Sometimes you come across grapes while walking around the area around your dacha and try to figure out what kind of variety it was. Following this, the question arises of how to determine the grape variety only by the appearance of the plant. There are several ways to determine the varietal identity of a grapevine.
- How to find out the grape variety
- Method of determination by sheet
- Features of the structure of grape leaves
- Main types
- By plate
- By shape
- By blades
- By color
- How to recognize by berry
- What makes the fruit special?
- Characteristics
- With the help of grapes
- In the spring, the bush dissolves according to the type of flower
- other methods
- Which of the signs is the most correct?
How to find out the grape variety
When it is impossible to recognize the variety of grapes, but it is very necessary to do so, summer residents try to find out the variety by the appearance of the bush. All plants are divided into two categories - table and industrial.
To determine the type of plant, attention is paid to the following aspects:
- frost resistance;
- shade of grape bunches;
- purpose of grapes;
- harvest ripening period;
- immunity to diseases and pests.
Methods for determining the variety of grape bushes:
- on a sheet plate;
- appearance of the bunch;
- grape pulp.
The combination of these characteristics gives an idea of the variety and helps to identify it.
Method of determination by sheet
The most common way to determine the varietal identity of grape bushes is by the appearance of the leaf. It can be difficult for an inexperienced summer resident to understand how the leaves of different varieties differ. But an experienced winegrower can immediately distinguish bushes by their leaf blades.
Features of the structure of grape leaves
The grape leaf is most often five-lobed or four-lobed. Some hybrids have whole leaves. The edges are slightly jagged. The leaf is round in shape, with pronounced veins. Young leaves are smaller in size than old ones.
Hybrids have different leaf shades. It ranges from light lime green to rich green. The grape leaves are thin and not juicy. Thanks to this property, the leaves do not require large amounts of water. Young leaves are juicier compared to old ones. Some hybrids have juicier leaf blades; such varieties are also used for preparing dolma.
Main types
There are several types of grape leaves - four-lobed, five-lobed and whole. The appearance of the leaf depends on the varietal of the plant.Before starting to determine the leaf, find out which of the three types it belongs to.
By plate
Many winegrowers and breeders are thinking about creating a single database with photographs of the leaves of various grape hybrids, so that every summer resident can quickly determine which variety the plant belongs to.
Determining the variety by the leaf plate is the easiest way. For example, the Agadai hybrid has a large, rounded leaf with pronounced veins and is of the five-lobed type.
The Aligote hybrid also has five lobes per leaf. But the leaf looks like one piece due to the small distance between the segments. The size of the sheet plate is large or medium in size.
The Asma variety is distinguished by a three-lobed leaf, the shape of the plate is round. Grapes Delight characterized by medium-sized plates, with five medium-sized blades.
By shape
The second characteristic that people pay attention to when determining varietal identity is the shape. The leaf blade varies from small to large sizes.
Grape leaves are oval, wedge-shaped and ovoid. To determine the hybrid, select a large healthy leaf and bend it. Some varieties have deep sidecuts, and some have no sidecuts at all. Also pay attention to the teeth along the edges of the leaf plate. They are large, small, sharp and blunt. This characteristic is also very important.
By blades
Another characteristic part of the plant by which the variety is determined is the number of blades. There can be seven, five, three blades, they can also be solid or with pronounced segmentation of the blades.
The pubescence in some plants is so strong, especially in young crops, that it is impossible to confuse the variety.For example, the Pinot hybrid has dense pubescence, which changes the shade of the leaf. Madeleine Anzhivin's pubescence looks like a spider's web. Caraburneau lacks it completely.
By color
In different hybrids, the shade of foliage varies from light green to rich green. For example, the Clairette grape has dark-colored leaves. Summer Muscat has the same color on the top of the leaf. Pinot Noir turns burgundy in color by autumn.
How to recognize by berry
In addition to the appearance of the leaf blade, the second thing you need to pay attention to when determining the variety is the characteristics of the berries. It can be easier to identify the variety by the berries than by the leaves.
What makes the fruit special?
Grape bunches differ in a number of characteristics:
- skin tone;
- grape size;
- bunch shape;
- fruit ripening.
All grape varieties are usually divided into low-yielding, productive and high-yielding. The appearance of the bunch and yield depend on weather conditions, soil nutrients and growing region. The clusters are small, medium and large in size. This characteristic depends both on the variety and on external factors (caring for the bush). Large clusters grow up to 26 cm, medium ones - up to 18 cm and small ones - up to 10 cm.
Karaburnu, Preobrazhensky, Viking are distinguished by large clusters. Zest, Elegant have a medium bunch size. Muscat Ottonel, Bianca are varieties with small clusters.
Characteristics
There are several types of grapes, differing in skin color:
- pink;
- white;
- black;
- red.
The shape of the berries is oval, elongated, pointed and round.
The easiest way to find out what type of grapes it is is by the taste of ripe fruits. But this method is only suitable for experienced winegrowers.The thickness of the peel, the juiciness of the pulp and the number of seeds can also help determine the variety.
Despite the fact that each grape variety has many distinctive characteristics, only a professional winegrower can accurately determine the varietal identity. Based on characteristics such as astringency of berries, aftertaste, juiciness, sourness, only a person who has been growing grapes for more than one year can accurately say the variety.
With the help of grapes
The appearance of the bunch comes in several types:
- branched;
- cylindrical;
- lobed;
- conical
When determining varietal identity, pay attention to the density of the grapes. The bunch can be loose, dense, very loose and medium density. It is worth noting that the size of the bunch also depends on external factors, such as climate and fertilizer application. But in any case, the size of the fruits should not differ radically.
In the spring, the bush dissolves according to the type of flower
It is impossible to determine what type of grape bush it is by looking at the flower. The only way to tell by the dissolution of the inflorescences is when the flowering period of the bush began. Different hybrids bloom at different times. The plant can be early ripening, with an average period of fruit ripening, or late. But this characteristic is only an addition to the study of the appearance of the leaf blade and berries.
other methods
The varietal identity of grape bushes can be determined only by the appearance of the leaf blade, the shape and size of the bunch, the berries and the flowering period of the plant. There are no other accurate methods of determination. Especially for beginner gardeners who are growing grapes for the first year.
It is possible to determine a variety based on frost resistance, disease resistance, and bush size only if you already have some assumptions about the variety. And these signs can only guide you to choose the right one.
Which of the signs is the most correct?
It is impossible to say unequivocally which of the characteristics of identifying a hybrid is correct. For some it is easier to determine by the appearance of the leaf, while for others it is easy to determine the variety by the characteristics of the berries.
It is worth noting that the best way to find out what type of grape bush it is is to study all parts of the plant and its growth characteristics. After all, many varieties have the same leaf structure, but different berry colors or cluster density. And vice versa.
Lastly, pay attention to the ripening period, flowering period and frost resistance. Sometimes you can determine the variety by the growing region. Some plants only grow in specific climates and do not thrive in other regions.
