Many residents of Russia grow or want to grow grapes on their personal plot. But the climate of most of our country is not very suitable for this culture. By the efforts of breeders all over the world, now there are quite a few varieties that can withstand such difficult conditions. In this article, we will talk specifically about frost-resistant varieties.
The benefits of frost-resistant grape varieties
The first and main advantage of frost-resistant varieties is clear from the name - these representatives tolerate our harsh winters relatively easily without shelter. Also, the berries are denser and, accordingly, transportable. Winter hardy varieties are well suited for making wines. What varieties can withstand adverse conditions?
The most frost-resistant for arbors and arches
Lydia
The most beloved and widespread is Lydia. Bred by Williams Prince, a breeder from the USA from the Isabella variety, and received the name Isabella Pink there. It tolerates frost very well. The bunches are small. The berries are predominantly pink. They have an unusual, very pleasant taste. Suitable for arbors and arches.
Great for wine. But the recipe must be strictly observed. Otherwise, Lydia has the peculiarity of emitting harmful substances if the technology is not followed.
Benefits:
- excellent frost resistance;
- self-pollination;
- resistant to powdery mildew and mildew;
- transportability.
The only significant drawback is instability to phylloxera.
Aleshenkin
Aleshenkin is an early dessert grape, uncovered. He is also called Alyosha or # 328. It tastes great and looks beautiful - large clusters up to two kilograms, berries are cone-shaped, yellow-green in color.
Benefits:
- very early;
- does not require special care and special agricultural technology;
- cuttings root well;
- good yield without feeding;
- few seeds in berries;
- great taste;
- the berries stay on the vine at frosts down to -25 ° C.
Disadvantages:
- the underground part is not resistant to frost;
- berries need a growth stimulant, otherwise peas are likely.
Lady fingers
It has a unique berry shape that resembles women's fingers. Hence the name. The official name is Khusayne Bely. Large sweet berries are arranged in large bunches. The taste is excellent, sweet, with hints of sourness. They are most often used for making raisins, as they have no seeds.
It is a grape variety native to Central Asia. Very picky about the sun and heat. It has a long ripening period, therefore it is not very suitable for central Russia. It is grown by few winegrowers. With good care and favorable weather, as well as occasional feeding, you can still get a good harvest.
Benefits:
- high productivity;
- strong growth;
- excellent taste;
- lack of bones.
Disadvantages:
- long ripening period - 130-160 days;
- crop instability over seasons;
- long survival time of cuttings;
- low frost resistance - up to -11 ° С;
- this grape is very fond of wasps and birds;
- extremely susceptible to various diseases - fungus, oidium, powdery mildew.
If all these shortcomings are not scared off from landing, then you should carefully approach the choice of location. It should be protected from drafts, there was a lot of sun. The soil should be light. Groundwater must be deep - more than 2.5 meters. Also for Ladies' fingers, you need a lot of free space - at least 2-2.5 meters in each direction. If the year turned out to be rainy, then spoiled berries must be removed in time. Otherwise they will suffer healthy fetuses.
Tukay
The Tukai table grape was created at the Research Institute of Viticulture and Winemaking by Ya.I. Potapenko in Novocherkassk. The variety turned out to be unpretentious and frost-resistant. Tukay is loved for its rich harvest and long shelf life of berries, which are very tasty.
Benefits:
- early, in July already begins to ripen;
- large bunches - up to 1.5 kilograms;
- fragrant and tasty berries;
- has female and male flowers, therefore self-pollinated;
- fruits can be stored until spring, if the temperature regime is observed (from +1 to + 8 ° C).
Disadvantages:
- needs proper pruning, otherwise the clusters will be small;
- can be affected by a felt mite.
When pruning in the spring, 30-40 eyes are left, and the rest of the shoots are broken off manually. It is difficult to get rid of a felt mite.
The leaves affected by the parasite must be destroyed, and the plant itself must be treated with colloidal sulfur.
Cardinal
The variety was obtained by crossing grapes by the Queen of Vineyards and Alphonse Lavalle. The brushes are large: length 18-30 cm, width 12-20 cm. Weight - 350-500 g. The berries are large. Their weight reaches nine grams. The skin color is violet-red, with a waxy bloom.
Cardinal belongs to the early varieties. Ripening time - 105-110 days. Self-pollinated.
The best breeding method for this variety is grafting on the stock.
Benefits:
- excellent taste and attractive appearance;
- large berries;
- suitable for long-term storage;
- good transportability.
Disadvantages:
- low resistance to diseases and pests;
- shedding flowers and peas at high humidity;
- the need for careful care;
- poor frost resistance.
Isabel
This variety was bred in the United States by Isabell Gibbs. Isabella, like some other American "gifts" (Colorado potato beetle, ash-leaved maple), turned out to be very tenacious. He doesn't care about the Epiphany frosts of central Russia. Also, it is practically not affected by any diseases characteristic of grapes.
At one time there was information that Isabella is harmful, since a lot of methyl alcohol is released during the preparation of wine, but later this information was denied.
Benefits:
- taste qualities;
- low calorie content;
- high productivity;
- unpretentiousness.
Disadvantage for some winegrowers, the late harvest period can be called October-November.
Rylines Pink Seedlis
Of all the varieties described in this article, Rylines Pink Seedlis differs in that it lacks seeds. The berries are in the shape of a ball, small, pink with strawberry aroma. The bunches are compact. Harvesting is in mid-September.
Benefits:
- lack of bones;
- high frost resistance;
- rapid growth of vines;
- very early ripening;
- resistance to fungal diseases;
- high content of useful microelements (vitamin A, B vitamins, iron and iodine).
Disadvantages:
- in rainy weather in the ripening phase, the berries are prone to cracking;
- small fruits.
Literally 200 years ago, grapes in Russia were grown only in the southern regions and a little in the center of the country. Now it is grown in the Urals, and in the middle lane it is widespread everywhere. But breeders don't stop at their research. And, rest assured, many wonderful frost-resistant varieties adapted for our country will soon see the light.