Cuttings or cuttings are the main propagation material for grapes. They are cut in the fall and rooted in the spring. In addition to harvesting, it is important to organize proper storage and germination of the chubuk. This determines how quickly and efficiently the vine will take root in the ground after winter.
Harvesting technology
The optimal time for cutting chibouk is the second half of autumn. Choose a time when the first frost has already hit, but the temperature has not dropped below -10°C. Under such conditions, the vine has already undergone cold hardening, but still contains a lot of starch, sugars and other necessary substances. An external sign of timely harvesting is the fall of all the leaves from the vine.
Advice. In regions with an early arrival of winter, there may be no leaf fall. In this case, the material can be cut when the grapes are finally ripe, and the cork layer easily peels off from the vine.
How to get grape cuttings:
Attention! It is important that the cutting site is not in the middle of the internode, but 2 cm from the node. This will come in handy if you are grafting grapes.
How to prepare cuttings for wintering
Preparation of the chibouks should begin immediately after cutting, otherwise they will lose moisture and may not come to life in the spring:
- tie the cuttings in a bundle, securing them with twine or wire, 5-10 pieces each;
- soak the workpieces for 2 hours in a disinfecting solution (0.5% quinosol or 5% ferrous sulfate) or spray with a 3% solution copper sulfate.
- Hang a label on each bunch indicating the variety and number of cuttings - this data may be forgotten over the winter.
Advice. Some gardeners prefer to store long vines, 1-1.5 m each. In this condition, it tolerates winter better. The lashes are cut in the spring, just before germination.
Sometimes, before planting cuttings for the winter, it is practiced to soak them in clean and soft water for 5-20 hours. But this procedure is only relevant if the vine still has time to dry out in the cut state. The final step before storing the chibouk is ventilation. The vine must not be left with moisture on the surface.
Attention! Disinfect especially carefully if you have received or purchased planting material from an unknown supplier.
Features of winter storage
The gardener's task is to minimize the loss of nutrients from the grapevine. To reduce carbon consumption, you need to keep the plant at low temperatures. However, the thermometer should not fall below 0 °C. It has been scientifically proven that the optimal temperature for storing chibouk is +4 °C at fairly high humidity air.
Methods for storing planting material:
- Burying it on the site. The simplest option. Find a quiet place without stagnant water and make a trench about 30-40 cm deep. Without packing, place the bunch there and cover it with soil.
- In the cellar, in plastic bags. The cuttings must first be moistened and maintained in this condition throughout the winter. Get rid of mold by wiping the wood with a 3% solution of copper sulfate.
- In the cellar, in slightly damp sand or sawdust. All this is placed inside the bag, where an ideal atmosphere will be created to save carbon and reduce the activity of bad microflora. It is important not to over-wet the material.
- In the refrigerator. Place a couple of shelves inside the device so that there is only 10-15 cm between them. Wrap the tubes with gauze soaked in a disinfectant solution. Wrap all materials in polyethylene. Care is the same as when stored in a cellar (in plastic bags).
Attention! The temperature in the refrigerator should be +4…5 °C.
Germination of cuttings in spring: how to do it
Only germinated cuttings are subject to spring planting on the site. At the end of winter, take out the material: inspect, moisten and wipe off mold. If necessary, update the slice. The next step is artificial awakening of the kidneys:
- Treatment with honey-containing products. Use Ecogel or a homemade equivalent: 2 tbsp. l. honey per 2.5 liters of water. Soak the bottom of the chibouks for three days.
- Applying notches. Using an awl, make 3 shallow cuts between the pair of lower buds. In this state, the cutting is immediately ready for rooting.
The first home of a grape cutting should be a small container with a capacity of about 1 liter. Soil composition - mixture in equal parts garden soil, humus and sawdust (perlite). Deepen the branch by 2-3 buds. Water and tamp with your hands to remove voids. Care during this period consists of regular irrigation and loosening of the substrate. To form a full-fledged young plant, the cutting will need from 3 weeks to 1 month.
The grapevine is capricious and has poor resistance to diseases and fungal infections. If at the cutting stage you provide for everything weak points crops, you will get healthy and productive grapes.
How to propagate grapes: video
My family really loves fresh grapes. In the summer, these delicious and healthy berries always decorate our table. Unfortunately, in such a short period you don’t have time to fully enjoy this product. I was wondering how to store grapes for the winter at home. Let's figure it out together.
Choosing the right variety
There are many types of grapes. All of them differ in their taste characteristics and storage ability. Here are several factors that determine whether certain grape varieties can be stored:
- Ripening period. Medium and late ripening varieties are suitable for long-term storage.
- Berry size. It is much easier to preserve grapes for the winter if they have large berries and a dense and thick skin is visible in the cut.
The thickness of the shell determines the ability of the grapes to retain moisture.
- Method of care and yield grape bushes. Statistics show that the more prolific the bush, the greater the chance of preserving the berries.
Which grapes can be stored for a long time:
| Image | Varieties |
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Moldova
Medium late variety. Ripens in mid-September. The berries are very large with dense pulp. |
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Karaburnu
Late variety, ripens in late September – early October. These grapes tolerate transportation well and very long-term storage. |
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Autumn black
Medium late variety. Distinctive feature- oblong berries. It has increased frost resistance and good transportability. |
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Crane anniversary
Medium late variety. Has elongated pink berries. These grapes store well and tolerate freezing well. |
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Chocolate
This variety has a medium ripening period. It goes on sale on the 20th of August. It has a rich sweet taste, so its price is higher than other varieties. |
The table lists the most popular varieties grapes for our region. Also on sale you can find more rare species, tolerate long-term storage well. For example:
- Kriulyansky;
- In memory of Negrul;
- Nistru;
- Strashensky;
- Liana;
- Tair.
Storage nuances
Method 1: Cooling
Properly store grapes at temperatures from 0 to +7 °C at a relative room humidity of about 80%. Based on this rule, we will choose a suitable place. The instructions are presented in the table:
| Image | Recommendations |
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Method 1: Hanging
Tie the bunches with a rope and hang them on a wire. An attic or attic is suitable for these purposes. Shelf life – up to 1 month.
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Method 2. On green ridges
You need to leave about 20 cm of the vine above the bunch. Then dip the vine stem into a bottle of water. This way you can extend the preservation of grapes V fresh up to 2 months.
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Method 3. In boxes and crates
The bottom of the box should be covered with parchment paper and the bunches should be placed on top with the ridges facing up. This way the grapes will be preserved up to 2 months.
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Method 4: Refrigerator
Place the grapes in containers, stems up. At a temperature of about +2 °The shelf life will be from 4 to 7 months. |
Method 2: Freezing
Is it possible to freeze grapes and how to do it correctly?
To start, the berries need to be properly prepared.:
- The grapes need to be washed, remove small leaves.
- Then the berries need to be dried. For these purposes, you can use a hair dryer with minimum temperature or a home fan.
- Next, the berries need to be cooled., placing it in the refrigerator for several hours.
You can freeze grapes for the winter in several ways:
| Image | Recommendations |
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Method 1. Bunch or loose
Place whole bunches or sorted berries into bags. Then put them in the freezer.
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Method 2. In sugar
You can freeze grapes in sugar for the winter. Sprinkle the berries with sugar and place them in containers, then put them in the freezer. |
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Method 3. In syrup
Weld sugar syrup: 1 cup sugar to 2 cups water. Place the berries in sealed jars and fill with syrup. Then cool by placing in the refrigerator for 2 hours and placing on the bottom shelf of the freezer. |
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Method 4. In the form of puree or juice
Prepare puree or squeeze juice using any in an accessible way. Add sugar to the mixture: for 2 cups of puree (juice) 1 cup of sugar. Mix and distribute into containers. Place in the freezer.
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Conclusions
You can enjoy fresh grapes at any time of the year. Choose the storage method that suits you best. The video in this article will demonstrate some more nuances for preserving juicy berries. If you know other methods on how to keep grapes fresh for a long time, write in the comments.
Propagation of grapes using cuttings (chubuks) is interesting and beneficial because in this case the new plant will be a copy mother bush. This result can only be achieved by propagating grapes. vegetative way, but when propagated by seeds this is simply impossible. Therefore, for many gardeners, the issue of harvesting and storing grape cuttings in the winter becomes relevant.
When to start preparing
The best period Autumn is considered the best time to harvest grape cuttings. Moreover, seedlings are cut before the first significant frost occurs.
Important! When the temperature drops below 5 °C in the shoots grapevine the amount of nutrients is significantly reduced, so it is recommended to harvest the cuttings before this moment, so that the seedlings are maximally enriched with all the elements necessary for future growth.
It is difficult to indicate specific dates, since different regions The period of onset of the first cold weather varies. The main indicator of the readiness of the vine for harvesting for the winter can be considered the falling of leaves in the autumn. In most regions this occurs at the end of September or in the first half of October. However, in the northern regions, leaf fall is not at all indicative - there the cold snap occurs much earlier, and the trees simply do not have time to shed their leaves before the first frost. 
In order not to miss the necessary moment when preparing pipes, it is recommended to take into account the climatic characteristics of your region and monitor the weather forecast and deciduous processes in advance.
It is permissible to cut cuttings before the first December frosts - the main thing is that the temperature does not fall below -10 ° C. In this case, the vine will not yet have time to completely lose nutrients, but at the same time it will also undergo hardening at low temperatures.
The time frame for this temperature regime may vary in different regions, so it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of your climatic zone. However, the sooner you cut the cuttings, the greater the number of live buds on them. The eyes are quite sensitive to low temperatures and are easily damaged by frost. Therefore, unless you are trying to harden off the vine, it is best to prepare the shoots when the temperature is between 5°C and 0°C.
Important! You can cut shoots for propagation of grapes, starting from the first days of October and ending in early December-just from the moment when the temperature drops to 5°C, but will not be lower than -10°C.
How to choose cuttings for cutting
Cuttings are cut only on well-ripened vines. The plant must be completely healthy and strong. If the shoots have even slight traces of disease or pest damage, such a bush is not suitable for propagation.
VIDEO: HOW AND WHEN TO ROOT GRAPE CUTTINGS Select in advance the bushes you want to propagate. Decide on the variety, make sure the plant’s productivity and its good health. From the beginning of autumn, you can mark for yourself the bushes that interest you, so that there is no confusion later.
Only the ripened part of the vine is suitable for cutting chibouks. It is very easy to check shoots for maturity, because the difference between young green branches and already mature ones is quite obvious:
- mature shoots have a characteristic dark straw color, while young parts have a greenish tint;
- on the ripe part the bark is harder and rougher;
- young green and ripened shoots are very different in their temperature at any time of the year - green ones always feel much cooler, and ripened ones are always warm.
Important! A mature grapevine may be suitable for vegetative propagation from one year of age.
Here is what is not suitable for cuttings:
- unripe and thin grapevine;
- very thick, fattening vine;
- coppice shoots;
- plants that are damaged by fungi and pests;
- shoots with too short or, conversely, too long internodes;
- infertile and barren bushes.
VIDEO: PREPARATION OF VINES FOR CUTTINGS Mandatory conditions that grape stems must meet:
- high productivity of the selected plant, its health and maturity;
- the thickness of the pipes should be approximately 1 cm in diameter;
- it is best if the shoots contain from 5 to 7-8 internodes, although some use a length of only 3-4 buds - however, the more internodes, the greater the plant’s chances of successful growth;
- chibuki are made from the middle part of the branch, starting from the 4th eye.
Did you know? Interesting way check the vine for ripeness: the test can be carried out using a 1% iodine solution. If a cut of a shoot is dipped into the solution, then in unripe specimens it will remain light green in color, but in mature cuttings it will turn black-violet.
Another recommendation for selecting bushes for cuttings is their location relative to the sun. It was noticed that plants that grew on sunny side, then produce stronger offspring. But chibouks from vines growing in the shade then germinate poorly and grow more slowly.
How to cut correctly
To properly cut grape stems, you must adhere to several basic rules:
- the pruning shears used to make the cut must be clean and disinfected;
- the middle part of the branch is cut into 3-4 or 6-8 internodes;
- the lower cut is made immediately below the node, and the upper cut is made approximately in the middle between adjacent nodes;
- the chibouks must be completely cleared of leaves, tendrils and stepsons;
- seedlings must be prepared and processed before storage;
- cuttings are grouped by variety in small bunches;
- bundles are fastened with twine or wire and provided with labels with the necessary information.
Usually the first buds near the vines are poorly developed, so the first cut should be made higher (near the tendril or where the grapes were)
Important! The label on the bunches should not be made of paper, as paper can cause rot and mold to spread to the shoots. It is best to select labels from materials that are not subject to decomposition due to moisture- foil, plastic, metal.
Pre-treatment
Before the grape stems are sent to the cellar for storage, they must undergo pre-treatment.
It is imperative that the cuttings are saturated with moisture before wintering, then they will grow much better. To do this, simply put the chopped branches in a container of water and leave them there for 24 hours.
But the most popular method of disinfection is to use a 3% solution of copper sulfate. The planting material is dipped in the solution in the same way and dried.
At this point, the processing and preparation of grape cuttings can be considered complete.
Optimal temperature for winter storage
In winter, the cuttings are stored in a fairly cool and humid place. A cellar, basement, refrigerator, trench or trench are quite suitable for this. At the same time temperature regime must be between 0 °C and 4 °C.
When the temperature rises above 6-7 °C, swelling of the kidneys may begin, which is extremely undesirable.
It is believed that the proximity of the temperature to zero slows down the life activity of the shoots, which is why minimum consumption nutrients that will be very necessary after planting the cuttings for their further growth.
Important! It is considered ideal if no temperature changes occur during storage of the pipes, and it is 0 °C throughout the entire period.
Air humidity in the storage area should be 60-90%.
Cellar storage
To preserve the grapevine during the winter for further germination, it is not enough to simply stack the stems in the cellar. There are two main ways to store chibouks: in plastic bags, and also in sand or pine sawdust.
In plastic bags
With this method, you can use not only plastic bags, but also cling film.
Before you wrap the shoots in plastic, they need to be lightly sprinkled with water. After which the bundle is carefully wrapped in film or bag. In this case, it is necessary to make small holes in the polyethylene - thanks to them, air ventilation will be ensured.
It is important to ensure that the chibouks do not dry out, freeze or overheat. They need to be ventilated periodically and sprinkled with water if necessary if the vine is still too dry.
VIDEO: STORING GRAPE CUTTINGS
In sand and pine sawdust
In this case, wet sand or pine sawdust is added to the bag with a bunch of vines. This way you can significantly reduce the plant’s consumption of carbohydrates and provide the shoots with constant moisture.
In addition to storing in polyethylene, cuttings can also be placed in wooden boxes covered with sand or pine sawdust. To do this, a layer of this material, at least 10 cm thick, is poured onto the bottom, bunches of grapevine are laid on top, then covered with a layer of the same thickness.
Did you know? Total area There are approximately 80,000 square meters of vineyards on our planet. kilometers. It would seem that this is a lot. However, on average, per capita there is only about 1 kg of table grapes per year, while the body’s annual need for it is-almost 10 kg.
Where else can you store cuttings in winter if you don’t have a cellar?
Since not everyone has a cellar, let’s consider other ways to stock up on chibouks for the winter - for example, in a storage closet or in the refrigerator.
In the closet
This is the easiest way to store pipes. It consists of digging small trenches in the ground into which the shoots are laid out, after which they are covered with earth on top.
The depth of the trench should be approximately 25 to 50 cm. But the length and width are selected according to needs, depending on the number of cuttings and their length.
It is important that the dug trench is located on some hill; it may be located next to a building. This arrangement will ensure good ventilation and avoid stagnation of melt and rain water. 
Before laying out the cuttings, it is advisable to fill the bottom of the trench with a small layer of sand (about 5 cm), then carefully lay out the bunches of vines, and also pour a layer of slightly damp sand (7-8 cm) on top. The remaining soil, which was previously dug from the trench, is poured on top.
With this storage method, there is no need to ventilate, rearrange and check bunches of grape cuttings.
In the refrigerator
This is also a simple method, the only disadvantage of which is the inability to store large number Chubukov.
Bunches with chibouks must be wrapped in plastic bags. Either wet sand or sawdust must be poured there. You can simply wrap the twigs in a damp, clean cotton cloth. Then all this is carefully packed in polyethylene. A small hole is made in the film for ventilation. The bag is then placed in the refrigerator for storage. 
Periodically you need to take out cuttings and ventilate them, moisten dried ones, and remove damaged ones.
Removing and inspecting cuttings in spring
Grape cuttings are removed from storage places in early spring, closer to mid-March.
Each shoot must be carefully examined and checked to see if it is viable. To do this you need to make an incision. If everything is in order with the vine, then the color on the cut will be light green.
It is necessary to remove unsuitable shoots:
- darkened;
- too soft;
- too loose;
- changed color;
- with fallen off bark.
Saved chibouks must be cut on both sides - top and bottom, and at least two buds must be left. The lower cut is made immediately after the bud, but the upper one is made just above the bud, about 2 cm. In order not to confuse where the lower cut is and where the upper one is, the lower one is made at an oblique angle, and the upper one at a right angle. Once the cuttings have been removed, inspected and found suitable for planting, the process of preparing them for germination can begin.
In general, storing grape stems in winter period doesn't pose a big problem. Main? so that the cuttings are cut on time and stored in a cool and humid place with a stable temperature. If these conditions are met, in the spring you will be able to extract rich planting material from the cellar, trench or refrigerator.
You can properly store chibuki cut in autumn in different ways. Experienced summer residents They are coming up with more and more new methods to keep the branches alive and grow viable seedlings from them.
Where can you store grapevine stems?
| Location | How to arrange seedlings | Support Methods |
| In the refrigerator. | 1) We wrap each seedling in damp cotton cloth and place it in a bag, leaving it slightly open to allow air to enter. 2) Place the branches in a plastic bottle and cover it with a lid. Place in the refrigerator. |
1) Periodically wet the cloth with water. 2) This method does not require special support. |
| In the sand. | Stick each branch halfway into the sand. Leave the container with sand in the cellar, basement, balcony or garage. | Moistening the sand. |
| In the package. | We tie the branches into bunches, put them in a plastic bag and cover them with wet sawdust. We place the packages in the basement or cellar, etc. | It is necessary to moisten the sawdust. |
| In the ground. | You need to dig a trench half a meter deep, sprinkle its bottom with wet sand, tightly lay bunches of seedlings on it, once again pour a layer of wet sand (25 cm) on top, and cover it with soil from the hole. | It is necessary to protect the vine buried in the ground from melt water in the spring, so for the hole we choose a place on a hill. |
How to store grape cuttings until spring?
The strength of future sprouts directly depends on the storage technique. But if you cut weak cuttings, then even with proper storage they won't live to see spring. Bushes capable of producing a rich harvest and making wine or chacha based on oil cake will not grow from them.
Principles for selecting cuttings:
- It is necessary to use three-eyed annual cuttings cut from fruit-bearing bushes in the fall;
- A mature vine should be smooth, not wrinkled;
- She wears light brown;
- Cuttings must be taken from healthy grapes that are not susceptible to fungi and other diseases.
If the cut chibouks are left to lie in the sun, the likelihood of growing fruit-bearing shoots suitable for planting from them will be extremely small. Strong grape branches require proper harvesting.
Survival factors for cuttings:
- Moisture. If the cuttings lose a third of their moisture, the grape buds will not survive. This is why it is so important to maintain a balance of humidity;
- Length. The longer the cuttings, the slower the water comes out of them; it is optimal to cut them into 7 eyes;
- Temperature. It should be between 0 and 4 degrees. The lower the temperature, the less often the plant breathes and the slower it loses nutrients;
- Absence of diseases. If you overdo it with humidity, and gray mold appears on future shoots, get rid of damaged specimens and reduce the humidity level in the storage area for the remaining vines.
Immediately before packing the cut vine for long-term storage, you can soak it in water for an hour or two and sprinkle it with fertilizer. To further preserve water in the tissues of the branches, they can be filled with dissolved paraffin from a candle.
How to store grapes at home?
Where can grape bunches be stored and at what temperature? The main factors affecting food preservation are temperature and humidity. But even if you create ideal conditions, you will not be able to preserve initially spoiled berries.
Only bunches without mold or damage are suitable for long-term storage. The vines must be periodically inspected and unsuitable berries and sprouts removed so that only suitable grapes remain at the time of harvest.
It is better to trim the grapes with pruning shears with blunt ends, without touching the berries themselves, so as not to erase the wax coating.
- Allow the wet berries to dry by placing them on a dry cloth;
- Harvest only fully ripe grapes;
- Give preference late varieties, they contain more sugar, which is a natural preservative and prevents the berries from rotting;
- The temperature in the room where the berries are stored should not fall below zero; it is optimal to maintain a level of 1-5 degrees;
- There should be no strong odors at home;
- It is advisable to protect the storage location from direct sunlight.
It is not so easy to find a place in an apartment to store crops. The bunches can be hung on ropes stretched between any walls of the house. It is convenient to use a refrigerator for storage; if it has a zero chamber, the grapes will spoil quickly in the freezer.
To restore its previous appearance, you can simply dip it in sugar syrup (dilute water with sugar), it will absorb moisture and become sweeter. Afterwards the bunches need to be refrigerated.
- Related Posts
The easiest way to propagate grapes is by cuttings. But, as practice shows, the survival rate of purchased material is much lower than that of one prepared with one’s own hands. In addition, by harvesting seedlings from our own summer cottage or a friend’s summer cottage, you can be guaranteed to get a variety acclimatized to a specific region, the yield and nuances of which are well known. It is best to harvest cuttings in the fall. Accordingly, seedlings must be kept alive until winter. Let's look at how grape cuttings are stored in winter.
It is very important to choose the right vine, which will later be used as planting material. It should be well ripened, which means it should have a brown bark color. It may be light brown, but by no means green. A well-ripened vine loses its plasticity. If you try to bend it, you will hear a sound resembling a slight crackling. Also a sign that the vine has matured is the presence of hard tissues reminiscent of tree bark, but thinner.
It is also worth paying attention to the bush from which you plan to take cuttings. You cannot use shoots of a weak bush that produced a poor harvest during the season. It is also worth paying attention to the health of the vineyard. A shrub affected by any disease is not suitable for cuttings.
The middle part of the vine should be used as cuttings. Three-eyed cuttings take root most easily, although you can grow a strong bush from a one-eyed cutting.
Preparation of cuttings should be carried out during autumn pruning vineyard Experts do not recommend harvesting cuttings before the leaves fall. This is due to the fact that before falling, the leaves release the nutrients they contain to the shoots. Accordingly, you need to wait until the vine takes everything for itself. However, you should not delay the process of preparing cuttings.
The planting material must contain maximum quantity moisture. If it is lost excessively, most of the buds do not survive in the winter, which significantly affects the future harvest of the bush.
Experienced winegrowers advise cutting cuttings whose length is 2 times the length of the seedling used for planting. This way it will be possible to retain the maximum amount of moisture in it in winter. Therefore, you need to trim the cuttings by at least 6 eyes.
Storing cuttings in winter
In fact, storing grape cuttings in winter is a rather delicate process. Every winegrower has his own tricks. Besides, everything experienced gardeners They store planting material differently, so it is advisable to consult with people who have been growing grapes for several years in order to get practical advice.
We will look at 3 ways to store grape cuttings in winter, which are the most popular. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. But all of them, as practice shows, make it possible to preserve planting material in at its best. In addition, the survival rate of such cuttings, provided that they were properly prepared for storage, is almost 100%.
Under proper preparation cuttings for storage means:
- selection of high-quality planting material;
- timely procurement;
- preliminary soaking in water;
- the process of disinfection in a solution of copper sulfate.
Storage in filler
For this storage method you will need a box or wooden box, a plastic bag in which you can place all the cuttings, and sawdust. First of all, we put the grape cuttings in a bag. It is advisable to first tie them into bundles. Do not tie the bag with cuttings too tightly: air must flow into it.
Soak the sawdust for 5-10 minutes in water, preferably hot. After the time has passed, we squeeze out the excess moisture and cover the bottom of the box with sawdust, then put the bag with the cuttings and fill them with sawdust on top. Planting material is ready for storage.
It is very important to maintain the temperature and the required level of humidity during storage. The air temperature should vary between 2-4°C. Such conditions are maintained in cellars or garages. During storage, you will need to periodically moisten the sawdust with water. The filling in the box must always be damp. The only drawback of this method is that the box takes up a lot of space. Accordingly, it is not always possible to prepare a large amount of planting material.
Trench storage
This method is suitable for owners of their own homes. Its advantage is that you can prepare any number of cuttings. Planting material is stored in trenches dug on the site. But, before storing grape cuttings in trenches in winter, you need to build the trenches themselves. And the main task is to choose the right storage space on the site.
Since in winter the air temperature often changes and the snow can melt several times, care must be taken that melt water does not flood the cuttings, therefore, to dig a trench, the choice should be made at a place located on a hill. It is advisable to make a groove around the perimeter of the trench, which will serve to drain excess moisture. For the same purpose, a trench can be dug at a slope.
Trench dimensions and rules for laying cuttings
The length of the trench depends on the amount of planting material being harvested, and the length is usually 50 cm. If you plan to plant in the spring different varieties grapes, then it is advisable to attach a tag to each cutting on which the variety will be indicated. You can also collect all the cuttings of one variety in a bunch. In this case, the tag clings to the bundle.
Before laying the cuttings in the trench, you should fill its bottom with a 5-centimeter layer of wet sand, and after laying the cuttings, add about 7 cm more. All that remains is to fill the trench with earth, the layer of which should not exceed 30 cm.
To protect the cuttings from moisture, you can put a piece of roofing felt or any other material on top of the trench. building material, impermeable to water. You need to dig up cuttings in the spring, just before planting.
Storing cuttings in the refrigerator
The easiest way to store planting material is in the refrigerator, but not everyone wants to store cuttings next to food. In addition, not many seedlings can fit in a regular refrigerator. Although, if desired, it is possible to place more than 100 cuttings in one refrigerator, while still leaving enough space for food.
To use this storage method, you will need a natural, clean cloth and a plastic bag. The fabric is slightly moistened and planting material is placed in it, then the cuttings are placed in a bag and placed in the refrigerator. Periodically it is worth looking inside the bag and moistening the cloth with water.
In spring, the cuttings are taken out of the refrigerator and placed in a warm place. This must be done a few days before planting.
Alternative options
Those who have been cultivating grapes for many years know a dozen ways to allow cuttings to survive the winter well. So, for example, many recommend storing planting material in sand. Sand, pre-moistened with a small amount of water, is placed at the bottom of any container, which is most often an ordinary bucket. Cuttings are placed in it so that only bottom part cuttings The top one is sometimes covered with a plastic bag, but this is not at all necessary. The sand is periodically moistened with water.
Storage in bags
One of the effective and at the same time complex methods involves storing grape cuttings in winter in plastic bags or sacks. For storage in this case, cuttings are used, the length of which is 1 m. Before placing the cuttings in bags, they are soaked in water. After packaging the planting material, place the bags in the cellar or any other cool place.
Cuttings should be stored in an upright position. It is necessary to provide air access to the bag. To do this, a hollow tube with a diameter of 2-3 cm is installed in its upper part, then the bag is tied. Caring for cuttings does not end there. All winter you need to control the humidity level in the bags. Condensation should form on their walls, but not drain to the bottom of the bag, which indicates excessive humidity. If there is no condensation, you need to place a jar of water at the bottom of the bag.
Bottled storage
Many experts, answering the question of how to preserve grape cuttings for the winter, recommend using plastic bottles, whose capacity is 1.5 liters. First, the bottom of each bottle is cut off, then the number of cuttings that fit comfortably is placed inside, and the cut point is secured with any available means. The tops of the bottles are closed with corks, and 2-3 cuts are made along the resulting container in order to maintain a comfortable level of humidity. You can also maintain the required level of humidity in the container with cuttings by placing several potatoes there.
Conclusion
We looked at how to preserve grape cuttings in winter. The main thing is to maintain temperature conditions and ensure that mold does not appear on the stems. If you find one, you need to remove it with a soft cloth and disinfect the cutting.
Wherever you store the cuttings, you need to monitor their condition. It is necessary to periodically inspect the planting material and ensure that it does not dry out. And remember that regardless of the chosen method of storing cuttings, they need to be ventilated at least 2 times a year. To do this, remove the cuttings from the container in which they are stored and leave them for several hours, having first laid them out on a flat surface.