Proven ways to store grape cuttings in winter and check them before planting
The grapes are subject to mandatory pruning in the fall, in which most of the vine is removed. From the cut annual vines, the growers cut the cuttings, which in the spring will give life to new plants. Save them in winter before the onset of the new season, a number of rules for the preparation and maintenance of cuttings will help.
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Why harvest grape cuttings from autumn
Cut cuttings are harvested for reproduction of a favorite variety, increasing the amount of harvest. When growing a rare, demanding variety, it is advisable to root several cuttings for safety reasons, so that in case of illness or freezing of the vine in winter, you will not be left without grapes. Extra shanks can be exchanged with neighbors.
Chubuki are prepared in autumn, after the leaves fall, usually in early November. The best time for trimming the period from the first frost to the temperature drop to -8 ... -10 ° C is considered. At this time, the maximum amount of nutrients accumulates in the vine. In addition, she has already undergone the first frost hardening, and cuttings from such a vine will be more hardy.
How to choose them
In order for the grape shanks to endure the winter well and survive until the onset of spring, they must be correctly selected and prepared.
It is important to choose a suitable vine for grafting. She must be:
- ripened this year;
- healthy, without spots on the bark, without mechanical damage;
- smooth, without curvature;
- slightly crack when bent;
- have a dense, not loose core.
For cutting cuttings, clean, sharp, well-sharpened garden shears and knives are used. Blunt tools will crush the plant fibers of the cuttings. Fatty shoots, sterile bushes are not suitable for cuttings. Better to give preference to vines grown on the sunny side of the vineyard.
How to cut
There are several rules for cutting shanks:
- it should have four developed buds, but it is better to cut off an area with 5-6 buds so that in the spring you can shorten the cutting;
- for grafting, it is better to take the middle part of the vine;
- shanks should be no thinner than 0.5 cm and no thicker than 1 cm;
- length of cuttings from 50 to 70 cm.
The lower part of the cutting is cut 3 cm below the internode, the upper cut is made 2-3 cm higher than the fourth on the cutting internode. The distance above the upper internode is left for future grafting. Remove all antennae, leaves, stepsons.
Prepare for storage
Before laying for winter storage, the shafts are disinfected, since bacteria and pathogens may exist on the branches, which will destroy the trimmings. Disinfection is carried out immediately after grafting. Prepare a solution: 5 g of copper sulfate is dissolved in 200 ml of water. The solution is poured into a spray bottle, the stems are abundantly sprayed, and left to dry.
Reference! Disinfection of planting material will protect it from the formation of fungi, mold during winter storage.
It is important to saturate the shafts with moisture so that they do not dry out during storage. With significant evaporation of the liquid, most of the eyes die. The planting material is soaked in a container with water for a day. Then the segments are disinfected for 30-40 minutes in a solution of potassium permanganate.For better preservation, the sections are dipped in liquid paraffin - this will prevent the evaporation of moisture from the capillaries.
After all treatments, cuttings of the same variety are tied in a bundle. The name of the variety must be attached to each bundle. Paper labels are not suitable for labeling as mold forms on the paper in a humid environment. It is better to write the name of the variety on plastic labels. Each bundle is tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and stored.
Buying grape cuttings
The best time to buy planting material is in the spring, just before planting. When buying ready-made seedlings, you do not have to worry that the cuttings prepared with your own hands will dry out or deteriorate due to poor-quality storage.
Grape seedlings are classified as grafted or self-rooted. The grafted seedlings clearly show the grafting site. The grafted plants are more productive, since a good variety is grafted onto them. They are not affected by phylloxera. If, when viewed on a smooth trunk, the place of grafting in the form of an outgrowth is not visible, this is a sign of a self-rooted seedling. It is less productive, but in severe frosts, the root system does not freeze.
When buying, pay attention to the following signs:
- A healthy plant has strong, well-developed roots. To check the condition of the roots, a small piece of the root is cut off with a knife. Its cut should be moist, light. Dry, dark roots indicate the poor condition of the plant.
- The trunk of a healthy plant should be intact. To check it, the bark fibers are slightly opened - a healthy plant will have green, moist wood under them. A dry tree speaks of the drying out of the seedling.
- The grape buds should not fall off when touched by hand.
Optimal conditions for preservation
Planting material is stored in dark places at a temperature of +1 .. + 5 ° C. At lower temperatures, the kidneys will die, and as the temperature rises, they will begin to swell. To prevent dehydration of plants, maintain a humidity of 90%. At the same time, they provide good ventilation to prevent the appearance of rot, mold.
Where to store cuttings
For storing planting material, choose a darkened place with low temperature and high humidity. Most often, a basement (cellar), a refrigerator are used for these purposes, they dig a hole on the site.
In the basement
A large number of grape shoots are best kept in the basement, if available. Low temperature and high humidity in these rooms contribute to high-quality storage of the harvested material.
The basement is periodically ventilated to eliminate excessive moisture... The branches are wrapped in a damp cloth and placed in plastic bags. The fabric is periodically moistened.
The bundles are stored on basement shelves. If there is a suitable container, the branches are placed in it, sprinkled with wet sand or sawdust. The container is covered with plastic wrap.
The grape harvests are regularly audited. If spots of mold, rot are detected, the branches are taken out, wiped with a clean cloth and sprayed with a solution of copper sulfate. Then they are slightly dried and placed in storage containers. It is better to replace sand and sawdust, as fungi remain in them. If the sand is dry, it is moistened with water.
Reference! The way to store grape shanks in the basement is good because there are no sudden changes in temperature.
In a refrigerator
In the absence of a basement, grape branches are stored in the refrigerator. This method is suitable if the number of plants is small, and their length does not exceed 45-50 cm. The shanks are wrapped in a damp cloth treated with a solution of copper sulfate, placed in a plastic bag.
The bundle is placed in the vegetable compartment or on such a shelf in the refrigerator, where the temperature is within +2 .. + 6 ° С. At the same time, make sure that the bundle does not touch the walls of the chamber, in this case the grapes will freeze.
Attention! During storage, the color of the bark of the shanks is periodically controlled. The appearance of black spots indicates the appearance of rot.
In the pit
If there is no basement, then gardeners store a large number of blanks in their personal plot. In a convenient place, they dig a hole 28-30 cm deep. The width of the pit depends on the number of prepared shafts.
Low-lying areas are not suitable for arranging the pit, since water will accumulate in them after the snow melts. It is advisable to place the hole near the wall of the house, this will prevent the ground and planting material from freezing. A layer of wet sand or sawdust (6-7 cm) is first poured onto the bottom of the pit. Then the first layer of cuttings is laid, a 7-8 cm layer of sand is poured on top, then again a layer of cuttings. Layers alternate until all shafts fit. Earth is poured on the last layer of sand, boards or slate are laid on top to protect against heavy rainfall.
Important! When laying in a pit, grape cuttings are not placed in plastic bags.
On the balcony
For storage on the balcony, wooden boxes are used. A layer of wet sand is poured at the bottom of the boxes, then the first row of grape blanks. Layers alternate, the last layer of sand is poured. The box is covered with foil to prevent the sand from drying out. When the air temperature drops significantly, the box is covered with blankets.
The best option would be to store the grapes in a glazed loggia. With the onset of frost, the closed room of the loggia will save the grapes from freezing, precipitation.
How to properly save until spring
The cuttings are periodically examined. If rot or mold is detected, the shoots must be urgently processed. Moldy shanks are washed with running water and disinfected with a 3% solution of copper sulfate and potassium permanganate.
Overdried specimens are soaked in a container of water for 5-7 hours, then dried with paper towels. To avoid overdrying, the material in which the cuttings are stored - sand, sawdust, is periodically irrigated with water from a spray bottle.
Storage methods
Various utility containers are used for storage. Can be set upright in large flower pots, buckets filled with loose soil... With this method, when the temperature rises above + 6 ° C, cuttings can begin to root. In this case, they are simply planted in the spring in a prepared place.
You can store grape cuts in cut-necked plastic bottles. At the same time, wet sand is poured into the container, into which the branches are placed. The plastic container is wrapped with transparent film.
Good results are obtained from storage in moss (sphagnum). It can be purchased at garden centers. Branches are wrapped with moistened sphagnum, placed in plastic bags, stored in the refrigerator. Sphagnum has a disinfecting effect - the planting material will be reliably protected from the formation of pathogenic microflora. In addition, the moss maintains constant moisture in the bag with the shanks.
It is interesting:
When and how to properly transplant grapes to another place in the fall.
What mistakes to avoid
For high-quality storage of grape shanks, follow expert recommendations.
Do not keep cut branches in the air for a long time. This will lead to a loss of moisture, even a slight drying out will reduce the seedling's chances of further germination. Immediately after pruning, the cuttings are processed and stored.
It is not allowed to store pieces without air access. If the cuttings are stored in bags, they are periodically ventilated to weather the condensation. Without access to fresh air in conditions of high humidity, mold and rot form on the shanks.
If the temperature regime is not observed, the processes may freeze and weaken. This will lead to the complete non-viability of future plantings.
How to check them before boarding
At the end of February, gardeners check the suitability of the planting material before planting on the site. To do this, take 1-2 copies from a bunch of each variety and put them in water for germination. If, after 3-5 days, the buds begin to swell, then the grape shoots are well preserved - they are able to take root and germinate.
Conclusion
The suitability of the planting material depends on the selected storage conditions, compliance with all temperature and humidity parameters. What matters is the quality of cuttings harvested for the winter, their processing before storage. During the winter period, constant revision of the cuttings, timely elimination of emerging problems are important.