Planting and caring for grapes in Siberia, choosing a variety and growing scheme for beginners
Grapes are considered a heat-loving plant that requires a lot of sunlight to grow. It is difficult to grow a plant in cold areas. But, thanks to the latest research, frost-resistant grape varieties, which tolerate temperature extremes and are able to grow even in Siberia. With sufficient care, the right choice of varieties, adherence to cultivation technologies, you can collect sweet and sour berries even in the Siberian region.
Features of growing grapes in Siberia
Gardeners and agricultural technicians became interested in the specifics of grape cultivation in the Siberian region several decades ago, but faced the following problems:
- the grapes froze;
- after the removal of the shelters, severe frosts set in, which destroyed the entire crop;
- early cold weather led to the death of seedlings.
But on the basis of research by V.K. and amateur gardeners from Biysk, who were the first to harvest the grape harvest, the grape bushes not only began to grow, but also learned how to cultivate.Thanks to this, 2 systems of successful crop cultivation have been prepared, which are suitable even for novice gardeners and will help to harvest grapes.
Features of cultivation of culture: the first system
To grow grapes according to this system, you need:
- Leave the harvested seedlings for winter storage in frost-resistant rooms or bury them in deep trenches 1 meter deep.
- To plant early grape varieties on winter-hardy varieties of the American or Amur culture.
- Make the planting holes of sufficient depth to protect the roots from freezing.
- Tie up seedlings after spring frosts. In extreme cold weather, cover the plants with foil.
- In the summer season, cut and tie the crop to a minimum.
- There is no need to additionally spray and feed the crop, since there are practically no grape pests in the region. It is only necessary to weed the weeds and mow the grass.
- Pruning should be done in two stages, making a load on the eyes and shoots, first - until September, then - before opening for the winter.
Features of culture cultivation: system two
You can also breed the plant in another way. For this:
- No need to graft the plant on frost-resistant varieties. It is enough to prepare cuttings in autumn, which can be removed to the cellar or stored, wrapped together with the "mother" bush.
- When planting seedlings in open black earth soil, it is not necessary to make planting pits with bait.
Sandy, clay soil requires fertilizers and planting holes for the plant.
- The culture must grow in "harsh" conditions without additional care other than weeding.
- For the winter season, sprinkle the grapes with earth and hide in shallow trenches.
- Prune the plant once a year - in the last decade of October.
Using one of the proposed technologies, you can achieve a bountiful harvest of delicious fruits.
Specificity of regions
To grow grapes in Siberia, one must also take into account that the region is divided into 12 districts. Each of these regions has its own characteristics of shrub breeding. For convenience, Siberia is conventionally divided into 3 parts, with the same climatic conditions:
- the western territory - with a mild climate and temperatures from -15 to -30 degrees;
- the eastern part has a sharply continental climate and an average temperature of about 0 degrees;
- the northern region has short summers and constantly low temperatures.
Based on this, it is most convenient to plant grapes in the western part, early ripening varieties are to be bred in the eastern regions. And in order to get a large harvest, you need to look after varieties specially developed for a given territory.
How to choose the right grape variety?
For the Siberian region, you need to select exclusively winter-hardy varieties, since the fruits will have to endure temperature extremes of up to -40 degrees. Therefore, the best grape varieties for a cold region are:
- Alpha.
- Siberian bird cherry.
- Thumbelina.
- Dombovskaya.
- Delight.
- Muscat.
- Tukay.
The most popular type in Siberia is the Dombovskaya grape with small berries, early harvest and high frost resistance.
At the same time, frost-resistant southern varieties can also be grown in the region, additionally covering plants for the winter. The famous Isabella and Lydia are also suitable for breeding in frosty areas, however, berries are used mainly for wine.
An important condition is the period of fruit ripening:
- early varieties mature in 115-125 days;
- very early crops grow in 105-115 days;
- super-early plants grow up to 105 days.
Landing procedure
After the variety of seedlings has been selected, you need to decide on the place where to plant the plants correctly. Bushes are grown in lighted dry areas, protected from the north and north-east winds.
It is better to arrange seedlings along walls or fences that will protect the crop from the wind. The distance between the bushes should be more than 2.5 meters, and between the rows - 2 meters, since the rhizomes grow rapidly.
There are two ways to plant a crop:
- In the landing pits (diameter - 0.5 meters, depth - 0.6-0.7 meters).
- In prepared trenches 60-80 centimeters deep and about 0.5 meters wide. Moreover, the length of the trench depends on the number of bushes.
The planting process is as follows:
- cover the bottom of the landing site with gravel, broken brick, expanded clay;
- fertile soil mixed with natural fertilizers or compost is laid on top;
- then chemical additives are added, consisting of 500 milligrams of superphosphate and 20 milligrams of potassium;
- beds alternate until the trench or pit is completely filled.
For the cultivation of shrubs, the seedlings must also be properly prepared. For breeding, you can choose vegetative seedlings grown at home in plastic cups. Or take harvested plants that have wintered one season in storage.
- cut the rhizomes to 10-12 centimeters;
- leave only the strongest branches on the seedling. Prune vines to 2 eyes;
- soak the seedlings in a solution of warm water with heteroaunsin or sodium humate;
- lower the trees into a clay chatterbox.
After that, you can proceed directly to planting the plant. Landing should be carried out in the spring - from mid-April to May.During this period, the soils are already warming up well, giving the culture the opportunity to solidify.
- Spread out the seedling rhizomes and deepen into the soil layer.
- Fill the grooves with soil, leaving 10-12 centimeters to the top of the hole.
- Water the plant with two buckets of water.
In the first week after planting, water the seedlings at least once every three days.
Grape care
Features of grape care in Siberia include:
- Timely watering. You need to start caring for the crop immediately after planting. Water the plants 4-5 times a season.
The need for moisture is determined by the appearance of the leaves - they lose their elasticity and sag. For watering, make a small groove at a distance of 30 centimeters from the crop, pour a bucket of water heated in the sun into the depression. After that, bury the ditch, mulch. Abundant watering is especially important for the plant:
- after the opening of the kidneys;
- 14 days before the beginning of flowering;
- 2 weeks after flowering;
- before hiding for the winter.
You can use mulch to keep the soil constantly moist and loose.
- Shrub formation, garter and thinning. It is necessary to form bushes from the first year of the plant's life, tying seedlings to stakes up to 1.5 meters high. Pinch the stepsons, starting with the second sheet. Agrotechnology of grapes also includes the correct load on the bush of eyes - future bunches.
In the first year, no more than 20 pieces of future ovaries are left. The next summer, the number of eyes is increased to 40 per bush. In the third year, you can triple the load to 60 eyes. An adult plant is loaded with 80-150 eyes, depending on the variety and growth of the shrub.
- Providing heat by means of trellises made of metal, wooden posts and a wire stretched between them.
- Shelter for the winter.
- Top dressing. A culture planted in a pit fertilized with humus does not require fertilization for three years. And only in the fourth season, the plant is fertilized with organic or mineral dressings no more than 1 time per year.
Pests and diseases did not make it to Siberia, so there is no need to spray and process the plants additionally.
Pruning features
It is very important, when growing a crop, to take into account the timely pruning of the plant. The process differs from the “southern technology”, as in Siberia, circumcision is carried out in two steps. At the first stage, gardeners are advised to prune the plants of the first and second years, as at this time the vine is formed. Pruning is done in September, removing dry, damaged, weakened shoots. Then cut the vine that has not borne fruit.
It is not recommended to prune the plant in the spring season, since the culture blooms during this period.
The second pruning is carried out as late as possible - before the wintering of the shrub, in order to enable the tree to absorb the necessary substances from the soil.
Hardening of grapes
The main feature of the Siberian grape agricultural technology is the hardening of the plant. Therefore, there is no need to create greenhouse conditions for the culture. The only exceptions are severe frosts and gusts of wind. Only in these cases can the bushes be covered with a film for a while, and then immediately opened.
The process of hardening a plant itself is aimed at:
- fast acclimatization of varieties;
- resistance to changes in daily and seasonal temperatures;
- successful wintering culture.
If you do not temper the bush, then the plant simply will not be able to endure the harsh Siberian winter and will die.
Shelter for the winter
Siberian winters are characterized by harshness and low temperatures, reaching -50 degrees. Therefore, preparing a plant for winter is one of the primary tasks when growing bushes.They begin to prepare grapes for the cold weather, when the average daily temperature becomes 0 degrees. This happens in late autumn - in October, November.The sun's rays no longer warm the soil enough. Thanks to this, timely shelter will not only preserve the harvest, but also will not lead to soil decay.
To date, gardeners have developed several successful ways how to cover grape bushes for the winter:
- Cover the bushes with a layer of soil at least 20 centimeters. The downside is that the kidneys are buried underground.
- Cover the culture with sawdust, husks, straw, needles.
- Prepare wooden decking in the form of triangles to be installed over the bush.
- Wrap the shrubs with building materials: linoleum, roofing felt, insulation, drywall.
