Common grapevine

Common grapevine or Cultivated grape (Vitis vinifera) – a species of perennial shrubby lianas from the genus Vítis of the family Vitáceae. family Vitáceae. Distributed in temperate and subtropical latitudes, and also widely cultivated practically worldwide. Cultivated since ancient times; the homeland is unknown.

It is a climbing vine that under favorable conditions can reach 30-40 m in length. The vine attaches itself with tendrils that cling to a support. The bark on mature trunks is deeply furrowed, brown in color, with peeling bark; on young shoots – reddish or yellowish.

Leaves petiolate, alternate, entire, three- or five-lobed, light green in color.

Flowers are bisexual or unisexual, 4-5- or 3-7-parted, greenish. The number of stamens corresponds to the number of perianth segments. The number of carpels 2-8. Flowers are gathered in large loose or dense panicles. Flowering occurs in May-June.

Fruiting in August-September, some cultivars in October. The fruits are juicy berries with small seeds numbering 1-4, seedless cultivars also occur. Fruits are gathered in clusters. Cluster shape and color are diverse - green, yellow, pink, black-violet, dark red. Berries mostly have a waxy bloom, 6-22 mm long. Seeds are ovate or pyriform, 2-6 mm long, with a long beak.

Varieties: Divided into technical (wine) and table. Popular technical varieties: very early – Аркадия, Саба, Лора, Жемчуг, Восторг, Народный, Одесский ранний, Рошфор, Сфинкс; early – Араксени, Аристократ, Билли, Кардинал, Кишмиш, Ранний Магарача, Реджина, Дунав, Лидия, Фуршетный; early-mid and mid-season – Талисман, Подарок Запорожья, Водограй, Арамис, Андижанский черный, Шакар ангур самаркандський, Мускат александрийский; late-ripening varieties – Агадаи, Эдро. Has 2 ornamental forms - Purple (f. purpurea) and Cut-leaved (f. apiifolia).

Location/exposure: light-loving, require fertile soils. Do not tolerate waterlogging and close proximity of groundwater.

Planting grapes: two- to three-year-old plants are planted in autumn or spring. Size of planting hole 50 x 50 x 60 cm. Distance between plants 1 m. Before planting, seedlings should be dipped into a slurry composed of 10 L of water, 0.4 kg of clay, 0.2 kg of 12% chlorophos and 0.2 kg of ferrous sulfate. The soil mixture consists of humus, peat and sand taken in the ratio 3:1:2. Soil reaction neutral or slightly acidic. Drainage of broken brick and sand layer 15-20 cm is mandatory.

Care: Fertilization. In June apply 40 g of urea, 80 g of superphosphate and 30 g of potassium chloride, diluted in 10 L of water. For weakened plants add organic matter or perform foliar feeding: dissolve 15 g of urea or ammonium nitrate in 10 L of water. Watering. All types of grapevine like moisture. Having deep roots that penetrate the soil to 4-5 m, they tolerate drought for a long time. However, it is better to water once a month with 8-10 L per plant. If rains are regular, watering is not required. Loosening and mulching. It is desirable immediately after planting to mulch the root circles with peat or soil in a layer of 5-7 cm. Loosening is carried out when weeding. Pruning. From June to August the vines grow actively; they are tied to the support and the crown is formed. Side shoots are cut back to two to three buds, strong canes to 1/3 of their length. Preparation for winter. In winter it is recommended to remove the vines from the support and insulate with spruce boughs, peat, leaves. Dry loose soil can be added to the roots in a layer up to 10 cm.

Diseases and pests: the main diseases are: anthracnose, downy mildew, oïdium (powdery mildew), gray rot, black spot. Pests: phylloxera, common spider mite, grape "zudny" mite (винограный зудень), leaf-rollers.

Propagation: by seeds, cuttings and layering. Seeds are sown in autumn or spring after 3-7 months of stratification. Optimal temperature for stratification +5 °C (0-10 °C). The best germination results were obtained with weekly warming at 30 °C for 3 hours twice a day. Seedlings from seeds flower in the 5th-6th year. But it is even easier to propagate grapevine with winter cuttings. After two years rooted cuttings are planted in open ground.

Uses: Common grapevine is used to decorate pergolas, gazebos, arches, trellises, fences. Fruits are consumed fresh, dried (raisins) and frozen, processed into juice, jam, wine, compotes, marinades, for making various beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), and also vinegar. Widely used in medicine. Grape pomace is used as livestock feed.