Berry crops such as grapes are becoming increasingly widespread in private summer cottages. Many seek to grow table and technical varieties for self-production of homemade wines. But this article is not about this. We will talk about how to plant grapes on our own plot of seedlings without any help in the spring.
Advantages and disadvantages of spring planting
The autumn period is the most preferable for planting all garden crops, but usually it is carried out in the spring. The right of the decisive vote is still yours, and we will analyze whether it is worth planting grapes in the ground in spring. And we proceed immediately to the positive and negative aspects of this event.
The main advantage is that the bush during the summer season has time to get accustomed perfectly to a permanent place, it is enough to get stronger in order to easily survive the first wintering. You do not have to worry about the sapling and think about how to hide it from frost. It is necessary to carry out preparatory work before planting the grapes. Dig and fertilize the soil and prepare a hole for the future seedling in the fall. So you will help the soil significantly increase its fertility, and this will positively affect the survival rate of grapes. Most of the grapes after the first growing season, in the form of seedlings are ready to bear fruit in the second year. When planting in the fall it will happen a year later. 
Spring is such a time of the year when it is easier to calculate the landing time. In the autumn, early frosts can hit very unexpectedly, which can not only damage the seedlings, but also freeze the soil, which will soon become unsuitable for cultivation. Many winegrowers who are just beginning to comprehend the basics of craftsmanship, plant grapes in the spring. It is easier to take care of seedlings, and guarantees of survival at a high level.
However, planting grapes in spring with seedlings has some nuances that can affect the change in your decision in favor of the autumn planting. Usually in the spring, the grapes that have not yet become stronger do not have enough moisture, so you will have additional troubles in frequent and abundant watering. A newly planted plant still absorbs water poorly, and without it it can dry out.
In spring, it will be necessary to dig up the soil well and grind it with old sawdust, moss or humus. Late planting can adversely affect the seedlings of grapes, leading to the defeat of various fungal diseases. The best seedlings can be purchased only in the fall, and in the spring there is the option not to find a suitable variety or to get on the frozen or dried seedlings.
Did you know? We have such a festive custom, when on New Year's Eve, under the chiming clock, you need to open champagne, pour it into glasses and, making a wish, have a drink. But in Portugal and Spain, everything is different. Instead of champagne, one minute before the arrival of the New Year, people eat grapes, while making 12 wishes.
Planting grapes in spring
If planting grapes in open ground in the spring is planned, then the soil should be prepared in the fall. If this did not work, then do not hesitate in early spring, so that the grapes have about two months to settle the soil, accumulate moisture and nutrient material.
How to choose seedlings for planting grapes in spring
When purchasing seedlings, carefully inspect them for the absence of diseases and signs of pest activity, especially phylloxera. The most suitable planting material is a one-year sapling. It should have more than three roots up to 12 cm long and 3-4 mm thick. Before planting in the ground, the seedling should be disinfected in a special solution. It is prepared from 10 liters of water, 400 g of clay and 200 g of hexachlorane. If the planting material is dried, soak it in water for 48 hours.
Before planting, once again carefully inspect the seedlings and remove the damaged roots, as well as those located above the two lower nodes. The roots that are below should be trimmed. Leave 4-5 eyes on the shoot, remove the rest. Before planting, lower the seedling roots into a mixture of manure - 1 part, ground - 2 parts and a growth stimulator. Dilute everything with water to obtain a smooth homogeneous mass.
Choosing a landing site
Not everyone has the opportunity to take 5-10 acres of land under the vineyard. Immediately, a dilemma arises as to how to plant grapes in the spring - cuttings or saplings. Therefore, we have to look for a free plot of land, where one could grow at least a couple of bushes. The first and main condition for good growth and fruiting of grapes is light. This plant is very thermophilic, as historically it has developed that it grows best in southern countries. Despite the efforts of breeders, even specially bred for the northern regions of the grape variety can not stand the shaded places. Therefore, planting in the shade is unacceptable.
The most comfortable grapes will be if its rays of the sun will illuminate throughout the day. Of course, it will not be easy to carve out such a place, but you need to try. Otherwise, the plant will not give intensive growth and good harvest. Sufficient accumulation of sugars and full maturity of the crop are not possible when growing in the shade. In a pinch, you can remove other interfering trees.
The second is the terrain. Avoid lowlands where water can accumulate and stagnate for a long time. Look for a higher place or create it yourself. The zone in which the bulk of the roots of the grape tree lies should not be in prolonged water stagnation. The last is ground. There is no choice. If the soil is not suitable for the composition of the grapes, then when planting seedlings the only way out is the planting pit. We must strive to obtain a fertile layer, rich in humus and mineral salts, with neutral acidity, good ventilation and moisture-holding capacity.
Did you know? In ancient times, collecting grapes was so dangerous to do that it was necessary for berry pickers to first make a will and then begin work. The thing is that long vines relied on trees growing close to them, which eventually dried out. There was no insurance then, and the most delicious grapes grew on the tops. Then, in the literal sense of the word, grape fruit could cost human life.
Landing time
Certain terms when planting grapes in the open ground in the spring, it is difficult to call. After all, this should be done in warm weather, when the air temperature is not lower than 15 ºС, and the soil has managed to warm up to at least 10 ºС. Under such conditions, the vegetation of seedlings occurs best, which means that the grapes can be deposited from the end of March right up to the beginning of June.
Much will also depend on the selected seedling. Few people know that planting material is of two types: vegetative and stiffened seedlings. The only difference is that the first ones are younger, because they were planted in the spring and only had time to blossom. They are usually sold in small containers with soil mixture. Be sure to attend the first escape with leaves. They should be planted in the period from May 20 to June 15, for it has been in the container since February. 
The stiffened material is a sapling already grown in open ground, but dug out for the winter. It already has a sufficiently developed root system and has its own kidneys. It is better to plant it early - from mid-April to mid-May, focusing on weather conditions with a margin of several days ahead.
Landing pit preparation
The landing pit for the future cultivation of grapes is prepared long enough and not easy. In addition, to dig, it must also fertilize. The dimensions of the pit should be 80 cu. see that there is enough space not only for the root system of an adult plant, but also for fertilizer for the next 4 years.
When digging a hole, divide the soil layers into two heaps: in one - the upper one, and in the other - the lower one. The first layer is considered the most fertile, so it will go first to a fully dug hole. The layer should be at least 10 cm. After that, add 40 kg of good manure, 500 g of nitrogenous fertilizer and 500 g of wood ash. After that, a 10-centimeter layer of fertile soil is filled up again, and everything mixes well.
Important! For just planted grapes, all fertilizers will not be needed, but when it enters the fruiting period, its roots will just penetrate into the fertile layer.Top again to fill with fertile soil, until the edge of the pit will not remain 20 cm. In order for you to more clearly understand how to plant grapes saplings in the spring, we suggest you watch this video:
Planting grapes in spring
Preparing in advance of the fall planting pit, learn the rules of planting grapes in the spring. At its center, make a small recess of 40 cm. In advance, you should provide for subsidence of the soil that does not threaten you if you have already prepared the pit in the fall. If it was dug out in early spring, then go deeper by 35 cm, and on the remaining 5 cm, the seedling will eventually fall by itself. At the bottom of the recess should make a mound on which to plant the grapes.
Important! Expand the seedling so that the support for further weaving of grapes goes along the buds.After instillation of a seedling, water it abundantly. You should get about 40 liters of water. When grapes are planted in the spring, so that it will settle down well and not waste moisture until the soil mixture is fully saturated with it, it is covered. Shelter should be removed only after full acclimatization. A stiffened plant should be mulched or covered with fertile soil or sand to form a mound.
Important! The sand can erode, so it should be covered and squeezed with something heavy.After two weeks, the seedling is mastered, and it can be freed from the "imprisonment." A vegetative seedling does not fall asleep with sand, as it can harm green shoots. It should be covered with a conventional cardboard box with a hole for the growth of the top. Keep it worth no more than two weeks.
Tips for planting grapes in spring
When you plant grapes in spring with saplings, be sure to determine the type of soil, the method of planting depends on it. For example, it is recommended to plant in sandy soils in trenches. In clay and loamy soils that do not heat well, land on ridges. In the old days they were also called "created".
For the convenience of watering and feeding the grapes, you can install plastic bottles with a cut off bottom between seedlings. Between the table varieties over time, the bottles need to be replaced with asbestos-cement pipes. In the case of table varieties, after three years, nothing can be established. An adult wine-growing plant must adapt to the independent extraction of water from the soil. The length of the deep roots will directly affect the quality of the harvest, and accordingly, the wine.
Did you know? Grapes are a symbol of Armenia. In the Bible there is mention of the fact that Noah first grew it there. Even scientists confirm the fact that the first varieties of grapes originated in the Caucasus, Turkey and Iran.As soon as you purchase an untested variety, do not rush to plant grapes at a permanent place in the spring. Let them grow until the first signal brushes appear in the school; it will be easier to cover them there. Some winegrowers do not immediately plant seedlings in open soil, but are kept in special containers half buried in the ground. In the autumn they are transported to the basement, and in late spring they are planted as it should be. This method stimulates the plant to an earlier fruiting.
Always plan a plantation for planting vines, do not plant them spontaneously. Combine different varieties in the appropriate groups. This is necessary because the landing interval is different. For the juice-wine varieties, the distance between the seedlings should be 80 cm, canteens - from 1.5 meters, and between rows from 2 to 2.5 m. Grouping is also necessary for ripening and frost resistance. So you make it easier for yourself to take care of plants, eliminating unnecessary hiding and spraying. 
Grafted seedlings should not be planted vertically. Ideally, it is better to place them, tilting at the maximum angle. Otherwise, the aging of the vine will be problematic. Over time, transfer them to your roots.
Do not forget that grapes have a vertical polarity. When opening fruitful arrows, tie it on the trellis or stakes only in a horizontal position. With this care, all annual shoots will grow the same. If you tie them vertically, then the shoots will give intensive growth only from the upper eyes, at a time when the lower ones may not grow at all.
Substantially limit watering. Be sure to conduct hydration only young vines for two years. General watering, moisture-loading, make the fall. A week before the expected flowering should stop watering. Excessive hydration will cause blooming and delay the ripening of the grapes.
Sprinkling can cause a number of diseases. And also grapes badly transfers wet leaves and the damp earth. It is advisable to arrange a rain hood over the vines.
Pruning of grapes is obligatory. Otherwise, the curtains will grow strongly, and the berries are crushed. But in the year of planting pruning is not required, it is necessary to remove only undigested green parts of the shoots in the autumn. In the third year, start cutting shoots. Act according to a combination of external factors - relief, soil and the sum of active temperatures. Take notes, from which buds grow fruiting shoots.
