Growing vineson plots and in home gardens is carried out because of the wonderful fruit used for wine production and direct consumption, as well as for the ornamental value of this climber. See whatamateur grapevinelooks like, what to consider when buying seedlings and whatgrape varietieswork best in our climate. When and how to performplanting vinesin your garden?
Viticulture on the plot
Grapevines
Grapevines are quite eagerly grown in allotment gardens. First of all, it acts as a plant that gives great fruit for direct consumption (dessert varieties) and for preserves and for making wine (dessert and wine varieties). However, it is often planted for ornamental reasons - as a creeper covering pergolas or walls of garden arbors. For this purpose, arbor vine varieties are used.
We can choose from a number of good-yieldinggrape varieties , giving fruits of various sizes, colors ranging from light green, through red-pink, to navy blue, and of course in various flavors. However, the taste and quality of the fruit is not the only criteria that must be taken into account when choosinggrapevine seedlingfor gardening.
Well, our climate is not very favorableviticulturedue to short and quite cool summers and cold winters. Therefore,noble grape varieties , grown in Southern and Western Europe, are not always suitable for cultivation in Polish conditions.Fortunately, hybrid varieties are commercially available, which are more resistant to frost and more resistant to disease. If the grapevine is unable to provide an extremely warm and secluded position, choosegrape varietieswith early to mid-ripening fruit for growing. Thanks to this, you will be in time with the harvest before there is a risk of damage to the fruit by early autumn frosts.
Vines on the pergola
To sum up, when selecting aallotment grape varietytake into account the following characteristics of the variety: frost resistance, resistance to diseases such as downy mildew, powdery mildew and gray mold ( it is worth asking your neighbors what diseases of the grapevines prevail in your area and pay particular attention to resistance to these diseases), the timing and abundance of crops (avoid late-harvesting varieties), the abundance of crops, size, taste and use of the fruit.It is no coincidence that I put the characteristics of the fruit in the last place, because if you choose a variety that gives delicious fruit, but which, for example, will not be frost-resistant enough, you will not get fruit at all.
How to buy grape seedlings?
In the case ofgrapevine plantingof the so-called open root (dug from the ground) there is a high risk of damage to the roots of the plant and its drying out. For this reason, currently on sale mainly grapevines in containers, and this is what you should choose when shopping for your plot. Seedlings in containers are planted with the entire, undamaged root ball, thanks to which they take on much better and can be planted throughout the period from spring to autumn. However, it is best to plant the grapevines in April (while they are still dormant) or from June to July, when the shoots already have leaves. If you plant seedlings during the vegetation period, it is worth checking the conditions in which the seedlings you buy were rooted.Well, cuttings in containers are often rooted under covers. In this case, before planting them in the ground, they should be hardened (gradually getting used to the conditions outside).
Grapevine grown on the plot
When choosinggrapevinesin the store, take a close look at their condition. Leaves should be he althy with no signs of disease infection. A good indicator of the viability of seedlings is the presence of sticky tendrils.
Choose cuttings with a stem at least 30 cm long and at the root at least 4 mm thick. If you buygrapevinesin the fall, choose those which, starting from the root of the shoot, have the longest part woody. Such plants have a much better chance of surviving winter in good condition.
Planting grapevines
Growing vinesis best done in a sunny, warm and quiet place (sheltered from frosty winter winds).The soil requirements of this plant are not very high, although it is best to grow grapevines on light, humus soils that heat up easily, with a pH from 6.5 to 7.0.
Avoidviticulturein very heavy clay soils. If you have such soil in your garden, mix it with sand and organic material (e.g. well-decomposed compost). If, on the other hand, the soil in your garden is very light, sandy and poor - add decomposed compost or manure to it. However, it is not worth over-fertilizing the soil, because then the vine does not bear fruit or the fruiting is very weak (the bush will grow lush at the expense of weaker fruiting). You shouldn't overdo manure, especially when the bushes are planted in the fall, because adding an additional portion of nitrogen in this period stimulates the growth of the bush, delays the plant's dormancy and hinders overwintering.
If you are growing your plants against a wall, plant them about 30 cm from the wall and about 1 m apart. It is best to plant them against a wall facing south, south-west or south-east.
It is a good idea to plantgrape seedlingsin a specially dug hollow (teddy bears) 40 to 50 cm in diameter and about 15 cm deep. Only at the bottom of the 'bowl' a hole is dug, adjusted to the size of the root ball, in which the seedling is placed.Planting grapevinesin such a 'bowl' facilitates watering and protecting plants from winter frost. Over the years, as the vines grow, the 'bowl' gradually fills with soil, thanks to which the underground part of the trunk will be placed relatively deep in the soil, which will increase its resistance to freezing.
Vine seedlingstake out of the containers very carefully so as not to damage their roots and place in the wells with whole root clumps. Then cover the wells with soil. After planting the plant, water it abundantly.
Before the onset of winter, cut the cuttings over 2 or 3 eyes (this will strengthen their root system and produce stronger shoots in the next season). Then build mounds of soil around the plants to protect the stems and roots from freezing.
