Growing vines in home and allotment gardens has quite a long tradition. Until recently, however, the crops did not give us much joy. It was difficult to compare them with the harvest in French, Italian or Spanish vineyards.Our vine plants usually bore clusters of small and not very sweet fruits.Today the situation is completely different. In the last dozen or so years, many large-fruited dessert varieties have been bred, also wonderfully bearing fruit in our climatic conditions.
When choosing a grapevine, pay attention to its different characteristics. In addition to the color, taste and period of fruit ripening, the plant's resistance to the most common diseases, such aspowdery and false mildew or gray mold.The most valuable are varieties grafted on rootstocks that are also resistant to attacks by harmful insects, such as aphids.In some European countries, such as Germany, the cultivation of unvaccinated plants obtained from shoot cuttings is prohibited.
It is best to buy young plants in nurseries specializing in the cultivation of dessert varieties. There, we will surely obtain all the information about the best growing conditions and methods of growing creepers.It is a good idea to grow a few early, middle and late maturing varieties.In this way, we can collect fruit for many weeks from the end of August to October.
Szpaler viticulture
Guiding the vines in the lane consists in tying the shoots to horizontal, taut wires stretched between stable stakes. Shoots can be led in the form of an arc, horizontal or vertical cord.Annual cutting is an important care treatment.Winter cuts are made from the end of February to the beginning of March, when stronger frosts do not threaten.For arc guidance, select one or two strong shoots and shorten them to 6-10 buds. At the rope, trim the side shoots firmly above the first strong bud.
Depending on the variety and weather conditions, 60 to 120 days pass from flowering to fruit ripening. The bunches ripen at different rates on one bush, so harvesting them can take from one to two weeks. The fruit is ripe when the skin is almost transparent and the flesh is sweet.However, they achieve the full aroma characteristic for the variety after the next 10 days.If we put them in the fridge, they will be fresh and firm for a week.
Dessert varieties like the sun
Grapevines can be grown even in less favorable climatic conditions. With the wall facing south, south-east or south-west, early maturing varieties, resistant to frost and fungal diseases, bear fruit very well.The choice is big. You can cultivate proven blue fruit desserts, such as 'Miczurińska' and 'Muscat Bleu', or white ones - 'Drużba'. There are also seedless varieties, which, however, yield not very surely, and their fruits are usually very small.
It is best to start grapevine growing in the fall or spring. Young plants in containers can be planted in the garden almost all year round, except during periods of frost, of course. In summer, they need large amounts of water. Guiding the vines using the horizontal line method works well in wall and free lines.Don't be afraid of cuts to keep your plants he althy and thriving.
Recommended new and proven dessert varieties
1. 'Różowe Cudo' is still a little popular variety from Ukraine. It produces large clusters of pink, medium-sized firm berries. It is very resistant to frost and to fungal diseases. The fruits ripen from mid-September.
2. 'Zołotoj Don' is a very he althy and vital variety.Ripe grapes weigh 1 kg. Bright, sweet fruits contain very small seeds, which do not interfere with eating.
3. 'Muscat Bleu' matures from the beginning of September. The skin and flesh of a popular Swiss variety are dark blue in color. It is also difficult not to pay attention to the delicate muscat aroma. It is one of the best dessert varieties suitable for juice.
4. 'Isabella Rot' is a variety appreciated in Italy for its strawberry aroma of bright red and fully ripe dark red fruits.She is also appreciated by gardeners specializing in amateur viticulture.
5. 'Pleven Ustojcivij' begins to mature in mid-August. It is fully resistant to gray mold of fruit. Clusters left on shoots can be plucked gradually over a longer period of time.
