Cultivation of grapes "Veles": care and planting

Grapes have always enjoyed great popularity, which is why vineyards can be found today in almost every summer resident or gardener. Among the variety of varieties of culture, seedless species are in demand, to which Veles grapes belong, according to reviews of gardeners, which stands out for its taste.

Seedless grapes have been cultivated for a long time, but in recent years breeders have become increasingly interested in planting such crops. The result of this work was the grapes "Veles". The hybrid was bred as a result of crossing the Rusbol and Sofia varieties in Ukraine.

Due to the fact that between the phase of bud break and harvesting takes a little more than three months, the culture belongs to the early grape varieties. The vine develops quite rapidly and evenly along the entire length of the shoot. One bush can contain about 35 eyes.

Formation of flowers takes place on one vegetative shoot, their number is from two to four pieces. This hybrid flowers are hermaphroditic, or bisexual. But despite this, the plant needs additional pollination, thanks to which it is possible to increase the crop yield by at least 20%. The grapes "Veles" is characterized by a rather impressive mass, as a rule, the weight of one can reach up to two kilograms. Most often they are cylindrical and rather branchy.

The grapes grow oval-shaped and grow on the brushes with an average density. The mass of one berry is on average about 5 grams. They have a peel of small density of a pink shade, due to its moderate thickness, it is easily chewed along with the pulp.

In sunlight, the berries resemble the color of amber stone, which has a positive effect on the aesthetic side of this variety.

As for the taste, the berries of this variety have a characteristic muscat flavor, in some cases, they can be found insignificant bones, which are almost not felt during the consumption of fruits. These inclusions are not full-fledged seeds, but are peculiar seed germs. A similar feature of "Veles" was borrowed from the Magarach grape variety, which is present in the genotype of the hybrid under consideration.

The acidity of grape juice varies from 6-7 ppm, the sugar content is 14-25%.

The high level of air humidity leads to cracking of the skin of the fruit, causing the berry to rot. Too dry climate and scorching sun adversely affect the taste of grapes, as a result it dries out and turns into raisins. In this form, the clusters can be on the shrub for about one and a half months.

The property, which makes it possible to compare favorably the variety "Veles" from other plants, is double fruiting. Grape shoots form a lot of stepsons, in turn, they ripen berries. Therefore, this hybrid yields a harvest in early August, and then, another grape harvest can be carried out in October. In low-moisture weather, ripe clusters are able to remain on the bushes for another month and a half without sacrificing taste, while retaining their visual appeal.

For an exhaustive characteristic of the variety, it is worthwhile to dwell on the main positive features of grapes:

• due to its external attractiveness, grapes are distinguished by good commercial properties and transportability;
• Many admirers of the variety note the nutmeg flavor of the berries among the advantages;
• ripe clusters are stored for a long time;
• double yield and frost resistance make the crop popular among winegrowers;
• grape seedlings are fast adaptable to the landing site.

The disadvantages of plants must be attributed susceptibility to the formation of gray rot. However, regular processing of the vineyard will reduce the risk of plant disease.

In light of the characteristics inherent in the variety, it is recommended for cultivation in a temperate climate not only in our country, but also in Ukraine and Belarus. The variety is quite popular in Krasnodar, and with proper care and proper preparation of bushes for the winter, the Veles grapes are successfully grown by the vine-growers in the Moscow region.

As the practice of breeding grapes "Veles", it must be planted in the spring before the sap flow, or prepare the seedlings of culture for autumn planting in October.

It should be noted the basic requirements that must be met when growing grapes "Veles". The main ones are described below.

• The plant can be planted in any soil. Exceptions are too marshy soils. In bushes that will be planted in such a land, the root system will suffer first of all from a lack of oxygen, which will eventually lead to the death of the plant.
• The groundwater level should not be less than one and a half meters.
• If at the site of the planned planting earlier grapes were already growing, then new plants can be planted in this land no earlier than three years later.
• Grapes will not be able to develop properly in too dark areas of the garden, as well as adjacent to crops that require frequent watering.

In order for the bushes to grow and yield a crop, there is no need to perform frequent and abundant watering, since the root system of the plant is able to obtain the required moisture from the soil. But in certain periods, watering should be carried out regularly. This applies to the time when the first buds bloom on the vine, before the flowering of the plant and at the time of the formation of the berries.

To increase the productivity of irrigation of grapes there is another important work for the gardener - mulching the soil around the bushes. It is the layer of mulch that will help retain moisture inside and prevent it from evaporating, moreover, it serves as an excellent fertilizer for the crop if sawdust, peat, moss or humus are used.

However, mulching a grape string for the proper feeding of grapes will not be enough. To replenish the required reserves, the soil is regularly saturated with fertilizers, the plant during the development period requires phosphorus and potassium.

In late autumn or early spring, the bushes are pruned, thanks to this, it is possible to form the correct shape of the plant, as well as increase the yield of the hybrid. The norm for pruning grapes is the removal of 6 to 8 buds. If severe frosts are predicted, the bushes are pruned more.

In addition, it is necessary to remove all damaged processes. Grapes "Veles" requires compulsory hiding for the winter. Young plants are placed in plastic bottles with a cropped bottom or any other container, such as a bucket. After which the bush is covered with earth before the onset of spring.

Even maximum efforts to care for grapes will not bring the expected yield, if we ignore the preventive measures concerning fungal diseases. As practice shows, the resistance of the variety to such diseases is average, and is 3.5 points.

Most often, like most grapes, Veles suffers from mildew and oidium. It is they who cause serious damage to the crop, in addition, diseased plants are not able to allow the vine to ripen.This reduces the strength of the grapes, so not every crop can withstand hibernation and freezing, as it simply freezes.

To prevent the risk of disease, grapes, soil and plants in the fall must be treated Bordeaux liquid.

After that, the prophylactic spraying should be repeated in the spring before the bud break, as well as with the appearance of the first shoots. Quite effective drugs are present on the market that can be used for treatment of fungal infections, for example, Ridomil Gold.

The appearance on the plant of ashen plaque with the unobtrusive smell of fish indicates that the bushes were affected by oidium. For the treatment of plants, the plantations are treated with sulfur compounds. The maximum result from the treatment can be achieved when working with drugs at an air temperature of about + 25C.

Herbicides are the most effective universal formulations to combat grape diseases. However, for each particular disease there are specialized drugs for treatment.

In addition to diseases, insects can threaten the future harvest. Since Veles grapes belong to varieties that ripen quite early, they often suffer from the attack of wasps. To save the berries, away from the vineyards, special sweet baits are placed, which contain honey with insecticides. Some growers to fight insects tie each bunch with a net or put it in a bag. In addition to the invasions of bees, such protective agents will save berries from birds.

The crop yield is directly related to the amount of sunlight that the plant receives in the process of growth, since ultraviolet allows the inflorescences to be preserved better, which increases the future harvest.

Clusters of grapes "Veles" will be ready for collection in late July or early August. Regions with a warm and long fall contribute to the collection of two harvests per season from the bushes. The second time the berries ripen by October. The autumn harvest may differ from the first in the size of the berries - they will be much smaller, but they will not lose their taste.

Harvest for subsequent transportation to avoid damage to berries, it is better to store in shallow boxes. In cool and darkened rooms grapes perfectly preserved for about three months. In order to preserve its original appearance as long as possible, it is worth hanging the brushes on the strung twine.

This variety grows well in the southern regions of Russia, Ukraine, as well as in the Crimea.

The considered grape variety growing in the middle lane is able to tolerate low temperatures well. To help the plant survive the winter, special hiding places are created for the bushes. Preparation consists in trimming bushes, prophylactic processing and closing with plastic wrap or agrofibre.

Experienced winegrowers identify a number of practical recommendations concerning the Veles hybrid culture, the main ones are discussed below.

• For grapes to bring good yields, it needs moisture. However, frequent watering is undesirable for the plant. That is why of great importance is the place for planting bushes. The best option would be black soil with shallow groundwater.
• Independent watering of grapes is necessary during the period of the main vegetative processes, such as the ripening of buds, flowering and the formation of berries on clusters.
• To feed the culture and maintain the required level of moisture, the mulch layer at the bushes should be about three centimeters.The main thing is that humus or any other layer retains moisture well, but it does not prevent air from entering the soil.
• As a regular top dressing of grape bushes, potassium and phosphorus should be applied to the soil for digging or in liquid form.

Review of grapes "Veles", see the following video.