Correct planting of grape seedlings in autumn

You don't need to be a professional agronomist to understand the importance of grapevines in home gardening. This plant has been cultivated for hundreds of years, but every year new unique varieties and hybrids appear worldwide. When choosing the time to plant seedlings, autumn is the preferred season. Planting grapes in autumn offers numerous advantages.

General information

Growing grapevines on private property is a very popular trend in modern gardening. Today, people enjoy not only the abundant greenery of the vines but also the delicious berries, held in heavy, large clusters. The abundance of varieties that produce well in the central regions of the Russian Federation and Ukraine allows for a suitable option for any climate. Furthermore, intensive breeding efforts continue to expand the variety selection. For this reason, the number of winegrowers is steadily growing.

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And if you talk to more experienced agronomists who have been caring for the crop for decades, you will notice that they prefer planting grapes Seedlings in the fall. Naturally, an inexperienced beginner will be interested in why this season is a priority and the advantages of fall planting.

Benefits of Fall Planting

Many gardeners may think that autumn planting of grape seedlings — a dubious undertaking doomed to failure. It's hard for a novice to believe that the planting material will root, gain vigor, and withstand prolonged winter cold. There is certainly a risk of vine frostbite, but any potential drawbacks are outweighed by the numerous advantages. They include the following points:

1. Despite the risk of frost, with proper technique, you can successfully plant vines early in the fall season, without worrying about preserving them until warmer weather returns. Moreover, not every agronomist can provide suitable storage conditions for seedlings until spring.
2. The cost of planting material in autumn is much lower than in spring, so this method of planting is also advantageous from an economic point of view.
3. If you follow the instructions and basic planting rules, autumn grapes will successfully survive the winter and develop a strong immune system capable of resisting numerous diseases and viral attacks. First of all, this plant will not be affected by frequent temperature fluctuations during the growing season.
4. After waking up from winter dormancy, seedlings will receive significantly more minerals and vitamins, which will positively impact growth rate and the intensity of vegetative mass development. However, when warm weather returns, don't rush to bare the stems and shoots, as early spring often brings recurrent frosts, sometimes severe enough to destroy the plant.

Basic Features

If a gardener purchased planting material late in September, don't despair, thinking that planting grapes in the fall in Ukraine or the Moscow region is already out of the question. In fact, all is not lost, and the success of the future vine's rooting now depends on taking the right steps and following the rules.

Before choosing a planting technique, it's important to consider the local climate and current weather conditions. Residents of northern regions should complete planting well before the onset of cold weather, which typically occurs 2-3 weeks earlier in these latitudes than in the south. In southern regions, planting can even be completed as late as early December, thanks to the comfortable climate and the lack of frequent frosts.

Gardeners in the Moscow, Vologda, and Yaroslavl regions should not plant later than the end of September, as this could result in the seedlings freezing before they have developed a strong root system.

Choosing a location

Every caring agronomist knows how to plant grapes in the fall from seedlings and the rules to follow. One of the most important steps is choosing a site for the bed. It's important to remember that grapevines are native to southern regions, where they enjoy consistent warmth and abundant sunlight, so the chosen site must meet these criteria.

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Planting near a tall fence or wall is possible, but only if it faces south. This allows the plant to receive the necessary heat even at night, as the nearby wall or fence will warm up during the day and then release the heat at night.

As for the soil at the planting site, it should be nutritious and enriched with various minerals. Although grapevines aren't particularly fussy, they produce higher yields when grown in nutritious soil. This should be taken into account as early as the planting hole preparation stage.

The bottom layer of the planting hole should consist of good drainage. The following materials are used for this purpose:

1. Brick.
2. Clay shards.
3. Expanded clay.

When choosing a promising site Three rules should be followed:

1. Good lighting conditions.
2. The presence of an elevation.
3. High nutritional value.

Rules of procedure

After successfully selecting a site for the future vine, you can move on to the next, most important step: planting the seedlings. As mentioned earlier, the planting hole is prepared in advance, and its dimensions are 80 x 80 x 80 cm. When digging a hole in the soil, it is necessary to separate the topsoil from the subsoil, and then separate them on different sides of the hole or in containers.

These manipulations are necessary to prepare a good drainage layer of broken brick, expanded clay, or clay shards. Next, a stake is fixed in the center of the hole to tie the vines into place.

The topsoil will be used to prepare the nutrient substrate. It is mixed with the following nutrients: rotted manure, potassium salt, superphosphate, and ash. The optimal proportions are as follows:

1. Manure and humus - 3 buckets.
2. Potassium salt - 100-150 grams.
3. Superphosphate - 200-250 g
4. Wood ash - 2.5 kg.

After mixing the ingredients, fill them to 1/3 of the hole. Finally, water the soil further to settle it.

The next steps are to create a raised area in the center of the hole, which will provide a comfortable root zone. A stake is secured in the ground so that the root collar is level with the soil. After this, fill the hole around the vine with the remaining soil and compact it thoroughly to prevent any air pockets. Next, water the seedlings again using settled water at a comfortable temperature.

It's worth noting that the optimal distance between seedlings is at least two meters. This distance is maintained to ensure adequate light, nutrients, and moisture. Caring for such grapes is much easier than for heavily overgrown shoots. Any work for the care and processing of vines will be effective.

Shelter for the winter

After successfully planting grapes in the fall, beginners may have a logical question: is it necessary? cover the vines for the winterIn fact, this procedure is considered essential for mid-latitudes, since the young planting specimen has not yet had time to firmly establish roots and develop frost-resistant immunity. Fortunately, ways to cover a plant There are a lot of them - all you have to do is choose one of them and get to work.

Mulching should be used first. Applying mulch to the roots of young seedlings effectively protects them from intense cold. Various materials can be used for this layer, including peat, sawdust, hay, or dry grass.

Some agronomists have learned to create a shelter using a plastic bottle secured to an additional stake. The bottle is cut and then placed upside down on the stake. A seedling is placed in the hollow container, its edges resting on the soil. The entire structure is then covered with an additional layer of soil.

This will form a small mound that will act as a natural frost protection for the plant. Spruce branches can be used as additional cover, preventing the plant from dying in severe frosts.

Other covering methods include using roofing felt, polyethylene, and other waterproof materials to create a tent for the vines to overwinter in. Spruce branches, straw, or burlap are also placed on top of the covering.

During the first two years of its life, grapevines require ample cover, as their root system is still underdeveloped and their immune system is weak. As the plant matures, mulch alone is used as an insulating layer.

Actions when heat returns

But the work doesn't end with providing good winter cover for the grapes. It's important for the gardener to have time remove the insulating layer in time in the springOtherwise, the plant will simply rot and suffer serious damage. To avoid missing the moment to remove this "blanket," it's important to monitor temperature changes, avoiding any unexpected changes that could ruin the plant.

Naturally, there are no definitive deadlines for this procedure, as everything depends on the regional and climatic conditions of the area where the vines are grown. However, experienced agronomists recommend following a general rule that applies to all regions: if the snow is actively melting during the day and nighttime temperatures are no lower than -5 degrees Celsius, it's time to start cultivating. However, the possibility of recurrent frosts, which can lead to plant death, cannot be ruled out.

When removing the cover, follow the sequence: start with the top layer, moving on to the middle and lower layers after a few days. Only when the first green shoots appear through the soil can the crop be fully uncovered.

Avoid this procedure on a bright sunny day. Exposure to intense light can cause serious vine diseases, which will negatively impact yield. It's best to reschedule the procedure for the evening to allow the plants to adapt to the new growing conditions.

If the arrival of spring doesn't bring much warmth, and instead the weather frequently brings "surprises" in the form of severe frosts, wind, and precipitation, the winter cover will still need to be removed. However, it will need to be replaced with a lighter alternative, such as dense lutrasil.

Although fall planting offers numerous advantages, many beginning winegrowers still wonder when is the best time to plant grapes: fall or spring. In fact, the former option will only be successful if the gardener follows all the rules and instructions. Under these conditions, the crop will yield its first harvest within a year. All that remains is to choose a good variety and follow the advice of experts.