How to plant grapevine seedlings and the cultivation and management of grapevines.
How to plant grapevine seedlingsAn introduction to planting grapevine seedlings and related cultivation and management of grapevines, next, the editor will introduce.Environmental requirementsTemperatureGrapes have varying tolerance to low temperatures depending on the species and organs, such as Eurasian species and Eurasian-American hybrids. When germinating, buds can withstand temperatures as low as -3 to -4°C; tender shoots and young leaves suffer frost damage at -1°C, and inflorescences at 0°C. In the dormant period, the winter buds of mature new shoots of Eurasian varieties can withstand temperatures as low as -16 to -17°C, while perennial old vines suffer frost damage at -20°C. The root system has poor cold resistance, and the roots of varieties such as Longyan, Muscat, and Grape Garden Queen in the Eurasian group can suffer slight frost damage at -4 to -5°C and die after about two days at -6°C. In northern regions, using Northeast mountain grapes or Betta grapes as rootstocks can enhance cold resistance, with their roots tolerating temperatures as low as -16°C and -11°C, and lethal critical temperatures of -18°C and -14°C, respectively, reducing the need for winter earthing-up.LightGrapes are light-loving plants with high light requirements. The duration of sunlight has a significant impact on their growth, yield, and quality. Insufficient light results in weak new shoots, thin leaves, pale leaf color, small fruit clusters, more fruit and flower drop, low yield, poor quality, and poor differentiation of winter buds. Therefore, when planting, it is necessary to choose a well-lit area and pay attention to ventilation and lighting.WaterGrapes have different water requirements during different growth stages. Sufficient water supply is needed in the early spring germination, new shoot growth, and young fruit expansion stages, generally watering every 7-10 days to keep the soil moisture content around 70%. Before and after the fruit ripening stage, a soil moisture content of around 60% is preferable. However, excessive rainfall requires timely drainage to avoid high humidity affecting fruit quality and predisposing to disease. If rainfall is too scarce, water should be supplied every 10 days or so, as prolonged drought followed by rain can cause fruit cracking and economic losses.SoilGrapes are adaptable to various soil types, except for swampy and heavily saline-alkaline soils. They grow best in fertile sandy loam. Different soils have different effects on grape growth and quality. If the local soil is poor, professional cultivation soil can be chosen for planting.Planting and managementSeedling raising and plantingCommonly used methods of propagation are cutting. Take one-year-old branches that are robust and have full buds, cut them into 5-15 cm long cuttings with single or double buds, and plant them at a distance of 15cm×50cm in pots in February. In hot climates, grafting can be used, with the plant grafted onto a resistant rootstock.Fertilization and water managementGrapes require a large amount of nutrients, with nitrogen fertilizer being the main focus in the early stages and phosphorus and potassium fertilizers increasing after the fruiting stage. Topdressing is applied before sprouting, before flowering, and during fruit expansion, with nitrogen fertilizer in the early stages to promote shoot and flower cluster development, and additional phosphorus and potassium fertilizers during the fruit expansion stage to improve quality.Foliar application of 0.3% urea and 0.2% monopotassium phosphate can promote fruit expansion and maturity.PruningWhen grapes have grown for a period and the vines spread, it is recommended to build a trellis or wrap them outdoors to facilitate ventilation and lighting, reduce disease, and prevent leaf and fruit scalding from ground radiation. Alternatively, pruning can be performed on the grapevines. Pruning should be avoided during the growing season to prevent cutting off buds that affect grape growth. Pruning is generally done after defoliation in winter, with long shoots retaining 8-12 buds, medium shoots 5-7 buds, and short shoots 3-1 buds. In the summer, pruning can also be done appropriately, removing excessive inflorescences before flowering, keeping large ones, removing small ones, and keeping strong ones while removing weak ones.This article shares how to plant grapevine seedlings and related cultivation and management of grapevines, hoping to bring a little help to your life!