Keeping grape cuttings in winter: rules and tips

Grapes are propagated by cuttings, planting them in spring in open ground or inoculating. And then there is the question of how to store grape cuttings in winter. The seedlings, also called chibouks, are a piece of vine thick with a pencil or pen and a length of at least half a meter. It is important that the seedlings are present at a minimum of 3-4 kidneys, so that it later grows well. Why does reproduction occur by cuttings? Because when using seeds, many properties of varieties are not preserved, so you have to use the vegetative method.

Preparation of Chibouks

Cuttings are cut precisely in the autumn, so as not to injure the revived and growing vine in spring. It will put forth the strength to tighten the damage, and the harvest of the fruit will be less. And in September-October, when all the processes in the plant have already slowed down somewhat, the pruning will not be so traumatic. Since this plant loses a lot of moisture, it is necessary to fill in a few of the cuttings in the cuttings - to make a fresh cut at one end and dip it into clean water. Subsequently, to prevent loss of liquid during storage, both ends are often dipped in molten paraffin. Optimal time for such garden work - after the first small frost, but before the temperature is below -10 °.

To keep the chibouk well kept, and in spring it has successfully started, it needs to be cut correctly. The lower or middle part of a young fruit-bearing vine is selected. As too thin, and very thick shoots will not work. When trying to bend or break the shoot, it should slightly crack. The core should have a dense consistency, and the bark - an even brown color without too light or dark spots. The vine is cut, retreating a few centimeters from the interstice. Naturally, cutting tools must be clean and sharp.

Do not fall off the leaves and tendrils themselves must be removed. Vine should not have mechanical damage and injuries, it is desirable that it was direct, since many gardeners argue that the cuttings cuttings are much worse rooted and accepted in the open ground.

Storage conditions

If we talk about the very storage of grape cuttings, then it is important to create the right temperature and humidity regime. Comfortable conditions for chibouks - 0-4 ° С.At minus temperature they will freeze, and in excessive heat they can release roots and buds or become moldy and rotted. The optimum humidity is about 60%.Excessive dampness is a favorable environment for the fungus, and in dryness, the chibouks will lose too much water.

To protect against possible pests and diseases, the cuttings are sprayed or dipped in a weak solution of copper or iron sulfate. It can also be wiped slightly affected by mold during the storage of the chibouki. It is equally important to protect the grapes from eating rodents - frequent visitors in any basement or shed.

Where to keep chibouks in winter?

You can store cuttings wherever all the conditions for storage are provided. If there are not many of them, then you can put it on the shelf of the refrigerator, wrapping the root part with a damp cloth, and almost forget until spring, only occasionally checking their condition and moisturizing the tissue. They will not interfere much, places take up little. Some make a simple and convenient container of two plastic bottles inserted into each other with cut-off bottoms and holes for ventilation in the lids.

And how to save cuttings of grapes in winter, if there are many, and the refrigerator can not be limited? This will require a whole room. The cellar, the cellar, the vast pantry - all this will do.

You can store grapes there as follows.

1. Fill a suitable container( bucket, box, basin, even an old bath) with a clean and slightly sand-moistened layer of 10-15 cm. Then cut the cuttings in the sand so that they do not touch each other. Since the upper part of the seedling remains visible, throughout its storage life it will be possible to assess its condition and health. Moistening of sand should be maintained constantly. This is easier if the container is covered with polyethylene.
2. Instead of sand used sawdust, often coniferous, because they contain substances that prevent the development of the fungus, or moss. Such a substrate must also be kept moist.
3. If there is no basement room, and you need to store a lot of grapes at once, then for this, a trench is dig into a meter deep and 60-70 cm wide. Its walls are impregnated with lime for decontamination, then a small layer of sand is poured, on which the seedlings are laid horizontally or vertically separately or by small beams. The gaps between them are also covered with sand. On top, you need to sprinkle a small amount of soil to make a mound, which will protect the buried grapes from excessive moisture, especially in the spring. For the same purpose, the soil can be covered with polyethylene. However, the trench is still not insured against flooding, and the appearance of rodents there is absolutely impossible to track or prevent. In addition, the chibouks are completely in the ground, and it is not possible to check their safety.

advice If several varieties of grapes are stored simultaneously, they should be located separately from each other.

Care for seedlings in the spring

How can I understand that the grapes have successfully overwintered and are ready to start growing? In the eye sockets, small embryos of leaves should appear, and under the bark there will be a green layer. And the buds placed in the water for a few days are distinctly swollen.

Cooking cuttings for planting should be at the end of winter - early spring. To do this, they must be rooted first. The easiest way to do this is by sticking the root part into a moist foam and removing the seedlings in a dark place for 1-2 weeks. During this time, even small roots must be pecked. Then they are usually planted in the cut off lower part of plastic bottles in the ground with abundant humus content, cover with the top of the bottles( but without the lid) and put them in a lit place. When there are many roots and 4-5 leaves, the top part can be removed.

In the open ground, grown grapes are planted in the early-mid summer. Naturally, the vine must be provided with all the conditions required for its variety, and the soil is regularly loosened, providing air access to the root system, fed with mineral fertilizers and watered. Roots are important not to damage when planting, because in this case, the chances of successfully catching on and give a good harvest in the chibouk will be few. And with a favorable combination of circumstances and the observance of all the requirements, by autumn the plant will be pleased with its powerful roots and healthy strong shoots.

We recommend that you read an article on how to care for a bowl

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