Germination of grape cuttings at home, when and how to germinate

Growing grapes from seeds at home does not always give good results, and seedlings purchased in nurseries or markets may be of poor quality. The best option for those who want to get healthy planting material is propagation by cuttings. Plants obtained in this way take root well, but their preparation and care require certain rules. How to grow grapes from cuttingsso that the plantings produce a large amount of green foliage and a rich harvest?

How to grow grapes from cuttings?

The need for germination

To propagate grape bushes, they use seed germination, rooting layering or cuttings, and planting ready-made seedlings. The seed growing method is used very rarely. It takes a long time to get the finished plant. In this case, many young plants die or do not retain varietal characteristics. Ready-made seedlings are good because they allow you to immediately get a ready-made young plant. But buying seedlings always results in significant costs.

Most often, for home breeding of the varieties you like, cuttings or rooting of grapes by layering are used. In this case, the use of a particular option is determined by the weather and climatic conditions of the region where the plants are grown. If warm weather sets in early and is not limited to one summer month, rooting of cuttings is used. In all other cases, growing by cuttings or stems is recommended.

Important! Cuttings are the preferred method of growing grapes in northern regions with short summers, few sunny days and a high risk of return frosts.

Advantages of growing grapevines by cuttings:

For cutting cuttings, a young fruit-bearing vine is used.
Any variety is suitable for cuttings.
To obtain high-quality planting material, chopped planting material is prepared in a certain way. Rooting is carried out so that the cuttings have given roots by the time they are transplanted to a permanent site.
Transplanting planting material adapted to the conditions of the site is faster than rooting layering.

Before planting in a place of permanent growth, the harvested chibouks must be germinated. Only then can you get a healthy, strong bush that will take root well in a short time, produce foliage and withstand diseases.

Dimensions and cutting of cuttings

The length of the cutting is measured not in centimeters, but in the number of eyes (buds) located on it.

The most commonly used are two-eyed and three-eyed, although one-eyed and four-eyed are also suitable. When cutting branches, the stepsons, tendrils and remaining foliage are cut off. It happens that long vines (50-100-170 cm) are stored in winter, and cutting is carried out before rooting.

The upper cut is made straight, the height above the upper bud is 2-4 centimeters. The lower cut is made obliquely under the lower bud, and the indentation should be small. At first, novice gardeners cannot determine where the top part is and where the bottom part is. It is by the method of cutting that this issue can be resolved.

Chubuki are tied into bundles and tied in two places. Tags indicating the name of the variety are attached to the tied bunches. After this, the bundles should be stored for several months. Before this, they are processed.

Germination time

At home, cuttings are taken out and begin to germinate, focusing on the climate of the region. Chibuki with sprouted roots are planted in the soil only after it has been warmed to +10 degrees. It takes two months for germination and rooting.

Therefore, the cuttings are taken out and germination begins at the following times:

In the southern part of Russia at the end of January or in the first half of February.
In the Moscow region or in the middle zone from the last days of February until the first half of March.
In the Urals or Siberia, the soil reaches sufficient temperature only in the last ten days of May. Therefore, germination of cuttings begins in the second half of March.

Important! Until the threat of return frosts passes, the grape cuttings are transplanted into the garden bed, but covered with covering material when the weather worsens.

Spring germination of chibouks causes difficulties, since you have to go to the dacha early in the spring or even in winter to get material for the cuttings. It is necessary to get table vines out from under the snow, since during this period the snow cover has not yet melted. There is a high probability of kidney damage from frost and damping off. Therefore, autumn cuttings of the vine are preferable.

Features of germination in winter

For proper storage and germination of grape cuttings at home, the developmental features of this plant are taken into account. Like other plants, its annual cycle includes phases of vegetation and dormancy. In the vegetative stage, grapes propagate exclusively in spring by layering. When dormancy sets in, propagation is carried out by cuttings. Dormancy for this crop begins at the end of November and continues until the third decade of January. At this time, even under favorable conditions, the kidneys are in a dormant state.

In the last days of January, forced peace sets in. At this time, the vine is already ready to awaken, but the temperature is too low and does not allow the buds to bloom. Therefore, this moment is the most suitable to begin rooting the chibouks.

Germination of cuttings in winter includes several activities:

Cuttings are taken in late autumn after the vine enters a dormant state. For this purpose, mature annual shoots with a diameter of 8 mm or more are used. Cuttings are cut from 10 to 15 cm long with two eyes on each. The blanks are left in water for a day to soak. Then they are treated in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, tied in bunches and sent for storage.
Bundles of chibouks are stored in a room with stable conditions. The room temperature should be kept below +15 degrees. Otherwise, the cuttings will soon begin to take root on their own. It is best to keep them in the refrigerator, basement or cellar, placing them in a box with sand.
Preparations for planting are carried out after wintering. The cuttings are inspected and damaged ones are discarded. Germination usually takes from 3 weeks to 1.5 months. Based on these indicators, the start date for preparation is chosen in order to obtain grape cuttings for germination.
Germination is carried out using different methods. In general, they bring the same result.

Preparation

Before germination, the planting material prepared in the fall is removed from the cellar or other storage and inspected. All cuttings with dark spots and traces of mold are thrown away. Stems with black or darkened wood cannot be rooted.

Disinfection

To improve the result, the material prepared for rooting is disinfected. To do this, dilute potassium permanganate in a container with water to obtain a rich pink solution. The rods are placed in it for half an hour, then removed and washed with running water.

Slicing

For short cuttings, this operation consists only of updating the cut. If the vine was stored long, it is cut into pieces 10-15 cm in size, so that each has 2-3 buds. The cut from above is made so that it extends 2 cm above the last eye. It is made at an angle, pointing the sharp end towards the kidney. A straight cut is made from below, with an interval of 1 cm from the bud. The eyes from below are all removed so that the plant does not waste energy on their development.

Soaking

The cut cuttings are placed in settled water for two days. To do this, pour it into a wide basin and place the pieces so that they are completely covered with liquid. It is allowed to soak the chibuki in a bucket, lowering them into the liquid so that the lower third is covered.

Important! If possible, use rainwater or melted snow for soaking.

Waxing

This procedure is not necessary, but is recommended to speed up the development of the root system. Melt the paraffin and dip the upper end of the cutting into it. Paraffinization will not allow the buds to develop. This will encourage the cutting to devote all its energy to growing roots.

Furrowing

In the lower part of the segment, make superficial cuts on the bark with a sharp knife, in which roots will appear in the future. Scratches are made in the longitudinal direction along the bark. This increases the number of roots formed.

Soaking to stimulate growth

To do this, use special preparations sold in gardening stores. They are designed to stimulate growth. They are diluted in water according to the instructions and used for soaking planting material. As a result of soaking, roots appear faster. But if there is no such drug, the procedure is not necessary.

Preparation of material for planting

For germination in the winter-spring period, cuttings are selected from a mature (brown, crackling when bent, woody) annual vine. They are harvested when pruning grape bushes (approximate period is October, before the onset of the first frost). In non-covered areas, stems for propagation are pruned at the end of November and in winter - from the vine, without any symptoms of drying out or freezing.

Propagation material is best obtained from the healthiest and most productive bushes that have typical varietal characteristics. These are bushes with even branches, without defects or spots. The middle part of the shoots that have sprouted from the central buds of two-year-old branches is selected for cuttings.

The normal thickness of cuttings is considered to be from 0.5 to 1 centimeter (for a variety with a thin vine, this norm may be smaller). Fattening and thick stems have loose wood, so they are not suitable for propagation.

Germination

Various methods are used to root prepared cuttings. All of them are easy to implement, but require certain conditions to be met. It is recommended to germinate grape cuttings at a water temperature of +24 degrees. If the method of rooting in the soil is used, then its temperature is kept at least +20 degrees. It is recommended to create cool air at the top of the cutting. Its temperature is set in the range from +8 to +13 degrees. The presence of light for the formation of roots on cuttings is not a prerequisite.

In water

One easy way to germinate cuttings is to do it in water. The procedure will be as follows:

Warm water, passed through a filter, is poured into a 1 liter glass jar so that it fills it by 3 cm.
The segments are placed in a container in a bunch. A jelly-like mass begins to ooze from the bottom edge. While this is happening, the cuttings are constantly removed and washed. When the edge swells, the juice will stop oozing.
The containers are placed on the windowsill, and the room is regularly ventilated. This will make the water warm and the air cold.
Constantly maintain the set water level, adding fresh water all the time. To reduce evaporation, cover the jar with film.
After 20-30 days, roots will appear from the cut. After they grow by 2-3 cm, the planting material is transplanted into the ground.

Important! Sometimes the buds wake up before the roots appear. In this case, you can leave one of the shoots, but not the strongest and the first. Premature awakening of the roots is harmful for germination, since it draws out all the juices from the cuttings.

In the soil

When the roots grow to a sufficient length, removed from the water, the stems are transplanted into a special soil mixture. But for grape cuttings it is not necessary to wait for the roots to appear. Rooting can be done directly in the soil mixture. This method is much more convenient than water rooting. In this case, it is not necessary to replant young plants again.

Typically, pine sawdust is used as a substrate for germination. They are poured into a planting container in a layer 5 cm thick. After moistening, the cutting is placed and another 4 cm of sawdust is added. The sawdust is regularly checked for moisture levels. The soil should not be dry or too wet.

Instead of sawdust, you can use a mixture of equal parts of humus, wood shavings, sand and earth. Drainage is placed at the bottom of the planting container, then the soil mixture is poured. After it is moistened, the cutting is placed and covered with soil so that the bud is closed. After rooting, the cuttings are planted directly on the site.

In peat tablets

For this method, you will need large peat tablets with a diameter of at least 5 cm. They are placed in a tray and filled with water for half an hour so that they swell. By the time they are ready, they increase in size by 5 times.

The stalk is inserted into the tablet until it stops. Then the structure is completely wrapped in film, leaving only the upper part of the cutting exposed to the air. The film is fixed with tape. A tray with cuttings is installed next to the battery. The room is regularly ventilated to ensure that the upper part of the cuttings remains cool. After three weeks, roots will appear on the cuttings. Then the tablets are transplanted into larger containers.

This method of germination is called kilching. Instead of tablets, you can use any suitable items as a skewer: sphagnum moss or potatoes, moistened newsprint. You can learn more about this rooting method in the video.

You can use plastic bottles for rooting. To do this, it is cut off, expanded clay is placed on the bottom and filled with soil mixture. Then the cutting is installed and soil is added. To keep the soil moist, cover the top with a plastic cup.

Important! When the time comes to transplant, the cuttings are removed from the bottle along with the earthen lump. Since plastic does not decompose, the cuttings cannot be planted together with the container.

Instead of a plastic bottle, you can root cuttings in a cardboard cup in the same way. Then, when planting, there is no need to remove the young plant from the container. In the soil, the cardboard will gradually break down and the plant will be able to grow freely.

Preserving cuttings before planting

The ideal storage conditions are:

air humidity – from 80 to 95%;
temperature - from 1 to 4 degrees (but not higher than +8).

Planting material should be stored in the refrigerator or basement, as well as outside - in a trench or in a snowdrift.

Storage locations for cuttings:

Snowdrift. Ideal storage location for snowy areas. It must be stored in loose snow (optimal humidity and temperature) at a depth of at least 50 centimeters. Before the snow falls, the cut vine is wrapped in damp burlap and kept on the ground in the garden. When the first frost appears, it is transferred to the basement or room with a low positive temperature. Chubuki are placed in a snowdrift open or packaged (in cut-off plastic bottles or sugar bags);
Trench. The depth of the trench is 50 - 100 centimeters. The bottom of the trench is covered with a small layer of sand, on which bunches of vines are placed vertically. After this, the trench is filled with sand and earth and covered with boards, slate or film. Often the vine is packed in a sugar bag and buried half a meter deep. The disadvantage of this method is that it is very difficult to get chibouks in the spring;
In the cellar or refrigerator. The seedlings are placed in a sugar bag or plastic bag. The packaging is placed in the refrigerator (in the vegetable department) or lowered into the cellar. First, the vine (bottom cut) is wrapped in moistened newspaper. For moisture and ventilation, the newspaper is opened at the beginning of January. The bundles are placed in two cut bottles, and the joint is wrapped with tape.

About the readiness of seedlings for transplanting into the ground

When rooting in water, it is not difficult to understand that the chibouks are ready for transplantation. The roots are visible to the naked eye. When their length reaches 3 cm, they need to be transplanted into the ground. They will be well received.

When rooting in the soil, it is impossible to examine the root system. Then, 20 days after the start of the process, the plant is slightly twitched. If resistance is felt, it means roots have formed. Now reduce watering and wait for foliage to appear.

Plants can be left in the substrate until transplanted into open ground. Sprouted plants are planted in the first half of May, when the weather is finally warm.

Further cultivation

After the roots have sprouted, the grape cuttings are planted in suitable containers and grown there until full-fledged seedlings are obtained, or they are immediately placed in a permanent place of growth in open ground or a greenhouse. In the first case, high containers are needed. Therefore, cut 1.5 liter plastic bottles are used.

Holes are made at the bottom and in the side walls for drainage. If water stagnates inside, the root system will begin to rot. Universal soil mixed with perlite is used as a soil mixture. It is first calcined in the oven for disinfection.

Transplantation of cuttings is performed in the following order:

The container is filled one third with soil.
Place a cutting so that the roots do not break off.
Cover with soil and press down.
Water with water and wait for the soil to settle.
Add more soil and press it down carefully.
The container is placed in a bright place with a temperature of +20 to +22 degrees for rapid development of the plant.

Important! If the window sill faces north, it is better to place the plants in a specially equipped place with lighting. For active growth, grapes require at least 12 hours of daylight.

The rest of the care consists of periodic irrigation of the seedlings. In this case, warm water, previously settled, is used. The soil is kept moist at all times, but not too dry. If desired, you can feed the plants with nitrogen fertilizers.

In the southern part of the country, young plants can be transplanted into a greenhouse or an open garden bed. But this is not necessary. When the seedlings become stronger, they can be transferred for a short time to the greenhouse directly in containers.

Preparing cuttings for storage

Chubuki needs:

soak in water for 12 hours, laying them horizontally so that a small layer of water completely covers them;
to disinfect: dip for 15 seconds in a solution of copper sulfate (400 grams per 10 liters of water) or iron sulfate (300 grams per 10 liters of water). After treatment with iron sulfate, the vine will turn black - this is a normal reaction;
dry on fabric or paper for several hours;
wax the sections (tips). Dip in paraffin, which is melted in a water bath and slightly cooled (not all gardeners use this method);
Before storing, wrap in cling film or plastic bag.

If all these steps are followed, the cuttings will be well preserved.

Watch the video! Preparation and storage of grape cuttings

Planting vegetative seedlings in a permanent place and care

The readiness of vegetative seedlings for transplantation to a permanent place is determined by the following criteria:

the bushes must have at least 7 leaves;
green shoots should be 15 cm or more in length;
the root system must be developed enough to completely fill a 1 liter container.

Before planting a young plant in a permanent area, it is hardened off for several days. To do this, take the plant outside for a few minutes a day. The duration of stay on the street is constantly increasing. Within a week, the young seedling completely adapts to the new growth conditions.

Transplantation is performed using the standard transshipment method. To do this, they make a landing for him, the dimensions of which exceed the dimensions of the earthen clod. The plant is moved into it along with the soil in which it grew. Then fill the open space with earth.

In the first two weeks, the bush is monitored especially carefully. It is recommended to create shade for it so that the sun's rays do not burn out the necessary chlorophyll. If frost is expected, the plants are covered with covering material. In case of a strong drop in temperature, make more thorough shelter.

Important! To protect plants from return frosts, it is recommended to plant them in a permanent place only after warm weather has finally established.

Reviews

Evgeniy, Moscow region
I usually prepare cuttings at the end of winter; I grow uncovered grapes. So it is quite possible to do everything in the last days of February or early March. I cut it, then germinate it and immediately plant it in a greenhouse in a prepared “school”. Then from there I assign him to a permanent place, closer to mid-June. I have been growing cuttings this way for years and have never regretted it.

Svetlana, Saratov
For the first time about four years ago, cuttings of different varieties were brought to me in the fall. They had three kidneys. I put them all in pots with soil and sand, covered them with a bag on top and put them in the basement. They were stored well, I constantly checked and slightly moistened the soil. At the beginning of March, we took out the grapes, the buds were already slightly swollen, and I put them all out on the windows. And already in April they transported it to the dacha and put it in a greenhouse. There they lived safely until the summer, and I transplanted them to the beds. Now I only do this if I need to grow a certain variety. Propagation by cuttings is easier and more profitable than constantly buying seedlings from a nursery.