Description of Solaris fruit grapes and its characteristics, pros and cons
Grapes are a perennial plant. The fruits are good fresh and dried. Indispensable in winemaking. It grows in many regions. But finding a strain for cold climates is not easy. One of the best representatives of this culture for the northern regions is considered to be the grapes of the German Solaris selection. The variety is popular due to its unpretentiousness, frost resistance, early ripening, excellent taste.
Description of Solaris grapes
A hybrid variety developed in Germany by crossing Muscat Ottonel with Northern Saperavi. The result is an early ripening grape with amber berries. The high percentage of sugar content makes it possible to use it fresh. With high sugar accumulation and low acidity reduction, it is an excellent raw material for winemaking. White wines are of high quality, with a pleasant taste and aroma.
The bushes are vigorous, up to five meters in height. The bunches are medium, cylindrical, loose. The growing season is three and a half months.
Positive and negative properties of the variety
The positive properties of the variety include the following:
- High productivity.
- Early ripening.
- Disease and pest resistance.
- High frost resistance.
- It grows on any type of soil, except for swampy and saline soils.
- Application for medicinal purposes.
- Quality wine production.
Considered negative:
- Dense foliage that interferes with the ventilation of the bushes and the access of air to the berries.
- The sweet fruit attracts wasps and birds.
- Mandatory formation of a bush with minimal thickening.
- The need for a sufficient content of magnesium in the soil.
Characteristics of the fruit variety
Solaris wine grapes for technical purposes are popular among winegrowers. This is due to the high quality of the variety.
Increased frost resistance
Due to its increased frost resistance, the variety can grow in any region. Solaris is able to withstand a thirty-degree frost. With the help of grafting, the frost resistance of grapes is increased. In the fall, the plants are prepared for winter. In adult bushes with a stiff trunk, pruning of damaged, dried branches is carried out.
In young plants, after pruning, the vines are covered for the winter, laying them on the ground.
Disease resistance
The Solaris hybrid grape is resistant to many diseases. Under favorable conditions, infection with such dangerous diseases as downy mildew and powdery mildew can be avoided.It is necessary to thin out the vineyard. Raise branches daily for better ventilation and penetration of sunlight. These actions will help to avoid fungal diseases.
When precipitation falls during the growing season, the green parts of the plant are infected with downy mildew. The red spots that appear dry up, the crop may die if you do not take measures to save it. Powdery mildew appears on the front of the leaves as a bloom. If torrential rains begin after the heat, ripe berries burst, gray rot with a moldy smell appears on the cracks. In order to avoid contamination with gray mold, fruits and leaves must be provided with air and sun access. And we also need preventive treatment with special means.
To protect overripe berries from damage by noble rot, plants are treated with fungicides. When mites attack, the affected shoots are removed, the bushes are sprayed with acaricides.
The disease is easier to prevent than to cure. Therefore, prevention is of great importance in the fight against diseases and pests.
Landing
Grapes are a thermophilic plant that needs a lot of sunlight. It is necessary to select an area that is not shaded, at a sufficient distance from tall trees. Also, when planting, it is worth considering that the grapes do not tolerate cold winds. This variety is planted according to generally accepted rules.
Growing technology
Growing Solaris grapes does not need to spend a lot of time. You just need to adhere to a few simple rules.
Pruning a bush
Bush pruning is carried out in the third year after planting. The procedure is carried out in autumn, after natural leaf fall, or in early spring. Pruning is necessary to improve the quality and size of the berries. Since the bush is vigorous, it is recommended to trim the leaves to air the bunches.
Watering
Watering should be moderate. Excess water in the soil leads to cracking of the grapes. In the future, infection of the damaged berry with rot may occur. In a hot summer, under one bush, you need to pour one and a half buckets of water. Watering is done once every seven days, after the heat has subsided, twice a month.
Fertilizer
You can feed the shrub twice a season. The first feeding with organic fertilizer is done in the spring, during the period of bud swelling. Secondary fertilization occurs in the middle of summer, with potash fertilizers, for better ripening of berries.
Treatment for diseases
Solaris grapes are quite resistant to various diseases. It does not need preventive treatment. But improper care can lead to infection of grapes with gray rot. To prevent this from happening, timely pruning of the bush is carried out, for better ventilation of the bunches. It is important not to overmoisten the soil.
We fight pests
One of the dangerous pests is grape mite... Infection occurs at the time of bud break. The pest enters the grape bush with a strong gust of wind, with the help of large insects, birds. The leaves are deformed, acquire a brown hue, and are covered with a white spider web. These signs indicate a vineyard infection. To combat this pest, it is necessary to treat the plant with acaricides. Damaged parts are removed before processing.
Wasps and birds are no less dangerous for grapes; they are attracted by the sweet juice and pleasant aroma of berries. A mesh bag is put on each bunch of grapes as protection.
Preparing the bush for winter
In regions where the temperature does not drop below thirty degrees, the grapes are not covered. In other cases, the shrub should be protected from severe frosts.After harvesting the grapes, it is necessary to prune the bush, process it with copper sulfate. Lay the prepared vine in a shallow trench, sprinkled with leaves, cover it with a wooden shield on top.
After the first frost, the shield is covered with foil, sprinkled with earth on top, a layer of straw is laid out.
Collection, storage and use of the crop
The Solaris grape variety is very early, harvesting begins at the end of August. At home, the berry can be stored for up to three months. The crop is harvested in dry weather.
Undamaged bunches are placed in a special fruit box, in one layer. Then they are stored in a dry room with a temperature within four degrees. Grapes can be eaten fresh, made from them aromatic, healthy juice or white wine.
