Grapevines are evergreen or summer green, vigorous climbing shrubs that can grow up to 10 m in height on a climbing aid when uncut. The grapevine Vitis or Vitaceae from the genus of the grapevine family comprises about 60 species. They differ mainly in the size and color of the fruit, the time of ripening and whether they contain seeds or not.
Characteristics
- Plant family: grapevine family (Vitaceae)
- Genus: Grapevines (Vitis)
- Growth: deciduous, climbing shrubs
- Height: depending on the variety, 5.00 to 40 m
- Blossom: yellow-green, weakly scented, multi-branched panicles of flowers
- Flowering period: May to June
- Leaf: roughly heart-shaped leaves serrated on the edge
- Fruits: oval to spherical, greenish-yellow or blue-black
- Harvest: August to October
Care instructions
With the right care, you can also successfully grow wine in the garden or on the balcony, albeit on a much smaller scale, but it is always worth a try.
Location
The grapevine itself is an extremely light and warmth hungry climber and therefore needs a warm, full sun location. The more sun, the sweeter the grapes. The place should be well ventilated, otherwise mold can develop quickly. In general, vines thrive best on breezy southern slopes. Since the conditions in the home garden are usually different, a place on the south wall of a house or a fence would also meet the requirements of these plants.
floor
In order to create the best possible conditions for the vines, good soil preparation is a basic requirement. Green manuring with cruciferous vegetables is recommended long before planting. Or you can plant them directly under the vines. In order for the vine to develop into a healthy and high-yielding wood, it needs a well-drained, deep, humus-rich and nutrient-rich substrate. The roots of wine penetrate up to 15 m deep into the earth over the years. Ideally, the soil is warm, moderately moist and somewhat calcareous. A pH value between 5.0 and 7.5 is recommended. Waterlogged soils are counterproductive and would encourage fungal diseases.
planting
Planting time and soil preparation
Even if container goods can generally be planted all year round, experts advise planting vines in spring, around March / April. For this purpose, the soil should ideally be prepared accordingly in autumn of the previous year. before
Tip: Grape varieties with an early to mid-late ripening period are suitable for growing in the home garden. When buying, you should pay attention to fungus-resistant and refined vines.
Planting instructions
Before starting to plant, especially bare-root plants should be watered for about 12-24 hours. In the meantime, you dig a planting hole about 30x30 cm in size. It should be big enough that the roots of the vine can easily fit into it. Due to their strong climbing growth, every plant needs a support post or a corresponding climbing aid.
- First place the climbing aid in the planting hole
- With bare-root plants, shorten the roots by about a hand's breadth
- Then insert it at a slight angle in the direction of the support
- Fill up with excavated earth
- For a good root closure, shake the vine again and again
- Do not plant too deep
- Refinement point four to five centimeters above the ground
- Finally, step on the soil and water it thoroughly
- We recommend five to ten liters per plant
- Water even if it has rained before
- Loosely attach the plant to the climbing aid
- If there are several plants, distances of approx. Maintain 100 cm
Tip: Transplanting older vines in particular is problematic. If it is unavoidable, you should use the winter sap rest.
to water
A well-balanced water balance is a prerequisite for healthy growth. The amount of water required by grapevines depends on the location and age of the plants. The younger they are, the thirstier they are. It is highest immediately after planting. The first year should be watered weekly. From the second year onwards, the natural amounts of rain are usually sufficient. These plants usually tolerate dry periods of up to three weeks without any problems. In particularly dry locations, it may be advisable to apply a layer of mulch. Not only does it keep the moisture in the soil longer, it also improves the soil structure.
Tip: If the vine is under a roof overhang or something similar, regular watering is not only mandatory in the year of planting.
Fertilize
At the
Growing wine, getting the right supply of nutrients is an important part of caring for it. The need is quite high due to the annual pruning. The first fertilization takes place when planting in spring in the form of compost, manure or horn shavings. Now the plants need nitrogen in particular because the main growth begins. A second fertilization follows in September. Now it is a matter of supplying the vines with potassium. Fertilizing in September helps the wood ripen and protects it from frost damage. In addition, it makes sense to administer lime about every three years.Cut
Grapevines are pruned in order to build up a trunk structure in the first few years and to encourage the formation of new shoots in spring. You start with building the stick. This is followed by winter and summer pruning. In between, one or the other smaller cutting measure is necessary.
Stick construction
- Stock build-up when budding in the first year of standing
- In early spring, pull up the strongest shoot on the trellis
- He later becomes the main impulse
- Break out all the others
- Keep the main shoot tied up during the summer
- Shorten secondary shoots that grow during summer to 2-3 leaf axils
- From around September, cut off the upper soft part of the main shoot
In the following spring, the actual building of the hive begins. The now lignified main shoot is cut at a stem height of about 80 cm. At this point it should be at least 8-10 mm thick. If this is not the case, the hive can only be built up in the next year. New shoots form below the interface. Only the top 3-5 of these are left, all of them below are removed.
Main cut
Once the stick structure is complete, the main cut follows. The best time to do this is between the end of February and the beginning of March. The plant is leafless, so that the buds that were created in the previous year are clearly visible. The main cut is about removing the fruit wood from the previous year as close as possible to the old wood. You cut back to two centimeters from the last eye.
Winter and fine cut
During winter pruning, temperatures should not be below minus five degrees. Therefore, it is best to cut between the beginning of March and the middle of March, while the vine is still bare. A distinction is made between thick shoots from the previous year and long, thin shoots.
- Last year's shoots are about the thickness of a pencil and part of the framework
- Sit close to the trunk or the thicker trunk arms
- Are not completely removed
- About five to seven remain per square meter
- Leave no cones behind
- Cones are small stubs with two to three eyes
- Thin, long shoots are slightly yellowish or reddish brown in color
- Are cut back to four to six eyes
The fine cut rounds off the winter cut. All shoots in the lower area of the vine are shortened to two to three eyes and the upper ones to four to six eyes. In addition, remove all shoots on perennial wood as well as all weak and dead ones.
Break out in spring
The breakout refers to young shoots without flower bases, water shoots and eyes, from which several shoots grow. With the latter, only those with the most fruit sets remain. New shoots that are close to the trunk are not broken out, they are important for building up the vine.
Summer cut
A summer cut is only recommended for a trellis. In order to encourage the ripening of the small grapes, the upper shoots that do not bear fruit are cut off. This way, more light and heat get inside the plant or on the panicles so that they look better
can develop.Overwinter
The Vitis grapevine is easy to overwinter. In particularly cold locations, they should be piled up with soil or compost. In March, the heaped up is removed again and the refinement point exposed. Freshly planted specimens can also be covered with fir branches in the first winter.
Tip: To avoid crop failures, it is advisable to avoid early-blooming grape varieties in regions prone to late frost.
Harvest time
Harvest time is when the grapes have taken on their varietal coloring, have developed sweetness and have formed a woody stem. A taste test can provide information about this. While early varieties can be harvested as early as August, others ripen between September and October.
Multiply
A cuttings or subsidence propagation of ungrafted grapevines is prohibited by law in Germany. The reason for this is phylloxera, which has already caused enormous damage in the past. Accordingly, an infestation is also notifiable.
Cuttings
- Cut one or more annual shoots in spring
- Should have at least 3-4 buds
- Cut slightly diagonally and always just below one eye
- Fill small growing pots with commercially available growing soil
- Use one cutting per pot
- Two eyes should look out of the earth
- Press the earth on and moisten
- Place in a warm, partially shaded place
- Cuttings rooted by autumn
- Transplant young plants into the garden
Sinker
- Select a flexible tendril close to the ground in early summer
- Bend the tendril to the ground
- Place the middle part in a small hollow and cover with earth
- At least two eyes must be covered
- The tip of the shoot should look out of the earth
- Fix the countersink in the ground with wires
- Water regularly from now on
- After the roots have formed, separate from the mother plant in autumn
- Plant in the final location
Diseases and pests
Wine also has its enemies from which it must be protected.
Powdery mildew and gray mold
Grapevines are prone to diseases such as powdery mildew and gray mold. The best means of combating it is prevention in the form of regular pruning measures, adequate ventilation and an optimal supply of nutrients. If an infestation is found, the affected parts of the plant should be removed. In addition, soapy water sprayings and beneficial insects such as ladybirds or parasitic wasps can be used.
Phylloxera
Phylloxera is one of the most problematic pests in viticulture and infects parts of plants above and below ground. It was curbed through the use of refined varieties. Nevertheless, an infestation can occur again at any time, for example from fallow and overgrown vines in the neighborhood, because they are an Eldorado for this pest. He is notifiable.
Vinepox mite
Smallpox-like bulges on the leaves in spring indicate the partpox mite. Later a white felt appears, with red varieties it is brownish-red. Affected leaves should be removed and disposed of. Rapeseed oil-based sprays are only necessary if the infestation is severe.
Vine cutter
The grapevine is a small, shiny metallic beetle. It often occurs where there are fruit trees nearby. An infestation can be recognized by the beetles themselves and the rolled up leaves. Both should be collected and disposed of consistently. As a preventive measure, it is advisable to avoid planting near fruit trees.
