Description and characteristics of the elegant grape variety, history and subtleties of cultivation
People began to cultivate grapes several thousand years ago. The fruits of the noble plant were not only eaten, but also used to treat diseases, heal wounds. Millions of hectares of land are occupied by vineyards. And if recently the culture was planted in Armenia and Georgia, Italy and Greece, Turkmenistan and Moldova, now the planting of plants has moved to the middle lane. Elegant grapes can withstand frosts, are not afraid of drought, and do not need an additional pollinator. The berries ripen early.
Who and how the variety was bred
For a thermophilic culture to take root in a temperate climate, breeders had to work hard. By crossing Delight with the Moldavian variety Frumoase Alba, the specialists of the N.I. Ya. Potapenko bred a hybrid adapted to growing in mid-latitudes. The Elegant grape takes root and bears fruit even among novice gardeners, provided that the place is chosen correctly and with appropriate care. From Delight, he got immunity from diseases, from the Moldovan variety, the taste of nutmeg was borrowed.
Description of the hybrid Elegant
White table grapes bred in Russia are not used for wine production, but are valued for their high yield and early ripening. The hybrid can withstand frosts up to 25 ° C, it is not necessary to cover it for the winter.
About bush and leaves
The vine is notable for its weak growth, but it is resistant to diseases. It has thin fruiting shoots. The weight of one cylindrical cluster of medium density reaches 600 grams. The leaves of the grapes are not very large, have an emerald color, the upper part is shiny, the edge is absent inside.
About berries
In terms of quality characteristics, the hybrid bred in Russia bypassed many well-known table varieties of culture and got into the top ten. The berries are different:
- oval shape;
- amber shade;
- sweet and sour taste.
The crispy flesh smells like nutmeg. After budding, fruits ripen after 110 days. The mass of ripe berries is about 7 grams.
Grapes are well transported, do not spoil for a long time, accumulates a lot of sugar.
Pollination
In spring, female flowers appear on a thin vine, attracting bees. An ovary forms in their place, up to 95% of the shoots bear fruit. The hybrid does not need an additional pollinator, pleases with a stable harvest, is not afraid of drought, and the heat is not terrible for the plant.
When a young vine begins to bear fruit
When growing crops on irrigated lands for industrial purposes, berries are harvested after 4 years. Gardeners believe that by this time the grapes have time to grow powerful roots and strong shoots.
If you buy a good seedling, find a place for it, protected from drafts and winds, the vine blooms in spring, and the very early Elegant begins to bear fruit in the second or third year.
Specifications
The shoots of the hybrid give a growth of about 3 meters every year. Productivity, and up to 20 kg of berries are harvested from one vine, increases when using rootstock from Moldova. Elegant has adopted important characteristics from his closest relatives.
Cold resistance
The grapes are adapted to the climate of middle latitudes, they endure temperature jumps, weather changes. Even without shelter, it does not die when the mark on the thermometer drops to -25 FROM.
Resistance to infection and pests
During the growing season, the leaves of the vine are often attacked by spider mites, drinking juice from them. To protect the plant from insect infestation, insecticide treatment helps. The bushes are sprayed before flowering during the formation of the ovary.
Elegant rarely suffers from fungal diseases, practically not affected:
- mildew;
- alternaria;
- gray rot.
The hybrid is less resistant to powdery mildew. The parasites attach themselves to the ground part of the vine by suckers. Leaves and bunches become covered with a gray bloom, shoot tissues turn black and die off. Spraying with chemical fungicides "Ridomil", "Horus", "Topaz" helps to prevent the development of the disease.
Planting and caring for seedlings
In order for Elegant to please with a harvest, a young bush should be purchased only in a specialized nursery, and not on the market. When buying, you must immediately assess the condition of the roots and buds.
Landing season and rules
The less sick, the vine that was grown in the container takes root better. The first berries in this case will appear next summer. Grapes are planted both in autumn and spring, but in mid-latitudes it is better to do this in April. For a heat-loving culture, a place must be selected from the south side next to a brick or stone building, shading from drafts and northern winds.
The hybrid does not take root on heavy soils, where groundwater approaches the surface of the earth. You can plant Elegant in the lowlands if you make a high bed of sand, humus, soil and peat.
Agrotechnology of young grapes
A hole for the vine is dug a meter deep and the same width. It is not necessary to prepare it in advance. When landing:
- Crushed stone is laid on the bottom with a layer of 15 cm, which is lightly tamped.
- Stepping back slightly from the edge of the trench, install the pipe so that it rises above the surface.
- Smooth out the roots covered with a clay mash.
- Pour earth mixed with compost, ash, add 200 g of superphosphate.
- The soil is compacted and watered.
A distance of 1.5 meters is left between grape seedlings.
To protect the young vine from frost and sunburn, it is covered with a black film, in which holes are cut.
Irrigation regularity
If the weather is cool outside, the plant does not need additional moisture. In a dry and hot summer, grapes are watered every day at the root, making sure that no water gets on the leaves, otherwise they curl, stains form.
Fertilizer
The grapes pleases with fruits even without dressing, but to obtain a high yield in the fall, you need to add potash salt, and in the spring use ammonium nitrate. During the formation of the ovary, the grapes are fertilized with chicken droppings, once a year - with ash.
How to form a vine
To increase the yield, improve the taste of the fruit, and facilitate the care of the plant, a year or 2 after planting, they resort to modeling the grape bush. In the middle latitudes, the stem formation of the vine is more suitable:
- In the fall, the process is shortened, leaving 2 or 3 eyes above the graft.
- The next year, 2 shoots grow from the buds.
- Young shoots are cut off, bunches form on the long one, eyes again appear on the short one.
When berries appear on the grape bush, the length of the arrows changes. This helps to reduce the load on the plant, to increase the bunches.
Garter to the posts
Experienced gardeners are advised to leave on young grapes from 6 to 10 eyes, and cut off the shoots along with the shoots in the fall. In the spring, the fruiting vine is tied horizontally to the bottom row of stakes. In the third year, new shoots appear, on which an ovary is formed.
Wintering
When crossed, the Elegant has inherited the best properties from the grape varieties involved in its breeding. The buds do not die in twenty-degree frosts, but in the fall it is better to remove the vine from the support, tie it and cover it with needles. Some gardeners roll up the shoots in a wooden box, cover them with sawdust or dry leaves.
Grape cultivation
Elegant can be grown on the rootstock of almost all crop varieties, as well as propagated on your own bushes. The cuttings of the hybrid rooted poorly, but many summer residents get it to breed grapes using them:
- Shoots are cut with eyes - two or three.
- Put in a jar of water, covering the bottom by 2 cm.
- Cover the top with a polyethylene bag.
- The capacity leaves in a dim, diffused light.
After about a month, roots appear. When they grow up to 3 cm, the cutting is transplanted into the ground.
For grafting, shoots are harvested in the fall, stored in a cellar.
Berry ripening period
After the appearance of buds, the fruits ripen earlier than after 3 and a half months; in the middle lane - at the beginning of August, to the south - at the end of July.
The grapes acquire a rich yellowish hue. On bushes, it does not deteriorate for about 30 days.
Collection and application of fruits
Elegant is harvested when the berries turn golden, are well removed from the branch, the peel begins to shine through, the seeds are separated from the pulp. Fruit picking is done on a sunny and dry day. Bunches of grapes are cut with pruning shears, holding by the stalk.
Berries of early varieties are consumed fresh, they are made into juice, desserts, compotes. Such grapes are not suitable for storage for the winter.
