Maiden grapes: propagation, planting and care. How to propagate the “descendants” of the Gardens of Babylon. Potassium permanganate for plant health - reliable and irreplaceable

Maiden grapes have become widespread in the territory North America, in East Asia and the Himalayas. It takes root best in areas with moderate climatic conditions. Triacum maiden grape grows in large quantities in the southwest of Primorye, Japan and Korea.

The five-leaf species (P. quinquefolia) is represented by a vine with woody shoots up to 20-25 m high. Young shoots have a characteristic reddish color, which over time changes to a brownish-green color. The foliage is palmate, petiolate, alternately arranged.

IN autumn period the leaves become red or purple. The plant is able to cling to surfaces and projections of walls with the help of thin and well-branched tendrils that grow from the nodal part of the foliage and are modified inflorescences. The flowers are small, pale green or pale yellow in color, collected in paniculate-type inflorescences. After flowering, small fruits and berries with seeds are formed.

Less common are the tripointed species, which has three-lobed and trifoliate green foliage, and the attached species, which forms a medium-sized vine with palmately compound, three- to five-leafed leaves.

Maiden grapes: planting and care

The most popular varieties of five-leaf fida in our country are small-leaved "Engelman" and decorative leaf "Wall". TO popular varieties tripointed species include variegated "Golden" and red leaf "Purple", and "Vici."

Selecting a location and soil requirements

This ornamental culture is absolutely unpretentious and can be grown both in sunny areas and in shaded areas. Light level affects the intensity of foliage coloring.

The grapes grown in the southern areas change in autumn green tint foliage to red, orange or burgundy coloring. Planting the crop on the north side allows you to maintain the green color of the leaves until the leaves fall. The soil must be sufficiently fertile, with good air permeability.

Features of growing virgin grapes (video)

Technology and planting timing

The standard process of planting virgin grapes consists of the following simple steps:

  • digging up and clearing the area of ​​weeds about a week before planting the ornamental crop;
  • preparing planting pits of sufficient size with the arrangement of a drainage layer of broken bricks, crushed stone or pebbles;
  • backfilling on top of the drainage layer with a relatively high layer of medium-grained sand;
  • preparation and filling of soil mixture based on two parts garden soil, two parts compost and part sand.

In a hole filled with nutritious soil substrate, you need to plant a maiden grape seedling, after which you need to water the plant generously.

Formative pruning

Proper care behind a fast-growing culture includes mandatory formation. Pruning of woody shoots is carried out in the autumn. Annual green branches can be pruned throughout the entire active growing season.

Other care activities

It is necessary to water the plant moderately, only three to four times throughout the entire season, using about a bucket of water for each plant. Good The result is achieved by fertilizing with mineral fertilizers, as well as mulching the soil with organic matter.

How to propagate virgin grapes

Propagation by cuttings is most popular in home gardening. Standard cuttings make it very easy to obtain a large number of quality planting material.

By layering

Many gardeners prefer to propagate ornamental crops by layering. This method is considered one of the easiest and most convenient. In the early spring period On grape bushes, you need to select two-year or three-year-old shoots and fix them with special metal pins on the surface of the soil.

The attachment point is sprinkled with soil, and standard care consists of regular watering. After about a year, at the beginning of next spring, the rooted branches should be cut off from the mother plant and then carefully dug up young plant with the root system and transfer to a previously prepared planting site.

How to plant girlish grapes (video)

Using seeds

It is not too difficult to propagate virgin grapes seed material. It should be noted that grapes germinate rather slowly. Seeds are sown in spring or autumn. Before spring sowing, seeds need stratification, which lasts about a month and a half. For stratification, moistened clean sand is used. A container filled with sand with planted seeds is placed in a cool place with temperature conditions within 4-5°C. After stratification, the grapes form shoots in about three weeks. Sowing in the autumn allows you to get seedlings no earlier than spring next year.

Propagation of virgin grapes in autumn by cuttings

Cuttings take root most quickly, in the nodes of which the rudiments of the future root system are already present., represented by small outgrowths. The rooting rate in this case is almost one hundred percent. Each cutting should have approximately two to four nodes.

Rooting can be done both in water and in soil. It is recommended to give preference to the second rooting option:

  • planting cuttings cut and treated with growth stimulants in seedling containers filled with a mixture based on non-acidic peat with the addition of clean river sand;
  • spring cuttings that do not have leaves need to be buried at the bottom node, and summer cuttings will require complete burial of last year’s piece of wood;
  • You need to install a support in each planting container and tie up the plant;
  • Water thoroughly and place in a warm place with sufficient lighting.

Basic care consists of regular watering with settled water. On permanent place V open ground the plant is planted only the next year.

How quickly does girl's grapes grow?

Unpretentious, frost-resistant and shade-tolerant decorative liana grows quite quickly. Even small seedlings are capable of forming approximately 80-110 cm of young growth within one season.

More mature plants annually produce about one and a half meters of growth, so in five years such an ornamental crop can completely entangle its aboveground part two-story building. It is best to plant girlish grapes in sunny areas, where the plant grows faster and the coloring of the leaves is more picturesque.

Options for using plants in landscape design

In cultivation, the vine-like plant, virgin grapes, is very widely used when performing landscaping on vertical walls and all kinds of fences. Decorative culture can be used in decorating almost any vertical structures, including pergolas and walls located in semi-shaded or fairly shaded areas. It is also allowed to grow virgin grapes on balconies and loggias.

It should be remembered that growing virgin grapes can be associated with some complications. Strong root system plants can destroy the foundation, as well as a fast and aggressive plant, the crop can suppress the growth of all plants around. A fast-growing vine very often penetrates under roofing materials and violates their integrity. Leaf litter also clogs drainage systems. It is best to plant the plant along the fence, around the veranda and gazebo.

How to trim girlish grapes (video)

Maiden grapes of any kind and regardless of the variety, propagate quite easily on their own, and are also completely unpretentious in care, thanks to which they have become extremely popular among domestic gardeners. When grown, such an ornamental crop does not require much attention, so it is well suited even for novice owners of household plots and garden plots.

Quite often you can see how the wall of a house or gazebo is covered with a continuous mass of green foliage of maiden vine - a decorative vine that can grow up to 20 meters in length. This very easy-to-care plant will perfectly mask all the shortcomings, so the question of how to propagate virgin grapes is quite relevant.

Liana propagation options

Maiden grapes, which can be propagated in three ways, are very unpretentious plant. Therefore, reproducing the design you like will not be difficult.

Cuttings

So, girlish grapes are propagated by cuttings. This option can be used throughout the warm season, that is, from early spring to mid-autumn.

If you decide to choose this particular method, then you should choose a long, woody whip. Last year's growth is perfect. Next, you need to divide it into small parts at least 15 centimeters long. Ideally, there will be small outgrowths on the surface of the cuttings prepared in this way. Such specimens will take root much faster.

Of course, virgin grapes, which are planned to be propagated using lignified cuttings, can also grow well from green cuttings. In this case, they must be prepared in mid-summer. Be sure to make sure that there are at least 3 knots on the stem. This is where new roots will begin to grow.

Rooting of liana cuttings placed in a peat-clay substrate is especially effective. When planting in the ground, it is necessary to deepen the very first internode and provide a support. The plant needs regular watering and also does not tolerate drafts at all. Maiden grapes are planted, the propagation of which was carried out by cuttings, already next spring. Of course, you can simply put the cuttings in a container of water, but the plant will produce roots much later.

How to propagate virgin grapes by layering?

This option is most suitable if you cannot visit the garden plot every day. The fact is that this method of propagation does not require regular watering.

You will need to choose a long escape. Let the length be at least three meters. Then dig a groove 5 centimeters deep and place the shoot in it. There is no need to separate it from the mother plant. In those places of the lash where the nodules with leaves extending from them are located, carefully pin the vine. You only need to cover the soil with the whip, and the leaves should remain on the surface of the soil. Water the ditch thoroughly. For high-quality rooting it will take at least two seasons.

Propagation by seeds

You can also grow vines from seeds. But this process will take much longer than the first two options. Maiden grapes, the seeds of which require special processing, are planted in this way, both in spring and autumn. If planting is carried out in the autumn, then the pulp and peel are first removed from the seeds, and then planted, deepening them by about 2 centimeters. Before autumn planting It is recommended to soak the seeds and leave them in water for a full day. Before spring planting they need to be stratified (just keep them in the refrigerator). Now you know how to propagate virgin grapes.

Planting wild grapes

Planting virgin grapes begins with preparing the soil. The plant prefers cultivated lands, so this must be taken care of in advance. About a week before the planned planting, the soil must be dug up. The bayonet of the shovel must plunge at least 20 centimeters. Next you need to dig a deep and wide hole - 50x60 centimeters. At the bottom you need to place broken brick or large crushed stone in a layer 20 centimeters thick to subsequently provide the plant with good drainage. Fill the hole with a soil mixture of the following composition: leaf soil, peat compost and sand in the following proportional ratio - 2:2:1. When planting the virgin grapes itself is carried out, the root neck of the plant should be located at ground level. The distance between two copies should be one meter - this is the optimal figure. When planting a seedling, it must be placed in the very center of the planting hole, but at the same time it must be given a slight slope.

Some rules for planting vines

It is not always possible to grow your own planting material. But if you still decide to plant this decorative vine on your site, then you can buy seedlings. Experts recommend contacting specialized stores or nurseries.

When purchasing a container of virgin grapes, make sure that the plant has been grafted. This doesn’t play a special role, it’s just that such a vine will take root and begin to develop much faster.

Container seedlings can be planted throughout the gardening season. Before removing the plant, it is necessary to thoroughly water the soil ball. Placing maiden grapes in landing pit, make sure that the root system is completely straightened and fits freely there.

Growing vines

Growing virgin grapes does not require the use of any special knowledge. Standard agrotechnical measures, including watering and fertilizing, will be quite sufficient.

Maiden grapes (photos presented in the article) do not need additional feeding, but if you decide to get a powerful increase in vegetative mass, then it’s worth adding under the plant mineral fertilizers. It is best to do this in the spring - in May, and in the summer - in July. These are precisely the months when the vine is most responsive. Here you can use regular nitroammophoska (50 grams per square meter) or “Kemiru-Universal” (100 grams per square meter).

Care

Now you know how to propagate virgin grapes and how to plant them correctly. It's time to talk about plant care.

After planting, the seedling grows rather slowly, since at first the plant spends all its energy on forming the root system. But upon reaching the age of three, the vine gains an average of 3 meters per season. The shoots of girlish grapes have tendrils, with the help of which they are held on any surface. Young plants do not have these, so they need support and tying up.

In the first years after planting, special attention is paid to the formation of the plant’s skeleton so that it visually takes on the required shape. Pruning will also help direct the growing vine in the direction you want. How can I do that? Using garden pruners, at about a meter height, the main shoot is pruned. The side shoots are given the necessary direction by tying them until they are completely lignified.

After the formation of the vine is completed, it is carried out annually sanitary pruning- removal of weak or damaged shoots. It is also necessary to cut out excess shoots, which only interfere with the quality growth of the crown.

Taking into account the very fast growth rate of the plant, pruning should not be skipped. Otherwise, the result is a very dense interweaving of shoots, which can only be brought into decent shape by complete pruning.

Pros and cons of the plant

Probably the most important positive feature of the plant is practically complete absence there are any pests on the vine. Diseases also avoid it, so chemical treatments are not required.

The plant is very plastic and can take any given shape. This is why it is valued landscape design most. In our country, its enormous popularity can be explained quite simply - virgin grapes tolerate even severe frosts perfectly. And if other ornamental vines simply freeze out, then girlish grapes only grow more actively after a harsh winter. In addition, the plant is so unpretentious that it will feel great anywhere.

Previously, many believed that thickets wild grapes, wrapping around the walls of the building, causing them irreparable damage. But this turned out to be a mistake, since time has shown the opposite - vines serve as excellent natural protection for walls from the effects of wind, rain and snow. In addition, they hide structural defects.

The plant has only one drawback - it grows too rapidly and requires frequent formative pruning. But this is such a small thing compared to the pleasure that you will experience from relaxing in the shade of its foliage.

This decorative vine has neither delicious fruits, nor any luxurious flowers - its main advantage, which can be used to decorate your dacha, is the ability to use it to decorate unsightly places on the site, create shade, plant trees on a fence or hedge, or simply protect a veranda or attic from rain. In autumn, girlish grapes turn into beautiful red tones, reminiscent of rowan leaves before leaf fall. It will remain in this form until the winter, therefore, when preparing your dacha for the winter period, you will enjoy this beauty before the snow falls, which will allow you to at least to some extent minimize the consequences of autumn depression.

The main disadvantage of this plant is also its main advantage - its reproduction can truly take on catastrophic proportions if it is not properly cared for and there is no timely pruning. Therefore, if you have a large garden on your property and you are experiencing difficulties in cleaning up fallen leaves, think carefully before planting it - the work will increase significantly. Otherwise, girlish grapes are very unpretentious in care.

Most plants of the Vine family are tendril-bearing vines, the tendrils of which are modified inflorescences and play the role of suckers that help the plant climb walls and other vertical supports.

Along with the decorative effect of foliage and berries, which is especially evident in autumn, grapes have a positive effect on the microclimate and air condition, performing the function of noise, dust and gas protection and having phytoncidal properties. For example, five-leafed maiden grape suppresses the development of pathogenic coccal microorganisms. Also, this grape significantly protects buildings from summer overheating and helps reduce indoor dampness.

Maiden grapes - planting and care.

Most types of tree vines do not require particularly fertile soils, but they do not like very dry and depleted soils and tolerate slight salinity. Vigorous plants are planted in holes measuring 50x50x50 cm filled with fertile, well-drained soil. It is best to plant seedlings in early spring at a distance of 50-70 centimeters.

Caring for girlish grapes involves installing supports, gartering and feeding. These are drought- and frost-resistant vines, but during prolonged drought, watering is required, as the plants lose their decorative properties.

To improve growth, fertilizing should be carried out 2 times during the season - in spring or early summer, 40-50 g of nitroammophoska are added per 1 m2, and during the period of active growth - 100-200 grams of the drug "Kemira Universal". In addition, the plant needs periodic loosening, removal of weeds, as well as pruning, which involves removing dry and excess branches. If necessary, virgin grapes should be trimmed to limit their volume.

Species of the genus Maiden grape are of interest for vertical gardening of high walls of gazebos, pergolas, fences, etc. They form a beautiful mosaic of leaves that turn red before the onset of winter.

Varieties and types of virgin grapes

Maiden grape (Parthenocissus tricuspidata Siebold).

Homeland - Korea, Japan, Primorsky Territory. This vine is able to climb smooth walls thanks to strong branched tendrils that expand into disks and serve as suction cups. The leaves are very decorative, with a glossy surface, capable of creating a dense green carpet. The plant loves light, it is recommended to grow on walls with southern exposure. It is propagated mainly by seeds, which are sown in the fall, since long-term stratification is necessary.

In culture, the form "Vich" ("Veitchii") is often found, differing from the main species in simple, coarse, large leaves. This plant is widely used in vertical gardening European countries. In autumn, grape leaves turn a delightful shade of bright red. Propagated by woody and green cuttings. It is not recommended to propagate by seeds, as splitting occurs. Planted young plants grow slowly in the first year and require watering and fertilizing, but subsequently the growth per year reaches 2-2.5 m.

Five-leafed maiden grape (Parthenocissus qyinqiefolia).

Homeland - North America, Mexico. A climbing woody vine that climbs onto supports with tendrils. The lashes reach a length of 20 meters. The leaves are palmately compound (of five leaflets), dark green, shiny, with a pointed apex and a wedge-shaped base. Most decorative form five-leaf girlish grape – “Engelmanii” (“Engelmanii”). This plant has tendrils with 8-12 short branches and well-defined suckers. The leaves consist of 5 broadly lanceolate dark green leaflets up to 12 cm long and up to 3 cm wide. Leaf petioles are reddish, up to 15 cm long. Autumn color is carmine-violet. Grows quickly, annual growth is 0.5-1 m.

PROPAGATION OF VIRGIN'S GRAPES

The most simple ways propagation of virgin grapes - cuttings and layering.

If you want to create an original green screen in your garden, to decorate a gazebo or summer veranda with maiden grapes, you need to obtain planting material.

Cuttings in soil

Grapes can be propagated girlish cuttings, putting them to root in the soil. The cuttings are planted in loose soil at an angle and watered regularly. Rooting usually takes 1-2 months.

Cuttings in water

Sometimes in spring or summer it’s enough to cut off a few branches with a couple of well-ripened leaves and just put them in a glass of water room temperature. In this case, the cutting is cut 2-3 cm below the leaf. After some time, the cuttings will give life to the still tiny young roots. If you fail, you should not despair and will have to repeat everything from the very beginning. It is useful to regularly spray the leaves of not yet rooted or weak plants with a spray bottle.

Propagation of virgin grapes by layering

Maiden grapes also reproduce well by layering. To do this, in the spring, one- and two-year-old plant branches are bent to the soil surface and fixed by pinning the plant nodes more rigidly, for example, with steel wire with a diameter of 3 mm and sprinkling a little soil. It is only necessary to water the cuttings from time to time. The next year, early in the spring, the plants are divided, and the roots of the new plant are carefully dug up and planted in a new place.

Advice

Do not use cuttings with upper dormant buds for propagation.

Autumn care

All preparation for the harsh winter period comes down to collecting fruits, if necessary for additional sowing of new plants. In autumn, after the first frosts, with large plants all the foliage falls off. It must be raked and removed in a timely manner, otherwise dampness will remain under the walls, which is undesirable.

Winter shelter for maiden grapes

From year to year, when growing plants, their winter hardiness increases. However, in the first winter, young plants, especially those propagated by cuttings, should be covered with snow or some other available materials. In the future, virgin grapes will be more resistant to winter period and special shelters are not required.

Ornamental grapes are a plant that is often and successfully used in landscape design. After all, a cozy gazebo, completely covered with green wicker foliage, is a true salvation on a hot summer afternoon from the scorching sun. And stepped terraces twined with grapes are an echo of the fashion for this plant introduced by the rulers of past centuries.

In nature, decorative grapes have become widespread throughout North America, and they were cultivated by the indigenous inhabitants of the mainland back in 1622. It was from that time that the decorative vine firmly occupied its niche in the garden plots all over the world.

In cultural gardening there are 3 types decorative grapes:

  • triacute ivy-shaped;
  • attached;
  • maiden five-leaved (virginian).

Decorative grapes as a component of landscape design

Lush, rich greenery, giving a refreshing coolness and requiring virtually no maintenance, with proper human intervention can create unique, bizarre shapes and unexpected original solutions. And all this with minimal investment of labor and costs.

The second name for decorative grapes is “maiden” or “virgin ivy”. This is explained very simply: they do not require pollination to form seeds. Maiden grapes in landscape design - effective remedy to hide an unsightly facade of a house or to disguise an old barn. This excellent plant for the formation of a “hedge”: green, continuous, original, perennial. However, there is also back side medals: this is what many people think experienced gardeners, can destroy the foundation, and the buildings themselves as well.

Ornamental benefits of growing

Decorative (or five-leaf) grapes have a lot of advantages:

  • looks attractive and original;
  • able to grow on any type of soil;
  • actively growing (up to 2-3 meters per year), it forms a dense green curtain;
  • grows both in sunny areas and in the shade;
  • is content with even a small piece of land;
  • easy to reproduce;
  • resistant to diseases and pests;
  • protects the walls of the building from wind, overheating, rain, dust.

Disadvantages of ornamental grapes

The ability to grow quickly and actively can also be attributed to the disadvantages of this plant.

Maiden grapes (photo above), growing near the building, can easily send their powerful shoots under the slate on the roof or penetrate and clog the gutter. In any case, for the owners of the site this means certain destruction and material costs. Curvy climbing vines when they grow, they completely cover the windows in the room, creating complete darkness. Such inconveniences can be easily overcome if you control the growth of ornamental grapes and promptly shorten excess shoots.

An equally important problem is the root system of the plant. Capturing underground space, it easily spreads in all directions and causes great harm to crops encountered along the way. Even weeds under such a vine grow in small quantities or do not grow at all. It is also worth taking into account that grapes decorative in spring comes to life somewhat later than other plants and long time presents a sad spectacle of tangled, bare branches.

Location of decorative grapes

Decorative grapes planted on the south side of the house look very nice. In autumn, it turns into crimson, red, orange, purple tones and forms picturesque bluish-black berry clusters (unfortunately, inedible). A plant planted on the north side looks different and pleases the eye with dark green foliage until the onset of cold weather. In addition, in well-lit areas, the leaves of the plant are larger and the colors are more picturesque.

Decorative and care

Ornamental grapes are unpretentious in care. It is enough to trim unnecessary lashes in a timely manner and occasionally water the plant. Water consumption for each bush is about 10 liters. In dry, hot weather, the moisture supply must be increased. You can simultaneously fertilize the plant with nitroammophos or complex preparations, to which the vine will respond with active, lush growth. During the summer, it is recommended to remove, loosen the soil and hill up when the roots are exposed. It is beneficial for the plant to mulch the soil with peat or humus, which makes up a 6-centimeter layer.

With the arrival of spring, decorative grapes need to remove frozen branch tips, weakened and dried branches, as well as shoots that have grown outside the area designated for the plant.

Stages of planting ornamental grapes

Growing decorative grapes on your own plot is not particularly difficult. To plant, just stick the cutting into the ground and water it. And then just have time to monitor the growth of the plant and control it. If you still want to plant decorative grapes according to all the rules, then you need to:

  • dig a hole of the appropriate size for the cutting;
  • mix the soil with sand and compost;
  • lay a drainage layer at the bottom of the hole;
  • pour some of the soil mixture on top;
  • place the cutting in the hole;
  • cover with the remaining soil;
  • form an irrigation hole;
  • Water the cutting well.

For the planted plant, you can make a support or tie a wire, thus directing the growth of the grapes in the desired direction.

In the absence of support, the girl's grapes (photo) will grow with the help of suction cups at the ends of the tendrils, clinging to the slightest roughness on the walls.

Methods of propagation of ornamental grapes

Cuttings (twigs with 4-5 healthy buds) intended for propagation of ornamental grapes can be cut at any time. Ornamental grapes can also be propagated by seeds, provided the plant is fully ripened, or by layering by burying them horizontally in the soil, leaving the tops with buds above the ground. It turns out: one wave is in the soil, another is above it, and so on. The whip, located in the ground, can be attached with an unbent paper clip or a regular hairpin.

It is very convenient to propagate decorative grapes by root suckers. They are quite easily removed from the ground and planted in a new place for growing. Then the virgin grapes, the seedlings of which are already well rooted, need to be planted in a permanent place of growth in previously prepared holes. The distance between plants is at least 1 meter.

Ornamental grapes can be planted in spring and autumn: the plant takes root equally well. You don’t need to cover it for the winter: it is quite frost-resistant. When frozen, it recovers very quickly due to dormant buds.

If you want your Vacation home looked original, for example, like a fairy-tale castle, and the backyard area resembled a magical garden, then you should pay attention to a plant such as maiden grapes.

As it develops, it grows tight vines that create a dense carpet on a wall, gazebo, or fence, which allows any objects to look as if they belong to the Middle Ages.

Features of girlish grapes

Photos of this plant can be found on the Internet, however, not everyone knows that it is known under another name - virgin ivy. This can be explained by the fact that it can form fruits without pollination.

The flowers of the plant do not look attractive and the fruits are also not edible. However, for many summer residents, maiden grapes are interesting because they can be very successfully use in landscape design, the main thing that attracts owners of suburban areas is its decorative foliage.

The leaves are palmate in shape and have a bright green color. The first frost causes the foliage to change from its original color to a more purple color. However, until winter comes, suburban area will not lose its main decoration formed by the leaves of red and purple flowers.

The owner will have to periodically prune the grapes, since in the absence of control this perennial culture it will fill all the free space.

Because of this property, virgin grapes have become widespread in landscape design, because with its help you can easily hide unattractive outbuildings, as well as hide untreated walls of houses.

Among other benefits of plants, it is worth highlighting that it contributes to a healthier microclimate, so it can suppress certain types of pathogens.

Varieties of wild ornamental grapes

The main thing that attracts summer residents to this plant is that virgin grapes do not require special care. Therefore, you only need to choose a place for planting, after which it will develop independently.

Such advantages as unpretentiousness and pronounced decorative properties and became one of the main reasons why this perennial can often be found in many gardens.

When getting acquainted with girlish grapes, it must be said that he is a representative of the Vinogradov family. It includes 12 species, many of them are found in Asia and North America.

Despite their some differences, they all received wide use as a decoration in landscape design.

Types of virgin grapes and landscape design





Five-leaf maiden grape. This variety is often called Virginia grapes. In one year, its vines can reach a height of approximately 2.5 m. This is enough to cover a building 15 m high with thickets.

The leaves have a complex palmate shape, can reach 10 cm in length, and have a pointed tip at the end. This grape variety acquires its most pronounced decorative properties in the fall, when its foliage turns red.

As cultivated plant it began to be grown back in 1622. Therefore, you should not be surprised that photographs of this variety can be present both in modern magazines and in paintings dating back to the Renaissance and Enlightenment.

Tripointed maiden grapes. This variety is often called ivy grape. This can be explained by the fact that its foliage strongly resembles this plant. The leaves of this grape variety are distinguished by their three-lobed shape.

Shoots can grow up to 15–20 m in length. This grape variety tolerates negative temperatures. Already during the first frosts, noticeable changes occur in the appearance of this variety: instead of the usual color, the leaves acquire red-purple and orange shades.

It is customary to distinguish separate varieties of this plant that have distinct characteristics. Golden look has leaves decorated yellow spots. The purple variety has dark burgundy foliage.

The Vicha grape also has pronounced decorative properties - its leaves small sizes have a shiny surface, and at the time of the first frost they change their usual color to orange.

Preparing for landing

Maiden grapes feel good not only in sunny places, but also in the shade. But at the same time, you need to keep in mind that in the fall, when the first frosts occur, the girl’s grapes acquire a color characteristic of this period of the year.

However, many experts agree that the most suitable for growing this plant is sunny plot.

You can grow wild grapes near a fence or other support on the north side, however, in this case they will not change their Green colour until the leaves begin to fall off due to the first cold weather.

Growing on the southern and eastern sides of the site is advantageous because in these places propagation takes less time and the leaves grow larger.

You can sow seeds in the fall. As for transplanting seedlings, it is recommended to plan this work for the spring. Maiden grapes are not very picky about soil quality.

However, this plant still feels better if it grows on a special prepared soil mixtures. To prepare it you will need the following components:

  • 2 parts of garden land.
  • 2 parts compost.
  • 1 part sand.

After thoroughly mixing all the ingredients, fill the holes prepared for planting cuttings with this composition.

Propagation by seeds

As a rule, cultivation of wild grapes from seeds is carried out only experienced summer residents. It is not recommended for beginners to use this method of reproduction, not only because this process requires a lot of time and effort.

Often it is not possible to achieve the desired result because not all of the seeds used may germinate. However, in a situation where the gardener does not have planting material for propagation, he has no other alternatives.

A mandatory operation that seeds must undergo before planting is stratification. It can be carried out in natural conditions: for this, the seeds are sown in the fall in the ground, where they must be hardened during three months.

This can also be done in the spring, however, in this case, the time for sowing is chosen 6–7 weeks earlier than the usual sowing time at home:

  1. Take a small container and fill it with clean sand.
  2. The sand needs to be spilled well, and then the existing seeds should be sown in it.
  3. Then the container must be covered with film.
  4. Next, the container must be placed in a cold place, for example, in the refrigerator. To properly carry out this procedure, it is necessary to ensure a temperature within + 5 degrees Celsius.
  5. During certification, it is necessary to ensure that the sand is constantly wet. They do this until they begin to sprout from the seeds.

If the seeds undergo such preparatory treatment in open ground, then within a month from the moment of sowing, you can expect the first shoots to appear.

Planting cuttings

Many gardeners choose the method of propagation by cuttings because of the lower labor intensity and the time it takes to obtain planting material. After cutting the vines placed in open ground, where they take root quite quickly.

To obtain high-quality planting material, this work is carried out in the following order:

  • For propagation, cuttings with at least four buds are required;
  • the cutting must be placed in the prepared hole in such a way that two buds are located above the ground;
  • planting must be completed with watering;
  • to avoid burns, it is recommended to protect the bed from direct sunlight;
  • get good seedlings possible if the soil is constantly moist.

Reproduction by layering

This method of obtaining wild grape seedlings may be of interest to those who already have mature bushes on their site. In this case, planting and caring for young plants can be carried out immediately after choosing a place for a new bush.

The reproduction process itself in this way is carried out in the following order:

  • In early spring, you need to mark the vines at the age of two to three years.
  • Next, they are bent to the ground and secured in this position.
  • The bending area must be covered with fertile soil.
  • While waiting for the cuttings to take root, it is necessary to water regularly.
  • After a year, the cuttings will form a full-fledged root system, after which they can be transplanted to a permanent location.

Further care

After receiving the planting material and replanting it, the main care measures will be reduced to removing excess shoots and installing special supports for the growth of vines.

Although branches can often climb the walls of a building on their own, many gardeners come to their aid, specially installing fencing, for example, chain-link.

Young bushes of virgin grapes experience the need for moisture only at a young age. Adult bushes have enough moisture, which comes with precipitation and from internal reserves.

Caring for perennials is also simplified because the owner does not have to take measures to cover them for the winter. However, for young plantings this event is mandatory.

Fertilizer application

For better absorption of fertilizers, it is recommended to fertilize while watering the grapes. For this you can use nitroammophoska. In order to stimulate the growth of grapes, it is useful to add complex fertilizers to the soil.

Maiden grapes react well active growth, if measures are taken to improve soil quality. Therefore, in addition to loosening, it is also recommended before planting add peat to the soil and humus.

You can increase fertility by fertilizing the soil with two-year-old compost. Mulching is a fairly effective operation, during which sawdust or rotted leaves can be used.

Any suburban area, as well as the house located on it, can look unusual if you use an original approach to its design. One such idea would be to use virgin grapes.

This ornamental plant capable of forming long shoots that can hide any tall buildings, creating medieval effect.

Naturally, growing this plant has its own characteristics. Special attention should be given to young seedlings, since they not only require regular watering, but also protection from frost.

However, adult plants are unpretentious, so the owner will only need carrying out pruning, if he wants to limit the further spread of grapes.