The grape itself is a fairly flexible and hardy plant. Its cuttings take root without difficulty. Evidence of this is various kinds of articles about many ways of rooting grapevines. And if failures occur in this matter, then most often this is the result of erroneous actions committed due to a lack of knowledge in a particular issue.
Buying plants from a dubious seller
This is not so rare - it is not clear who purchased the seedlings from (and it is not clear why). To purchase high-quality planting material, it is best to contact specialists:
- Experienced winegrowers with a good reputation.
- Fruit and berry nurseries.
- Institutions of viticulture and winemaking.
The risk of purchasing low-quality plants in these places is practically eliminated.
Error in soil selection
This is also a fairly common mistake among novice winegrowers. To avoid problems when growing small amounts of planting material, experts advise planting plants in purchased soil. Its name is “Universal”. But it is not recommended to purchase a very cheap one, since it contains nothing except peat. It is necessary to buy a soil that, along with lowland peat, contains the following components:
- humus (up to 50%);
- a set of essential microelements;
- agroperlite;
- river sand.
This soil composition ensures proper drainage, the required pH level and an acceptable amount of nutrients. All this will allow you to avoid feeding young plants until they are transplanted to the land.
If there are a lot of seedlings, you can prepare the soil mixture yourself. Its composition is approximately this:
- garden or forest soil;
- coarse river sand;
- humus-spray.
In order to get rid of nematode larvae in the soil mixture, it is advisable to steam it. To do this, you can use a regular metal trough.
Excess moisture in the soil
Occurs due to unreasonably frequent watering of seedlings. A novice winegrower often thinks that if a plant grows slowly, this is due to lack of moisture. But the reality is just the opposite: excess water cuts off the supply of oxygen to the roots, as a result of which they begin to sour.
In addition, it is recommended to water not by the traditional method - from above under the root system, but from below, adding water to the container tray. With this watering, the soil will absorb as much moisture as necessary. Well, the remaining water will need to be removed from the pan.
Misuse of various stimulants
In viticulture (as in other branches of horticulture) there are various stimulants: growth, rooting, etc. But, as in the case described above, their excessive, thoughtless use may not help, but, on the contrary, harm young shoots.
If a winegrower thinks that when using any stimulants the principle “you can’t spoil the porridge with oil” applies, then he is deeply mistaken. Moreover, properly stored and high-quality seedlings take root well even without the use of additional measures.
Lack of light
Another shortcoming that occurs among new winegrowers. There is a rule - the earlier the plants are planted, the more lighting they need. For normal growth, young seedlings need full lighting for at least 12 hours. And if there is the possibility of 14-16 hours of lighting, then this will be even better, since it will, to some extent, make up the difference between artificial lighting and sunlight.
Of course, it is better to have the relevant knowledge before the mistake occurs. But not everything can be foreseen in advance. And some incidents can be corrected if you take timely measures to eliminate the shortcomings. Well, there will always be subsequent grape seasons in which plants can be replanted, taking into account the experience gained.
