Vitis amurensis
| Vitis amurensis | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 4 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 49' |
| Speed: | Moderate |
| Blooms: | Late Spring-Mid Summer |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Vitis amurensis (common name: amur river grape)
Propagation: Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe[K]. Six weeks cold stratification improves the germination rate, and so stored seed is best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is obtained. Germination should take place in the first spring, but sometimes takes another 12 months. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter. Plant out in early summer.
Cuttings of mature wood of the current seasons growth, December/January in a frame. These cuttings can be of wood 15 - 30cm long or they can be of short sections of the stem about 5cm long with just one bud at the top of the section. In this case a thin, narrow strip of the bark about 3cm long is removed from the bottom half of the side of the stem. This will encourage callusing and the formation of roots. Due to the size of these cuttings they need to be kept in a more protected environment than the longer cuttings.
Layering.
Cultivation: Prefers a deep rich moist well-drained moderately fertile loam[1][2]. Grows best in a calcareous soil[2]. Succeeds in sun or partial shade though a warm sunny position is required for the fruit to ripen[2].
Very hardy, tolerating temperatures down to about -40°c, this species is a potential source of hardiness in a breeding programme with the common grape, Vitis vinifera[3].
Plants climb by means of tendrils[4].
Any pruning should be carried out in winter when the plants are dormant otherwise they bleed profusely[4].
Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[2].
Range: E. Asia - C. and N. Korea.
Habitat: Rich damp woodland soils[2].
Edibility: Fruit - raw, cooked or dried for winter use[3]. It can also be made into drinks[5]. The fruit is much esteemed[6]. Small and somewhat harsh in flavour[6], it is succulent but usually bitter[2]. The fruit is about 16mm long and 10mm wide[2].
Young leaves - cooked[7]. Used as a boiled vegetable[3]. The leaves can also be wrapped around other foods and then baked, they impart a pleasant flavour.
Young tendrils - raw or cooked.
Medicinal: The root is tonic[8].
Usage: A yellow dye is obtained from the fresh or dried leaves[9].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Early Fall-Mid Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Thomas, Graham. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray, 1992.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Wilson, E and M Trollope. Korean Flora. Royal Asiatic Society, 1918.
- ↑ Read, Bernard. Famine Foods Listed in the Chiu Huang Pen Ts'ao. Taipei Southern Materials Centre, 1977.
- ↑ Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.
- ↑ Grae, Ida. Nature's Colors. MacMillan Publishing, 1974.