Although its scientific name is Vitis Viniera , there is no one who does not know this popular fruit tree such as vine or grapevine. There is no garden with more charm than one in which a beautiful vine, with its fruits, serves to provide shelter and shade for a table with wrought-iron chairs to protect itself from the overwhelming summer heat. However, although many people would like to have one of these Vitis Vinifera or Vidueño, the truth is that there is some ignorance regarding its care and maintenance.
This peculiar climbing plant with a twisted trunk, thick bark, shoots and leaves known as branches, produces greenish flowers from which, with time and the necessary care, the delicious grapes that we like so much will grow. But getting this fruit is not something easy, and it takes dedication and perseverance to keep that vine healthy and beautiful that serves both to provide us with food from our own garden and to give a magical and charming touch to our gardens. We give you the best advice for growing and maintaining the vine . Take note!
How to grow and maintain a vine
To begin with, this plant is typically cultivated in temperate and Mediterranean climates, and it needs to be at temperatures between 15 and 25ºC (not less than 0ºC at night); however, it can temporarily exceed temperatures as low as 15 degrees below zero. It is not so tolerant of winds and frost, which can seriously affect its leaves and fruits.
Regarding the terrain, it is best to start your planting in places with light and well-drained soils and avoid the most clayey ones, which, although they would make the development more vigorous, would produce lower quality fruits.
You can plant the vine through seeds or cuttings (stem of the replanted specimen), the second system being especially fast and effective. Over time you will get a plant that can reach 30 meters in height, but since you may not want this to happen, it is best to maintain regular pruning to control the height and also the agglomeration of too many branches, which could spoil the surface on which the plant is supported.
Thus, among the most fundamental cares for this precious deciduous tree is, of course, one that is already perceptible at first glance: the pruning of the vine . This should be done once a year during the vegetative rest months of the plant between December and January to control those areas that develop above what is desired (the ideal size ranges from 120 to 180 cm in height).
The idea is to prune the branches that protrude from the main one, those that intersect and empty the areas with too much abundance in order to prepare the vine for growth.
It will be around the month of March when you should do a second pruning, this time to remove some branches to give growth strength to the others. Of course, inform yourself as much as possible and ask for advice from specialists in gardening and agriculture stores.
Finally, you should be very aware that it is not infected by diseases that usually affect it such as mildew, powdery mildew or phylloxera, so it is absolutely necessary that you also get some antiplagas and antifungal treatments .
The best time of year to collect the grapes is autumn, when it should have already matured; you will see that it is ready when its leaves take a reddish tone.
