Grapes Beauty: we grow without problems

The love of the vine and its sunny gifts comes from the depths of centuries. And today, gardeners respect this amazing plant: they carefully grow it, cherish it and cherish it, so that later they can fully enjoy the fruits of a unique taste or drink a glass of good wine with friends. About a grape variety with a tempting name Pretty woman heard in this century. Unusual clusters can now be found in many gardens.

The history of the cultivation of grapes

According to botanical terminology, Grape Beauty is not a variety, but a hybrid form of grapes. It was bred in 2004 by the famous test breeder E.G. Pavlovsky by pollination of the mother variety Victoria with a mixture of pollen from Amur and European hybrids.

The resulting hybrid form inherited the best qualities of the mother variety:

• early fruit ripening;
• medium-sized bush;
• high degree of ripening of the vine.

But, in comparison with the original variety, Beauty has a number of advantages:

• attractive appearance;
• excellent taste of berries;
• large-fruited;
• pretty good winter hardiness;
• stable fruiting.

As a result, winegrowers got an excellent table variety with amazing fruits, distinguished by unusual colors and a pleasant, refreshing bite. Thanks to these qualities, the grape got its name - Beauty.

Video: Beauty grapes

//youtube.com/watch?v=wvI4RFcCT5Q

Grade description

1. The bush is medium-sized. The variety is distinguished by a high degree of ripening of the vine, almost 80-90%.
2. The root system of the plant is powerful, multi-tiered, branched, with a deep arrangement of calcaneal roots in the soil.
3. Inflorescences in Beauty are bisexual, which prevents cross-pollination between neighboring bushes.
4. Fruit brushes elongated, cone-shaped, medium friability, rather large. The weight of the bunch is from 500 to 800 g, with good agricultural technology reaches 1 kg.
5. The berries of the Beauty have an oval, slightly elongated shape and look very attractive due to the unusual color: the dark pink color at the base of the fruit gradually turns purple at the end. The weight of one grape is about 10 g. The shell is dense, but not rough.
6. The pulp of the fruit is juicy, crispy, dessert flavor. The finish is refreshing, muscat flavor is noted. On the palate there is a slight sourness. Seeds in the pulp are practically absent. Tasting assessment of taste - 4.6 out of 5 points.

The variety lives up to its name with a very attractive appearance and taste of berries.

Grade characteristics

Grapes Beauty has a number of undoubted advantages:

1. The harvest has a very early ripening period, 105-120 days from the start of the growing season.
2. The yield is stable, average, with good agricultural technology it can be higher than average.
3. The maximum load on the bush is 30-40 eyes.
4. In the conditions of summer heat, the berries do not dry, preserving the juiciness.
5. Excellent storage and transportability of bunches.
6. Fairly high frost resistance (up to -24^ºFROM). Currently, the variety is being tested in terms of winter hardiness and is being studied for fertility of kidney replacement.
7. An additional plus is the good resistance of young shoots to spring frosts.
8. Resistance to fungal diseases is average.

As you know, there are no ideal plants in nature. So Beauty has small flaws:

1. Cracking berries to varying degrees with a sharp transition from a lack of moisture in the soil during the dry period to its plentiful supply (during summer rainstorms). To preserve the harvest, it is recommended to water the bushes regularly with strong heat. Some growers also advise slightly underloading the bushes.
2. Overripe berries due to increased sweetness can damage wasps.

The beauty has bisexual flowers, therefore, does not need additional pollination

Landing Features

Grapes are a thermophilic perennial vine, so it is important to correctly identify the site for its cultivation.

1. Vine bushes do not tolerate shading. When planting next to the building, they should be planted on the south or south-west side of the house at a distance of no closer than 2 m. Strong-growing trees should be located on the north, east or west side no closer than 5 m from the grape seedlings, shrubs - no closer than 2 m. Rows the vineyard should be oriented from north to south, so that the plants are evenly lit by the sun throughout the day.
2. Being a heat-loving crop, grapes do not tolerate adverse conditions. Therefore, you need to place it where it will be protected from cold winds, late spring and early autumn frosts. If the site has a rugged topography, then grapes are planted on the southern or southwestern slopes.
3. Grapes grow well on various types of soils, but the most favorable for it are gravelly or stony, well-drained and warm. If the soil on the site is diverse in fertility, then a less fertile soil is allocated for the vineyard than for other crops. Grapes should not be planted where groundwater rises closer than 1.5 m to the surface of the soil. The plant does not tolerate a high content of lime and salts. It is desirable that the soil reaction is neutral or slightly alkaline (pH 6.5-7). Good results are obtained by planting grapes in places with deep loose soil, on filled pits, construction sites, places of former construction sites where soils contain an admixture of construction debris, rocky debris, sand and decomposed organic residues.
4. If you plan to grow grapes as a wall culture, bushes are planted 1 m from the wall. Brickwork, roofing and walls of houses create a favorable microclimate for the growth and fruiting of bushes.
5. Considering that grapes by nature are a vine that quickly forms a long flexible stem, it is usually sent to the roof of the building, balcony and other supports. As a rule, a bush is planted in one place, while its crown with the crop may be in another place convenient for you. The territory of the site in this case is used more rationally.

Grape bushes need good lighting all day long.

The lowlands and hollows are not suitable for cultivation, since they accumulate dampness, and there is a real danger of damage to the vineyards in winter frosts, as well as sudden frosts in autumn and late spring.

The density of the soil greatly affects the growth and development of the roots of grapes. For example, in very dense soils, the roots do not grow. Therefore, before planting seedlings, it is necessary to improve the composition of heavy soil by adding sand and chernozem to the planting pit.

When planting a seedling, it is necessary to maintain the depth of placement of the root system of grapes in the planting pit (about 60 cm) and when filling the pit, leave 15 cm to the soil level

The process of planting grapes is simple, but has some features:

1. Before planting, one or two of the strongest and most developed shoots are distinguished on the seedling, of which fruit bearing arrows will develop in subsequent years. They are cut into two or three eyes. The remaining shoots are removed.
2. The main roots of the seedling (calcaneal), which will subsequently be the main nutrient element of the bush, are cut to a length of 15-20 cm. The remaining roots are removed.
3. It is advisable to plant the seedlings for 1-2 days in water before planting in the pit to create a moisture reserve in the stems and roots.
4. The recommended distance between the bushes, which must be observed with a high-standard formation, is from 1.3 to 1.8 m, the distance between the rows is from 2 to 3.5 m.

The best period for planting seedlings is early spring, before the buds open and the growth processes are activated. When the threat of frost passes, vegetative seedlings with a closed root system are ready for planting. The development of vine bushes depends heavily on warming up the soil and the surrounding air: the plant goes into a dormant state when the temperature drops below 10^aboutC. Therefore, seedlings are best planted when the soil warms up above 15^ºFROM.

Growing

The process of cultivation of grapes includes regular loosening of the soil directly under the plants and between the rows, the destruction of weeds, watering, the correct formation and timely pruning of bushes, the prevention of fungal diseases. In regions where cover varieties are grown, shoots protect against frostbite in the winter and during sudden thaws.

Watering

Watering the grapes is especially necessary in the first year after planting. If there is natural rainfall, watering should be normalized at the rate of 1 time per week.

In dry weather, moisten the soil under the grapes daily.

In the second and subsequent years of cultivation, two types of main irrigation are used: moisture-charging (until the buds open) and vegetative (during the period of intensive growth). 10 days before the final ripening of the crop, watering should be stopped completely to prevent cracking of the berries.

Maintaining a constant level of moisture in the soil is provided by mulching. At the same time, it will eliminate weeds and increase the growth and yield of vines. For mulching, rotted manure, peat or humus are used, as well as black plastic film.

Top dressing

Fertilizing grapes is produced annually during the growing season and fruiting in several stages.

Table: root and foliar top dressing of grapes

Video: foliar grape top dressing

//youtube.com/watch?v=N1-LEafao-4

Pruning bushes

The yield of grapes is regulated by the so-called load of the bush. This is the number of fruitful shoots (eyes) that are left on the vine directly in the process of pruning. If as a result of a strong trimming of the eyes, there is little left, then the load will be weak. This will entail a reduction in yield. Congestion of the bush for the plant is also not useful. In the process of vine growth and development, the optimal load value is determined. For a two-year plant it is equal to 50% of the norm recommended for fruit bearing bushes, for a three-year plant - 75-80% of this norm.

To obtain a stable crop, the vine needs annual pruning. In autumn, after leaf fall, the stems are shortened to the level of the 3rd or 4th kidney. In a two-year-old plant, four highly developed and healthy shoots are left, and the rest are cut out. Then they are shortened to the 5th kidney. A three-year-old correctly trimmed bush carries 4 fruiting vines. To build strength, the number of fruit stems is increased on average to three per vine, with a general increase in the number of vines. Pruning of fruit-bearing shoots is usually performed on 6-8 eyes, but is allowed on 4-6 eyes.

Video: trellis formation of grape shoots

Since the vine is a vine and grows long shoots during the growing season, its biennial and fruit-bearing shoots are fixed on supports. When growing grapes in a homestead or summer cottage, the following support systems are used: trellis, gazebo, parietal, stake. The most common is a trellis system.

The trellis is a construction of pillars (reinforced concrete, metal or wood) and wire (preferably galvanized). The shoots mounted on the trellises are sufficiently and evenly ventilated, they receive the same amount of heat and sunlight. In addition, the location of the stems above the ground creates convenience for the gardener when caring for plants and harvesting.

Fixing grape shoots on a trellis allows them to develop freely and receive a sufficient amount of light and heat

Fight against diseases and pests of grapes

Variety Beauty has an average resistance to fungal diseases. The greatest danger to the plant is mildew, gray rot, anthracnose and oidium.

Fungus mildew

The first sign of mildew is the appearance of red-brown spots on the surface of the leaves, and on the back side - a white coating. The fungus infects leaves, young shoots, then passes on to the fruits. The affected parts of the plant dry and fall, the berries become shriveled and also gradually dry directly in the bunches. The spread of the fungus is favored by increased humidity inside the bush and its thickening. Mildew greatly weakens the plant and reduces yield. To combat the fungus, Ridomil Gold and Amistar preparations are used.

With mildew, a white coating appears on the back of the sheet

Gray rot

The disease of grapes with gray rot is easy to determine by brown spots with a specific coating of ash. Fungal spores form a coating, which during hot weather (22-28^ºC) and high humidity quickly affect the entire plant. In this case, the leaves of the grapes dry up and fall off, and the shoots, especially young ones, stop in growth and die off. The fungus is active throughout the entire growing season of the bush and is able to affect inflorescences and ripened fruits. The flowers turn brown and fall, and the berries are covered with a kind of gray spore dust and rot.

The fight against gray rot disease consists in spraying bushes with fungicides Ronilan, Rovral, Sumylex, Euparen. It is advisable to carry out processing three times per season: before flowering (in May), before the formation of ovaries (in June) and at the beginning of fruit ripening (in July). It is also effective to use folk remedies for processing plants: a solution of baking soda or potassium permanganate dark pink.

Characteristic signs of gray rot: brownish-white coating on the leaves and rotting wrinkled berries

Fungus oidium

Oidium (powdery mildew) is very dangerous for many fruit-bearing plants. It is expressed in a characteristic whitish coating on the leaves and shoots, which appears mainly in the spring. A month later, the plaque acquires a grayish-ashy color. The berries at the same time begin to rot, crack and fall. An oidium appears with high humidity of air and soil, as well as with excessive density of grape bushes. Treatment of plants with Thanos, Profit, sulfur-containing solutions (for example, colloidal sulfur) helps to avoid the disease or reduce the level of negative consequences if the fungus still affects the grapes.

From folk remedies use infusion of wood ash mixed with laundry soap, which is sprayed with plants.

Oidium spores leave traces on all parts of the vine bush, including leaves, shoots and fruits

Anthracnose

Among the fungal diseases to which the Beauty grape is subject, there is also anthracnose. It appears on the leaves in the form of rust-colored spots, which leads to the death of leaf tissue and the appearance of holes.Leaves dry and fall. On the shoots, the fungus forms ulcers, brown spots, branches turn black and break. Affected young shoots are deformed and become fragile. On green fruits, ulcers appear in the form of spots of purple or dark red. Berries crack and rot. Anthracnose spores are carried by insects and the wind. Particularly active disease spreads at air temperatures above 25^ºC, after rains with hail and with waterlogging of the soil as a result of excessive watering.

To protect the vine bushes from manifestations of anthracnose in the spring, before buds open, the shoots should be sprayed with a Bordeaux mixture in the proportion: 700 g of the drug per 10 liters of water. Copper-containing products (copper chloride, vitriol), 1-3% Nitrafen solution are also used for processing plants.

Anthracnose causes rotting berries

Protection against birds and wasps

Ripe clusters of grapes are often attacked by birds and wasps, who love to enjoy sweet berries, especially cracked after rain. The most effective way to protect against birds is to use small bags made of gauze or muslin that are worn over bunches. Wasps often gnaw at gauze. Therefore, to protect against wasps, you can spray the shoots with a solution of mustard powder (200 g of powder per bucket of water).

Shelter bushes for the winter

Despite the relatively high frost resistance, the variety Krasotka is still not well studied and tested in this direction, and therefore requires mandatory protection of plants for the winter period. This is especially true for areas with little snowy and frosty winters, when bushes cannot reliably winter under high snowdrifts. To protect the root system and shoots after autumn pruning around the bush, make a hole 10-15 cm deep, which is filled with a thick layer of sawdust or peat, and covered with soil from above to ground level. On the litter prepared in this way, the vines are laid and covered with protective material from above. This method of protection is most suitable for young plants.

Adult vine bushes protect against winter colds by bending them to the ground. So that the plants do not touch the ground, it is advisable to put boards, wooden blocks, non-woven material under them. Removed from the trellis and trimmed vine carefully twisted and laid on prepared surfaces, securing with hooks or arches. From above, shoots are covered with burlap, non-woven material or polypropylene bags in several layers. You can also use pine fern. In any case, the space inside should be breathable, so you can not cover them with a film. Wooden shields, slate, linoleum, ruberoid or polycarbonate sheets are laid on top of the covered plants. The edges of the structure are securely fixed with bricks or simply covered with a layer of earth. In winter, it is useful to additionally throw snow at a shelter, increasing the height of the snowdrift.

To protect the grapes from frost, they bend it to the ground and cover it

Reviews

The beauty was the first to bear fruit on my site and amazed everyone who saw her with her beauty and unusual shape of the berry. In our conditions, great growth power, early ripening. Bunches of beautiful conical shape, weighing up to 500-600 g, pointed, intensely pink, with a dense pulp of berries weighing up to 6-7 g.

Valentina Nikolaevna Ulyanova, Chelyabinsk region

Gardens of Russia Magazine, Issue 7, October 2010

My first acquaintance with Beauty happened about five years ago, in Taman, during my next trip to the ethnographic complex Ataman. I saw very beautiful grapes at the local market, tried it - I could not resist and bought a couple of kilograms, I asked the seller for the name - Pretty Woman. A large bunch, chic look, grape flavor - special. I bought a seedling grafted on Cobber to my collection - now on hold - this year there should be signaling. But many people write - that it rips the berry heavily .... and because of this some already refuse this form. But it seems to me, you still have to watch the Beauty, abnormal rains in the Kuban in the summer are not uncommon - but still, probably, there is a key to it ... just have to look ...

Andrey Derkach

//vinforum.ru/index.php?topic=29.0

Our Beauty has its own roots, bears fruit for three years, cod has not yet been observed, and the wasps have not particularly attacked, they probably have not tried it yet. The berry is beautiful and very tasty.

Nadezhda Viktorovna

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With the advent and beginning of widespread cultivation, the Pretty Woman variety is in demand among gardeners. Its unique taste and external attractiveness, good resistance to diseases and unpretentiousness in cultivation determine the demand for Beauty. And today the study of the cultivation experience of this variety in various climatic zones and on different types of soil continues.