Even a novice gardener can cope with growing Aleshenkin grapes. The variety is unpretentious, can withstand severe frosts, and therefore is grown in Russia, where the climate does not have consistently warm summers. Large clusters of tasty berries are formed when optimal conditions are created for the development of the crop. Care involves proper watering, fertilizing, pruning and treatment against infections and pests.
History of selection
The Aleshenkin grape (Aleshenkin's gift) was bred in Volgograd by the scientist-breeder P.E. Tsekhmistrenko in the mid-20th century. He lived and worked in this city, where winters are cold and the air temperature drops to -25 degrees. The scientist gave the name to the variety in honor of his grandson. A new grape variety was obtained by crossing the Vostok and Madeleine Angevin varieties. The hybrid tolerates frost well, maintaining the yield and taste of the fruit.
Initially, the variety was grown only in the southern regions, but gradually became widespread in northern latitudes. If the conditions are created, it will be possible to obtain a harvest on land plots in the Moscow region.
Description of the variety
The purpose of creating a new variety was to increase yield and improve the taste of berries. A description of the Aleshenka grape variety is not complete without mentioning the main characteristics:
- The liana is vigorous, bears fruit for 6 years;
- the branches are powerful, so they can withstand any load;
- bisexual flowers are formed on the shoots;
- the variety can withstand frosts down to -25 degrees;
- berries are suitable for transportation over long distances;
- early boundaries of crop ripening (approximately 114 days pass after the formation of ovaries);
- ripe berries begin to be picked at the end of July, their color is yellow-green, with a slight bloom, sometimes black;
- high productivity allows you to collect up to 26 kg of crop from one grape bush.
Only the ground part of the Aleshenkin Dar variety can withstand frost; the root system needs to be insulated in the winter.
Distinctive characteristics
You can distinguish the variety from other varieties of grapes by the following characteristics:
- the leaves are small, smooth, with carved edges, their color is rich green;
- clusters in the form of a cone are formed in large sizes, weighing about 650 g;
- oval berries are loosely arranged in a bunch of grapes, each of them weighs up to 6 g;
- almost half of the berries have no seeds inside.
The pulp of the berries is loose, very sweet and juicy. The sugar content of the variety reaches 19%. Various drinks are made from them.
Advantages and disadvantages
The main advantages of the Aleshenkin variety include:
- numerous yields;
- early ripening of berries under any conditions;
- pleasant taste and no seeds;
- The variety quickly adapts after planting.
The Aleshenkin grape variety also has weaknesses:
- The roots of the grapes do not tolerate frost well, so it is recommended to cover the plant during the winter months.
- The berries may become small, so it is recommended to treat the crops with growth stimulants and carry out additional pollination of the flowers by hand.
- The variety exhibits poor resistance to infections caused by fungi.
To avoid problems with growing the Aleshenkin variety, you must follow the rules and recommendations for planting and soil selection. It is important to provide proper care.
Planting Aleshenkin grapes
Aleshenkin grapes are an unpretentious crop, but in order to reap a large harvest over many years, a number of requirements must be met. On the site you need to choose places that are free for access to sunlight. It is better to plant near buildings that will protect the plant from draft winds.
The soil should be fertile, light, with neutral acidity. If the soil is acidic, liming is carried out.
An important step is the selection of quality seedlings:
- If you buy seedlings with an open root system, then pay attention to its color. The lighter the branches, the better. You can determine the freshness of the shoots by the color of the cut. If the cut roots are dark in color, then the product is not of high quality.
- Healthy shoots are brown, but when cut, the color is light.
- The leaves that remain on the cuttings should be even and smooth. If there are bumps and growths, you should suspect the presence of infection or pests.
12-14 days before planting grapes the land is being dug up. It is best to start planting in the spring so that the plant has time to get used to and take root:
- Pre-dig holes 65-75 cm deep and wide at a distance of at least one meter.
- At the bottom of each dug hole, drainage is installed, for example, from crushed stone or expanded clay. In case of close passage of groundwater, the drainage layer is made up to 25 cm.
- Then fertilizers are added to provide additional nutrition to the young seedling. Then a layer of earth is poured and watered with warm water.
The cutting is planted in the prepared hole and a support is installed, sprinkled with earth, lightly compacted and watered again. After three days, watering is repeated. After which mulching is carried out. A layer of mulch (moss, straw, dry leaves, sawdust are chosen as mulch) will not allow moisture to quickly evaporate.
Care Tips
Caring for Aleshenkin grapes consists of proper watering, loosening and weeding the soil around each bush, and treatment against pests and diseases. Apart from these points, the most basic requirement is pruning the vine.
Watering
Immediately after planting the seedling, watering is carried out every two weeks, counting on 4 liters of warm water for each root. Do not allow the soil to become waterlogged, otherwise the roots will begin to rot.
Fertilizer application
If fertilizers were applied during planting, the supply will last for the coming years. Grapes accept organic and mineral components well. Solutions based on humus, mullein, wood ash, superphosphate, and potassium salt are suitable.Fertilizers should be applied in the spring before flowering and during the formation of ovaries.
In the spring, as soon as the shelter is removed, a support is installed near the young seedling and the vine is tied up. The first feeding is carried out before the buds appear. It is recommended to use a solution based on chicken manure. The component is mixed with water in a 1:2 ratio and left to infuse for a week.
Before use, dilute with water in a ratio of 1:10. The resulting solution is poured into a groove specially dug around the trunk. To improve the taste of berries, it is recommended to apply potassium fertilizers. Wood ash contains a lot of potassium. It can be applied dry, in which case the consumption is equal to one bucket for each root. An infusion is made from wood ash. The ash is poured with water and left for three days.
Formation
The formation of a bush is necessary to increase productivity and good development of vines. Before fruiting, each branch is pruned to 14-16 buds. The vine from which the harvest was harvested last year is pruned to the 3rd bud. Each bush should have 40 eyes. Every spring, before the buds begin to swell, they begin to remove dry, damaged branches. They slow down the development of the bush and absorb nutritional components.
Shelter for the winter
In order for the grapes to successfully overwinter, you need to prepare. The vines are removed from the support, tied, bent to the ground and covered with film. All activities are carried out in dry, clear weather in mid-October and early November.
If the air temperature is above 0 degrees, a greenhouse effect will be created inside the shelter, which has a bad effect on the condition of the plant. The film is covered with earth and mulched.
Reproduction methods
Propagation of the Aleshenkin grape variety occurs in three ways:
- Seeds are grown only for industrial purposes. Grapes grown from seeds lose their original characteristics. To improve the quality, it is necessary to graft the vine. This process delays the start of fruiting.
- The easiest way to propagate this variety is by cuttings. The grapes have to be pruned every year to control their growth. Therefore, young shoots remain, which are used for planting. For the plant to take root, each cutting must have at least four buds. Before planting, each cutting is disinfected with copper sulfate.
- Reproduction by layering is carried out in the spring, when active growth of branches is observed. The largest lash is buried in soil, after which it is watered with growth stimulants. Complete rooting occurs in 3-4 weeks.
When good conditions are created and all care requirements are met, grape cuttings and layering begin to bear fruit within a couple of years.
About diseases and pests
The Aleshenkin grape variety is attacked by pests and is not resistant to major infections. Dangerous pests for the Aleshenkin grape variety are: leaf roller, grape mite, marble Khrushchev Among the diseases, the plant is most often infected with mildew and oidium. Experienced summer residents recommend, for preventive purposes, twice a year (preferably in June and July) to treat grapes with solutions based on drugs such as Topaz, Horus, Ridomil Gold, Stroviy, Fufanon.
