Features of growing virgin grapes on your balcony. Growing grapes on the balcony: from choosing the right variety, planting and caring for it

Maiden grapes are translated from Greek as “virgin ivy.” This is a huge unpretentious vine that produces berries without pollination by the parthenocarpic method. There are about 10 types girl's grapes, which differ from each other in the number of veins on the leaf (1-7) and color.

Maiden grapes are a very common way to decorate hedges, facades, fences, balconies and loggias in many cities of Russia and foreign countries. The reason for this is a number of undeniable advantages:

• beautiful appearance;
• unpretentiousness of the plant;
• creates shade in hot weather;
• protects from the wind.

Features of cultivation

In nature, this grape uses taller trees as support along which it spreads its vines. Since by nature this plant loves shade, it can be grown perfectly on balconies facing east or west. You can also plant on the north side of the loggia, but only in warm weather. climatic region and an apartment on the upper floors. It is important that the balcony is not obscured by other structures or trees from the street.

Growing grapes on a south-facing balcony is not recommended at all, as you will have to water it abundantly every day. And this plant requires a lot of water, since the length of the grape vine can reach up to 12 m.

Girlish grapes on the balcony

Some types of wild grapes grow 4 m each year. In this regard, you need to make a support for it in advance so that the plant can weave freely. But there is one nuance here: girl’s grapes grow both up and down, so the best option there will be an arch for him. If you take all this into account, then further care will not bring much trouble.

Maiden grapes need supports

Popular varieties of virgin grapes for growing on the balcony:

• Tripointed (ivy-shaped). Was brought to Far East. It is a powerful vine with large carved leaves and blue berries. Feature- strong antennae that tightly cling to the support.
• Five-leafed came to Russia straight from the tropics, so it does not survive in all regions. It reaches a height of up to 15 m. The leaves consist of 5 oblong-shaped petals.
• Attached is a variety native to North America that grows up to 7 m. It is a small vine with rounded leaves consisting of 3 petals and yellow-gray trunk bark.

Instructions for planting in a pot

To grow wild grapes on your balcony, you will have to purchase a large pot. Its volume should be from 100 to 120 l, depth - at least 50 cm. Material - ceramics or wood. You need to make holes at the bottom of the pot so that water does not stagnate.

Growing grapes in a pot

There are three options for cultivating virgin grapes:

• from seeds;
• from layerings;
• from seedlings.

Planting with seeds is the most time-consuming process, and therefore it is used only in extreme cases. In the fall, ripe berries are collected, which are peeled from the pulp, leaving the seed. Next, they are planted in soil for seedlings to a depth of 1 cm, then watered and weeds are removed from the pot. Sprouts will appear only next year.

Growing using layering is an easier option, but it requires more space, which is not always possible on a balcony. This is done like this: a stem up to 2 m long is buried in the ground in a wave-like manner, that is, one part of the branch with a bud is buried, and the other is left above the ground.

Maiden grape seedlings

The most in a fast way propagation of wild grapes is considered from seedlings. Since the plant has good vegetative properties, there should be no problems with planting; just follow the step-by-step instructions:

1. Separate the shoot from the adult plant.
2. Place it in wet sand.
3. Cover with a plastic cap.
4. Wait for the roots to appear.

Ready-made rooted seedlings can be purchased at a specialized store. When purchasing, you should pay attention to root system plants if it is open. You should not choose shoots with weak and short roots, as they are unlikely to take root. It is best to buy grapes already planted in a pot. Although this will increase costs, it will reduce the risk of losing the plant a month after purchase.

Sale of seedlings

In recommendations for choosing soil for growing virgin grapes in an apartment, gardeners are unanimous about a substrate enriched with humus and humus. However, in reality the plant is not demanding and will grow in any soil in which it is planted. In nature, virgin grapes spread along leafy soil, so at home it will be the best choice.

Plant wild grapes at home in a pot with early spring and until late autumn. The prepared container can be placed directly on the floor on the balcony and filled with soil. It is advisable to place drainage at the bottom of the container.

Important! The first 2 years the grapes will trail with small thin branches. For them you need to place supports to which it will cling with the help of antennae.

Immediately after planting in the pot, the seedling should be watered abundantly. In the future, watering for an adult plant should be at least once a week. The soil must be ventilated to prevent mold from occurring. To make it easier for the plant to retain moisture in the heat, you can sprinkle the soil with tree bark.

Feeding and pruning

Nitroammofoska for feeding grapes

Since the girlish grapes on the balcony are deprived of a natural influx of organic and mineral substances, feeding is needed for their full development. It is this that is an important component of plant care. This is especially important during the fruiting period of the plant.

• In spring or early summer, you can add 40-50 g of nitroammophoska per 1 square meter. m.
• During active growth, the wild vineyard needs to be fed organic fertilizers(manure, chicken droppings).

Important! The soil in the pot needs to be loosened frequently, but this should be done with extreme caution so as not to damage the roots.

One more an important condition proper care is pruning to form a bush. It can be carried out starting from the second year, removing dry leaves and young growth.

As for pests, a winegrower cannot escape from them even on the balcony. Most often, girlish grapes are affected by aphids. In the fight against it, a solution of water with alcohol (add 100 ml per 10 liters) and ordinary laundry soap. The first is to spray the crown with a spray bottle, and the second is to soap the leaves, washing off the insects.

Damage to leaves by pests and diseases

For the first wintering, the grapes with the pot are brought into a warm room, cutting off the young shoots. In the future, this will simply be impossible, since wild grapes grow before our eyes, becoming unbearable. The trunk and branches of the plant can easily withstand frost, but the roots will have to be covered (with rags, straw, or a thick layer of mulch).

If you follow the tips and recommendations above, the girlish grapes on the balcony will grow in the first two years and will delight the eyes of passers-by with green foliage in summer and burgundy foliage in autumn. The main thing is not to forget the key points: abundant watering in the heat, crown-forming pruning and insulation for the winter.

Description and types of girlish grapes

There are about 20 varieties of virgin grapes that grow in North America, the Himalayas and East Asia. Some varieties are evergreen.

But deciduous vines have gained the most popularity, since they are less demanding and successfully take root in almost all climatic zones. Caring for this plant is quite simple. Maiden grapes, unlike other varieties of the Grape family, do not need pollination.

In addition to its luxurious decorative foliage, it is famous for its exquisite small black berries. They are inedible, but are an exquisite decoration for decorative vines. The most common deciduous species considered: tripointed, Vicha, five-leafed.

Tripointed maiden grapes

In summer, the leaves of the vine are green, and with the onset of autumn their color changes to bright red and brown shades. Countries of growth: Korea, Japan, as well as the territory of Primorsky Krai.

This vine, thanks to its strong branched tendrils, can very easily climb smooth walls. Glossy foliage has a chic decorative appearance, creating a dense green carpet.

This variety is recommended to be grown in southern areas, since the plant is quite light-loving. Reproduction occurs by sowing seeds. The period for planting seeds is in autumn, since long-term stratification is necessary.

Seedling care is almost not required.

Variety Vicha

Vicha is quite common. It is distinguished by simple large green leaves. With the onset of autumn, the foliage turns bright red.

This type is very readily used for vertical decorations in European countries. Vicha is propagated by woody cuttings. Growing by sowing seeds is impractical, since the seeds bifurcate and lose their ability to grow.

Planted cuttings grow quite slowly in the first year of life and require constant care - fertilizing and watering. But later their growth reaches 2.5 m in height. This variety is readily grown in apartments on the balcony, decorating terraces and gazebos.

Five-leaf maiden grape

This species is a woody climbing vine, the height of which can reach 20 meters. This species first appeared in North America and Mexico. This variety is distinguished by palmately compound dark green leaves with pointed ends.

The most common species of this genus is the Engelmann variety. It has quite tenacious branched sucker antennae. The leaves have the shape of five lanceolate dark green leaves, the length of which is 12 cm. The plant has reddish petioles.

With the onset of autumn, the foliage takes on a red-violet color. This vine is characterized by fairly active growth (growth of 1 m per year) and requires proper care. Having such a decorative appearance, it looks great on the balcony. Look at the photos of these varieties.

They have significant differences in appearance.

Features of growing and forming virgin grapes

The only drawback and at the same time big advantage is an abundant and active growth of branches. This often happens if the plant is not given proper care and is not properly pruned. In addition decorative look foliage and berries, grapes have a beneficial effect on the microclimate and air, since they perform the function of noise insulation, gas and dust protection, and also have phytoncidal properties.

Densely grown foliage protects very well from summer heat, and also helps reduce dampness in rooms. Planting virgin grapes is a simple process. Almost all varieties of tree vines are undemanding to soil quality.

They do not need their increased fertility. The main thing is that the land is not dry and depleted. The liana easily tolerates slight soil salinity.

Adult and large plants are planted in deep holes, the width and depth of which should be 50 cm. These holes should have good drainage and be filled with fertile soil.

Young seedlings are planted in the spring. The distance between each plant should be at least 60 cm; initial care involves regular watering.

Watering, fertilizing and pruning

Caring for grapes includes regular watering, fertilizing, as well as the construction of the necessary supports to give the plant a decorative appearance. Timely watering is especially important. Drying out the soil can lead to the loss of girlish grapes' unique decorative properties.

For feeding, use nitroammophoska - 40-50 g per square meter. This fertilizer is applied in early summer or spring. During the period of active growth, the plant is fed with 200 g of the drug Kemira Universal. But this is not all the proper care the grapes need.

It is very important to regularly loosen the soil, remove weeds, and trim, which is necessary to remove damaged and excess branches. Pruning can also be done to reduce the volume of the plant. Watch a training video on how to properly care for grapes. All types of maiden grapes are very readily used for landscaping fences, walls, gazebos, and also balcony doors ( on the picture). The bright mosaic of leaves, which turn red and brown with the onset of winter, is simply mesmerizing in its beauty.

How to propagate virgin grapes yourself

Propagation of virgin grapes is quite simple. There are two ways to grow this tree-like vine at home:

• Stem layering. Lignified cuttings. Seeds.

To grow in the first way, you need to use and prepare planting material- stem layering. Prepare several young shoots up to 2 m long. Bury them in the grooves to a depth of 3 cm and water regularly.

As soon as the first roots appear on the cuttings, the plants are planted in open ground at a distance of 20 cm from each other. It is best to plant in the fall in the morning or evening. Experienced gardeners often do not prune cuttings.

They are simply bent to the ground, pinned, for example, with steel wire, then sprinkled with earth. Then care is simple: they are watered regularly, and the next year, when the cuttings have put out their first roots, they can be separated and planted separately.

It is not advisable to use apical layering with dormant buds for propagation. The best and effective way Growing vines is a method of propagation by wood cuttings. To do this, at the end of spring or early summer, cut off several good branches that have mature leaves and place them in a glass of water.

The cut of the shoot must be made 2-3 cm lower from the leaf. After some time, the cuttings will produce their first young roots. It is necessary to implement regular moisturizing branches by spraying.

It is quite possible to propagate virgin grapes using seeds. But this process is quite troublesome.

At the beginning of autumn, the seeds, cleared of fruits, are sown in the ground. The very next year, in June, the first shoots appear. Seeds are also planted in the spring, but only after long stratification, which takes about 2 months.

The advantage of the second method is the rapid germination of seeds - within a few weeks after sowing. Before sowing in the spring after stratification, it is better to soak the seeds for several days in warm water. Seeds are planted to a depth of about 1 cm.

The seeds have a fairly long shelf life and do not lose their viability throughout the year.

Growing virgin grapes in the house and on balconies

Maiden grapes have found their use even in apartments. They successfully decorate the door on the balcony, cornices, and window openings. Plants are planted in living spaces in boxes.

The process of planting lignified cuttings is the same as in open ground. It is advisable to mulch the plants with peat and cover them with polyethylene for the winter. With the onset of spring, the shelter is removed and supports are placed, to which young branches are tied in the required direction.

Maiden's grapes can freely decorate the entire door on the balcony in one season. You can see a detailed description of all methods of growing maiden's grapes in the video materials. To decorate arches with maiden's grapes, lignified cuttings are used, preferably long ones. The lower part is rooted, and the upper part is tied to a support. In just 2-3 years, the arch will be completely entwined with this decorative vine.

Wintering of girl's grapes

With the onset of autumn, grapes require proper care. It involves collecting fruits to obtain seeds. As soon as the first frost passes, the seeds will no longer be suitable for planting. Therefore, the berries must be collected before the first frost.

Sub-zero air temperatures will lead to a massive fall of leaves, which must be removed, otherwise dampness will remain on the walls. Each next year During the life of the plant, the frost resistance of the plant increases. However, young vines, especially those grown from cuttings, must be covered with snow or some kind of covering material. In the future, they will get stronger, and there will be no need for shelter. The only pest of all varieties of virgin grapes is aphids.

Benefits of grapes

In addition to its decorative appearance, virgin grapes are famous for their beneficial properties. Thanks to the research of scientists, the following were found in its branches: glucose, fructose, malic and citric acid, a lot of useful microelements and vitamins. The fatty oils contained in the berries have antioxidant properties. Maiden grapes are widely used in oriental medicine.

In city apartments you can grow grapes on the balcony. The easiest way to plant a ready-made grape seedling; if you want to tinker, you can grow it from a cutting. For grapes on the balcony, you need to create suitable conditions. The balcony needs to be insulated; you can buy polystyrene foam; it has good heat-insulating qualities. Choose a suitable support for the vine; if the balcony is not on the south side, then increase the illumination. It is better to illuminate the grapes with fluorescent lamps, which are mounted on the ceiling of the balcony or on the walls on the sides. The grapes need lighting from eight in the morning to nine in the evening. The capacity is needed for 50-60 liters, the larger it is the better.

Plastic barrels cut in half are good for this purpose. If there is nothing suitable, then a regular 10 or 12 liter bucket will do.

Drainage holes are made at the bottom and the containers are placed in a tray with sides 6-8 cm high. A regular basin will do. A layer of expanded clay for drainage 4-5 cm high is poured onto the bottom of the container. Gauze soaked in a strong solution of potassium permanganate is placed on top of it, and an earthen mixture is poured onto it, consisting of garden soil mixed with sawdust at a rate of (3:1), preferably in the mixture add wood ash. Keep the cuttings of the desired variety for two days in a solution of a growth stimulator or in water with the addition of honey. Then we bury the cutting in the middle of the container, deepening it into the soil up to the top bud.

Cover the cuttings with a 2-liter glass jar. In 2-3 weeks, the cuttings usually develop roots. The room temperature at this time must be kept at 25-27 degrees.

Then we remove the jar and water it as needed, usually once a week, and if it is very dry, then twice a week. The grape vines are formed so that it is convenient for you to use. The grapes are very plastic and young, non-lignified shoots can be positioned in any direction at your discretion. Grapes usually begin to bear fruit in the second year. Maturation period for homemade grapes determined by its ripeness and it depends on the grape variety. The growth of a grape bush can always be stopped by shaping, pinching or chasing. If over the years the bush has grown greatly and becomes difficult to cope with, then you can grow a new seedling using layering of this variety or using the above-mentioned technology, and the old bush can be planted in the garden.

Interesting articles:

Grapes are a deciduous woody vine. Propagation is by cuttings, 5 to 35 cm long, cut from mature wood. Cuttings are cut either in the fall after the leaves fall, or in the spring, before the buds begin to grow.

Cuttings must have at least two buds, one 2 cm below the top edge and one 2 cm above the bottom, but cuttings with 3-5 buds are usually used. Cuttings cut in the fall are stored in a damp cloth on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator or tied in bunches - dug into damp soil. In the spring, before planting, the lower cut is renewed and treated with a root growth stimulator, and the upper cut is dipped in melted paraffin or coated with garden varnish. Sometimes heat treatment is practiced, for which the upper part of the cuttings is placed in snow at -2°-0°C and left in this position for 3-7 days.

In this case, the lower part is exposed to air at more high temperature, which subsequently has a positive effect on root formation. Grapes are not picky about soil, but in pot culture special meaning acquires good drainage.In summer, during the period of growth and fruiting, grapes require maximum lighting and tolerate dry, hot air conditions well, but with sufficient watering. In winter, especially after leaf fall, temperatures around zero are acceptable with minimal watering and nutrition.

IN room conditions The main determining requirement is to create maximum illumination of all the leaves of the vine. Therefore, the plant is often formed into one arm - the trunk. Pruning the vine for fruiting before the start of the growing season

Pruning the vine after the formation of the ovaries Pruning the vine after the end of fruiting and falling of the leaves After the required length of the sleeve is formed, they begin pruning for fruiting, keeping in mind that the clusters are usually formed on the shoots of the current year, which grow on the wood of the previous year.

In autumn, two shoots are left on the sleeve. The longest (conductor) is placed horizontally at the bottom or a ring is formed from it in a standard form. All side shoots the conductor is removed.

The second shoot is greatly shortened to a stump with three buds. In the spring, fruit shoots develop on the conductor, on which flowers form. And first they allow it to germinate more buds than it is planned to have fruit shoots, because if the main bud dies, then the shoots from the replacement buds are often fruitless.

Fruit shoots are directed vertically upward along the window or twisted along a conductor folded into a ring. After clusters form on the fruit shoot, they pinch it off, leaving one or two leaves behind the bunch.

All shoots that do not bear flowers are removed or pinched after 3-5 leaves. Such fruitless shoots can be identified at an early stage, since it is known that flowers do not form above the first tendril on a green shoot. On a hemp with three buds, two shoots are allowed to grow freely.

In the fall, a conductor for next year will be formed from one of them, and the second will be shortened again to a stump with three buds. At the same time, the fruit-bearing conductor with fruit shoots is cut out, thus repeating the entire pruning cycle.

When performing pruning, it is necessary that the wounds be located on one, preferably the inner, side of the sleeve and other perennial parts of the bush. If lighting and heating conditions allow, then you can get two harvests of grapes a year, making very strong pruning after the first fruiting. In room conditions grapes are pollinated by hand, tapping the trunk or transferring pollen to the palm during cross-pollination. In the first year of fruiting, no more than two clusters are left on the vine. In subsequent years, the number of clusters can be gradually increased, keeping in mind that the maximum yield is usually 1.5 kg per plant. In addition to removing excess clusters, thinning them is often practiced indoors.

The main treatments against them are carried out during the absence of leaves after pruning. Once every 3-4 years it is necessary to peel off the old bark from the trunk and destroy it. Growing grapes on the balcony.

In principle, there are no obstacles for people who do not have garden plots or a vineyard to grow their own grapes. All that is required for this is sunny balcony or terrace.

Proper planting of grapes.

For balcony (terrace) viticulture, a capacity of 100-120 liters is required. This can be a ceramic or wooden pot. It is important that the container is 40-60 cm deep and has holes in the bottom to drain excess water.

At the bottom of such a container we place a drainage layer (5-10 cm) made of expanded clay, gravel or crushed ceramic flower pots. The vine does not tolerate excessive moisture in the root system and such drainage and a drainage hole in the bottom must provide the proper conditions.

We fill the pot with garden soil, which is purchased from garden store, the so-called soil for flowers, mixed half with sand. The earth should have a pH reaction within 6-7. It is important to plan the future behavior of the vine in space.

It can rise along a specially prepared structure of planks placed on the wall of the building, between the handrail of our balcony and the balcony above, or attached directly to our wooden pot. There is a large field of activity for realizing your own imagination and ingenuity, but the principle must always be preserved that the planned structure must provide conditions for: the plant freely climbing and climbing along it, good heating of the vine by the sun, and its ventilation (we place the structure at a distance of 15 cm, from the wall).

The corresponding structure does not need to be made in the first year - we can do it in the second year after planting. In the first year, it is enough to tie the shoots to a stick driven into the ground near the seedling.

Selecting a grape variety.

We select the variety according to our own preferences. It is worth paying attention to the fact that, based on the limited space, you should select varieties that grow the least.

Planting and care in the first year.

For balcony and terrace viticulture, it is more profitable to use cuttings. This is due to the limited amount of land available to the root system. The purchased seedling should be planted a little deeper than it grew in the container.

Near the seedling, but so as not to damage the roots, we drive a stick to which we will tie the growing vine. During the period of shoot growth, the plant should be watered (not abundantly!) and any weeds that may appear should be removed from the pot.

It is also worth periodically fluffing up the soil to a depth of about 5 cm. It will be enough to fertilize the plant with a handful of mineral fertilizer (eg Azofoska), but no later than the beginning of August.

After the leaves fall in the fall and the shoots become woody, it is worth making the first pruning of the vine. Be sure to cut the vine by 2-3 buds. Often, among new winegrowers, you can find those who regret pruning “so well-growing shoots.”

However, for the benefit of the plant, such sentiments should be put aside. And cut! The vine that is pruned is covered with earth before winter.

Protection of grapes from frost.

In principle, there is one serious difference between viticulture on the site and balcony-terrace. This concerns the protection of the root system before winter frosts. When growing a grapevine in a pot (barrel), you should very carefully insulate the roots of the plant on all sides.

Not only from the sides, but also from above, and also (which is sometimes forgotten) from below! Each good idea, this is, first of all, to prevent the root system from freezing in winter and ensure the ground temperature is not lower than 6-7 C. One of the most effective methods is insulation with polystyrene foam boards.

Also for this purpose, you can use dry leaves, straw and other natural materials. Of course, the most advantageous place to overwinter a pot would be a basement or garage. However, based on his weight, this is a rather difficult operation.

Second year of cultivation.

In the spring (end of March, beginning of April) we remove the insulation from the pot and carefully rake the soil poured over the seedling. If last year we did not make a supporting structure for the vine, we are doing it now.

We water the earth abundantly, because it has not received the necessary supply of moisture coming from the snow and spring thaw. We fertilize the soil with a handful of mineral fertilizer and fluff it up to a depth of about 5 cm. Other principles of balcony cultivation are identical to growing grapes on the plot.

Grapevine pruning.

The pruning rules are similar to the general ones for open vineyards. However, due to the specific living conditions of the vine, it turns out that the best methods are: short crop, Cordon Roya, Guyot form.They make it easier to cover the plant for the winter. In the case of growing on a balcony, the best form is Cordon Roya, with a permanent perennial shoulder tied to the railing and shoots that rise along a trellis placed between our balcony and the balcony above. I wish you, dear readers, a wonderful harvest grapes on the balcony.If you have something to add, please be sure to leave a comment.

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A balcony entwined with grapes flaming in the setting autumn rays of the Sun, what could be more pleasant for the heart of a person prone to thought, from the height of his years? An ordinary liana - a girl's grape growing on the balcony - can bring such joy.

A beautiful decorative vine will not only brighten up thoughts of the past, but will also serve as a reliable shelter for the more whimsical hanging inhabitants of the balcony garden: flowers or fruit-bearing plants, carefully nurtured by the labors of a home botanist.

Origin and agriculture of the plant

The plant known as "maiden grape" is a generic group of closely related species characterized by similar growing conditions in wildlife and indistinguishable in appearance when grown in a cultivated state.

It acquired its Latin name from the combination of two Greek words - “virgin” and “ivy”, associated with the similarity of the plant in appearance with ivy, and the ability to form fruits without pollination (parthenocapic). There are more than 10 species of plants differing in the number of veins in the leaf - from 1 to 7, as well as in the habitat of wild predecessors - East, Southeast Asia, or America.

The species differ somewhat from each other both in soil requirements and in their growing area.

Most common in middle lane Russia are three- and five-awned girlish grapes, the best way adapted to our climatic conditions.

In their natural habitats, these plants, as is typical for most hanging vines, occupy the lower tier of the forest, using taller, upright growing trees as support plants. Being a moderately shade-loving plant by nature, maiden grapes, like many other indoor flowers and bindweeds, can be successfully grown on east- or west-oriented balconies, or on north-oriented ones, but under conditions of a mild climate and the location of the balcony on the upper floors of the building, so so that the balcony is not obscured by nearby buildings or trees. Growing on southern balconies may be problematic, since it will be associated with the need for daily abundant watering of the plant. And given the length of the vine, reaching 8-12 meters in length, and the abundance of leaves in the crown, this plant consumes a lot of water.

The most suitable soil for growing will be leaf soil, which is characteristic of the places where the plant grows naturally. Recommendations on the composition of the soil, consisting of a substrate rich in humus and humus, are not based on knowledge of the biological characteristics of the plant and are based either on the empirical experience of those who grew indoor flowers on the balcony, or on a reprint of information gleaned from the Internet. The general opinion is that virgin grapes grow where they are planted. Without unnecessary tricks in preparing the substrate or preparing “special” soil mixtures.

Preparing a place for a plant

Since we are talking about growing virgin grapes on a balcony or loggia, we will not touch on the agrotechnical features of its free cultivation in open ground and will immediately move on to what is required to grow a plant on the 10th or 20th floor of an apartment building.

The first thing that an amateur home gardener should take into account is how harmoniously your idea of ​​growing grapes and indoor flowers on the balcony will fit into the overall design concept of the facade of the house in which you live. It’s one thing to realize your desires and hobbies in a limited space, when only you and your guests can admire your achievements; it’s another thing to display the results of your labors on the façade of an elite house, shining with tinted French windows, in the center of a large industrial center. In truth, your work will look like a small green patch, absurdly stuck to the facade of a beautiful house, the pride of the local administration.

Such inappropriate zeal in growing indoor plants can cause bewilderment not only among the townspeople who are forced to observe the fruits of your initiative every day, but also dissatisfaction with the local administration, which can easily fine you for excessive love for indoor flowers.

If your balcony, either in terms of the concept of the facade or its location, will not overly traumatize the psyche of fans of standardization, then - Forward! Get to work!

Considering that the girl’s grapes on the balcony are a tree, albeit in the form of a vine, it will need a considerable container for root growth and normal nutrition. At a minimum, a 100 liter barrel.

The plant is perennial and large. Unlike flowers, it is impossible to bring it in and out of your apartment for the winter. Therefore, you should initially provide not only a supply of soil with the prospect of growth, but also the possibility of insulating the container in winter. The trunk and branches can survive even a very harsh winter without much damage, but if frost touches the roots, the plant will simply die.

Tip: Arrange a container for girlish grapes on the balcony within the area of ​​the balcony. It is advisable that the container be made of wood (larch, oak), or lined with wooden dowels.

Being a poor conductor of heat, wood will protect you from frost to some extent. Consider the possibility additional insulation- either by simply wrapping the container with heat-insulating material, or by arranging electric or water heating on frosty days. This is most easily solved on glazed balconies. But growing virgin grapes on them makes no sense.

Do not forget to arrange good drainage from expanded clay gravel or medium fraction of crushed stone (not limestone) so that the plant feels comfortable and does not experience waterlogging of the soil.

Planting material

You can grow virgin grapes either from seeds or using seedlings. The second method is the most acceptable and fastest. Therefore, let's dwell on it.

Grapes have excellent vegetative qualities, so to obtain a seedling, it is enough to separate the shoot from the adult plant by fashion and root it in damp sand, covered with a plastic cap, until the cutting takes root.

The time for permanent planting may vary from early spring (late March - early May), depending on climate zone, in which you live, until late autumn (late September - early November).

Since virgin grapes are unpretentious plants that easily take root in a new place, there is no need to make any extraordinary efforts. The only condition for winter landing is reliable insulation in order to winter frosts the measles system did not die.

Plant care

Some fast-growing types of virgin grapes produce up to 4 meters of growth per year. Therefore, for the normal development of the plant, it is initially necessary to construct a system of supports to which the vine will cling. The growth characteristics of the plant should also be taken into account. Grapes grow equally well both vertically upward and downward, and belong to the category of hanging plants.

Therefore, you should build an arched structure, either enveloping the balcony in the form of an arch, or allowing the plant to grow exclusively upward, without forgetting to ask the opinion of your neighbors whether they will be happy that part of the sunlight in their apartment will be blocked by the lush greenery of your pet , abundantly entwined around the railings of their balcony.

The plant does not require additional care. With the exception of pruning rapidly growing side shoots. But this is not scary for the vine.

The best choice for this would be roses that use the stems of the maiden grapes as a support and together with them stretch upward, or mountain clematis, which will ennoble and decorate the lush greenery of the maiden grapes with its delicate lilac or pink flowers. As well as other climbing plants for the balcony.

The flight of your imagination to use the shady canopy created by the maiden vine can be endless. The main advantage is that with its lush greenery it will protect many balcony bindweeds and indoor flowers from the effects of winds, direct sunlight or the vagaries of the weather.

What if symbiosis beautiful flowers or fruit bearing hanging plant with a decorative vine turns out to be viable, then this will bring joy not only to you, but also to all those who can observe the fruits of your labors while passing by on the sidewalk.

conclusions

Maiden's grapes are one of the few plants that truly decorate the balconies of low “a la country” facades, which look very organic on the outskirts of large cities or in small urban settlements.

It is quite possible to grow balcony plants that are pleasing to the eye and at the same time beneficial. Take wild grapes, for example. Many are attracted by the amazing interiors created with their help. And what is very important is that this plant bears fruit remarkably well. Dark blue small berries on clusters persist even in winter.

Varieties

When choosing a grape variety, factors such as:

• decorative effect;
• resistance to diseases and low temperatures;
• fruit quality.

For landscaping the best solution there will be girlish grapes on the balcony. Basically, preference is given to two of its varieties: five-leaved and tripointed. Both of these varieties are unpretentious and frost-resistant. They are ways of independently “clinging” to nearby surfaces. In just a year or two, the plant will cover almost any balcony. The fruits are very small, the berries are not suitable for food.

• trifoliate. This plant is distinguished by three-lobed large leaves of a diamond-shaped, pointed shape, very reminiscent of ivy. The edges of the dark green leaves are glossy along the edges. Small clusters are collected from blue-black fruits with an ashy coating. Reproduction is carried out only vegetatively;
• five-leaved. Five-fingered leaves with oval shape, retain their green color in the spring and then in the summer, and in the fall they change it to crimson-red. The height of the plant can reach 10 m.

Growing grapes on a balcony depends to a large extent on the conditions of its cultivation. For example, the conditions for open balcony Frost-resistant ones that are not particularly susceptible to fungal pathogens are quite suitable. As for the glazed version of the balcony, frost resistance in this case is not so important, and plant tolerance to various fungal diseases comes to the fore. High humidity, which accompanies greenhouse conditions, creates favorable conditions for intensive development of fungal microorganisms.

Wild grapes on the balcony have a beneficial effect on the indoor microclimate, as they have phytoncidal properties, suppress noise, and protect against dust.

For those for whom the decorative effect alone is not enough, it makes sense to think about varieties such as table varieties.

The variety of grapes on the balcony must be zoned for a specific climate zone. For example, for the climate of Moscow a variety like Charlie is great or others similar.

Reproduction methods

Maiden grapes are propagated in three ways:

• seeds. They are collected from the berries after ripening, having been cleared of pulp. After planting the seeds in suitable soil They expect the first installments to appear in about 9–10 months, around the end of June. The soil is regularly moistened and weeds are pulled out periodically. This option is rarely used, since growing grapes on a balcony from seeds is quite difficult and takes a lot of time.

• layering. This method is faster and more convenient, but it requires space. The stem should be approximately two meters high. It is buried in waves: a part of the stem with a bud is buried, a piece of the next one is left above the ground, then the next part is buried with a bud, and so on. After a certain period of time, new shoots appear from the buds. With the onset of warm days, the rooted parts are cut off and planted. They continue to grow in small containers until it is time to plant them in the main place.

• cuttings. This is the most convenient option for apartment balconies. With this method, planting material is pre-prepared. In the process of planned pruning, blanks are cut from adult stems in such a way that each of them contains two or three buds. Leaves are removed from the preparations, then they are placed in water. The cuttings should be covered with water to about 2/3 of their length. The roots will begin to appear soon enough - in a month, at the latest - a month and a half. The cuttings, already with roots, are transplanted into containers for seedlings, where the young plants will grow and become stronger. After that, all that remains is to plant them in a permanent container.

How to grow wild grapes on the balcony

Growing grapes on a balcony has the only drawback, which can also be considered an advantage - the active process of abundant growth of branches. This is often due to lack of proper care or improper pruning.

Overgrown foliage serves as good protection from the summer heat and also reduces dampness in the room. Planting virgin grapes in a pot is a simple process.

Landing

Planting takes place in the spring. In this case, pots with seedlings can be placed directly on the floor on the balcony. It is better to plant in a semi-sunny place: neither the scorching sun, under which the plant will dry out, nor the shade, where it will wither, is suitable.

Maiden grapes are grown in wooden containers with a volume of up to 300 liters. The inside of the tub needs to be tarred or impregnated with bitumen. This is a mandatory procedure, as it helps protect the wood from getting wet. There should be drainage holes at the bottom of the container through which excess moisture is removed.

For reference!

A ceramic pot of the required volume will be an even better solution.

Priming

The drainage function is performed by a layer of crushed stone or pebbles approximately 5 cm high. You can prepare the soil mixture yourself. In addition to humus and undepleted soil, it also contains coarse sand. The proportional ratio of components depends on the variety. However, the ratio 5 to 3 and to 2, respectively, can be considered more general.

It is recommended to feed the resulting mixture with nitroammophos or a similar complex fertilizer. 100 g of mineral fertilizer is poured into a container with soil and moistened generously. Planting can begin in two to three days. The planting depth should be about 30 cm.

It is possible to grow a wild grape seedling yourself from a cutting, but it is still recommended to buy it in a special nursery.

For reference!

When purchasing, you need to focus on the grafting and roots of the seedling. It should be planted in a container and not wrapped in plastic.

Care

Growing wild grapes is not difficult, and they are also quite picky. To save it beautiful view you don’t need much: the soil needs to be kept moist, fed and trimmed periodically.

The grapes are watered weekly. To maintain soil moisture longer, it is sprinkled with a loose layer of tree bark or pine needles. It is very important that mold does not form in this case, since such a layer does not interfere with the ventilation of the surface.

In the spring or early June, the soil is fed with an agricultural chemical - nitroammophoska (taking approximately 40 to 50 g). Fertilizing is necessary for plant growth. With the beginning of the active growing season, plant reinforcement is stopped.

For reference!

Annually in early spring the soil from the tub is partially replaced with fresh one. Where the roots do not interfere with this, the soil is carefully loosened, removed, and then replaced with a new one.

The soil is periodically loosened to allow the plant's rhizomes to breathe. This is done carefully so as not to damage the root system itself. Mandatory procedure is weeding.

The first years after planting, while the shoot is still short, it trudges along alone, forming small thin branches. Supports are placed nearby. It is to them that the shoots will cling with their antennae. During the growth process, additional rope supports are periodically pulled to guide the growth of the stems. This way the plants will continue to weave further in the intended direction.

To maintain a neat appearance, as well as to form the crown of the grapes, it will be necessary to periodically trim limp and dried branches (leaves).

Pests

Wild grapes are highly resistant to pathogens and pests. However, if aphids are still found on the foliage, the leaves are washed with an alcohol solution or laundry soap.

When wild grapes grow, their dense foliage will protect the balcony from precipitation and provide coolness in the heat.

Of great importance in human life are houseplants, decorating our everyday life, everyone loves them and breeds them everywhere.

Many people would like to engage not only in indoor floriculture, but also in fruit growing, producing their own lemons or, for example, growing grapes from seeds at home.

Practice shows that it is possible to grow grapes in an apartment using the so-called tub (pot) method.

Practice shows that you can grow grapes in an apartment or on a balcony using the so-called tub (pot) method.

Living on the 5th-7th floor of a stone house and having a small balcony with an area of ​​only 1-2 square meters, you can grow up to 3 vines.

Having the desire to grow indoor grapes and harvest without spending more time than is spent on caring for ficus, palm trees, geraniums, you can in Kharkov, Kyiv or living on the 15th floor high-rise building any other city.

Varieties of indoor grapes

It is better to grow self-pollinating varieties indoors.

Landing

To grow grapes in a room, the soil substrate is prepared as follows: take a third of humus, a third turf land and the same amount river sand. It is advisable to add 1 glass of wood ash (ash) or half a glass of complex mineral fertilizer to the prepared mixture. You can buy ready-made universal soil for planting seedlings, but you need to choose one with a neutral pH reaction.

The cuttings are planted in small greenhouses or pots. The air temperature in the room should be within + 21 + 25. When the top bud sprouts and a sprout appears, glass (film) from a greenhouse or glass (if it is flower pot) they begin to remove for a while, thus adapting the bush to the environment.

After the sprout reaches a height of 16-20 cm, the grapes are “transferred” into a container with an upper diameter of 16-18 cm. It must be taken into account that the roots of young grapes do not tolerate exposure very well, so the integrity of the earthen coma at the roots should not be disturbed. In July, the “transfer” of the plant is repeated, but in pots with a diameter of 25-35 cm. open air grapes no earlier than the second half of April or better - early May, depending on local weather conditions, i.e. at a time when the air temperature does not drop below 2-3C.

In the fall, after the leaves have dropped and growth has stopped, the tubs with bushes are put away for the winter in dry, cool rooms, where the temperature is 2-5 degrees Celsius. The vine should be rolled up in a spiral and tied to pegs.

The soil is rarely watered, just kept moist.

After dropping the leaves, pruning is done taking into account the age of the plant (grapes are formed). On an annual bush, leave 2-3 buds; on a 3-4 year old bush, shorten the vine to 5-10 buds. The fruiting vine is shortened to 5-8 buds.

In March of the following year, the bushes are brought into the rooms, generously watered and fertilized.

After flowers form on the shoots, they are pinched off above the fifth leaf behind the flower brush. Of those that do not bear fruit, do not pinch out two or three located closer to the root to form fruit shoots for the next year. Such shoots are pinched at a length of 1-1.5 m. Therefore, you should always have 1-2 fruit shoots on the bush (fruiting vine) and one or two growing for fruiting next year (replacement).

Grapes on the windowsill - two harvests

When growing grapes at home, you can achieve two harvests annually. This is done as follows. Cleaned up winter storage On the 15th of February, the bush is brought into a warm room and watered well. After 13-15 days the buds will begin to bloom, and after 25-30 days flowering will begin. By May-June (depending on the early ripening of the variety), the berries are already ripening.

3 weeks after harvesting, the bush is taken to the glacier (in a cool place), where the temperature is not higher than +4 and is kept there for up to 50 days (one and a half months). After this, the bush is brought into the room and at the end of October, beginning of November it will ripen again in the apartment juicy berries grapes

After fruiting, the grapes must be replanted, removing up to 1/3 of the roots and replacing 1/3 with soil. With a double harvest, it is necessary to give more fertilizers - usually 100 cm3 of 10% slurry solution per liter of earthen clod volume, once a week, in addition, 2 grams of superphosphate must be added for each liter of slurry.

Watering indoor grapes

Water plays one of the main roles in plant life: it is consumed directly by plants and is a solvent. nutrients. During the period of growth and fruiting, bushes need a lot of water, some of it remains inside the plant as an integral part of tissues and fillers, while some is evaporated by the leaves.

With tub content, Substantial part water evaporates from the soil, the other part is consumed by the plant. Therefore, without a normal supply of water, the bushes wither, stop growing, and in some cases even die. It is necessary to provide the right amount of good quality water in a timely manner.

The temperature of the irrigation water should be room temperature, watering should be done regularly, at very specific times, as needed, and not as possible.

It is better to water plants from watering cans; with such watering, the earthen ball is not destroyed and the soil is not washed out of the pot. Separate streams of water better loosen the earthen lump in the tub, in addition, such water supplies the ground and air. It is better to water the bushes in the evening, at sunset or early in the morning.

Fertilizers

The volume of soil in a pot is tens of times less than the volume occupied by roots in soil cultivation. Grapes grown at home receive several times less nutrition than the same bush kept in the ground. However, for the normal development of all parts of the plant and for the formation of fruits, it must receive nutrients in the required quantities. A small-volume earthen ball does not contain the necessary supply of nutrients, and those nutrients that exist are quickly absorbed, the earth is depleted and is no longer a full-fledged supplier of nutrients. And if you do not feed the bush with fertilizers, its growth decreases, fruiting stops, and it may die.

To grow grapes in an apartment, and even more so to increase fruiting, they need to be given artificial fertilizing - add fertilizers to the soil.

The most versatile liquid fertilizer is slurry. Slurry contains almost all compounds from necessary plants chemical substances. And since slurry is a product of natural decomposition organic matter, then all the substances contained in it are easily absorbed by plants. Preparation of slurry is very simple, and the results of its use give good results.

Preparation: fill the container (bucket, barrel, jar) two-thirds of the volume with mullein or horse manure. Fill the free space with water and place it in a warm place for fermentation. After 14-15 days, when the fermentation process stops, filter. We dig in the rest. And put the filtered liquid in a cool, dark place. We use it as needed.

To water the plants, the resulting solution is diluted with 9 parts of water, i.e., a ten percent solution is prepared. Before subcortexing, the soil is first watered with clean water and then carried out by watering with a slurry solution. When watering, make sure that the solution is not doused on the stems and leaves of plants. If this happens, they should be washed with clean water.

Watering begins in early spring, is carried out weekly and ends in August-September. On average, plants need to be watered once a week, adding a glass of solution to the soil for every kilogram.

In the second or third year of the grapes’ life, i.e., when they enter the fruiting period, 2 grams of superphosphate per liter of solution begin to be added to a 10% slurry solution.

Slurry can also be prepared from chicken manure in a similar way, only for watering you take not a ten percent solution, but a five percent solution (one glass is diluted with twenty glasses of water).

Mineral fertilizers are used at different periods of growth, in different mixtures. The composition of the mixture depends on the need of plants during certain periods of growth for certain substances, on the degree of depletion of the soil and its composition.

For normal life activities, bushes must extract sufficient quantities of potassium, nitrogen, calcium, iron, phosphorus, etc. If there is a lack of nitrogen in the soil, growth is delayed, the leaves grow small, sometimes turn yellow and fall off, the flowers also become smaller and sometimes fall off before flowering. When there is an excess of nitrogen in the soil, on the contrary, the bushes grow too much, produce a lot of leaves, but bloom poorly.

With a lack of phosphorus, the edges of the leaves turn yellow, fungal diseases develop more easily, and fruit (flower) buds are poorly formed. Some flowers may be shed before flowering or a large number of ovaries (fertilized flowers) may be shed before the fruits are fully ripened.

Lack of potassium and calcium is characterized by weak growth (especially shoots - they grow thin), yellowing of leaves. A lack of iron and copper salts in the soil causes the leaves to lighten and provokes the disease chlorosis - the absence (lack) of chlorophyll in the leaves.

G. E. Kiselev (“ Indoor floriculture", 1948) recommends the following compositions of mineral fertilizers for certain periods of growth and life of bushes.

These mixtures are used in solutions of 1 gram of mixture per liter of water with dosing up to 200 grams of solution per 1 kg of soil.

Watering with mixtures is carried out 1-2 times every 10-20 days, from April to August. The amount of watering depends on the vital activity of plants - more vitally active (fast growing) ones are watered more often, slow ones - less often.

It must be remembered that lack of nutrition, as well as excess, leads to inhibition of growth and possibly death, so use mineral fertilizers should be done carefully and only in cases where the plants really need them.

Transshipments and transfers

To develop an active root system in the tub during the first 2-3 years of growth, the pots (tubs) are repeatedly changed, gradually increasing their volume, transferring the bushes from smaller containers to larger ones. When it enters the fruiting period, transshipment stops, and transplants are made every 2-3 years.

When transshipping, the bush is removed from the pot without disturbing the earthen coma and transferred to a larger pot with the addition of soil. At the same time, the drainage and top layers of soil with a thickness of 2-3 cm are necessarily replaced, the rest of the coma is not disturbed. Transshipments are made after the end of the next growth period of the grapes, i.e., when the young shoots and leaves have matured. IN summer period no more than two transshipments are made.

Transshipment is carried out as follows: when growth has stopped, the bush is watered (but not abundantly) with water, the pot is tapped on all sides and, covering the top with your hand, is turned over; if the earthen lump does not separate, take a stick and, pressing it through drainage hole, push him out of the pot.

Using a blunt object, remove 2-3 cm of the top layer of soil and the drainage layer. Inspect the root system and remove all rotten and dead roots; they differ from living ones by being darker in color or even dark brown.

Drainage is arranged in the new container, then 1-2 cm of sand is poured. The nutritious soil is poured in such a layer that the top edge of the lump of the bush being rolled over, placed in the pot, is 4-6 cm lower than the top of the pot. After this, soil is added and compacted between the walls of the pot and on top by 2-3 cm. Compaction of the soil, in order to avoid damage to the roots, is done with your fingers or a blunt object. After transshipment, abundant watering and spraying of the bush with warm water is carried out.

For the first 7-10 days after transshipment, the bush is removed to a shaded place.

The transplantation technique is the same as transshipment, only when transplanting, up to 1/3 of the soil is removed from the earthen clod, up to one-third of the roots and up to one-third of the crown are cut out.

Transplantation is carried out in early spring or autumn, while in the first year the plant is given rest, destroying it in its infancy. most fruits or even removing them altogether.

Dishes (tubs, pots) are disinfected during replanting.

Growing grapes from cuttings or from seeds is not at all difficult, the main thing is patience and attentiveness. The reward will be sweet and tasty berries.

References:

I.V. Ovsyannikov “Tub Amateur Fruit Growing”, 1951
EAT. Makarova, V.N. Nerytov “Murom grapes”, 1983