Fruitful and frost-resistant table grape varieties are popular among gardeners in all regions of Russia. Let's consider the description and main characteristics of Alex's grapes, its advantages and disadvantages, planting features, and cultivation technology. How to properly care for grapes, protect them from diseases and pests, collect ripe fruits and store them.
Description and characteristics of Alex grapes
The Alexa grape bush has great growth vigor.The flowers are bisexual, the cluster is large, the density is medium, the shape is cylindrical, weight - 0.9-1.1 kg (maximum - 1.6 kg). The berries are large, oval, on average 11 g, with a matte greenish-white skin. The skin of the fruit is strong, but edible. The pulp is juicy and crispy. The taste is rich, nutmeg, harmonious. The berries are not spoiled by wasps, there are no peas, the clusters can hang on the bush after ripening without losing quality.
Alexa grapes ripen at the end of summer, beginning of autumn (the growing season is 130 days). Productivity per sq. m – 1.4 kg. The variety does not need to control the load on the bush; as many inflorescences are formed as the bush can grow in one season.
The main pros and cons of the variety
Subtleties of growing crops
Alex's grape planting technique is not complicated; it can be carried out according to a standard scheme for the crop. But before planting, you need to choose the right place to place the seedlings and prepare the holes.
Site selection
Grapes of any variety grow well in sunny areas. If planted in partial shade, the yield will not decrease, but the berries will be less sweet. The Alexa variety is undemanding to soil, but prefers light, loose, well-fertilized, moderately moist soil with neutral acidity.
Well preparation
Before planting Alexa grape seedlings, the site is prepared: plant debris is removed, dug up and leveled. Then holes are prepared at a distance of 3 m from each other in rows and row spacing.Fertilizers are added to each - humus, compost and ash. The bottom layer is mixed with excavated soil. This is necessary so that the roots of the grape seedlings do not come into contact with the fertilizer.
Planting grapes
Sequence of work: the roots of the seedling are lowered into the hole and sprinkled with earth up to the root collar. The soil is compacted and watered, using 1-2 buckets for each plant. After watering, the ground is covered with mulch made of straw, hay or covered with agrofibre. Mulch protects the soil from quickly drying out and compacting after watering, which greatly facilitates the work of the gardener and reduces the time spent on such work.
Recommendations for caring for bushes
Caring for Alex's grapes is simple. The general principles remain the same as for other varieties of culture.
Watering
The variety is considered moisture-loving, despite its drought resistance. In conditions of prolonged lack of moisture, the berries will be small and dry. Therefore, even an already fruit-bearing bush needs to be watered if the weather is hot for a long time. Under an adult bush you need to pour at least 3 buckets of water at a time.
Feeding
Plants are fertilized at least 3 times a year: first in the spring, when sap flow begins, then before the inflorescences bloom and after flowering has completed. Mineral fertilizers are applied under the bushes in a liquid solution or organic matter is added. In the latter case, the grapes need to be watered so that the fertilizers dissolve.
Preparing the plant for winter
Alex's grapes are pruned in the fall. On each plant, 30-40 shoots with a length of 6-8 eyes are left.After pruning, you need to replace the mulch under the bushes with new one. The winter layer of covering material should be thicker than the summer one. In cold regions, you also need to take care of covering the shoots: remove them from the trellis, tie them, lay them on the ground and cover them with agrofibre.
Diseases and pests
The Alexa variety is resistant to mildew, phylloxera, oidium, gray mold, powdery mildew and aphids. But, despite this, it is advisable to carry out preventive spraying against common dangerous diseases 2 times a season: before flowering and on the young ovary.
Prevention measures: cut out damaged shoots, remove weeds around the bushes, they may contain pests.
Grow grapes on trellises, at the distance recommended for the variety, to provide them with good ventilation. It is important to provide the grapes with regular watering and nutrition so that the plants can resist diseases on their own.
Harvest and storage
Alexa's clusters are removed after full ripening; if removed unripe, the grapes will not ripen. Store the brushes in standard conditions for berries - in a cold, dark and dry room. They are placed in boxes in 2 or 3 layers, with paper placed under each to prevent the berries from coming into contact with each other and becoming infected with fungi and mold.
Alex's grapes can be eaten fresh, canned, or made homemade fruit and berry preparations. Fresh bunches, thanks to the dense skin of the fruit, withstand transportation well, so the variety can also be planted for growing berries for sale.
Alexa grapes should appeal to beginners and experienced gardeners. This is due to its excellent characteristics: the plant is productive, disease-resistant, and tolerates cold and heat well.It has a sweet taste of fruits, dense clusters of good marketable appearance, which suggests that it can be grown not only for personal use, but also for sale.
