How to create a grape wall with your own hands

Briefly about girlish grapes

Maiden grapes are represented by deciduous or evergreen lianas from the Grape family, thanks to which a real grape wall can appear on the garden plot. This plant is native to North America and Asia.

The ability to climb rocks, walls of houses and tree trunks is provided by branched tendrils with suction cups at the end. Thanks to this, girlish grapes are successfully used for vertical gardening of garden plots.

Both the inflorescences and the inedible fruits of the girl's grapes are rather small and inconspicuous.

Types of maiden grapes

5 species of this plant are cultivated, two of them successfully take root in most of the Russian territory. This is a maiden five-leaf grape,

Also known as "American wild grapes“, And the maiden grapes are tri-pointed. Domestic gardeners may give preference to one of these types, depending on the climatic conditions of the region. Both species are drought tolerant and unaffected by diseases or pests. However, unlike the “wild American grapes,” the maiden triangular grape does not tolerate frosts and cold winds and can only withstand a short-term drop in temperature to -20 degrees. Its more shade-tolerant and frost-resistant brother takes root even in a gas-polluted and dusty urban environment, and is used for landscaping industrial facilities. In favorable conditions, the growth of this vine is 3-4 meters per year.

The five-leafed maiden grape grows not only in height, but also widely spreads on horizontal surfaces, turning into a ground cover plant.

Its leaves are framed along the edge with denticles, in autumn they acquire a purple hue. The flowering period is the second half of June, the fruits appear in early autumn.

The maiden triangular grape generally rises to a height of 25 m. The foliage forms a green cover interspersed with pink shoots.

Flowering begins in mid-June, fruiting in October.

The grape wall and methods of growing maiden grapes

Maiden grapes are propagated by seeds, cuttings, layering. For "wild American grapes" all three methods are suitable, while maiden triple grapes are best propagated with seeds.

Grape wall. Instructions for growing different types of maiden grapes

Seed propagation requires preliminary soaking in cold water for 1-5 hours, and then cold stratification for several days.

The seeds are planted to a depth of 1 cm, the optimal distance between them is 1 m.

When grafting, a branch of a girl's grape is cut into cuttings with 4-5 green buds on each. Then the cuttings are planted in moist soil so that 2 buds remain above the ground. Bright sun is contraindicated for such seedlings, therefore, before the first shoots appear, they must be covered at noon, or shaded.

When propagating by layering, a lash with buds is planted into the ground to a depth of 5 cm, its top rises 10 cm above the surface, then the soil is abundantly moistened.

Caring for maiden grapes consists in timely watering (3-4 times during the dry season), loosening and removing overgrown shoots, fixing the plant in the right direction. In the spring, dry shoots are removed and nitrogen fertilizers are applied.

When to plant maiden grapes

Planting maiden grapes in open ground is carried out at the very end of summer or in spring.

Where to plant maiden grapes

Any cultivated soil will do. Before planting, it is recommended to dig up the area and drain with sand. Compost can be used as fertilizer.

For maiden triangular grapes, a site protected from the wind is suitable.