Cardinal grapes can be found in almost every household plot in Russia. Gardeners respect this plant for its excellent combination of unusual taste, quick ripening and good resistance. The grapes are popular for their taste and yield levels.
Description of grape cardinal
Speaking of description, the culture matures quite quickly... The growing season lasts from one hundred and ten to one hundred and twenty days, you can start harvesting in the second half of August. However, it should be noted that from year to year the yield of the grape crop is not stable.
One bush is capable of forming at least seventy fruiting vines. Each shoot grows one or two bunches. Under favorable weather conditions, the bush adds up to three meters in height. Ripening of shoots is good, almost the entire length.
The density of rich green foliage is average. Each leaf has five lobes. The flowers have pistils and stamens, so they have the ability to pollinate on their own.
The grape clusters are quite bulky, reaching thirty and twenty centimeters in length and width, respectively. But at the same time, their weight is not very large, because the berries are placed loosely. On average, one brush weighs four to five hundred grams.
Characteristics of berries
They are distinguished by their oval shape, weighing five to seven grams. Each berry carries from three to five rounded seeds. The fruits are purple-red in color, a smoky wax coating is visible on the skin. The flesh is greenish-white, juicy, crunching during chewing. The skin is quite dense.
When eaten, grapes create a sensation of freshness and lightness with their nutmeg aroma.
The acidity is seven to eight grams per liter, the sugar level reaches eighteen percent.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
When choosing this grape variety for growing on their site, gardeners first of all pay attention to its advantages:
- the crop is distinguished by its ability to persist for three months;
- the taste of the berries is excellent;
- grapes are perfectly transported over long distances, they do not lose their attractiveness, they are not damaged;
- high-quality preserves are obtained from berries;
- culture does not need special care.
But with such advantages, there are also negative aspects. If you know about them in advance, then grapes will not create difficulties in cultivation:
- plant has an average level of resistance to powdery mildew, mildew and bacterial cancer. Quite often, the berries can be affected by gray mold. One of the enemies of the vine is the grape roll;
- the future harvest is fully dependent on weather conditions. In unfavorable weather, the inflorescences and ovary crumble, the berries are formed small in size, which worsens the presentation of the bunch;
- plant does not tolerate winter period, can be affected by spring frosts, as flowering begins early enough;
- often happens uneven ripening of berries.
Landing
Like other grape plants, "Cardinal" prefers warm and sunny places. It should be planted in spring, choosing southern directions for this, which is associated with the low tolerance of the winter variety. A young plant planted in autumn can be easily damaged by cold weather.
At the time of planting, the soil should warm up to ten degrees Celsius. It is very important that loamy and sandy loamy soils prevail on the site. Chernozem areas will provide an opportunity to get the best harvests.
In one - two weeks, the site is dug up, fertilizers are applied in the form of compost or manure.
To increase the yield, many gardeners use Biogrow biological fertilizer, which is applied to the soil two to three times a year.
A landing pit is being prepared, the dimensions of which should be 80 by 80 by 80 centimeters. Organic matter is laid at the bottom, sprinkled with a layer of earth. A seedling is installed, sprinkled with soil, watered. The landing pattern is taken 2.5 by 3 meters.
Care of young and mature vines
The grape plant is very capricious, requires careful care... Only in this case can you get good yields. Bushes should be watered sparingly before flowering and after berries have formed. Up to ten liters of water is poured under each plant.
Excessive watering entails cracking of the berries, reduces the plant's resistance to fungal diseases.
To keep moisture in the soil for a long time, mulching is used, using humus, mowed grass, sawdust for this.
It is necessary to feed the plants with mineral fertilizing compositions, carrying out three to four procedures per season: before the foliage dissolves, before flowering, after the inflorescences fall and at the end of the harvest.
For preventive purposes, plants are treated with fungicidal compositions. The drug is added to water, the green mass is sprayed.
For the winter season, the vines need protective shelters.
Reproduction methods
This can be done by planting seedlings and grafting cuttings. A good grafting material should have multiple eyes. The lower part is cut off to form a wedge. The cut side is kept in water for several hours so that the root system develops better. The correct solution would be to use growth stimulants such as "Humat".
Wine from the cardinal
The variety is actively cultivated by Italians, French, Greeks, Yugoslavs. It is often used as the main component in the production of wines and liqueurs in many countries around the world.
Diseases and pests
Preventive treatment of grape plants is mandatory; gardeners are not recommended to wait for the first signs of disease.
The best solution is to apply fungicides before flowering bushes and after this period. If diseases are detected, the plants must be processed again. Preparations should be selected universal, not harmful to plants.
The crop is protected from wasps in two ways - wrapping up the bunches with gauze or arranging baits with poisons.
"Cardinal" is considered a delicious grape variety, any summer resident can grow it on his site. But in order to get high yields, it is recommended to study the rules of care and strictly follow them.