Grapes are one of the most common crops among most gardeners. People encounter this berry every day, as the plant is added to many food products. There are a huge number of varieties of culture. However, frost-resistant varieties of sweet grapes, which grow even in the northern regions, are especially popular. Before planting such grapes, you need to familiarize yourself with their varieties and cultivation characteristics.
History and features of breeding
I. V. Michurin was at the origins of the development of frost-resistant varieties of grapes. With its help, in the first half of the last century, the first winter-hardy berries were created that were able to withstand the winter drop in temperature. In those years, the best frost-resistant varieties were bred, including Metallic, Arctic, and Concord.
A few years later, breeder Ya. I. Potapenko joined the breeding of new grape species. He decided to create plants that would not only tolerate frost, but also cope with most diseases. His research resulted in the creation of such grapes as Honey, Stepnyak and Suvorovets.
Since the early sixties, domestic breeders decided to create technical varieties that could be grown in Siberia. This was done by a scientist from Orenburg - Shatilov. He devoted several years of his life to creating the most resistant grape varieties. As a result, he created the Amur black and white grapes.
In the second half of the twentieth century, the work of breeders reached a new level, thanks to which large and winter-hardy grape berries were grown on an industrial scale even in areas with severe frosts. Today, many zoned varieties of grapes have been created that grow in open ground in Primorye, the Far East and the Urals.
Such plants are adapted to growing in conditions where the temperature drops below 30 degrees below zero.
What are the advantages?
Frost-resistant varieties of grape bushes have a number of advantages that you should familiarize yourself with before growing them. The main advantages include the following:
- Resistance to low temperatures. The main advantage of such grape varieties is that they are adapted to cold climates. Grape seedlings will grow normally without additional shelter, even if the temperature drops to 25-30 degrees below zero.
- Disease resistance. This is the second most important advantage of winter-hardy plants. They are less likely than other varieties to be attacked by pests and do not suffer from any diseases.
- Transportability. Special mention should be made of the advantages of berries, which, after picking, are stored for a long time and transported even over long distances. The harvested grape harvest does not spoil for 3-4 weeks.
Early frost-resistant varieties
Among summer residents living in regions with cold climates, winter-hardy grapes with early ripening periods are popular. There are several early-ripening varieties that are planted most often.
Transfiguration
Many lovers of early berries plant the Preobrazhenie grape variety in the garden, the clusters of which ripen within 95-105 days. The peculiarity of this grape is that it is capable of bearing fruit several times per season.
The transformation has large clusters, weighing one and a half kilograms. If all agrotechnical rules are followed when growing, the weight of one brush can reach 2-3 kilograms. The clusters consist of many conical berries, each of them weighs 10-20 grams.
Victor
Victor is considered an early grape, the fruits of which ripen in early August or in the second half of July. Therefore, ripe brushes can be picked within 70-80 days after the buds appear on the bushes.
Like Transfiguration, the ripe clusters are quite large and grow up to 1-2 kilograms.Victor berries have an oblong shape, their length reaches 5-6 cm, and their weight is 13-15 grams. Among the differences are the taste of the fruit, which is very juicy and sweet. The main advantages of Victor include the fact that its ripe berries do not crack even with high humidity.
Laura
This is a high-yielding variety, the bushes of which consist of 80-85% fruit-bearing shoots. Laura is covered with large five-lobed leaves with a dark green tint.
Laura's clusters are small and weigh only 800-900 grams, but this does not affect the yield. Due to the fact that many clusters are tied on the bushes, 20-25 kilograms of berries are collected from one plant.
Grapes with increased frost resistance
Residents of northern regions, where temperatures are consistently low, prefer to plant winter-hardy varieties of grapes in the garden. It is recommended to familiarize yourself in advance with varieties that are characterized by increased frost resistance.
Lydia
Lydia is a hybrid grape variety that was developed by crossing Labrusa and Vinifera. The advantages of the plant include the taste of ripe fruits and a high level of productivity. Lydia is also appreciated for her beautiful bushes, with which you can decorate your summer cottage.
When grown on bushes, clusters are formed, which over time take on a cylindrical shape. The weight of each of them is only 100-150 grams.
Tukay
Many winegrowers classify Tukai as an early-ripening variety, since its berries take 80-95 days to ripen. Sometimes the ripening of fruits is delayed, but this does not affect the yield, since the variety tolerates frost. The berries are formed on cylindrical clusters. Their size may vary, as it depends on the conditions in which Tukai is grown.
The harvested Tukai crop can be stored for longer than three weeks without losing its taste. This makes it possible to transport ripe grape bunches over long distances.
Cardinal
Cardinal is considered a rather old variety, which was bred in America back in the 39th year of the last century. A few years later they began to grow it not only in the USA, but also in Europe.
At the beginning of summer, large clusters begin to form on Cardinal bushes. When they mature, their length reaches thirty centimeters and their weight reaches 650 grams.
What are the non-covering varieties?
Many summer residents in regions with low temperatures grow grapes in special greenhouses. However, there are varieties that grow without additional shelter.
Jupiter
This American variety was created in 1984 based on the frost-resistant Labrusca grape. The characteristic features of Jupiter include the fact that its berries ripen in 80-90 days. Also among the differences is that flowering begins a week earlier than other early-ripening plants.
Jupiter bushes are characterized by medium growth vigor; they grow up to 2-3 meters. The advantages of grape seedlings include their resistance to pests and common diseases.
Alpha
To obtain this hybrid variety, varieties such as Labrus and Riparia were crossed. The result is grapes that grow without shelter at temperatures of 35 degrees below zero. Alpha has a late berry ripening period, and therefore harvesting occurs only four months after the buds appear.
The weight of each mature brush reaches 200 grams, and with proper cultivation, their weight can reach 300 grams.The clusters produce small round berries weighing 3-5 grams.
Platovsky
A technical variety of the plant with medium ripening periods. Ripe berries are harvested after 100-120 days. The advantages of Platovsky include the fact that it is easy to care for. Thanks to this, even inexperienced winegrowers can grow the variety.
Platovsky cannot boast of large bunches, since their mass is only 150 grams. Each bunch of grapes is densely covered with berries weighing 2-3 grams.
Features of cultivation
To get a good harvest of frost-resistant grapes, you will have to familiarize yourself with the nuances of growing them. Therefore, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with several features of agricultural technology:
- Control of tassel tying. Most varieties of winter-hardy grape bushes have high yields. If you do not remove excess brushes from the bushes, the plant's resistance to frost will deteriorate and it will freeze.
- Stepsonning. All grape seedlings are actively growing and grow up to 5-8 meters in height. Many shoots appear on the bushes, which should be removed regularly so that they do not interfere with the ripening of the berries. Stepping is carried out at least 2-3 times per season.
- Pollination. Some varieties have to be pollinated independently by special pollinators. Therefore, you should figure out in advance whether the planted grapes are self-pollinating or not.
Conclusion
In regions with low temperatures it is necessary to plant winter-hardy grape varieties. However, before doing this, you should familiarize yourself with the main varieties of such grapes and the rules for growing them.
