How to store grape seedlings until spring?

Grape seedlings are planted in open ground both in autumn and spring. However, experienced gardeners still try to do this in the autumn. If the moment is missed, then it becomes necessary to take care of storing the cuttings until spring. It is knowledge of the basic rules of the organization of this process that will help to obtain a positive result when planting seedlings in early spring.

Why is it better to harvest seedlings in the fall?

Autumn is the best time for planting seedlings, since digging, dividing and determining plants into the ground is more reliable and less problematic for them during the dormant period. In addition, at low temperature conditions, grape seedlings are prone to strengthening immune forces. If it was not possible to plant the cuttings in the autumn, then this also has its advantages: seedlings prepared in the fall have better physical characteristics than they were dug in the spring before planting.

In the autumn, a wider selection of quality cuttings, they are distinguished by freshness and resistance to various conditions of detention. It is better to harvest Chubuki grapes in late September - early October (depending on weather conditions) - at the time of the fading of the vegetation and sap flow processes. Sections made at this time during the winter period will heal, damaged vessels will become clogged, which will become an obstacle for infection, and the vine will more easily tolerate the propagation procedure, and less damage will be done to it. The main thing at the same time is to know all the nuances of storing seedlings until spring comes.

Important! The grape seedling prepared in the spring and planted in insufficiently warmed up soil has a greater chance of drying out, failing to develop the root system than stored in the right conditions all winter. Also, when cutting a chubuk in the spring on a vine, which has begun to come to life, a long non-healing wound is formed, which provokes the plant's soreness.

Optimal conditions for storing cuttings

Storage of the grapes Chubuk should be properly organized, only then by the spring they will save their strength and will be fully prepared for rooting and productive growth. The optimal temperature is in the range from 0 to + 5 ° C. At lower temperatures, seedlings can freeze, and at higher temperatures, swelling of the buds and the onset of premature root growth are possible. The sun should not fall into the storage location.

Humidity level

An important condition for the safe storage of grape Chubuk is sufficient humidity, the optimal level of which is 60%. It is with this indicator that the threat of drying seedlings is eliminated. High humidity causes the formation of mold and rotting plants. It is also necessary to ventilate the room. Often, gardeners, before determining grape shoots in a storage place, try to pre-saturate them with sufficient moisture, for which they put seedlings for a day in a container with water.

Did you know? In its nutritional composition, if you do not take into account the presence of fats, grapes are as close to milk as possible.

Disinfection

Before determining the grapes, they should be disinfected in a 3% solution of copper sulfate or a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Also suitable for this procedure is a 5% solution of ferrous sulfate or a 0.5% solution of Chinosol or Fundazole. After this, the chubuki need to be removed from the liquid and placed in the open air for drying, only after that the seedlings can be determined for storage. This procedure will help to avoid diseases and the appearance of mold in the future.

Methods and place of wintering

With prolonged storage in winter, grape seedlings can lose a significant part of their strength and nutrients, which makes them not quite suitable for spring planting. Accordingly, the main task is to maximize the reduction of such losses. You can save seedlings until spring in different places, using several methods. Most often, grape cuttings are stored in the basement, in the refrigerator or with the help of prikop.

Did you know? Grape consumption in Ukraine per year is less than a kilogram per capita, with a norm of 8 to 10 kg.

In the trick

The easiest way is to store grape cuttings in the manner of prikop, which is most often done by gardeners to keep seedlings in the best condition until spring. This method is the most common and does not require significant labor and time. It is necessary to dig a trench to a depth of half a meter, place cuttings in it with the roots on the northern part, and shoots on the south and cover it with a layer of soil in the form of a hill.

So that when planting in the spring in a permanent place, it was easy to get plants with undamaged roots from the prikop, you need to ensure a light soil composition. To do this, the earth is mixed with sand and peat. When choosing a place for prikop, one condition must be taken into account - water must not get into it, let alone stagnate. It is the dryness of the soil that provides maximum conservation of nutrients and additional protection against diseases, the appearance of mold.

Remove the cuttings from the prikop approximately in March-April after thawing the ground. They need to be examined, a fresh cut should be made, which should be green, the bark should not peel off and be smooth. If mold has formed on the cuttings, it should be removed with a clean and soft cloth. With the right prikop, seedlings are in excellent condition and are characterized by complete readiness for planting.

Did you know? A high level of glucose and fructose in grapes activates the functioning of the brain.

In the fridge

At home, in the presence of a small number of cuttings and their length up to half a meter, you can send Chubuki for the winter in the refrigerator. The optimal content of shoots in the chamber for fruits and vegetables, having the most suitable temperature for this. In the absence of such a chamber, you can store cuttings on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. It is recommended to wrap the bottom of the cuttings with a slightly wet and well-wrung piece of cloth, which will provide an adequate level of humidity during storage.

After that, you need to put the chubuki in a plastic bag and secure it with a rope. Do not completely place the cuttings in cellophane, as they can begin to rot. If there are several bags, they should be placed at a certain distance from each other. Storage of chubuk in plastic bottles is also allowed.

Once a month, the condition of the seedlings should be checked. When mold appears, it is necessary to carry out processing by wiping the chubuki moistened with a cotton wool solution in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. After that, the cuttings need to be dried and only then can they be placed in the refrigerator again. Even if there is no mold, then additional processing with a solution of copper sulfate will not be superfluous. Also, when condensation appears in packages, the shoots should be wiped, dried and placed in a new package. Thawing cuttings after storage in the refrigerator for planting in the spring should not be carried out immediately, gradually lowering the temperature.

In the cellar

It is possible to store grape seedlings in the basement or cellar provided that the temperature regime there must be stable and in no case lower than zero. Cuttings should be placed in plastic bags, make a few punctures in them for ventilation of plants. At least once a month, Chubuki should be checked in the same way as when stored in the refrigerator. To create more favorable storage conditions for cuttings, sand or sawdust needles should be placed in bags with them. This helps to reduce nutrient loss and moisture retention.

Important! In storage conditions in the basement, special attention should be paid to rodents: grape cuttings are a suitable food for these animals.

How to choose the right cuttings

The choice of material for planting should be carried out with all care, because the success of obtaining high-quality vines largely depends on this. Shoots should differ in health and maturity.

They are obtained from an annual vine, the readiness of which for propagation can be checked in the following ways:

  • to bend a branch intended for propagation - a slight crackle should be heard;
  • to process the place of cut of the cut with iodine - a mature and developed vine blackens quickly enough.

Cuttings must meet certain conditions:

  • have a brown-green uniform color;
  • length - up to 60 cm (long cuttings are difficult to store, but very short ones most likely will not survive due to lack of nutrients);
  • 4 eyes are required on the chubuk, the optimum number is 6, which will enable the plant to take root better, begin to develop faster after transplantation. If necessary, you can remove the area with 2 eyes damaged after wintering;
  • no seedlings should be damaged, stained, cuts, rot;
  • shoot diameter - from 6 to 10 mm (very thin or thick cuttings are poor quality).
Observing all the above conditions, you can count on hassle-free wintering, productive rooting of cuttings and their effective survival in spring.

Learn more about when to plant grapes.

How to prepare yourself at home

Harvesting grape cuttings for planting in the spring is best done in the autumn season - after the leaves have fallen and before the frost begins. It is necessary to choose a healthy vine and cut a part from above. From the obtained Chubuk should be removed not ripe tips, antennae, foliage, while maintaining at least 4 eyes. From below, the stalk needs to be cut at a distance of several centimeters from the last kidney, and from above, in the middle of the internode.

The lower cut is carried out in such a way that its length is about 3 cm, which is necessary to provide the cuttings with sufficient access to nutrients and better development of the root system after planting in the soil. After the procedures, the cuttings are fed with moisture and are determined in a place to store in the winter.

Important! The bottom cut must be done at an angle, always using a sharp knife. All used equipment is prepared in advance and disinfected to prevent the occurrence of diseases. Compliance with all the rules for wintering grape seedlings at home will help to avoid any difficulties in the issue of growing grapes, taking into account all technological requirements, as well as bring a sense of pride in the result.

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