Grapes in the suburbs. Growing without a greenhouse

Despite the fact that grapes are a heat-loving plant, gardeners have adapted to growing it not only in the Moscow region, but also in the unpredictable climate of the Urals, as well as in the harsh Siberian winters. You can grow grapes in a greenhouse, but it is preferable to choose a variety that suits your local climate and grow it outdoors, this reduces the likelihood of the appearance of pathogens that will feel very comfortable in the warm, humid climate of the greenhouse. How to grow grapes in the Moscow region - the article will tell.

Grapes in the suburbs. Which variety to choose

grapes in the suburbs

If you are only planning to plant grapes in your summer cottage and while you are in doubt whether it is worth doing, then believe me - it is worth it. It is quite possible to get a grape harvest in the Moscow region. You just need to follow a few rules.

First of all, choose the right place, install supports or a structure along which the grapes will wind. Then you need to choose a variety, taking into account the peculiarities of the climate, which will have time to ripen before the cold season comes.

Well, for the winter months it will be necessary to cover the plant well in order to protect it from freezing. When planting, you need to dig a hole (it all depends on the soil of your site, but usually the depth is 30-50 cm), trample the bottom and pour the hole abundantly with warm water. This will further warm the soil.

It is necessary to additionally fertilize the soil. For this, you can use both organic and complex mineral fertilizercontaining potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen - essential minerals that all plants need for proper growth.

When choosing a variety, in addition to frost resistance, attention should be paid to resistance to fungal infections - this is very important. And also experts advise to give preference to self-pollinated varieties.

Grape varieties for the Moscow region

Further, you can familiarize yourself with the list of varieties that are best adapted to the climate of the Moscow region.

- "Victoria"

grapes in the suburbs

The harvest ripens in 11-120 days. The berries are very large and sweet, dark pink in color, the brush can weigh about 1 kg.

- "Lydia"

This variety, on the other hand, has small clusters, often no heavier than 100 g. The berries are dark, taste with sourness. But the advantage of the variety can be considered resistance to the main diseases of grapes - powdery and downy mildew. You can harvest the crop 14-150 days after the end of flowering.

— «Aleshenkin»

A favorite of many gardeners, this variety has its pros and cons. Seedless berries, brush weight can reach one and a half kilograms. Withstands frosts down to -25 ... -27 degrees.

But in terms of disease resistance, this variety loses to many others, so it will need constant control and protection from infections.

- "Kuderka"

The grapes ripen for a long time, but still suitable for growing in the Moscow region. It is usually grown for making wine, but it is quite popular due to its frost resistance - it can withstand frosts of thirty degrees.

- "Jupiter"

Sweet purple berries with a light hint of nutmeg, ripens in four months. The weight of the bunch is about 0.5 kg. Able to withstand fairly severe frosts.

- "Soverin Tiara"

Not very large bunches are ready for harvest in the middle of the last summer month. The berries have a sweet and sour taste.A plant that has reached the age of three is capable of withstanding thirty-degree frosts.

- "Valiant"

Valiant grapes

Not the most frost-resistant variety. The harvest ripens in early September. The plant is very powerful, the vine grows up to 10 m.

- "Phenomenon"

Mainly a wine variety with light berries. The brushes are large, up to 1 kg. Harvested in the first half of September.

- "Buffalo"

A successful variety, suitable for the Moscow region, without demonstrating any outstanding qualities. Average hardiness and harvest in September.

- "Alpha"

The undoubted champion. First, it can withstand thirty-five degrees of frost! Secondly, the harvest ripens by the end of summer and from each vine you can get up to ten kilograms of grapes.

At the end of this list I will add that a variety has been growing in my summer cottage for 13-14 years "Isabel" - grape classics. We started harvesting about three years after planting, and every year we manage to make several liters of wonderful homemade wine from it.

Growing grapes in the suburbs. Best time to plant

In order for the plant to take root well and quickly adapt to a new place, it is very important to choose the right time for planting. In the case of grapes, this is either spring or autumn.

If you plant grapes in spring, then watch the temperature of the soil - it should not be lower than + 9 ... + 11 degrees. It is very important to capture this moment, as grapes planted in warmer weather take longer to take root and take longer.

In autumn, it is also not worth delaying planting, since the plant must take root before frost, otherwise it will die. Young plants must be handled very carefully, since the slightest damage to the roots may cause the plant to die. All work must be completed no later than the second decade of October.

Choosing a place and planting material

Grapes, like all heat-loving crops, of course autumn loves sunlight, but this does not mean that it should be planted in a clear field. Yes, in summer he will receive a lot of light, but in winter he will die without protection from cold winds.

Therefore, when choosing a place, consider some factors:

• The place should be flat, preferably on the southern side of the site, and the southwest direction is also suitable. The place should be lit by the sun most of the day. But at the same time, have protection in windy weather (a wall of a house or other structure is suitable as protection). In the spring in this place, the earth should warm up as quickly as possible.
• For growing grapes, both loamy and sandy loam soils and black soil are suitable. Loam will be preferable, since it is this soil that warms up as quickly as possible with the onset of spring. Lowlands or places with shallow groundwater are categorically unsuitable. Having planted grapes in such a place, you will spend all your time treating it for fungal diseases.
• It is best to buy seedlings in early spring. Pay attention to the roots first. They should be light in color and look healthy. Before planting, the root system will need to be pruned, leaving a length of 17-19 cm, and dipped in a nutrient solution consisting of clay and rotted mullein, diluted in water. This will contribute to the early adaptation of plants.

How to plant grapes in the Moscow region and how to care for them

When planting any plant, the acidity level of the soil should be taken into account. For grapes, it should range from 6 to 7. You can prepare the soil by mixing the same amount of sand, humus, loamy soil and material that provides drainage (expanded clay, gravel, broken brick). Also, ash and phosphorus should be added as fertilizers.

It is such a soil that will have good air permeability, allow moisture to pass through, but not allow it to stagnate. If your seedlings have a closed root system, then plant them in the second half of May or early June. If it is open, then in April or early May, or already in the fall, in October.

When planting several seedlings, the distance between them should be at least one and a half meters. After you have prepared and spilled a hole with warm water, and lowered the plant into it, you need to carefully straighten and spread the roots, make sure that the upper bud is no deeper than 6-8 cm and tilt the seedling to the north side.

Then, when the hole is covered with earth, tie the plant to a support along which it will grow, and water it well. Remember, the water must not be cold! Then, to create the best conditions, you can cover the plant with an opaque film for a while.

Taking proper care of your plant is just as important as proper planting. Apply mineral fertilizers in a timely manner. Mulch the land around the bush with rotten leaves, which should be laid to a depth of 2-4 cm.

It is important to know that an insufficient amount of magnesium in the soil can lead to the onset and development of diseases, as well as to the gradual death of the plant.

To avoid this, as a preventive measure, spray the vine every couple of weeks with a specially prepared solution from a spray bottle. In a ten-liter bucket of water, dilute a mixture of sulfur and magnesium (250 g).

As we said above, the acidity level of the soil is very important for grapes, so in the springtime, be sure to add liquid dressings that will increase or decrease the acidity of the soil (depending on its composition in your area).

Treat the plant in a timely manner with drugs that prevent the appearance of harmful insects and the development of diseases. Such treatments are carried out not once, but several times during the spring-summer period, and then also in the fall, before the vines are sheltered for the winter months.

And also adjust the irrigation system and rates, which will not lead to excessive waterlogging of the soil. Water should penetrate to a depth of about half a meter. As a rule, one ten-liter watering every 7 days will be enough for this. Taking into account the weather, if the summer is rainy, then additional watering may not be needed).

In the second half of August, watering will need to be stopped. Otherwise, it will affect the taste of the berries and they will be too watery.

Bush formation

Valiant grapes

Carrying out timely and correct pruning helps to shape the plant so that it does not waste energy on unnecessary, non-fruiting shoots. In the Moscow region, the formation of the vine should begin in the second year after planting the plant. In the first year, freshly planted plants do not need to be touched, so that they finally get used to and get stronger.

In the second year, you will have two pruning steps. In the fall, before the onset of cold weather, two-thirds of the vine must be cut off. And then in the spring, inspect and prune those branches that look frozen, damaged, or diseased.

Watch out for the formation of shoots, avoiding the appearance of large branches, in the future this will affect the yield.

The simplest can be called the "Guino Method", which involves pruning grapes according to the following scheme. At the end of the first season in the autumn, it is necessary to cut the plant, leave a couple of "eyes" above the ground. The next year, two annual branches should be pruned. Leave one long enough, and shorten the other to 2-3 "eyes".

And then a year later, a vine will grow from this second shoot, which will give a harvest.

Grapes in the suburbs. Harvesting

As a rule, grapes in the Moscow region ripen at the end of summer or in September. It all depends on the characteristics of the variety and the weather in the current season. It is very important to harvest on time, without allowing the berries to overripe, as in this case they become less tasty and are only suitable for making wine.

Well, then an overripe crop can attract unwanted insects, which in turn can bring various viruses with them and cause plant diseases.

When harvesting, use a sharp, disinfected pruner. This will not harm the vine.Proceed with caution, as damaged berries can start to rot and ruin the entire bunch.

Shelter grapes

This is also a very important point that should be paid attention to. After all, it will depend on how correctly and timely you cover the grapes whether it survives the winter or freezes and dies. Take your time with cover. This should be done when the cold weather sets in and the thaw with rains will definitely not return.

At a temperature of -3 ... -5 degrees, you can start to act. Lay boards or wooden boards on the ground, bend and lay a vine on them (you can first wrap it with geotextiles, for example, spandbond), and secure.

Then proceed directly to the shelter, using your choice of soil, straw or dry fallen leaves, slate or roofing felt. But the best material for shelter will be spruce or pine branches.

In addition to the fact that they will save the plant from frost, they will also protect it from mice and diseases, the bactericidal properties of needles contribute to this very much. And after the snowfalls begin, throw snow over the shelter, at least half a meter and, if possible, keep the snowdrift in this state all winter.

In the spring, when the snow has completely melted, the shelter can be removed. But this should be done gradually. Start by opening the grapes during the day, but cover them again with spruce branches or spandbond at night. As soon as the weather is stable and warm, the shelter can be removed completely.

After that, you can tie the grapes to the support and start spring work.

Perhaps, after reading this article, you will think that everything is too complicated, but believe me, it is not. Having a sufficient amount of knowledge and following some rules, you, without spending superhuman efforts, will be able to harvest grapes annually at your summer cottage in the Moscow region.