Grapevines. How to plant a vine? How is the vine formed?

One of the most loved plants, and both professionals and amateur gardeners, for many hundreds of years remains grapes. It is interesting to people not only for its amazing taste, the ability to create better varieties of wines, but also medicinal properties.

Mankind came up with many ways to use the vine: weaving baskets, furniture, vases, fences, figurines for the garden and much more.

Symbolism of the grapevine

Each nation, which has its own faith and traditions, fills the vines with different semantic meanings. For some, this is a sign of fertility, passion, consciousness, life, for others - a sign of greed, deceit and treachery, in the third it is dedicated to dying gods.

The vine found its reflection in Christianity. According to this belief, Christ symbolizes the main vine, and all his followers are similar to the branches of the grapes. The same parallel in faith is between the church and its believers.

In Catholicism grape wine symbolizes the blood of Christ, with this is connected the sacrament of communion, which denotes a spiritual union with God.

But there were cases in history when drinking wine was forbidden. For example, Muslims consider this drink a symbol of human sins.

Has found its place on the vine and on the arms of many countries that are actively engaged in winemaking: Turkmenistan, Georgia, Moldova.

The structure of the vine

However, in no case should we neglect the fact that without knowledge of the structure of the vine can not grow healthy sweet clusters.

To obtain a good harvest, it should be borne in mind that the grapes must necessarily have a support, since it refers to lianas with unevenly growing branches.

The bush of grapes can be divided into two parts:

1. The underground part. Consists of 2 types of roots. When propagating by seeds, the primordial embryos of the root are formed, with vegetative dilution - the accessory roots. Young roots are very sensitive to the absence of moisture, and only after overgrowing are covered with cork cloth for protection.
2. The aboveground part. Rapidly growing and requires compulsory pruning. Consists of fruit vines and knots of substitution, which provide fruiting. Branches in the second year of life are covered with wood, on the first bear green leaves and antennae. Inflorescence and flower are formed on the plant in spring.

In the axils of the leaves there are three types of kidneys:

• Wintering.
• Pasynkovye.
• Sleeping buds, which are located at the root of the vine.

Reproduction of grapes

When multiplying grape varieties, several methods are used depending on the climate, variety and purpose of breeding.

1. Propagation by seeds. It does not duplicate the quality of the mother grape, which leads to a change in external and taste qualities. Fruiting occurs only after a few years. Often this method of reproduction is used by breeders to breed new varieties or to give the plant a number of necessary qualities and characteristics.
2. Method of vaccination. It is more convenient for gardeners, it allows to grow grapes in conditions of low temperatures and freezing of soil. The second name of the method is ocularization. To carry it out, a prick, part of a cultivated plant, and a stock, grapes with a good root system are needed. Before the inoculation, the graft is immersed in water for 4-5 hours for soaking.
3. Reproduction by cuttings. The most common way. There are two main types depending on the growing season:

• Growing in winter cuttings cut from the top of the vine in autumn;
• The prepared grapevines are planted in the spring in the open ground.

Preparation of cuttings in glasses

The amateur gardeners often use the method of preparing seedlings in glasses. This pattern of growing is very easy and does not cause difficulties even for those who do it for the first time.

In order to grow vines in glasses, you will need: 2 cups of different size, earth, river sand and sheet humus.

In a larger glass with pre-drilled holes on the bottom, 2 cm of sheet humus is applied for fertilization. In a smaller glass (with a cut bottom), placed inside a large, river sand is poured, and around - the earth. After that, a small glass is removed, in the middle of the river sand, a depression of 4 cm is made, into which a fragment of the vine is placed. All space to the top of a large glass is filled with sand and abundantly watered. Planted germinated vine in the spring.

Growing of seedlings in bottles

To grow vines in a bottle, cut the neck from the vessel and make holes on the bottom. First, a drainage layer is created, 6-7 spoonfuls of soil mixture are poured onto it, then a stalk is slanted and then the bottle is stuffed with steamed sawdust to the top. So that the young leaves do not lose moisture, the plant is covered with a plastic cup from the top.

Watering it is desirable to make a pallet.

Cuttings are ready for planting, when the young roots of the vine will be visible on the walls of the bottle.

Landing rules

After successful growing of seedlings it is necessary to understand how to plant a vine. This process requires a long preparation period, which includes the choice of location, soil and the very process of planting itself.

The area under the planting in autumn should be thoroughly dig and fertilized. The soil on it should not be excessively moistened and saline. The best option is considered to be chernozems or loams. It should also pay attention to the illumination of the site, since a lack of light will lead to a deterioration in the taste of the grapes.

The most successful is the planting of the vine in the spring, when the frosts passed. Young seedlings are placed in pits, while getting them out of containers, you should try not to damage the tender roots. Mulched with peat and watered with regularity every 2-3 days.

Stages of formation of the vine

Before starting the formation of the bush, you should prepare the trellis. It should be oriented from the south to the north and consist of a support and wire thickness of up to 3 mm. Supports of any type, metal, wooden or concrete, it is desirable to place at a distance of 3-4 meters from each other, and their height should not be less than 2.5 m. The wire is stretched every 50 cm.

In connection with the fact that the harvest of grapes begins to be given only for the third year after planting, the formation of the vine goes through the following stages:

1. The first vegetation. During her period, two well-developed shoots should be grown. Extra branches should be removed when their length reaches 2-5 cm, otherwise the bush will be unproductive and depleted. In the beginning of autumn shoots are tied to the wire, and closer to the middle they make a pruning, leaving 3 eyes on each branch. For the winter, the plant is covered with henna, sawdust or peat to prevent freezing, and then with a film to save the bush from excessive moisture.
2. The second vegetation. The main task of this stage is the formation of 4 shoots, the thickness of which by the autumn at the level of the first wire should be 7-8 mm. From these shoots in the future, sleeves of the bush will be formed.
3. Third vegetation. Two vines are formed on each of the four sleeves. It is important at this stage to control the first fruiting, leaving only 1 cluster for 1-2 shoots.
4. The fourth vegetation. During its period, the bush acquires a formed form. It is necessary to remove excess and garter green shoots, as well as regulate fruiting. The number of bunches per escape should be no more than at the first harvest.

Failure to follow the rules of cultivation will lead to a weakening of the bush and poor fruit bearing.

Curative properties of grapevine

The reasons for growing grapevines are due not only to the taste qualities of the fruit itself.

Cultivation of grapes a man began in the Stone Age, since each part of this plant can boast of its unique components:

• The peel of berries is saturated with waxes, essential oils and a lot of coloring substances.
• Berries contain proteins, fiber, hemicellulose, citric, tartaric and malic acids.
• Fruits are rich in folic acid and vitamins of groups B, C, P.
• Grape seeds in its composition have fatty oils, lecithin, vanillin and even acetic acid.

Treatment of grapes has its name - ampelotherapy. It is proven that it has a positive effect on headache, migraine, helps in eliminating diarrhea and fighting malignant tumors.

But, unfortunately, not everyone shows not only such therapy, but in general the intake of these berries.

Weaving from the vine

For people who have enough patience, a vine can bring a lot of profit or simply become an interesting hobby.

The first material that mankind began to use for weaving was precisely the vine. When making various items from it, due to the good flexibility and elasticity of the branches, it is possible not to pre-process the material.

The most popular products from the vine are baskets. The branches of the grapes can vary in color from brown to gray, and wild grapes, moreover, also has an interesting structure that gives products uniqueness and uniqueness.