Muscat grape varieties have been famous for their taste since ancient times. It was cultivated in Greece and Egypt, these varieties were very popular in Italy and France. The name Muscat grapes received for the tart taste and aroma, which the berry acquires due to the presence of musk in it. In 1828 it was brought to the territory of the Crimea, where it is successfully cultivated at the present time and is a derivative for the best varieties of muscat wines.
Benefits of growing Muscat grapes
Muscat varieties have a high content of thornoid compounds found in the fruit skin. Also, the berry contains phytoncides, which have a beneficial effect on the intestinal microflora and the cardiovascular system.
You can cultivate nutmeg varieties in warm regions, since they are not resistant to temperature drops.
It is better to plant in the spring, when the buds are still dormant. This allows the root system to take root well. In this case, the shoots will receive all the necessary substances from the roots, and not from the substances accumulated in the vine.
If the planting was carried out in the fall, then at the beginning of May there will already be leafy green shoots on the seedling. If the seedling was planted to a depth of 30 cm, then in the spring it is necessary to remove 15 cm of the layer around the seedling, thereby forming a pit around the seedling so that the roots warm up better. The pit is also convenient for watering a one-year-old seedling, since watering must be done at the root. You need to water the seedling once every 7 days. Water consumption for each bush is 2 buckets.
The next procedure to be followed is shoot normalization. This procedure consists in removing weak shoots. This is done so that the bush does not consume excess amounts of nutrients, but redirects them to the development of healthy, strong shoots. The shoots left behind should be placed as high as possible on perennial wood, as the lower shoots are removed and the unawakened buds remain as fruit buds for the next season in case the bush rejuvenates. The shoots left behind should be located on the outside of the bush. This, when forming a bush, will give a good opportunity for removing the sleeve.
After the ground warms up to 25 degrees after watering, the pit must be mulched. You can use straw for this. Mulch will make it possible to prevent the topsoil from drying out and will contribute to an even distribution of moisture, as well as prevent the appearance of weeds.
The best varieties
Among the many nutmeg varieties, the most common are:
- Novoshakhtinsky;
- White;
- Blau;
- Summer;
- Donskoy;
- Pleven;
- Muscat delight;
- Madeleine.
Novoshakhtinsky
It was bred by the Russian breeder Pavlovsky. Refers to early maturing varieties. The ripening period of the fruit is 100 days. The berries are juicy, round in shape, purple-red turning into cherry. They have 3 seeds, the skin is thin. The berries are not prone to cracking, they have a nutmeg flavor with a caramel note. Each berry weighs up to 10 grams, the weight of a bunch is up to 500 grams. The percentage of sugar in fruits is 30. It tolerates a drop in temperature to -24 degrees. The crop can not be removed from the vine for a long time, while it does not lose its taste.
The growing area should be well-lit by the sun and protected from the wind. Gives a good harvest when grown on chernozem soil with a neutral acidity level.
If the acidity of the soil is increased, it is necessary to add ash or lime.
The best planting time is spring. You can plant both seedlings and grafting cuttings. Planting pits must have a drainage layer. Place the pits at a distance of five meters from each other.
Care measures:
- watering;
- loosening;
- top dressing;
- treatment against pests and diseases.
Susceptible to diseases such as:
- black rot;
- gray rot;
- chlorosis.
Treatment with 3% Bordeaux liquid is recommended.
The pests that affect this grape are:
- spider mite;
- leaf roll;
- tick — itching.
To destroy these pests, the bushes are sprayed with phytosporin.
White
Bunch of varieties White - cylindrical, the standard weight is 120 g, although it can reach up to 450 g. The berries are medium, round, with a slight aroma and tender pulp. The sugar content in fruits is 20-30%. This species differs in waxy berries.
White grape bushes are vigorous, abundantly fruiting (up to 60-100 centners per hectare). Ripens about 140 days, the harvest is harvested as late as possible so that the berries accumulate more sugar. Perfectly White grapes are suitable for making wines.
Donskoy
It was bred in 1946 at the Potapenko Research Institute by a group of breeders. It is a hybrid variety of early ripening. Fruit ripeness occurs in 115-125 days. The berries are blue-black, round, small, rather juicy. The skin is firm and crispy. They have 2-3 seeds, the percentage of sugar is up to 30%. Each berry weighs up to 2 grams. Cylindrical brushes, medium density, weight of each brush from 160 to 250 grams. Withstands up to -28 degrees of frost.
It has an average resistance to fungal diseases. Severely damaged by phylloxera... To combat this pest, treatment with Confidora is needed. The soil around the bushes is covered with fine sand.
Designed for making dessert and dry wines.
Blau
The homeland of grapes is Switzerland. Belongs to early ripening varieties. Berries are medium in size, have a rounded shape, black color. It has one large bone. The mass of each berry is 5 grams... Bunches of cylindrical shape, weighing 300 grams, loose. Resistant to temperatures down to -23 degrees.
Despite the frost resistance, the highest yield is obtained when grown in a greenhouse. Another good reason why it is recommended to grow in greenhouses is the invasion of wasps. If the bush grows on the street, the bushes must be treated with special preparations. Shows good immunity against fungal diseases and has good resistance to mildew.
Another advantage of the Blau variety is expressed in the fact that he does not need to choose brightly lit areas. Growing in the shade does not affect the quality of the crop.
The use of the variety is universal. They eat it fresh, and use it to make wine.
Does not tolerate overloading the vine with fruits. When overloaded, taste deteriorates and the berries become small. Fruit rationing is necessary!
Summer
Early variety, 110-120 days pass from the moment of budding to maturation... This grape is a vigorous shrub with large clusters of 600-700 g. Berries are amber-white, large 7-8 g, cylindrical-conical in shape, the pulp is fleshy, juicy. During the period of full ripening, the fruits contain 17-20% sugar.
Hybrid Summer is quite frost-resistant, withstands up to -23 ° C, has good immunity to mildew and medium to mildew. Differs in high transportability.
Pleven
It was bred in Bulgaria in the city of Pleven, hence its name. The variety is very early, high-yielding, the yield per bush is 60 kg. The ripening period is up to 100 days. The berries are large, yellow in color, the weight of each berry is up to 10 grams. The taste is sour-sweet and pleasant floral notes, has 3-4 seeds. The skin is dense, so it tolerates transportation well. The brushes are large, conical, medium density.
Not picky about growing. In shaded areas, it gives the same yield as in well-lit areas. Pollination is not affected by weather conditions. Loves the abundance of moisture and minerals in the soil. Frost resistance - up to -24 degrees.
Susceptible to diseases and pests. Preventive treatment is mandatory!
Without special treatment, it suffers from diseases:
- oidium;
- mildew.
Damaged by pests such as:
- phylloxera;
- grape worm;
- wasps.
Delight
The variety is early maturing, frost-resistant. Ripening time 115-120 days. The berries are sweet, large, elongated, white-yellow in color. The mass of each berry is 10-12 grams. The percentage of sugar in fruits is between 20 and 26%. The clusters are large, cone-shaped, weighing up to 2 kg. It has a high yield - 120 centners per hectare
The landing site should be well lit by the sun and protected from the wind. Preference is given to chernozem soil or light loam. The bushes are planted at a distance of 4-6 meters from each other. It has a high immunity to diseases, but is susceptible to damage by phylloxera.
It is mandatory to treat the bushes twice a season with phytosporin.
Madeleine
Madeleine belongs to the early maturing table grapes. Rounded berries, juicy, sweet taste with nutmeg aroma, yellow. It has 1-2 seeds, the sugar content in berries is from 19 to 21%. A tapered brush with medium density, weight from 230 to 270 grams.
This variety is characterized by high yields. However, berries are prone to cracking and rotting. Planted at a distance of 1.5 meters from each other. The distance between the rows is at least 2 meters. The variety is not resistant to diseases, requires mandatory treatment from pests and diseases.
Muscat grape varieties are gaining immense popularity not only in Crimea. They are successfully cultivated in other regions as well. If you follow the planting rules and with proper care, you can enjoy the wonderful taste of fresh berries and drink a glass of aromatic nutmeg wine.