country house to look original, for example, like a fairytale castle, and your backyard area resembled a magical garden, then you should pay attention to such a plant as maiden grapes.
In the process of development, it grows tight vines, which create a dense carpet on the wall, gazebo, hedges, which allows any objects to look as if they belong to the Middle Ages.
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Features of maiden grapes
A photo of this plant can be found on the Internet, however, not everyone knows that it is known by a different name - virgin ivy... This can be explained by the fact that it can form fruit without pollination.
The flowers of the plant do not look attractive and are also not edible and fruit. However, for many summer residents, girlish grapes are interesting because they can be very successful use in landscaping, the main thing that attracts the owners of suburban areas is decorative foliage.
The leaves are finger-shaped and have a bright green color. The first frosts cause the foliage to change its original color to a more purple color. However, until winter comes, the suburban area will not lose its main decoration, formed by leaves of red and purple flowers.
It is recommended to plant grapes in a place where nearby there is a vertical supportas vines need room to grow. Therefore, many people grow it near the fence.
The owner will have to periodically conduct the spring and autumn pruning of grapes, because in the absence of control over this perennial culture, it will fill all the free space.
Because of this property, girlish grapes have become widespread in landscape design, because with its help you can easily hide unattractive outbuildings, as well as hide the raw walls of houses.
Among other advantages of plants, it is worth highlighting the fact that it contributes to the improvement of the microclimate, so it can suppress certain types of pathogens.
Varieties of wild decorative grapes
The main thing that attracts summer residents is this plant - girlish grapes do not require special care. Therefore, you only need to choose a landing site, after which it will develop independently.
Such advantages as unpretentiousness and pronounced decorative properties have become one of the main reasons why this perennial can often be found in many gardens.
Getting acquainted with the girl's grape, it must be said that it is a representative of the Vinogradov family. It includes 12 species, many of which are found in Asia and North America.
Despite some of their differences, they all received wide use as a decoration in landscaping.
Five-leaf maiden grapes... This variety is often referred to as the Virginian grape. In one year, its vines can reach a height of about 2.5 m.This is enough to cover a 15 m high building with thickets.
The leaves have a finger-like complex shape, they can reach 10 cm in length, and there is a pointed tip at the end. This grape variety acquires the most pronounced decorative properties in autumn, when its foliage turns red.
They began to grow it as a cultivated plant in 1622. Therefore, it should not be surprising that photos of this variety can be present both in modern magazines and in paintings dating back to the Renaissance and Enlightenment.
Triangular maiden grapes... This variety is often referred to as an ivy grape. This can be explained by the fact that with its foliage it strongly resembles this plant. The leaves of this grape variety are three-bladed.
Shoots can grow up to 15–20 m in length. This grape variety perfectly tolerates negative temperatures. Already during the first frosts, noticeable changes take place in the appearance of this variety: instead of the usual color, the leaves acquire red-purple and orange shades.
In this plant, it is customary to distinguish individual varieties with pronounced features. Golden look has leaves decorated with yellow spots. In the purple variety, the foliage shimmers with dark burgundy shades.
The decorative properties of the Vich grape are also pronounced - its small leaves have a shiny surface, and at the time of the first frost they change their usual color to orange.
It is very easy to get planting material, it is enough to buy seeds or take the shoots left over after pruning from neighbors. Maiden grapes even propagate by shoots:https://flowers.bigbadmole.com/en/yagody/vinograd/razmnozhenie-vinograd-devichiy.html
Preparing for landing
Maiden grapes feel good not only in sunny places, but also in the shade. But it should be borne in mind that in the fall, when the first frosts come, the maiden grapes acquire a color characteristic of this period of the year.
However, many experts agree that the most suitable for growing this plant is sunny plot.
You can grow wild grapes near a fence or other support on the north side, however, in this case, it will not change its green color until the leaves begin to crumble due to the first cold weather.
Growing on the southern and eastern sides of the site is beneficial because in these places reproduction takes less time, and the leaves grow larger.
You can sow seeds in the fall. As for the transplanting of seedlings, it is recommended to plan this work in the spring. Maiden grapes are not very picky about the quality of the soil.
However, this plant still feels better if it grows on purpose prepared potting mixes... To prepare it, you will need the following components:
- 2 pieces of garden land.
- 2 parts compost.
- 1 part sand.
After thoroughly mixing all the ingredients, the pits prepared for planting cuttings are filled with this composition.
Secrets of successful planting of grapes by cuttings, various methods of propagation:https://flowers.bigbadmole.com/en/yagody/vinograd/posadka-vinograda-cherenkami-vesnoy.html
Seed propagation
As a rule, only experienced summer residents are engaged in growing wild grapes from seeds. It is not recommended for beginners to use this breeding method, not only because this process takes a lot of time and effort.
Often, the desired result cannot be achieved because the seeds used can not germinate all. However, in a situation where the gardener does not have planting material for reproduction, he has no other alternatives.
Stratification is a mandatory operation that seeds must go through before planting. It can be carried out in natural conditions: for this, seeds are sown in the fall in the ground, where they should be tempered during three months.
You can also do this in the spring, however, in this case, the time for sowing is chosen 6-7 weeks earlier than the usual time for sowing at home:
- A small container is taken, which is filled with clean sand.
- The sand must be shed well, and then the existing seeds must be sown into it.
- Then the container must be covered with a film.
- Next, the container must be placed in a cool place, such as a refrigerator. For the proper conduct of this procedure, it is necessary to ensure the temperature is within + 5 degrees Celsius.
- During certification, it is necessary to ensure that the sand is constantly wet. This is done until the moment when they begin to sprout sprouts from seeds.
If the seeds undergo such a preparatory treatment in the open field, then after a month from the moment of their sowing, the first shoots can be expected to appear.
Planting cuttings
Many gardeners choose the propagation method by cuttings because of the less laboriousness and time that they have to withstand before obtaining planting material. After cutting their vines placed in open groundwhere they take root rather quickly.
To obtain high-quality planting material, this work is carried out in the following order:
- for reproduction, cuttings are required with at least four buds;
- in the prepared hole, the cutting must be placed in such a way that two buds are located above the ground;
- planting must necessarily end with watering;
- in order to avoid burns, it is recommended to protect the garden from direct sunlight;
- you can get good seedlings if the soil is constantly moistened.
Reproduction by layering
This method of obtaining seedlings of wild grapes may be of interest to those who already have mature bushes on the site. In this case, planting and caring for young plants can be carried out immediately after choosing a place for a new bush.
The very process of reproduction in this way is carried out in the following order:
- At the beginning of spring, you need to outline the vines at the age of two to three years.
- Further, they are bent to the ground and fixed in this position.
- The place of the bend must be covered with fertile soil.
- While waiting for the rooting of the cuttings, it is necessary to irrigate regularly.
- A year later, a full-fledged root system will form at the cuttings, after which they can be transplanted to a permanent place.
Further care
After receiving the planting material and transplanting it, the main care measures will be reduced to removing excess shoots and installing special supports for the growth of vines.
Although branches can often independently climb the walls of a building, however, many gardeners come to their aid, specially installing the fence, for example, a chain-link.
Young bushes of maiden grapes experience the need for moisture only at a young age. Adult bushes have enough moisture, which comes with precipitation and from internal reserves.
Caring for perennials is also simplified because the owner does not have to carry out sheltering measures for the winter. However, for young plantings, this activity is mandatory.
How to tie grapes on a trellis in spring: https://flowers.bigbadmole.com/en/yagody/vinograd/kak-podvyazyvat-vinograd-vesnoy.html
Fertilization
For better assimilation of fertilizers, it is recommended to carry out top dressing while watering the grapes. To do this, you can use a nitroammophoska. In order to stimulate the growth of grapes, it is useful to apply complex fertilizers to the soil.
Maiden grapes respond well with active growth if measures are taken to improve the quality of the soil. Therefore, in addition to loosening, it is also recommended before planting introduce peat into the soil and humus.
Fertility can be increased by fertilizing the soil with two-year compost. The mulching operation is quite effective, during which sawdust or rotted foliage can be used.
Any suburban area, as well as a house located on it, can look unusual if you use an original approach to its design. One such idea could be the use of girlish grapes.
This ornamental plant is capable of forming long shoots that can hide any tall buildings, creating medieval effect.
Naturally, the cultivation of this plant has its own characteristics. Particular attention should be paid to young seedlings, since they not only require regular watering, but also protection from frost.
However, adult plants are unpretentious, so the owner will only be required to pruningif he wants to restrict the further spread of grapes.
