Correct planting of grapes is the key to a good harvest

Grapes are one of the most common crops on the planet. In southern countries, the plant has been cultivated since antiquity, but it is able to grow and bear fruit also in northern latitudes. The grapes are grown quite successfully in Scotland, Sweden, Norway, central Russia. Even in the Leningrad Region, enthusiastic gardeners “tame” the vine.

Planting grapes

Grapes are able to grow on almost any soil, except that saline and waterlogged ones are categorically not suitable for it. But rocky lands and sandstones are ideal for him. In such soils, water does not stagnate, and the grapes especially do not like the high humidity of both the earth and the air. Therefore, it is easier to grow grapes in Siberia than near St. Petersburg.

The grapes are quite frost-resistant, it can endure -15-18 degrees. Some varieties can even withstand cold temperatures down to -25 degrees. But the winter hardiness of the culture (the ability to withstand winter thaws, spring and autumn frosts) is not high.

Grapes prefer light soils

Seat selection

The main rule is the more sun the better. The place should be inaccessible to the north wind. Therefore, a sunny area is ideal for planting grapes, illuminated all day long and closed from the north by curtain plants (no closer than 2 m to the vine) or a fence.

You can plant grapes near buildings that will protect it from the wind. It would be logical to place seedlings at some southern wall, but this rule does not apply to all areas. For example, in the northwestern part of Russia, the cold land is poor in humus and warms up slowly. But on the southern side of buildings, the surface of the earth sometimes heats up to temperatures above 20^aboutC. In such conditions, the plant wakes up, begins active sap flow. And at night there may be frosts. In this case, the water in the shoots will freeze and tear them apart, the vine will die. Therefore, it is better to plant grapes on the southwest or west side, covering it with planting curtain plants.

A screen made of dark colored planks is suitable for fencing grapes: it will protect from the wind and, when heated in the sun, will give its warmth to the seedlings.

The vineyard should be sunny and sheltered from the wind

It is necessary to place plantings, stepping back from the building about 75 cm, where the soil freezes less.

Make sure that no water drips from the roof onto the grapes.

The western side does not heat up so quickly, but it does not cool down too soon, giving off its warmth at night. The south-east and south-west are good for a covering form of cultivation. In the greenhouse, you need to arrange plantings from north to south.

The roots of the grapes are located quite deep, so it cannot be planted in areas where the groundwater level is above 1.5 m.

Pit preparation

The size of the landing pit is 60x60 cm, the depth is 0.8–1 m.

Pit preparation:

1. Drainage is poured onto the bottom with a layer of 10–15 cm: gravel, brick scrap, pebbles.
   

   A drainage layer must be poured at the bottom of the pit

2. Then the pit is filled with a mixture of gravel, sand and fertile soil in the ratio: 0.5 buckets of sand x 1 bucket of gravel x 3 buckets of fertile soil.
3. Be sure to add a deoxidizer - dolomite flour or ash:
   • with slightly acidic soil - 1 tbsp. dolomite flour or 1.5 tbsp. ash on a bucket of rubble;
   • with sour - 2 tbsp. dolomite or 3 tbsp. ash.
     

     They also reduce the acidity of the soil by introducing chalk, gypsum or crushed eggshell into it.

4. At the very top, clean fertile soil is poured with a layer of 25 cm.
5. You need to fill the pit gradually, spilling the mixture several times with water and slightly compacting.
6. Near the prepared pit, two metal pipes are driven in, one next to the pit, and the other, retreating 1.5 m from the first. A wire (preferably in a plastic sheath) is tied to these pipes at a height of 40-50 cm to make two parallel rows. This will be a trellis.

Soil deoxidation increases the availability of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and molybdenum to plants, and protects them from harmful supersaturation with aluminum, iron and manganese.

Landing scheme

It is very important to follow the plan for planting new plants. Grapes do not tolerate transplanting, so they plant it once for a long time.

The distance between the seedlings depends on what form of vine cultivation is chosen. A vine is a "sleeve", it can be short (1.5 m) and long (from 2.5 m), it can be the only one on the plant ("one sleeve") or not. Space between plants:

• bush "with long sleeves" - 3 m;
• bush "with short sleeves" - 2 m;
• bush "with one sleeve" - ​​1.5 m.

Leave a distance of 2–2.5 m between the rows. Strawberries, greens and even vegetables can be grown in these aisles.

Parsley protects the vine from many diseases. Therefore, growing it at the roots of grapes is a great idea.

Parsley and grapes are good neighbors

Planting depth

The depth of the seedling roots depends on the type of soil:

• 40–45 cm on black soil or clay;
• 55-60 cm on sandy ground;
• 50–55 cm on loam and sandy loam.

A deep planting is needed to protect the root system from frost. Grape roots can withstand temperatures as low as -6^aboutFROM.

With a high level of groundwater

If groundwater is high at the surface of the earth, then you can:

• Use high embankments and ridges for planting. The ridge should be 0.8–1.5 m wide, 0.4 m high (at least 1 m if the soil is peaty). For spring planting, the structure is prepared in the fall so that the earth settles over the winter. For wintering, the ridges are insulated.
  

  With a high level of groundwater, you can grow grapes on a hill

• Lay a piece of slate at the bottom of the planting pit (30–40 cm), and plant a cutting on top in the usual way. The roots will rest against the slate and begin to grow to the sides, and not deeper into the waters.
• For drainage, two grooves are dug (1–1.5 m deep) on both sides of the plant at a distance of 1 m from them. The ditches are filled with broken brick, gravel, and pebbles. The drain should exit into a lowland located below the depth of the drainage ditches.

It is known that grapes can withstand flooding for up to 2 months. There is even such a method of fighting phylloxera disease, when the vineyard is flooded for 60 days.

Planting cuttings without roots

Grapes do not tolerate transplanting, so planting with cuttings (shanks) is the best way to propagate.

Preparation and storage of cuttings:

1. Cuttings should be cut in late autumn before being sheltered for the winter. The length of the handle is about 50 cm.
   

   Cuttings of grapes are cut in late autumn

2. They are stored on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator or in the cellar with a temperature of 2-4^aboutC, tied in bundles and wrapped in paper or cellophane.
   

   Instead of paper or cellophane, you can use a plastic bottle to store cuttings.

3. During storage, you need to inspect the cuttings several times: if they are wet, wipe them with a clean napkin, wrap them up and put them back.
4. In the spring, you need to make sure that the roots wake up faster than the rest. For this, the earth must be warm and the air cold. 2 weeks before planting, the shafts are planted in the ground at an angle into a container with earth according to a 10x10 cm scheme. A folded towel is laid on the battery, a container is placed on it, the window is kept open all the time. If the leaves are allowed to appear before the roots, they will begin to evaporate moisture from the cutting and the plant will dry out. There is a more convenient way: spill the landing site with hot water (60^aboutC), cover with a black film, make cross-shaped cuts in it, where to stick the shanks.
   

   Cuttings need to create conditions so that their roots have already begun to grow, and the buds have not yet woken up

Before planting at the shank, you need to scratch the bark on the lower tip with a needle a little, wet it, dip it in Kornevin, and plant it vertically to such a depth that there are 2-3 buds above the ground. You need to plant the cutting next to the pipe that was driven in during the preparation of the pit. Later, when a vine begins to grow from the shank, it will need to be tied to this pipe with a "figure eight". The ground is covered with black spunbond, fixing it with several stones.

The stones on the garden bed heat up during the day, and at night they warm up everything that is nearby.

Video: how to prepare and store grape cuttings

Fertilizers applied at planting

It is not recommended to apply nitrogen fertilizers during planting, as they interfere with root development. It is enough to add 1-2 tbsp to the top layer of the earth. l. complete mineral fertilizer AVA or any other, mixing it with the soil. You can bring 1 tbsp into the planting pit. ash. Fertilizers will last for up to 3 years.

Watering after planting

Watering is very important for planting grapes. The intensity of moisture depends on the growing area. If the climate is continental, with dry summers, then every day the seedling needs to be watered with half a bucket of water. If the climate is humid, then it is enough to pour the same half a bucket under the seedling once a week. But in any case, the water must certainly be warm! With prolonged cold and rainy weather, watering is stopped.

The grapes are watered with warm water

Features of planting grapes in autumn

The main advantage of planting grapes in the fall is that in the spring the plant will already be ready for an active life. Previously, it was believed that this method is suitable for warm regions. But now there is a positive experience of autumn planting of cuttings in the northern regions, even in the Urals.

You can plant grapes in autumn from October until frost. The planting hole is prepared in the same way as for spring planting. Before planting the seedling, the pit should stand for at least 2 weeks for the earth to settle and compact.

To prepare cuttings you need:

1. After leaf fall, take a shoot with a thickness of a little finger or more (from 5 to 10 mm). It is important to take a cutting from the middle of the vine, which is already bearing fruit well.
2. Cut a 30–40 cm long stalk with 3–4 buds.
   

   When cutting, you need to use a very sharp tool, ideally a special garden knife.

3. Find the bottom eyelet and make a slanting cut below it.
4. Make the upper cut horizontally, leaving 2-3 cm above the upper kidney.
   

   The upper cut is made just above the kidney.

5. Melt the paraffin or wax and dip the top in it for a few seconds (you can at least cover it with plasticine).
6. Dip the lower end into a growth stimulant solution (for example, Kornevin - 1 bag per bucket of water) for a day.

The prepared shank-shank can be planted in a ready-made moist pit. It is better to place it obliquely, at an angle of 45^abouttilted to the south, 3 buds should lie in the ground, one above the soil.

For the winter, the seedling needs to be covered: with a layer of earth of 10 cm, then the same thickness with a layer of leaves, on top with more earth 30–40 cm. Above this "sandwich", an arch made of polyethylene is installed.

Features of planting grapes in the lowlands

The grapes do not tolerate the northern slopes, stagnant water and lowlands. However, there is a unique method by A.G. Kudryavtseva. The bottom line is planting grapes in trenches lined with heat-conducting material (boards, brick or slate), which accumulates heat during the day and gives it back at night.

From April to June, the grapes lie in this trench, covered with foil frames (practically in a greenhouse), in warm weather the vine is raised on a trellis, and in the winter they are laid back, covered with insulation.

More details about the method can be found in the book by A.G. Kudryavtseva "Grapes in Siberia".

Grape planting methods

There are different ways of planting grapes. They differ in the method of preparing the site for the seedling and the type of planting material.

Classical

Classic way of planting:

1. In the fall, dig a planting hole or trench: the size of the hole is 80x80x60 cm (width, length, depth), the length of the trench is taken taking into account that the distance between the plants should be at least 2 m, and the width and depth - the same 80x60 cm, the distance between the rows - 2.5 m.
   

   The pit is prepared in advance, otherwise the earth will then settle, breaking off the roots of the seedling.

   

   Pits or trenches for grapes are prepared in advance so that the earth has time to settle

2. Fill the hole: at the bottom of 10 cm of drainage (crushed stone, broken brick, trimming boards), then a mixture of crushed stone, sand and fertile soil (half a bucket of sand and 3 buckets of soil on a bucket of crushed stone), add 1.5 tbsp of crushed stone to the bucket. ash or 1 tbsp. dolomite flour and 2 tbsp. l. complete mineral fertilizer.
   

   To enrich the roots with oxygen, you can throw a handful of wheat or barley grains into the pit.

3. Take a stalk, harvested in the fall, cut the lower end obliquely under the kidney, the upper end horizontally at a distance of 3-4 cm above the upper kidney, scratch the bark at the bottom of the stalk with a needle.
4. Dissolve root formation stimulants (Heteroauxin, Epin, Kornevin or just 1 tablespoon honey) in a bucket of water, put the finished cuttings in water for 2 days at room temperature.
   

   Cuttings are left in a jar of water for several days.

5. Move the cuttings to jars or cut plastic containers with clean water (the water level of 5 cm must be maintained at all times), after 2-3 weeks the first roots and green shoots will appear.
   

   If there is too much water, the cutting may suffocate!

6. A stalk with roots is planted in a container for seedlings filled with soil (5–7 cm) over a 2-3 cm drainage layer (expanded clay).
   

   The stalk with roots is planted in a seedling container

7. Watering should be done often, but little by little.
   

   Water the cuttings often and little by little

8. The shoot is pinched so that 2 small branches remain, which after 2 weeks need to be pinched again.
9. Rooted cuttings are planted in May - June, when the ground warms up to 16^aboutC, watered with 2 buckets of warm water per plant, mulch the soil with 1–2 cm of a mixture of dry earth, sand and sawdust.

On the trellis

By their nature, grapes are a liana, which means that they need support. In the wild, he lives like this, winding around trees and shrubs. Therefore, growing on a trellis is a logical and convenient way.

Supports can be very different in shape and number of planes. All of them consist of support pillars and a wire stretched between them. It is best to make posts from steel or asbestos-cement pipes with a diameter of 50-100 mm, but wood can also be used. Oak pillars will last about 20 years. The wire should be 2–5 mm in diameter, it is better if it has a plastic coating.

The simplest trellis consists of a wire tied to pipes, forming two parallel rows at a distance of 40-50 cm from the soil surface.

For the first two years, it will be enough to simply tie the growing vine to the post. In the 3rd year in the spring, after removing the shelter, a vine is laid on a horizontal trellis, twisting both wires in turn. In the 4th year, you can add another trellis at a distance of 40 cm from the first.

For northern areas, a single-plane trellis, located in a north-south direction, is better suited to avoid shadow in the aisles. And it is better to install the trellis with a slight slope to the south.

For good growth and fruiting, grapes need support

On the ridges

The method of growing grapes on the ridges is suitable for northern areas. Its pluses:

• protection against flooding of the vine in the spring;
• rapid heating of the soil;
• great air permeability of the earth;
• less labor for weed control.

To create a ridge:

1. Dig a trench 10 m long, about 25-30 cm deep, 100 cm wide. For better illumination, you need to orient the ridge from north to south.
2. Prepare the soil with sand, gravel and fertilizers in the usual way.
3. Fill the trench with soil so that the ridge rises 30–35 cm above the ground, and the slopes are gentle.
4. The entire ridge or only the slopes can be covered with insulation (spunbond, corrugated cardboard) or mulched.
5. To deepen the roots of seedlings 40–45 cm from the surface of the ridge.
6. On the perimeter of the ridge, you can dig in dark bottles with the necks down, this will be a kind of solar panels for plant roots, as well as strengthening for the walls of the ridge.
7. For watering and feeding, vertically bury a piece of pipe with a diameter of 30–35 cm into the ridge.

Cover the vineyard with black spunbond for warmth and weed control

In the greenhouse

The greenhouse climate is most favorable for grapes. Due to the increased temperature, the grapes grow faster and begin to bear fruit earlier.

Table: temperature regime for grapes in the greenhouse

Planting grapes in the greenhouse:

1. Prepare the soil in the greenhouse in the same way as for all other planting methods.
2. It is better to root the cuttings in advance in small containers in a warm room.
3. Plant in a greenhouse at a distance of at least 1.5 m from each other.
4. Cover with spunbond immediately after disembarkation.
5. Water once a week, combining watering with top dressing.

Grapes have periods when they do not need to be watered at all: this is the time before and during flowering and before harvesting. If you water the plant during these periods, the color will fly around, and the harvest will slow down ripening.

Greenhouse grapes grow faster

Into containers

The container method increases the growing season of the seedling in the 1st year of planting. This is especially important in colder areas. The essence of the method is that seedlings (with roots) are planted in spring in large bags (diameter 35 cm, height 40 cm) of black dense polyethylene with a cut bottom.

Process features:

1. The packages are placed in a pallet (box covered with foil).
2. The soil consists of 1 part of humus and 3 parts of deciduous forest land.
3. Before planting, the roots of the seedling are cut off to a length of 10-15 cm, its entire lower part is dipped in a clay mash (you can add a little cow dung and Kornevin powder to the clay).
4. The seedling is placed in a bag with soil, the roots are straightened, covered with the remaining soil, and watered with warm water.
5. Plants are kept warm at home before budding.
6. Then, if the weather permits, they begin to take it out into the air. 2 days put in the shade (for hardening), then you can leave in the sun.
7. Water as the soil dries up.
8. At night, if there is no frost, you can leave it in the greenhouse.
9. They are planted in the ground after the threat of frost has passed.

Moldavian planting

The old Moldavian way of planting grapes is very interesting. It requires a vine at least 60 cm long. Further actions:

1. In the spring, you need to twist it several times with a ring, grabbing the turns with a rope.
2. Then put in a deep hole, making sure that there are 1-2 buds on the surface.
3. To prevent the buds from drying out, pour a pile of earth over the peeking end of the vine.
4. Water as needed.
5. By autumn, a strong plant will develop from the ringlet, which can give the first indicative berries next year.
   

   When planted in the Moldavian way, the roots grow along the entire length of the vine

The trick is that a large vine has a good supply of nutrition for growing roots, which grow a lot along the entire length. They, in turn, intensively nourish the upper kidneys.

A vine can live for over 100 years without losing its ability to produce excellent fruit.

Planting by thickening

For hot, dry climates, there is a thickened method of planting grapes, when 1 m² up to 7 bushes are planted. In this case, the grapes are grown in a bush form without a garter. Annual growth is carried out in the flooring. Vines are cut short on a low stem (30–40 cm). On the one hand, it is a very economical way of growing, does not require the installation of supports. On the other hand, the thickening of the shoots is favorable for the development of fungal diseases and the yield decreases with this method.

Growing grapes in different regions

Thanks to the warming climate and the unique plasticity of the vine, it is conquering more and more territories on the planet. Each area has its own climatic and soil characteristics. Having studied them, you can successfully grow grapes by choosing suitable varieties and agricultural techniques.

Cultural varieties of Amur grapes are successfully grown in the Far East

Table: natural specifics of regions and peculiarities of planting grapes

In recent years, interest in growing grapes in northern latitudes has grown like never before. A rare gardener has not tried to domesticate a southern vine. Grapes turned out to be not such a bird of paradise in our area. With a competent approach, he happily lives next to us. And it gives not only a tasty harvest, but also the joy of new discoveries, and the pleasure of earned success!

Related entries:

Everything about planting grapes with seedlings: site preparation, planting depth and scheme, fertilization and watering

Features of the technology of growing grapes in Siberia for beginners

Growing grapes: tips for beginners and planting schemes