Virgin grapes: is it worth planting it on the plot?
Brush grapes – Liana, a very ambiguous reputation. Some gardeners treat it with enthusiasm – others do not know how to get rid of it. This plant does not deliver any problems, and for someone in a hurry and even dies. Therefore, the question of whether to plant girly grapes on the construction site is not idle, as it may seem at first glance. Here it is necessary to think carefully and understand.
Maiden grape: to plant or not to plant?
Maiden vine grows quickly: good or bad?
The growth rate of this vine is enormous. If the proposed conditions are to the liking of the maiden grape, he will quickly braid his shoots all the existing supports and will seek new ones. Is this good or bad? As you can see.
- You need to decorate or camouflage the site as quickly as possible.
- You have a large area, and large arrays of plants look organic.
- You are impatient and want to get results as quickly as possible.
If all this is about you, feel free to plant maiden grapes: Perhaps in your case, such a decision will not bring any problems. But if you have a small plot and a small country house, it is better to hurry up, grab everywhere and think – most likely, quickly and heavily sprawling liana will constantly pester and climb where it was not expected at all.
Maiden grape is easy to root: good or bad?
To propagate this plant is easy: the shoots themselves fall on the wet floor – they only need to be dug up and transplanted layer. Maiden grape can be cuttings and grown from seeds, and under favorable conditions, root shoots also appear. Is it a good thing?
Maidenhead grapes are easy to propagate and can become a real weed.
If you want to quickly get a large number of seedlings, then, of course, such features of the system can only make you happy. But be very careful! If you let the situation get out of control, the maiden grape can quickly turn into an annoying weed-weed, not a hop. And getting rid of it won’t be any easier.
Maiden grape in garden design: advantages and disadvantages
If you decide that you want a maiden grape, it is important to choose a good place for it in the garden. Mistakes can cost a lot, because getting rid of the sprawling vine is almost an impossible task. Where are most often planted this plant?
Maiden vines can easily damage an unsightly fence
Maiden vines for a pergola
Want to relax under a green tent? All you need for this – a strong support, seedlings and a little patience. Under such a “roof” the shade is preserved even in the sultry July 12 hours of the day, and the thick, dense leaves can protect not only from the scorching sun, but also from light drizzle.
A tent of maiden grape leaves becomes very dense, and there will always be shade underneath it.
The main thing not to forget: the weight of adult vines will not be small, so the support should be made at once strong and reliable. To make the structure look neat, you need to take care of regular pruning of fast-growing shoots. And remember: When you want to transfer or completely remove such an arbor, it will not be easy to do so.
Maiden vines for garden arches
Yes, perhaps arches spanned by flowering clematis or climbing roses would look more elegant. But a bow braided with girly bouquets, by contrast, requires no care at all. Its outfit gets more gorgeous every year, and all you have to do is give the liana a light haircut from time to time to keep it in shape.
Bows intertwined with girly grapes look stunning and do not require complicated care
The disadvantages of this idea are the same as the arbor. Also, special attention should be paid to the strength of the supports: it is still better not to bet on the lightweight cheap metal arches (although at first they do a good job).
See how such an idea is implemented in the garden of our reader: A gorgeous green arch in a couple of seasons.
Find reliable and durable plant supports in our catalog, which presents products from major garden online stores. Choose a garden arch.
Maiden vines for fences and screens
Fast growth and dense foliage are always very rewarding at first glance. In the first summer, the maiden vine easily turns a boring chain-link fence into a beautiful green wall, hides any unsightly fence and helps to zone the garden space.
It looks very effective. But think three more times before using this idea.
What was great the first year may be a problem in the second and subsequent years. If there are trees next to the fence, you will have to spend a lot of effort to keep the vines from braiding them as well. They will usually have to be trimmed regularly, otherwise one day you simply will not find a gate in these thickets. By the way, not the fact that the neighbors will be happy about such a decoration, because very soon your maiden bunches will get to them.
Maiden vines for wall decoration
Houses trimmed with grapes in the photos look great. Especially in the fall, when the leaves of the maiden grape turn crimson and purple, such “living” walls make a strong impression. Beautiful, no doubt about it.
Houses trimmed with maiden vines look great in photos, especially in the fall
But before you run to get seedlings, think about the disadvantages of this idea. Thick greenery prevents air from getting to the walls. Maybe (especially if you have a quality brick mansion), it won’t hurt the facade. And perhaps (for example, on wooden walls) from moisture will begin to appear fungus… Is it worth checking it out?
Are you ready to regularly trim the vines that adorn the walls of your home?
By the way, if you do decide, do not plant near the house: it is definitely not good for either the walls or the foundation. And remember that in a few years you’ll have to regularly trim all this overgrown beauty to still see the light in the window and easily find the front door.
Share your opinion, your experience in the comments – perhaps your arguments are not enough for someone to make a choice.
Photos from pinterest.ru were used in preparing this publication
My husband is against maiden vines near the house, and I listened to him: removed it from the porch, it climbed both on the roof and under the roof, and last fall I planted it at the gate, soon to be an arch at the entrance to the garden.
Sophia, so I wouldn’t plant near the house, although I really like her maiden grape. At the old Dacha it stomped along with the Lemongrass: Lemongrass on one side, maiden grape on the other. A very beautiful combination of colors was maintained in the fall. But after a few years, the difficulties began: when I planted these vines, I still knew little about them and did not cause the rapid growth of both. And the maiden vine even climbed a tree nearby and began to compete with the lemongrass. And think ten times.
It was put in front of me… Now I’m struggling with the consequences. I do not part with the secretary, because it is not clear where this Lelik will grow next time. He, the devil, can emerge within 2 meters of the main complex. After answering honestly, the nickname “Michurin” remained unchanged for me: “What am I doing? I’m shooting grapes out of a thuja!”. I wish I could look into the eyes of the story teller who decided, instead of putting up a normal fence, to pull out the trash and cover it up with grapes. It rises to the level of 2 stories and tends toward the fiber. Want vertical landscaping? Think 300 times, this fellow will make you paranoid.
We had a wooden house and the entire corner was braided with grapes, nothing has rotted or grown around the property for years.
Great!!! This plant has shown them only positive aspects, and this truth depends remarkably on the climate, soil and other conditions on the site. For example, I do not have hops growing in any way, although many gardeners consider it a terrible weed, which can grow anywhere there are girly grapes. Get rid of it. And those who still plan to plant it on their plot, of course, it is useful to know the opinion of both.
Here is my story with the maiden grape. I pulled it from everywhere, it did not take root, only in the third year there were sprouts. Now I constantly cut it, until this activity has become a problem for me. It reliably covers the street dust.
Svetlana, in my opinion, very successful) and in the fall, the beauty must be fabulous! But to cut – yes, you have to constantly, otherwise it will very quickly spread to the trees that grow nearby. But to be fair, I must say that such behavior is peculiar not only to the maiden grape. For example, I have a “hooligan” Lemonberry: he clings to everything that can be achieved, which I have already “sacrificed” – he decided so thoroughly that there was no way to remove. So I think it’s worth exploring the possible “complications” and keeping them to a minimum.
So far I see only the maiden grape: it grows well as a pioneer, it is a green mass for mulching and clogging weeds. Important: Don’t damage suction walls, buildings, structures?)
We are friends with the maiden grape. It grows in several places. On the permolgite in the house. It’s about 20 years old. The pergola separates the parking lot. In the spring, I trim the dangling shoots and old sides. Goes up into the house to the second floor. Hasn’t destroyed anything. It doesn’t tighten up. In the fall, it pulls out of the house, a sort of beard that dangles in the wind. I cut it off. The string holds the mosquito net from the window to the antennas. Ripping it out isn’t a problem. Once in a while they are constantly rejuvenated – they cut out the thick old shoots. On the legs of the vine, hostas grow next to purple, woody hydrangea, clematis Kustova. Several times during the season I have devised a secretary to cut off the extra shoots. If the shoots fall to the ground and root, I pull them off lightly – as has been written here, they just need to be pulled and plucked. If not shoots, there are no special difficulties. Behind the jar, on the back side. Even a very long time ago. It’s all the same – pruning in spring and a few times during the season for adjustments. In all the time I cut once – thick old cilia to rejuvenate them. Still planted along the fence along the trellis. For its root to be a nuisance to anyone, it is not noticed. I don’t think it’s hard to molest, but it’s certainly not worth running. On the grill side of the parking lot.
Back side.
Pavileb’s bench, planted behind it (September)
This is in August.
Larissa, thank you so much for describing 20 years of experience with wild grapes. This. It doesn’t hurt, easily removed in time, then combined in new places (“that was to be proved”)
By the way, I forgot to write – never “shot” somewhere, when “shot” understand that it is far from the root under the floor. I can only assume that the shoot fell to the ground, took root (and it took root in each internode) and began to grow and spread across the floor. And it was noticed too late. Yes, and for it to grow well, you have to keep it out of sight for a long time.
My former neighbors were only able to stop the maiden grape. He was running a clandestine shoot through the location. At first it was even entertaining, but when it was discovered that it had made its way into the attic between the house wall and the siding, they decided to remove them after all. At my current neighbor’s, it took up a corner of the location in partial shade, reached the track with a half-meter base, and stopped. Nothing else grows there.
Eleanor, I don’t even know what to say. Of course I believe you. I pray nearby, too, but there are no such manifestations (TTT))))) Maybe our climate will stop? Here’s Mackley growing close by – she shoots underground all the time. I’m thinking about the limit.
When decorating walls, it’s a little dangerous. We once planted it in the house and in the garage, in general we had to remove it from the house. What didn’t fit – it manages to find at least some crevice and crawl through it, and you can’t close your eyes, because its tails are about five meters long already branching out into the rooms in the house. And left him in the garage on the street side, from where he regularly jumps into the attic))In another place at a neighbor’s grows and closes the chain link, well, like we broke up with her. Real goats eat it. Generally inedible, even harmful to moderately poisonous, but they seem to want to pick everything. It doesn’t affect it in any way (there are plenty of other foods, i.e. it gets diluted), but year after year they don’t let these grapes cover the fence properly. It also stretches along the brick fence post where the surveillance camera sits, it encircles it on all sides, and this armored camera shell (ancient, very similar to subway cameras) sticks out from this cluster, like a Vietnam War-era plant sniper, they did not block the camera view. And so – as I understand it, it is quite hardy and unpretentious, but likes fertilized soil, then it is fat and grows quickly. The first few years it grows slowly, grows a root system, and then – then starts to grow very actively in all directions.
And I had an experience with such a “grape”, once it grew by the well and at first I really liked it, then I had to cut it and pull it out, because. I climbed where it should not, and the roof (house) at the well very quickly lost its appearance, the boards were fragile, the paint has peeled off, gray color is left, in general, for the arch – fine, but it did not suit me.
We have maiden vines around our terrace and house for about twenty years! It’s beautiful, of course, but it needs constant attention, pruning… It appears in the house in unexpected corners, breaks the old boards on the porch, climbs on the electrical wires, throws over the tree near the house, destroys it, the tree had to be removed. Yes, autumn is very beautiful! But in winter a lot of leaves fall off, they have to be removed… Beautiful, but aggressive! So you need to calculate your skills in caring for such a plant!
Growing virgin grapes
Frost-resistant, attractive in appearance, parthenocissus will decorate any garden and add a highlight to the landscape design. It is represented by several species.
Growing virgin grapes
General properties
Parthenocissus is a wild grape found in the Himalayas, the United States and Asia. It gets its name from the Greek words, whose translation means: “ivy” and “virgin.” It is a self-pollinating species.
Parthenocissus grows in a dense, soft cover, climbing on supports. It is a mighty liana. Individual branches reach a length of 18 m. The average length is 10 m. The branches are woody and densely structured. The liana is easy to climb to any height on vertical supports.
Without forming pruning, the liana grows vertically and horizontally. The shoots are rooted. The bush is densely covered with foliage. Each variety has its own unique shape and structure of the leaf plate. The color changes depending on the season:
- Emerald in spring and summer;
- In the fall, purple.
Blooms from June to August. Flowers are difficult to discern against the background of light green foliage. In fall, dark purple small berries appear and the leaves turn red.
Parthenocissus is used in landscaping and is not edible. Grows in any type of soil and responds well to nitrogen fertilizer.
varieties
There are several species of maiden grape: five-leaf (variegated), three-leaf, attached, ivy or trifoliate, and variegated.
In total, there are about 20 species, but in the regions of our country only varieties of maiden grape: Virginsky and Troichatny. Virginsky was used 4-5 centuries ago. The bonus of the plant is a high growth rate. In as little as a year, you will be enjoying the shade in a pergola braided with grapes.
Pyatylisthenes has a structure that differs from other species. The leaf is divided into 5 parts. In mid-summer, it throws white beautiful flowers. The plant is poisonous, so it should not be eaten. The natural spread of seeds is due to the eating of the fruit by birds and stratification of the roots.
Trefoil began to breed in China. There are houses there completely covered with vines. It is used in the southern regions of the country. The leaves have three branches.
Ivy, grown in the cottage or at home, is represented by the following varieties: Engelmann’s grape and Koktebel. Plants are distinguished by the small length of the vine up to 4 m, the leaves have a palmate-complex structure.
Frost-resistant varieties
Some varieties of Virginia grapes are resistant to winter:
- Star;
- Yellow Wall;
- Mururum;
- Serenade.
Shovers, Veitchie, Yellow Blossom, and Trocchi are poor winter-tolerant.
planting
Members of the genus Parthenocissus are among the aggressive species. They grow quickly and can destroy any other plant growing near them. Take this fact into account when determining where to plant. The liana grows quickly, moving along the fence to neighboring areas.
Parthenocissus is a plant that takes root faster in southeastern areas. Under the bright sun, the Virginia grape liana develops large, succulent leaves. Parthenocissus is not picky about soil composition.
The liana will beautify the garden
Planting and care of the maiden grape:
- Dig the plot to a depth of 20 cm;
- Remove weeds and roots;
- Add 10 kg of compost, sand and 300 g of superphosphate per 1 m²;
- Plant the seedlings in 50×50 holes.
Place a layer of crushed stone in the bottom of the hole. Equip the planting site with a trellis. Plant the hedge at a distance of 1 m between the plants. With horizontal weaving, the interval is reduced to 0.6 m. When planting maiden vines, seasonality is not decisive. Seedlings are rooted at the same rate in spring and autumn.
Cultivation of maiden vines requires intensive year-round care in the early stages of growth until the plants develop a powerful root system.
The main measures for the care of the maiden grape:
- application of fertilizers;
- pruning;
- irrigation;
- weeding
- hilling;
- gartering.
As soon as the ground thaws, apply NPK 50 g/m2. loosen the soil. After the first leaves unfurl, apply Kemira Wagen fertilizer. Prepare a solution according to the manufacturer’s instructions. In winter, cut out damaged shoots that do not grow well.
In summer, during the rainy season, do not water. In case of drought – once every 7 days. Loosen up after regularly moistening the soil. Remove weeds. Attach twigs to an arbor or other support and point them in the desired direction. Ruthlessly remove excess vines.
Mowing is done several times during the summer to prevent bare roots. In the fall, trim off dry, broken branches. Gather leaves and save them for compost. Fertilize the soil with phosphate-potassium fertilizer. Mulch the soil with straw. Cover for the winter with rags (the procedure is carried out only for young seedlings under 3 years old), so that they do not freeze.
Propagation
Ivy is propagated by cuttings, seeds, or foliage. All methods are equally effective. If you propagate the crop by cuttings, you can fully preserve all parental qualities. Cuttings can be cut yourself or go to a nursery, which sells seasoned varieties. Choose a shoot to make cuttings with a diameter of 5 mm.
The length of the stock is 15 cm. On each chub leave 4-5 buds. Cuttings should be rooted in a container with water or in a pot with soil. Rooting is carried out in the spring. The cuttings during the active vegetation period form roots faster. When digging up the cuttings, make sure that 2 buds are under water (in the ground).
Plant the cuttings when the roots appear. After transplanting in the open ground, monitor the level of moisture. Cuttings planted in a pot and transplanted into the open ground after one year are better hardy. Vaccination of chubuka is not required.
Propagation by seeds
In the climatic conditions of our country ripen the seeds of the virgin grape. Planting material will not be released if harvested more than 12 months ago. Planting seeds involves mandatory stratification. It is carried out in home conditions with their own hands.
The plant needs support
Stratification – seed preparation, which allows you to temper the plants. Dip the seeds in cold water, and then in a container with soil. Leave the pots in a cold place for 2-3 days. After this time, the seeds can be sown into the pot. The optimal planting depth is 1-2 cm.
The seeds in the container will germinate in a month. Red grapes grow quickly and look spectacular, clears the atmosphere in the house and improves the microclimate of the room. You can grow seedlings indoors, leaving a few sprigs in a pot to decorate the interior. The main thing is to stop the point of growth. By installing special supports, you can grow your own living corner in the house.
spread in layers
The easiest method is to spread the vine. The adult vines are not only weaved vertically, but also horizontally. The vines grow sideways, spreading their branches and she tramples them. During spring sheltering, leave a few three-year-old shoots on the ground and saw them through.
Cover the scattered branches with fertile soil on top. The next spring, after a complete outflow of roots, you can cut the stratum from the parent specimen and transplant it to the right place.
diseases and pests
Maiden grape is resistant to insect parasites and diseases. Occasionally, aphids appear. The pests quickly leave the site if you treat the plants with a soap solution. Other pests do not eat the plants.
A characteristic disease is white dew. Leaves are covered with a white plaque, curl up, and wither. Eliminate the disease with fungicidal preparations.
Landscaping applications
The benefits that the maiden grape brings:
- Therapeutic properties – the ability to cleanse the air of toxins and create a good microclimate for healing.
- soundproofing the walls of the pergola at home;
- protection from the sun;
- It saves it from the processes of rot and fungus infestation, simplifies the construction of the cottage.
Maiden vines will become a decoration of the building, archway, balcony of the house or in the apartment. Liana lives more than 20 years. Unpretentious in care and well tolerates frost. Winters successfully even in the coldest regions of our country. The climbing plant will serve as a wall heater in autumn and winter if planted around buildings.
It is customary to plant thuas, firs, spruces and junipers in his area. Clematis together with maiden vines give an incredible combination. In late summer, red grapes next to white clematis flowers look spectacular and romantic. With two plants, you can make your plot a paradise.
Having planted the plant on the plot, you should remember about its high aggressiveness in relation to other plants. Maiden grape can tighten the whole room, which is occupied by cultivated, fruit plants and damage them. You can only get rid of it with chemicals.
