Description of the variety and characteristics of the Citron Magaracha grape variety, cultivation

Gardeners who want to grow grapes must first decide why they are doing it. This is due to the fact that the culture is divided into two types - technical and dessert. Technical varieties are used in winemaking and canning, while dessert varieties are used fresh. There are varieties that, with a stretch, can be classified as both types at once. These include the Citron Magaracha grape variety. Let's figure out what its advantages are and how it is grown.

History of variety development

The variety was first born at the Magarach Institute of Viticulture and Winemaking, by crossing three varieties: Ukrainian Early, Madeleine Angevins and the Magarach hybrid. Later it was registered as grapes used for cultivation for industrial purposes. It is loved by gardeners and winemakers for its good taste and stable harvest.

Advantages and disadvantages

The plant gained its fame thanks to its worthy characteristics, among which are the following:

• high productivity;
• nice smell;
• rich taste;
• Not only wine is made from Citron Magaracha, its berries are quite suitable for fresh food;
• calmly reacts to sub-zero temperatures;
• weakly susceptible to attacks by fungal diseases and pests.

No obvious deficiencies were identified. With proper care, grapes will delight gardeners with a tasty and abundant harvest.

Note! The variety belongs to the category of self-pollinating, and to obtain a harvest it does not require planting additional varieties in one area.

External parameters

The description of the variety is divided into two stages:

• description of the appearance of the bush and its shoots;
• description of leaves and fruits.

Let's take a closer look at them.

Bush and shoots

The Citron Magaracha bush, with intensive care and favorable conditions, grows above average. The young vine has a delicate, pale green color, while mature plants change color and the vine becomes a rich, red color.

Leaves and fruits

The leaves have three rounded lobes and are green in color. The bunch is conical in shape, its average weight reaches 300 grams. The berries are round in shape and medium in size. Their skin is thin but durable. The color of the berries is yellow, with a greenish tint. The pulp is juicy, and each berry contains 3-4 seeds.

Specifications

Among the technical characteristics of the bush, an important role is played by:

• resistance to fungal diseases and parasite attacks;
• productivity;
• resistance to cold climates, which is especially important for Russia.

The breeders who developed the Citron Magaracha variety did their best, and all three characteristics are at a high level.

Productivity

The yield is worthy of admiration, because a gardener will harvest about 9 kilograms of grapes from one bush. Accordingly, about 10-11 tons of grapes are harvested from a plot of 1 hectare. Not every variety can boast of such indicators, but coupled with its versatility and excellent taste, such abundance only causes a joyful smile.

Disease resistance

Good, strong immunity instilled into the Citron Magaracha bush allows gardeners not to worry about diseases common to the crop, such as:

• gray rot;
• oidium;
• mildew.

The dangers that threaten the variety and its yield include damage to grape phylloxera. To combat this pest, seedlings are wrapped in polyethylene and then planted on the site. They remain in this form until the bush gets stronger. As a preventive measure, it is enough to carry out periodic inspections of plantings and remove damaged leaves.

Once every few seasons, it is allowed to treat plantings with special antifungal drugs.

Frost resistance

In theory, the bush is able to withstand frosts with air temperatures dropping to -25 ^O. In practice, everything is somewhat worse, and experienced gardeners advise covering grapes every winter, no matter how severe the winter is in your region of residence.

Catarrh is used as an effective method that increases resistance to negative temperatures. The meaning of the method is as follows:

• pruning shears are used to trim the upper roots of the bush, which lie at a depth of up to 5 centimeters;
• the plant begins to respond to such actions and strengthen the lower part of the root system, so that freezing of the soil does not have a strong negative effect.

Note! Don't forget to mulch the soil around the bush in preparation for the winter season.

Planting and growing grapes

Citron Magaracha grapes are not considered a capricious variety, the cultivation of which requires a lot of time and effort. However, it is not recommended to plant and care for the bush illiterately. Follow the basic requirements when planting and caring for the plant, and it will reciprocate, bringing a stable harvest.

Before purchasing Magarach seeds or seedlings, pay attention to the following points:

• favorable growing regions;
• landing dates;
• selection and preparation of a site;
• care of grape bushes.

In what regions is cultivation possible?

Growing bushes is possible in many regions of Russia, the temperature of which in winter does not fall below -25 ^O. The following are considered favorable for breeding:

• North Caucasus;
• Crimea;
• Volgograd region;
• Rostov region;
• Middle Asia;
• Far East.

In the Moscow region and other regions located closer to the north, conditions are not so rosy, so when planting, choose a sunny place, preferably on the south side of your summer cottage.

How to choose a healthy and strong seedling

When purchasing seedlings, pay attention to:

1. Root system. Choose seedlings with a lot of roots. They should be whole and well formed.
2. The bark of the seedling should be intact, without signs of damage.
3. Pay attention to whether the seedling is grafted or not. A grafted seedling is much better.
4. The buds, when pressed lightly, should not fall off or peel.

Important! Seedlings on which leaves have formed should be avoided. Plants whose root system is in the open air, without any shelter, are also not the best purchase.

Planting dates and scheme

When planting bushes, use one of the following schemes:

• the distance between bushes is 3 meters, the distance between beds is 1.5 meters;
• the distance between bushes is 3 meters, the distance between beds is 2 meters.

Seedlings are planted in mid-spring and early summer. It all depends on the region of residence and the method of planting.

Soil preparation

The preparation process is as follows:

1. At the planting site, a hole is dug 50-60 centimeters wide and of the same depth.
2. A thin layer of gravel is poured onto the bottom.
3. The next layer is a mixture of soil dug out of the hole, with manure, sand and peat.
4. The soil needs to be compacted every 20-30 centimeters.
5. The bush is planted at a slight slope.

Selecting a location

The place for grapes must meet the following conditions:

• good lighting;
• wind protection;
• You should not plant bushes in places where water stagnates.This will lead to rotting of the roots;
• the soil on the site should be neutral acidity. Loamy or sandy loamy areas are suitable for this.

Fertilizer

The plant should be fed with fertilizers in the spring. Fertilizers can be either organic or inorganic based. As an organic fertilizer, horse manure is the best option. For a young plant, the dosage per bush is 4 liters of manure, for an adult plant – 8-9 liters.

Watering mode

Water the bushes no more than once a week. A couple of buckets of water are poured onto the bush. Most of all, the plant needs watering during the period of bud break and during the formation of berries on the bunch.

Note! Before and during flowering, it is necessary to stop artificial irrigation of the grapes. Otherwise, the flowers from the bush will quickly fall off, and you may not expect a good harvest.

Do not water the grapes with ice water, this will have a bad effect on their condition. The bush itself should not be watered either.

Treating vines against infectious agents

Thanks to its strong immune system, Citron Magaracha does not require special treatment with chemicals. For prevention, you can spray the bush no more than once every 2-3 years.

Trimming

This variety is pruned into 3-4 buds, which stimulates growth and the formation of a bountiful harvest. It is necessary to leave up to 30 eyes on the vine; this number will help to form full-fledged bunches of grapes, and the bush will not be overloaded.

Getting ready for winter

When planting in the southern regions, you don’t have to bother yourself with special preparations for the winter season. The plant will cope with bad weather on its own.For the Moscow region and neighboring regions, the plant will not have enough of its own strength, and for the winter it needs to be covered with a special cloth.

Fruiting period and harvest

There are two types of grape ripening:

• average;
• mid-late.

With an average harvest, grapes are suitable for the production of table wine, and a medium-late harvest is used for dessert wines. Harvesting should be done carefully, without damaging the vine on which the clusters grow.

Where are the berries used?

The main area of ​​use of Citron Magaracha is winemaking. Excellent for making dry and dessert wine. It can be consumed fresh, as the variety is universal, and its taste is rich and intense.