Grape Cultivation
Grapes are among the types of plants sensitive to temperature and require low temperatures during winter. Grapevines produce fruits with smooth skin that grow in clusters containing 6 to 300 berries. Grapes come in various colors depending on the variety, including black, blue, golden, purple, and white. Historical evidence, such as drawings and inscriptions found in Greece and Syria dating back to 2440 BC, suggests that humans have consumed grapes and grape leaves since ancient times.
Methods of Grape Cultivation
Before planting grapes, consider the following:
- Grape seedlings should be grafted onto rootstocks resistant to nematodes, as nematodes can transmit diseases and viruses. Alternatively, use rootstocks that tolerate high soil lime content, salinity, and drought.
- Successful grafting depends on the fusion of the scion tissue with the rootstock tissue.
Grafting Methods
- Bench Grafting:
- Performed in winter by using a scion containing one bud, which is then grafted onto the rootstock with all its buds removed.
- The rootstock is about 30 cm in length.
- The grafted plant is stored in a warm place, ensuring the parts to be grafted are not dry by soaking them in water for several hours before grafting.
- Whip Grafting:
- Make a sloping cut on both the scion and the rootstock, creating a surface 2–3 times the diameter of the scion.
- Cut a tongue in the middle of the sloping cut and insert the scion into the rootstock.
- Tie them together, and once the graft is successful, the tie is removed.
- Bench Grafting for Seedlings:
- Shorten the roots to approximately 2–3 cm and prune the branches of the seedling to a length of 25–30 cm.
- Graft the seedling and then plant it in its permanent location. Weak seedlings can be replanted in the nursery after grafting.
Propagation by Cuttings
During pruning, cuttings are taken from grapevines with excellent traits. This process should be done on the same day as pruning or, at most, the next day.
- The cuttings are typically 25–30 cm long and planted in the nursery or 50–60 cm long for direct planting in their permanent location.
- The nursery soil is fertilized and plowed twice perpendicularly.
Planting in Different Soil Types:
- Clay Soil:
- The soil is divided into 13 ridges, spaced 130 cm apart.
- The soil is watered, and the cuttings are planted, leaving one bud above the soil surface and one at soil level.
- Water the soil immediately to prevent air pockets, planting each cutting 15 cm apart.
- Sandy Soil with Drip Irrigation:
- Lay out drip irrigation lines 150 cm apart.
- Plant the cuttings 15 cm apart.
- Fertilize the soil with potassium and nitrogen-based fertilizers two months after planting.
