Many appreciate grapes for its beneficial properties and excellent taste. Breeders brought a huge number of varieties of this berry. The most exotic of them are witch fingers grapes, which are distinguished by an unusual elongated shape.
Variety breeding history
The witch’s fingers grape was first grown in 2002 by American scientists. The variety was bred at the University of Arkansas, which has its own agricultural site. The process of creation took place with the help of manual pollination of one American variety by several Mediterranean varieties.
Acquisition of planting material
Unfortunately, the witch’s fingers grape seedlings are not sold on the territory of the Russian Federation, so the only way to grow this variety is to buy seeds in America or in China. In this case, a package of 50 pieces will cost 30-70 rubles, but the possibility of their germination is extremely small.
What type of variety is it?
Grapes "witches' fingers" refers to red table varieties, so it is advised to use it fresh, without undergoing any processing. It is also a hybrid form of the "kishmish" type, that is, even despite the large size, the berries have a very small number of seeds.
Many winegrowers classify this variety as elite, due to its small distribution around the globe and, accordingly, a small volume of the grown crop.
But Russian summer residents also have the opportunity to grow unusual berries on their site. There is a hybrid double of the grape variety “witch's fingers” called “alyonushka”. It is distributed throughout the country, and it is much easier to purchase.
Description
“Witches' fingers” is a grape whose description should begin with the unusual appearance of the berries. They are distinguished by a matte violet, close blue or black and blue color and an oblong shape.
By their consistency, the berries are dense, their skin is strong. Taste qualities remain at the highest level. The variety is very sweet, juicy and rich, it is believed that resembles a sweet plum. There is also a slight aftertaste of Lambrus grapes.
The bush of plants is quite high, characterized by rapid growth.
In terms of its useful qualities, this variety is not inferior to its counterparts, but differs in a small amount of tannins and low acidity.
Now breeders are testing white witch fingers grapes, which will have the same shape and delicate, sweet taste.
Specifications
Variety producers have done a good job on its quality characteristics. Grapes “witch’s fingers” can be grown both on an industrial scale and in the country. He is unpretentious in leaving, can withstand the climatic conditions of central Russia, while bringing a good harvest.
It is highly resistant to various diseases affecting this fruit and berry culture.
Such a variety ripens in mid-summer, on average it takes 115 to 125 days to grow witch fingers. Due to these qualities, it belongs to the early-middle type.
The flower of the plant is bisexual, so when growing such berries, you do not need to worry about proper pollination, which is very convenient for large volumes.
On average, one berry weighs from 7 to 10 grams.
The mass of a whole bunch ranges from 700 to 1,500 grams.
The bush is able to withstand temperatures up to -23 degrees, so at the risk of a frosty winter, the plant must be carefully covered, thereby protecting from cold air.
Productivity is average.
Resistance to various diseases
Grapes “witches' fingers”, the photo of which can be seen below, refers to the dessert types of this culture. Due to its high sugar content and low acidity, it is rarely exposed to various diseases. But one cannot exclude the possibility of the appearance of an ailment, so it is very important to know how to quickly and efficiently get rid of it.
- Powdery mildew and penosporosis - the variety has good resistance to such diseases, colloidal or ground sulfur , “Topaz” and “Skor” are used as prophylaxis.
- Bacterial cancer - the witch’s fingers grape variety is rarely affected, but if infection occurs, Fitoverm, Gamair, Extrasol or Fitolavin are used.
- Rodents can significantly spoil the grapes, so you should protect the plant from the attacks of animals who want to enjoy delicious berries. For such purposes, sawdust, ash or peat with the addition of creolin are scattered on the ground within a meter of the bush.
- Birds are also a serious problem for gardeners growing this fruit crop. Berries are easy prey, and rarely what kind of bird can fly by. To distract their attention, you can hang drinking bowls on neighboring trees, but this method does not promise an ideal result, the risk of losing part of the crop in any case remains.
- Wasps - since the “witch’s fingers” differ in a dense skin, it will be difficult for an insect to get close to the pulp. The attention of wasps is attracted only by those berries that had previously been pecked by birds.
Another distinctive feature of the variety is its safety and naturalness, because when it was created, scientists did not resort to genetic modification. Grapes witch’s fingers are ideal for sale, a sweet taste in combination with an unusual shape can bring good returns to suppliers. The only difficulty remains the purchase of planting material, it can be purchased only outside the Russian Federation.