Description and characteristics of Krasa Nikopol grape variety, planting and care

A young table variety with dark pink berries has already become a favorite among gardeners. It is grown both by summer residents on their plots and by professional winegrowers for sale. The popularity of Krasa Nikopol grapes is due to its inflexibility, immunity to unfavorable conditions, good transportability, annual abundance and abundance of the harvest.

History of the variety's creation

The Krasa Nikopol variety was created by a non-professional in the 1950s. The creator is gardener Alexey Sidun from the Ukrainian city of Nikopol. The grapes were obtained by combining the varieties Zhemchug Saba and Rish Baba.

Description and characteristics of the variety

Krasa Nikopol grapes belong to the category of pink table varieties. At the stage of late ripeness, the skin of the fruit acquires a dark pink, almost purple color.

The variety is popular, resistant to adverse conditions, although the taste of the berries is simple. Its popularity is due to its considerable yield even in seasons when there is no fruiting of other varieties.

Bush

Plants come in both tall and medium height. Each produces up to 70% of fruit-bearing shoots.

The flowers are bisexual. Many inflorescences are formed on the shoot, but it is advisable to preserve only the lower ones.

Fruit

The bunch is cone-shaped, weighs about 500 g. The fruits do not fit very tightly to each other, sometimes even loosely. But the commercial attractiveness of the bunch is not lost because of this.

The berries ripen together. The fruit is oval, weighs 4-5 g. Length – 2 cm, width – 1.7 cm. The pulp is elastic, with seeds. The skin is thin but durable. The taste is soft, sweet with sourness, there is a nutmeg note. The sugar content is high, but when harvested late, the fruits do not turn into raisins.

Maturation

Super early variety from Nikopol. It takes 105 days for the fruit to ripen.

Sustainability

Krasa Nikopol grapes are notable for their immunity to powdery mildew. However, resistance to other fungal infections is low. The index of immunity to mildew is only 3.5 points. Therefore, preventive measures are required.

Frost resistance is moderate. The grapes tolerate frosts down to -22 °C without problems in the absence of snow cover.

The main positive and negative aspects of grapes

Advantages of the Krasa Nikopol variety:

• rapid ripening;
• good seasonal productivity;
• lack of transformation into raisins when hanging on a branch for a long time;
• good safety during transportation;
• inflexibility regarding soil conditions;
• immunity to insect attack;
• sufficient resistance to frost;
• immunity to powdery mildew.

Of the minuses it should be noted:

• susceptibility to mildew and other infections;
• the need for pruning and pre-winter preparation.

The nuances of growing the Krasa Nikopol variety

Grape seedlings from Nikopol take root well, but planting rules must still be followed. Without observing them, there is a high risk that the plant will not take root or will not develop fully and will not produce rich harvests.

Preparing for landing

The first step is to prepare the soil. 2 months before the planned planting, it is necessary to fertilize the soil in the selected area with potassium salt.

The soil must be nutritious, free from infection and harmful insects. To prepare it, mullein, peat, lime and soil from the site are combined.

Seedlings prepared for planting are hardened off within 10 days. It is advisable to cut off thickening shoots that will draw strength from the plant and inhibit its rooting.

Planting a bush

Planting Krasa Nikopol grapes is carried out according to the standard algorithm:

• dig a planting hole;
• drainage 10 cm thick is placed at its bottom, gravel is used;
• A peg is placed in the hole for support and the seedling is lowered;
• the plant is tied to a stake, watered with a pale manganese solution to disinfect the roots;
• the hole is buried;
• To preserve moisture, the ground is mulched with sawdust.

Plant care rules

The Krasa Nikopol variety is not capricious.Caring for it is not difficult.

Watering and fertilizing

The grapes are irrigated 3 or 4 times during the growing season. For one adult plant take 20 liters of water. The procedure is carried out in the evening. After watering, the soil is loosened and weeds are pulled out.

The frequency of watering is determined by the weather. During the dry season, water more often and more abundantly.

The grapes are fed 3 times per season. The culture needs a potassium-phosphorus-nitrogen complex. At the end of summer, after harvesting, it is useful to feed the bushes with organic matter (a bucket of compost per plant).

Trimming

Pruning is a mandatory stage of care. Without it, yields will decline from season to season.

Grapes are pruned in two stages:

• in the fall, after harvesting, cut off non-fruiting and injured shoots, which only draw strength from the plant;
• In the spring, frozen and diseased shoots are removed.

Preparing for winter

For the winter period, the grapes must be covered. Organize the shelter according to the following algorithm:

• The shoots remaining after autumn pruning are detached from the support and placed on fertilized soil;
• To prevent rotting, shoots are treated with copper sulfate;
• cover the plant with any insulating material - agrofibre, straw, leaf litter.

Protection of the variety from diseases and pests

Powdery mildew does not threaten Krasa Nikopol grapes. To prevent fungus, spray with a 1% solution of copper sulfate. Treat 3 or 4 times per season. It is unacceptable to spray grapes during the flowering phase and when the berries are ripening. Prevention also involves thinning the shoots, since in dense greenery there is a high risk of fungal infection.

Wasps rarely attack these grapes because they ripen early and the fruits have thick skin.

But sometimes winegrowers have to fight sparrows.

Collection and storage technology

Harvest in the second half of July. The bunches are cut with pruning shears. Store the harvest in a wooden container in a cool place. Shelf life – up to 5 days.

The fruits do not crack or wrinkle during long-term transportation. Therefore, the variety is often grown by farmers for sale.