Propagation of grapes by layering or the fastest way to breed grapes

To have your own vineyard in your garden is the dream of many. But it needs proper care. Reproduction is part of this care. Having bought a seedling once, you can easily propagate it in the future. The most common method is grape propagation by layering. This is what our article will be devoted to.

Vertical layering

There are several ways to propagate grapes using layering. They are all sufficiently applicable and appreciated by gardeners.

A significant plus of the propagation of grapes by layering is that the resulting vines very quickly enter fruiting.

One such method is the vertical method. In order to carry out reproduction using vertical layers, certain rules must be followed.

Instructions for propagating a grape bush using the method of vertical layering:

• the grape bush to be propagated should be planted at the bottom of a furrow up to 40 cm wide and about 20 cm deep;
• then it needs to be cut short;
• in the year when the planting was carried out, it is necessary to ensure the survival of the plant as efficiently as possible so that it gives good growth;
• the next year, in spring, on this bush, all shoots are shortened by two eyes;
• when the shoots grow back, the top of the strongest is plucked. This will temporarily suspend their growth and stimulate the growth of lateral shoots (they will be aligned according to the strength of growth);
• when the side shoots reach 30 cm in length, you can carry out the first hilling of the grape bush while closing the base of the shoot with moist soil;
• before that, the soil is fertilized with humus, which is mixed and a small amount of superphosphate;
• when the shoots reach a length of 50 cm, they are watered, and after a couple of days, re-hilling is done with moist soil so that, as a result, a hill with a height of about 30 cm is formed;
• after a couple of days, the upper shoot is minted, while above the mound on each shoot there should be about 4 or 5 leaves. As a result, you will get a seedling with rather branched shoots, the height of which reaches 40 cm.

Breeding scheme by vertical layering

After you have completed the above steps, all you have to do is keep the soil loose and moist. Weeds also need to be removed. At the end of summer (mid-August), we pinch the top of the shoot, stimulating its better ripening. Then, in the autumn, they carry out uncooling, as well as rooting of the shoots, separating them from the bush with a pruner. It is worth cutting off unrooted shoots.

In the end, at the end of all the above manipulations, you will receive small stumps rising above the surface of the bottom of the furrow. Young shoots will grow from these stumps next year.

These mother bushes for the winter, subject to early and long snowfalls, can not be covered, as they will well tolerate wintering under the snow. In another situation, they need to be covered. Usually, vegetable tops, hay, sawdust, birch or oak leaves, and other materials are used for shelter. After that, the next year, when the branch shoots, they repeat the hilling.

Using this technique, you can get vertical layering from one uterine bush over a period of several years.The advantage of this method is the good survival rate of cuttings, while non-rooted shoots can be used as cuttings.

In the spring, the vines of the uterine grape bush itself need to be cut short (into three buds). This will stimulate the growth of shoots at the base of the bush.

Green layering

Another method for propagating grapes is the green layering method.

Instructions for propagating a grape bush using the green layering method:

• carried out only on a healthy mother bush, which gives a good harvest, both in volume and in taste;
• this bush should grow either in a free space or next to the bush that needs to be replaced;
• on the bush, two (one can) green shoots are chosen. Their base should be located close to the soil or on a replacement knot;
• throughout the growth of the selected green shoots, they are tied vertically to the stake;
• stepsons must be removed when they first appear;
• in late July or early August, when the shoots have reached the required length (about 2.2 meters), we place them in a ditch;
• the ditch should have the following parameters: depth and width of 40-60 cm, the walls are vertical, and the bottom is inclined at an angle of 35 ° to 45 ° towards the trunk of the original bush. In the course of digging a ditch, the upper layer of earth should be thrown out in one direction, and the lower in the opposite;
• it must be remembered that when placing the shoot in the ditch, all the leaves must be removed from it, like the antennae. You also need to blind your eyes;
• compost (up to 10 kg) or manure must be placed on the bottom of the ditch. Then the bottom is dug onto the bayonet of the shovel so that the earth moves with fertilizers and the prepared green layers are placed;
• the layering must be carefully bent and held along the bottom of the ditch to the place where you want to grow a new bush;
• in place of the future grape bush, we bring out the top, which contains about four leaves, and its growth point should be located above the surface of the earth;
• from above, the layering is covered with the top layer of soil (about half the depth of the dug ditch), and after that it is trampled down;
• then, the planted green cut is watered with 1-2 buckets of water, and only after the water is completely absorbed, the ditch is completely filled up. Over the summer, depending on its weather conditions, you need to do one or two waterings.

Reproduction scheme by green layering

The advantage of this propagation method is that the vine takes root better and faster. You can also use shoots that have not yet reached the desired length.

Horizontal layering

Last on the list, but not in terms of applicability, is the method of propagating grapes using horizontal layers. This option assumes that there is no need to separate the cuttings from the source bush (mother bush). In this case, the method of covering the ground horizontally with the main plant in small grooves is used. Let's consider this method in more detail.

Rules for propagating grapes using horizontal branches:

• during autumn pruning, it is necessary to leave a couple of extra shoots for this propagation method;
• in the spring, grooves are dug next to the selected bush, the depth of which should not exceed 20 cm;
• soil mixed with organic and mineral fertilizers is placed in these grooves, and fresh black soil and manure are also introduced;
• after that, a vine is placed in it. It should be carefully pinned in some places. You can strengthen the shoot with iron staples and soft wire. The apical bud of the vine should be on the surface;
• then the fixed vine is covered with loose earth by 5 cm;
• on the part of the shoot that is not covered with earth, you need to remove all the lower eyes with a sharp garden knife;
• it is possible to completely fill the groove only after the vine has completely rooted (it will begin to grow).

Reproduction scheme by the method of horizontal layers

After the above manipulations, roots and shoots will form on all nodes of the vine.New layers must be watered and fed two or three times over the summer (mineral fertilizers are used for this).

It should be borne in mind that the frequency of watering depends on how hot the summer was. In hot and dry weather, the number of waterings is once a week.

In the autumn, after all the leaves have fallen from the grape bush, a horizontal layer is dug out and then cut and new seedlings are obtained. They are already planted in a permanent place of growth.

The main advantage of the above method is the high survival rate of seedlings and their fruiting in the first or second year after planting.

Video "Reproduction of grapes by layering"

In this video, you can visually familiarize yourself with the nuances of applying this method in practice.

The choice of breeding method depends on your preferences, the main thing is to follow the rules in order to ultimately achieve the expected result.