In order to make the appearance of a house, gazebo or garden original and interesting, gardeners often resort to planting Maiden grapes. The fruits of this plant are inedible, however, the ornamental vine will also not require as much care as ordinary fruit plants. It is also noteworthy that to fully decorate a large area, many bushes are not required, since Maiden grapes quickly sprout and grow. This article will talk about how to plant a plant correctly and what to do to ensure that it fits perfectly into the landscape design.
Specifics of girlish grapes
Another name for Maiden grape is Virgin ivy. This is explained by the fact that the plant does not require pollination to form fruits. Grapes can be grown at home using seeds, cuttings, root suckers and layering. It is possible to meet it in Russia and in many CIS countries.
About ten species of plants grow in nature, but only three are used in gardening:
- attached;
- ivy-shaped (trifoliate);
- Virginian (five-leafed).
For many summer residents, maiden grapes are interesting because they can be very successfully used in landscape design.
The flowers of the plant, like the fruits, are quite inconspicuous. Decorative properties, first of all, lie in the vines and leaves themselves. The latter have a finger-like shape and a bright green hue, which changes over time and remains purple until frost. Read how to grow grapes at home from seeds here.
It is best to plant Maiden grapes in places where there is vertical support. As a rule, gardeners grow it near the fence or near the house.
Scheme for planting maiden grapes and rules for caring for vines
Maiden grapes, planting and caring for which will require minimal effort from the owner of the site, are indispensable in landscape design. The lush beauty of vines was appreciated by the ancient Assyrians. Long before our era, they were used to create one of the “wonders of the world” - a beautiful oasis that appeared as if by magic on a sandy plain - the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
The fruits of virgin grapes are unsuitable for food, but they have many other advantages. It is unpretentious, grows quickly, hiding any building behind a luxurious living carpet of unusual palmately compound leaves. 2-3 years will pass, and this perennial vine will completely entwine a high wall or gazebo, giving coolness and pleasing the eye with lush greenery. Even a dilapidated building, entwined with it, will become an original decoration of the site. A plant planted along the fence will also look impressive.
Maiden grapes are propagated in several ways. You can grow a vine in different ways:
- from seeds;
- using layering;
- digging up root shoots;
- cutting cuttings from the mother bush.
The generative method of crop propagation is popular among gardeners because of its simplicity and high efficiency. Its only drawback is that the vine will take longer to develop than with cuttings or planting layering. But if there is nowhere to get them, getting wild grapes from seeds is not difficult.
Spring and autumn are suitable for sowing. Seeds are placed in open ground, after soaking them to increase germination. They need loose soil. They are sprinkled with a small (maximum 1 cm thick) layer of soil. If the sowing of virgin grape seeds is planned in the spring, they are stratified. This procedure is not difficult. First, the planting material is dipped in cold water, where it is kept for 1-5 hours. Next, the seeds are laid out on the surface of the moistened substrate, and the container with them is placed in the refrigerator. They will be ready for sowing in a month.
To propagate decorative grapes by layering, choose a long vine with many buds. Having dug a shallow (5 cm) trench, place the shoot in it. The vine layer has a wavy shape. You need to plant it, leaving some of the bends underground, and some above its surface. The shoot located in the soil is pinned. You can use a straightened paper clip or wire for this. The planted grapes are watered abundantly.
A method is also practiced in which they take shorter layers. It is placed in a well-moistened trench and carefully covered with soil. The top of the layer should protrude 10-15 cm from the ground. A support is placed next to it so that the shoot grows correctly.
Many summer residents propagate wild grapes using cuttings. This procedure will be equally successful in spring and autumn. The thickness of the cuttings should be as thick as a pencil. The branches are cut so that each has 4-5 live buds. They are then placed in well-watered soil. After planting, 2 buds should remain above the ground. With regular watering, cuttings take root quickly. If the place is sunny, they will have to be sheltered from the scorching rays at midday. Shading can be made permanent by removing it when the cuttings produce young shoots.
An adult bush of maiden grapes forms a lot of basal shoots. It is easy to propagate a vine with the help of such offspring. They are carefully dug up and planted in a new place. When they grow up and their root system is well developed, they are placed in a permanent area. Most often this is an area along a fence or near the walls of buildings.
You can plant girlish grapes anywhere. The liana grows well on the north and south sides. But the color of its leaves will be different. Maiden grapes love light. If the plant has enough sunlight, by autumn its leaves will turn into rich shades: orange, scarlet, crimson, purple.
When planting grapes on the north side, you should not expect such brightness from them. It will be green until it flies around. In the shade, the growth of the vine slows down, and its leaves become smaller. Lack of light often negatively affects the flowering of a plant; it may not occur.
Ornamental grapes are undemanding in terms of soil quality. It can grow on any type of cultivated soil, but in dry and depleted soil the development of the vine will slow down. If the soil on the site is slightly saline, this will not interfere with its planting. Experts believe that the best time for growing virgin grapes is in September and lasts until the beginning of October. But spring planting is also widely practiced.
Prepare a site for vines at the dacha in advance - at least a week in advance. The soil is weeded and planting holes 0.5-0.6 m deep are dug. 1 m of free space is left between them.
So that over time the virgin grapes cover the soil with a continuous carpet, the holes are made closer - at a distance of 0.6 m. 2-4 seedlings are placed in each of them.
Add 1 bucket of compost and sand to the soil removed from the holes.
Fertilizers are also applied to the pit itself. You can use wood ash (1 l) or double superphosphate (300-400 g). Good drainage is required for virgin grapes. The following materials are placed at the bottom of the pit:
Small pieces of slate or boards are placed on top of the drainage layer. A little prepared substrate is poured into the hole, the seedling is lowered onto it and, carefully spreading its roots in all directions, the hole is filled to the top with soil. The root collar of the plant should remain level with the soil surface. Then a watering hole is made around it, the soil is abundantly moistened and mulched. It is better to use dry leaves, straw or pieces of tree bark for this.
There is another way to prepare a planting hole. Having placed the drainage at the bottom, pour sand into it in a layer of 20 cm. Then the hole is filled with a mixture of three components:
- leaf soil (2 parts);
- compost (2 parts);
- sand (1 part).
The maiden grapes in the country will grow on their own; it is impossible to destroy this vine, even if you care for it irregularly. All it needs is rare watering and pruning of excess shoots.
But if you spend a little more time caring for the plant, its lush beauty will be the best reward for your efforts.
Water wild grapes sparingly. During the season, 3-4 moistenings are carried out, spending 10 liters of water on each vine. If the summer is hot and dry, you will have to water the plantings more often. The condition of the soil will serve as a guide here; it should not dry out completely. In the first days of June, watering is combined with fertilizing. Nitroammophoska is suitable as a fertilizer. During the period of intensive growth of vines, complex mineral compositions are added.
Features of planting seeds
You can get seeds for planting Maiden grapes directly from its fruits. To do this, you will need to collect ripe fruits.
As a rule, the berries begin to ripen in mid-September. After collecting, they will need to be laid out on a dry surface for two to three weeks, and after the period has passed, carefully cut the skin and remove the seeds. After washing and drying, the grape seeds are transferred to a paper envelope and placed in a dry place. Planting materials can also be purchased at a specialty store.
You can plant seeds in the same way as cuttings - in spring and autumn. The main condition in this case is the mandatory stratification of seeds.
Grapes can be planted using cuttings, layering and root suckers in spring, summer and autumn. In this case, the planting material takes root quickly and does not require special care. It is recommended to plant seeds in the spring. However, it is not necessary to harvest seedlings for this. It is enough to properly prepare the material and soil, feeding and loosening it in the future.
Growing wild grapes
But in addition to excellent decorative qualities, maiden grapes often reproduce on their own and very randomly, sometimes reaching absurd proportions or strong unwanted shading of windows and loggias of houses.
An easy way to grow virgin grapes is to grow from seeds . Before breeding this plant, you also need to take into account fallen leaves, the cleaning of which will have to be done in earnest in the fall.
The reason why the maiden grape is so tenacious and climbing is because it belongs to the family Grape (vine-bearing vines) and modified inflorescences, which act as a sucker even to a vertical wall.
Reproduction: cuttings, green layering, seeds
This grape is very easy to propagate. There are these options:
- cuttings _ A method that is also used for growing roses from cuttings in the autumn. There are 2 ways to plant girlish grapes this way. You can cut a small sprout from a grape in spring or summer so that the sprout has a couple of leaves. The cut should be made 2-3 cm below this leaf. Place the shoot in a glass of water until young roots begin to appear. As soon as they appear, the plant is transplanted into the ground, sometimes moistening the leaves with a spray bottle. You can also carry out cuttings immediately and plant the shoot in loose soil with a slope. Such a sprout should be the diameter of a pencil with two buds that remain above the ground. If it is hot outside, the plant should be shaded;
- layering of vines. This method of propagation requires a vine with buds. A plant vine is taken and laid out on the ground, the vine is dug in or secured with pins. A few waterings and the new plant is ready;
- propagation by seeds , as in goitrous nemesia, the cultivation of which we described in the material. Maiden grape seeds can be sown in early spring or autumn. The soil should be loose, the seed planting depth is 1 cm. Before planting, the seeds are kept in cold water for up to 5 hours, then they are placed in the refrigerator for several days in moist soil (for example, in a glass) - this is called stratification, when the seeds of virgin grapes are hardened in this way;
- shoots of roots . Grape vines are often driven away by young root shoots, which can easily be planted in any other place for rooting. It is enough to choose the north or south side, dig a hole and fill it with soil and soil mixture. The main thing is not to cover the root collar; if a row of grapes is planted, then you need to maintain a distance of 1 m between the shoots.
Landing
The correct choice of planting location depends on the north and south of the area; only in these places will the grapes grow well. The color of the leaves of the plant is highly dependent on the intensity of sunlight: in bright sun the leaves have a rich orange or purple color, but in the shade, on the north side, the maiden grapes are green. Naturally, sunny places for grapes will have a more abundant growth rate of greenery, lushness and larger leaves.
When to plant: spring or autumn
The time when girlish grapes should be planted with seeds is autumn or spring; there is no difference between these seasons for the plant. But the opinion of experts is the following: the vine is more resistant to weather conditions if it is planted in the fall - it hardens well over the winter and grows well by the next winter.
The soil for grape vines must be cultivated and loosened. In order not to overdo it with fertilizer, it is worth applying it very little and infrequently. While in the care and cultivation of garden roses, fertilizing is mandatory.
Methodology
In order to get high-quality grape bushes, you need to pay attention even to the little things.
Seed preparation
Both purchased and homemade planting material must be prepared for planting. For this, so-called certification is used, the essence of which is cooling. At home, this procedure takes about a month and requires storing the seeds in the refrigerator. To do this, just put the bones in small containers (plastic glasses are perfect) filled with sand. After laying out the seeds, it is necessary to water it well, and then ensure that the soil is always moist. The storage temperature in this form is about five degrees.
Seeds of virgin grapes have one good feature - good germination, which persists throughout the year.
Instead of sand, you can use other moisture-retaining materials that are more convenient for further removal and planting in the soil. For example, cotton wool.
Selecting a location
The choice of site for cultivation largely depends on the selected variety of Maiden grapes . However, most plants love sunlight, so it is recommended to plant it on the south or southwest side. As already mentioned above, it is important that the vines can be climbed vertically, and for this a house wall, fence or special decorative structures are suitable.
It is believed that when the plant is grown on the north side, the leaves remain green even in autumn.
Soil preparation
For planting in the Moscow region, the Urals and other regions, it is necessary to loosen and fertilize the soil well. Otherwise, Maiden grapes are not picky. A possible lack of nutrition is usually indicated by weak and slow growth of young shoots.
The bed for vines should consist of two layers. The lower one is drainage (pebbles, sand, brick), the upper one is fertile and rich in nutritional components. Drainage in this case is required to filter and prevent moisture stagnation.
Landing
Planting seeds is best done in the spring, but you can also choose the autumn months for this. The spring period usually falls in early to mid-March (seedlings), the autumn period in October. However, much depends on the growing region, so it is recommended to focus on temperature indicators. Find out about the features of the Alpha grape variety at this link.
Description and photo of the main varieties of virgin grapes
There are several varieties of virgin grapes. The most famous of them are the five-leafed maiden grape and the tripointed maiden grape.
Both species have good endurance. They are able to adapt to any light, but if you want to admire the red leaves in the fall, then you need to plant them on the sunny side .
The advantage of these species is that they are practically not attacked by various garden pests and are resistant to typical diseases.
As mentioned above, virgin grapes are used to improve garden plots, create arches and similar structures. Along with it, real Arch grapes are used for these purposes, as well as euonymus, ivy and Thunbergia vines.
Five-leafed
Another name for this variety is Virginia grape . The height of its vines reaches 15-20 meters.
In summer, the foliage of the five-leaf vine is bright green, and in summer it turns red. The leaves themselves have pointed tips and very long petioles.
In July, this grape blooms with small white flowers, from which dark blue berries appear in the fall.
The grape shoots grow very quickly and cling to everything. Special “clinging tendrils” and suction cups allow the grapes to firmly cling to the surface.
The five-leaf grape is absolutely unpretentious and shade-tolerant . Able to tolerate transplantation normally.
The grapes develop well on loose, fertile soils, although they grow without problems on poorer soils. It has a truly significant annual growth of vines - up to 2.5 meters.
Pests and various diseases rarely stick to Virginia grapes. Gardeners have noticed that slugs can sometimes cause harm.
Tripointed
Another name for this species is ivy grape . China, the Korean Peninsula, and Japan are considered to be the birthplace of triacid grapes. The vines of this grape are also frost-resistant.
The beautiful leaves of this grape are extremely attractive for decorative purposes. In autumn the leaves turn bright red. Tripointed purple grapes with dark burgundy leaves are known.
There is also a tri-pointed golden- , which is distinguished by yellow blotches on green leaves.
And the most common species in garden plots is the triacum Vici grape . Its leaves are small, smooth and have a beautiful shape. The shape is usually three-lobed or two-leafed. The leaf color is dark green in summer and bright orange in autumn.
This variety takes root especially well in the south of Russia, as well as in southern countries. During the season, the Vicha grape vine can grow four meters under favorable conditions. The shoots are attached to fences and walls of houses using suction cups. Moreover, grapes also secrete a special adhesive substance that holds the vine on almost any surface.
Some gardeners grow Vici grapes in soil. It grows quite well, forming a carpet on the ground. The roots of this grape are shallow, so it is first grown in pots or containers.
Gardeners note that this species is resistant to smoke and exhaust gas, so it can be planted next to roads.
Caring for grapes is the same as for other types, for example, the common variety Isabella. But for the winter it should be covered especially carefully, otherwise it may die.
Step by step planting guide
After the location has been selected and the soil and planting material have been prepared, it is possible to transplant the seedlings. To make it, it is enough to fill wide containers (boxes) with soil mixture, lay out certified seeds and cover them with a thin layer of soil.
Two weeks after the emergence of shoots, picking is carried out into separate glasses. As soon as the height of the seedlings reaches half a meter, transplantation can be carried out. It will take place in several steps:
- At a distance of about a meter from each other, dig small holes about forty centimeters deep.
- Mix the soil from the holes with sand and compost. Place drainage on their bottom.
- Sprinkle a little soil over the drainage and plant the seedling at a slight slope (the plant should be removed from the pot along with the lump of earth).
- Fill with prepared soil mixture and water thoroughly.
Scheme of planting five-leaf grapes (maiden grapes) in the soil.
Planting without seedlings is also possible. For this:
- Two to three days before planting, remove the seeds from the refrigerator and soak them in a cloth with water at room temperature.
- Dig a trench in the soil about half a meter deep. Lay out a layer of drainage about twenty centimeters thick.
- Sprinkle a mixture of soil, compost and sand over the drainage.
- Make holes about two centimeters deep and carefully place the soaked seeds in them at a distance of about half a meter.
- Carefully water the bed.
Choosing a landing site
On the bags in which the seeds are sold, manufacturers indicate where it is best to plant a particular variety of vines. Some varieties of maiden grapes like sunny areas, others prefer shade or partial shade.
Breeders and gardeners know that if the foliage of virgin grapes is poorly illuminated by the sun (vines grow on the north side of the house, veranda), then in the fall it does not change color and remains green. If the plant is exposed to the sun most of the day, its leaves will turn red or purple in September.
Scheme of planting five-leaf grapes (maiden grapes) in flower pots and other containers
Important! When choosing places to plant seeds and cuttings, you need to take into account that this creeping plant can climb not only walls - it climbs the trunks and branches of trees. The grapes can completely cover the fruit tree and even break it. Therefore, in the garden, girlish grapes require constant attention and pruning.
This crop tolerates winter well, the roots sprout, and virgin grapes can turn into a weed, which will take a lot of time to combat. Therefore, when planting grapes with seeds, you need to immediately plan how they will grow and form.
Growing
To get thick and voluminous vines, it is necessary to provide the plants with proper care.
Watering rules
Ideally, moisture comes only from precipitation. However, if it rains irregularly, it is enough to water once or twice a week . In this case, it is important to constantly loosen the soil so that water stagnation does not form and moisture freely penetrates into the soil.
Ornamental grapes require moderate watering. It will be quite enough three to four times a season, using at least 10 liters of water per bush.
It is recommended to water freshly planted grapes from seeds at least two to three times a week to strengthen the root system.
Top dressing and necessary fertilizers
Grapes do not like oversaturated soil. Therefore, before planting, it is not recommended to add synthetic fertilizers to the soil; humus is sufficient. If the depletion of the soil is subsequently discovered, it is useful to add saltpeter and nitrophoska during the period of rapid growth. Laura will tell you about the description of the grape variety in this material.
Trimming
Some gardeners leave the Maiden grapes unmolded so that they fill all the empty vertical space. However, if pruning is necessary, it should be done as follows:
- Direct the growing young shoots along the support.
- Remove those shoots that could not be guided along the support.
- Remove all weak and damaged stems.
Pruning is carried out in the spring, during the dormant period.
Removal of weak and unmouldable shoots is recommended in spring and summer. This way you can get a noble and neat appearance of the vines.
Required structures
To plant grapes from cuttings at home along a fence or wall, no additional structures are required. However, in this case, it is recommended to stretch polyethylene ropes or fishing lines vertically at a distance of about half a meter (you should be guided by the distance between the plants). In addition, there is the construction of decorative fences and arches made of metal and wood, along which it is also possible to grow and form vines. This article will tell you about a wooden grape press.
Garters
It is recommended to tie up those shoots that cannot support themselves during shaping. You can use any suitable material for this. The procedure is carried out as needed in spring and summer.
Preparing seeds for spring planting
The seeds of many cultivated plants need storage conditions close to natural ones, otherwise they germinate poorly and grow slowly. The seed preparation process takes different times for different grape varieties. The instructions for planting material usually contain information about how long the process of preparing for planting takes. Stratification (cooling of wet grape seeds) begins a month or two in advance (depending on the plant variety). In city apartments and rural houses, seed stratification is carried out in the refrigerator, since it maintains a constant temperature. To work, you need plastic bags with a sealed clasp or containers. We'll talk about this in more detail a little later.
Five-leaved maiden grape Don Juan, seeds
On a note! Instead of cotton pads and napkins, you can use wet sand or sphagnum moss, but the seeds can get “lost” in the transparent material and will not be easy to find. Vermiculite or perlite is also used for stratification.
If you plan to plant virgin grape seeds in the fall, then no special preparation is needed. They are planted in the ground at once in mid-October or in the last ten days of the month. The weather should not be warm, otherwise the seeds will sprout and die from the cold.
Grape seeds
Disease Prevention
Maiden grapes, as a rule, exhibit extraordinary resistance to diseases and pests. Therefore, almost all lesions are associated with improper care, lack of nutrients and poor watering. Read about Libya grapes here.
Lianas and their fruits are inedible for rodents and insects, but aphids can threaten them. In order to get rid of pests, it is enough to treat the leaves and stems with a soap solution mixed with alcohol in a ratio of three to one.
Caring for virgin grapes
The plant loves moderately fertilized soil, but in soil oversaturated with organic matter, grapes do not feel well. Before planting seeds in the garden bed, you do not need to apply any synthetic mineral fertilizers. If necessary, nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers are applied during the period of rapid growth, in mid-summer. It can be saltpeter or nitroammophoska.
Maiden grapes in autumn
Maiden grapes require constant attention; they need to be trimmed, tied up, strengthened on trellises and supports almost every week. As a result, the gardener will receive beautiful garden forms that will delight the eye until late autumn and leaf fall. In order for the vines to curl smoothly and beautifully, trellises and nets are installed for them.
On a note! Maiden grapes will not grow well if the area is overgrown with weeds. Weeding should be done as needed several times a season. This plant is not susceptible to fungal diseases, it is not touched by insect pests, but if the ground is covered with weeds and the weather is rainy, mold is likely to appear in the soil layer and in the root system.
Another photo of girlish grapes
If there is no rain, plants with a developed root system need to be well watered once a week. Maiden grapes planted with seeds cannot form a strong root system in the initial year of life. It needs to be watered more frequently as the soil in the beds dries out.
Pruning virgin grapes
