On the plots of domestic gardeners, grape bushes are found quite often. The fruits of this crop have a universal purpose; wine and juice are prepared from the berries, added to marinades, compotes are made and frozen for the winter. Before deciding on a suitable variety, you need to study its description and characteristics. One of the advantages of the Russian Concord grape is its high winter hardiness, which allows it to be cultivated in cold regions.
Story
The “parent” of the domestic variety is the American Concord. Scientists crossed it with the Amur species, thanks to which the variety has high frost resistance, thanks to which grapes can be grown in the middle zone and northern regions. The American variety endowed the new variety with a pleasant taste.
The first seedlings of Russian Concord were bred by breeders in 1947; since then, the variety has become widespread throughout the CIS and, despite the emergence of new hybrids, continues to be popular and produce rich harvests.
Description of the Russian Concord variety
Russian Concord grapes are Isabel varieties and are planted by gardeners and farmers in both southern and northern regions. Description and characteristics of the plant:
- The leaves of the vine are three-lobed, round in shape, and large in size. The color of the plates is rich green, and on the lower surface of the leaf there is pubescence, reminiscent of a white cobweb.
- The flowers are female, so pollinators must be planted nearby.
- The bunch is medium in size, cylindrical in shape, and has medium density when fully formed.
- The berries are round in shape, quite large, have a dark red color with a slight purple tint. The skin of the fruit is of medium density, and the flesh is juicy and fleshy.
- The ripening period is 128 days from the beginning of bud break.
- The average yield is 75 centners per hectare.
Pros and cons of grapes
Over many years of growing the Russian Concord variety, gardeners have identified its advantages and disadvantages.
Subtleties of growing crops
In order for the Russian Concord grape variety to show all the characteristics declared by the breeders, it is necessary to properly prepare a place for it and take a responsible approach to purchasing seedlings.
Dates and place
It is allowed to plant young seedlings of the Russian Concord variety both in spring and early autumn. If winter comes early in the growing region, it is better to carry out planting work in the spring, then the vine will have time to fully take root and will not freeze out during the winter period.
If the soil at the site of the proposed planting is poor, a few weeks before the start of work, add nutrients and dig up the area.
Landing rules
Holes measuring 100 by 100 cm are dug a week before the intended planting. Maintain a distance between holes of 2 meters. A drainage layer is first laid at the bottom of each hole or trench. Broken brick, crushed dry brushwood or small gravel are used as drainage material. This is necessary so that water after rain does not stagnate at the roots of the grapes.
Fertile soil mixed with mineral fertilizers is poured onto the drainage layer, and the seedling is installed, straightening the roots in different directions. After this, they are covered with the remaining soil and lightly compacted. Water the seedling generously and apply a layer of organic mulch.
In this case, you will not have to deal with weeds, and the organic material, decomposing, will feed the roots of the grapes.
Subtleties of plant care
Not only the amount of harvest, but also the health of the grapes depends on the quality of plant care. The vine needs timely shaping, irrigation and nutritional components. It is also important to periodically carry out preventive treatments - although the variety is resistant to damage by fungal microorganisms, if left untreated it can be affected by diseases and insect pests.
Formation of a bush and its pruning
Experienced gardeners recommend pruning the plant in the fall, before protecting the vine from frost. Starting from the second year of cultivation, the formation of the bush begins. All branches are cut into two buds, thus forming sleeves. In the 3rd year, the formation of second-order sleeves is carried out.
Before winter, remove all dry, diseased and weak shoots that will not survive the cold anyway.
Watering and fertilizing
Irrigate the grapevine as the soil dries. Regular watering is especially important in the first year after planting the crop. In hot and sunny weather, moisten each bush once a week, pouring a 10-liter bucket of water under each. If it rains, irrigation is abandoned, since excess moisture will cause the development of fungal diseases.
If, when planting a crop in a hole or trench, enough fertilizer was added, then the plant will need fertilizing only after a year of cultivation. For this purpose, both organic compounds and fertilizers with mineral components are used. For the first time, fertilizing is applied in the spring, using compositions with nitrogen.Repeated fertilizer is used at the stage of fruit formation, at which time the plant needs potassium and phosphorus.
Protection from diseases and pests
Despite the variety’s persistent immunity to fungal diseases, experienced gardeners recommend carrying out preventive treatments twice a season using fungicidal preparations. To prevent pests from destroying the grapes, weeds in the area are promptly weeded, and when the first signs of insect infestation appear, acaricidal compounds are used.
Harvesting and storage
Grape harvesting begins at the end of August or beginning of September, depending on the growing region. You can store the berries in the refrigerator, in airtight plastic containers for 3 weeks, or in a cool cellar. However, most gardeners use the fruits to make wine or juice.
