Blagovest grape variety has recently become known to Russian gardeners. It appeared thanks to the efforts of the Novocherkassk amateur breeder V. Krainov, during the crossing of popular table varieties - Radiant Kishmish and Talisman. This variety was one of the first in a series of varieties created by this famous author today.
The Blagovest grape was appreciated by professional gardeners. They noted fertility, high productivity, excellent taste and attractive appearance of the new variety. In this article, we will describe in detail the Blagovest grapes. You will learn about the secrets of growing it and how to care for a plant so that it pleases stable crops.
Grapes Blagovest: description of the variety
This is a classic table look with large oval-shaped berries, the weight of which can reach 14 grams, and the color ranges from light green to yellow-amber tones. Grapes Blagovest pleases gardeners with large, conical-shaped clusters with a loose structure. Their average weight is from 800 grams to 1.2 kilograms. But it is possible to get larger brushes - up to two kilograms.
Evangelism is also good for producing regular and stable crops. The fruits are well preserved during long-term transportation. They are stored in a cold room for more than two months. The fruits are distinguished by fleshy and juicy flesh, which has a taste of nutmeg or duchess - sometimes even berries with different taste shades ripen on one bush. The berries are covered with an elastic and dense skin, which, during a meal, emits a delicious crunch.
The variety has a high sugar content (22%), but the acidity is quite high (8%). Due to the high sugar content, grapes of this variety are subjected to massive attacks by wasps. Blagovest grapes are classified as table varieties of medium ripening time, which depend on many factors - compliance with the rules of agricultural technology, and, of course, on climatic conditions. The ripening period on average takes from 115 to 125 days from the moment of budding up to the harvest of the amber crop, which usually occurs in late July - early August.
It is noteworthy that the crop can not be removed immediately; the longer it stays on the vines, the more concentrated its flavor. The variety withstands very severe frosts (up to -22 ° C), but for the winter the bushes should be covered.
Grape planting
Description of grapes Blagovest, given by its author, suggests that it is a root-form, with a well-developed root system. Before planting, shorten the roots too long for the seedling to be no more than fifteen centimeters long. Then prepare the landing pits. For each bush, it should be 80 x 80 x 80 cm.
Pits should be filled with fertilizing. It is not difficult to do this: mix the topsoil, humus, ash, superphosphate. Fill the bottom of the pit with this mixture. Press the top dressing and put a bush in the pit, the second top dressing layer is laid on top. After this, the pit is filled with soil. The distance between the bushes should be at least two meters.
Watering
Immediately after planting, the seedling is abundantly watered. Then watering is done every fourteen days through the recesses, which are done in a circle. Their depth should be about fifteen centimeters. Under one young bush, you must pour at least fifty liters of water. In the second year, the seedling is watered five times a season. If there was a lot of rainfall in the winter, then until the plant begins to move the juice, it can do without watering.
After a snowy winter, the bushes need to compensate for the missing moisture - about 60 liters. The next watering is carried out three weeks before the harvest ripens, and then before the leaves fall. The last watering of the season should be more abundant than the previous ones: before the onset of winter, it is necessary to give the plant 70 liters of water.
Pruning
Bushes with their own roots are characterized by vigorous growth. The buds, which are located at the base of the shoots, are characterized by increased fertility. The Blagovest grape (photo you can see below) is famous for giving a harvest even in stepsons.
There are no standard recommendations for trimming this hybrid form: you can trim any number of eyes - by 2-4, by 8-10. It should be borne in mind that each bush should have no more than 35 eyes. For beginners in viticulture, who first planted Blagovest, it will be a surprise that this plant is capable of immediately producing 3-4 inflorescences. This suggests that the variety has a tendency to overload the crop.
How can a bush be loaded?
This property has pluses - high productivity, and cons - Blagovest grapes require careful care. This variety is not for lazy gardeners, so some growers prefer something less whimsical. But if you are determined to seriously engage in this species, then you need to consider all the factors of cultivation. You should either normalize productivity, or closely deal with agricultural issues.
Gardeners have the right to independently decide how much to leave the set brushes, but if you decide to leave everything, then you need to prepare for a number of possible consequences of this decision: ripened berries may be smaller, not have the inherent variety of nutmeg in taste, the clusters can ripen unevenly and rather slowly .
To prevent this, you will have to work hard in the summer and fulfill a number of conditions: remove excess shoots and unnecessary inflorescences. So that the fruits do not lose their good presentation, remove some berries, so the clusters will not be so thick and more attractive.
Breeding
Blagovest grapes are perfectly rooted by cuttings. However, most gardeners prefer vaccination. For rootstock, it is necessary to choose varieties resistant to phylloxera, vigorous. Most hybrids begin to bear fruit only three years after planting, and the Gospel in this case is no exception.
Experienced winegrowers recommend not overloading the young plant - until five years, leave only one bunch on the shoot.
Dangerous diseases
Table hybrid Blagovest is quite resistant to most diseases, it is extremely rare to rot. There are only two common diseases that occur in this grape form - oidium and mildew. These are quite dangerous diseases for the vine that need to be treated, but it is better to take preventive measures.
Mildew, as a rule, attacks green areas. White oily discharge becomes noticeable on the plant. Without treatment, it will dry rapidly and, in the end, will die. To prevent this disease, it is important to choose the right place for planting a bush - a site with constant air circulation. In addition, it is necessary to monitor the growth of shoots, leaves, avoiding thickening.
If the disease still manifests itself, then chemicals can not be dispensed with. You can use Bordeaux liquid, which is sprayed with the plant. The solution should be 1-2%.
Another dangerous disease is oidium. It spreads to the green part of the plant, gradually capturing clusters, berries. If oidium is damaged, the berries crack and become dry. The treatment of this disease is simple: remove all the weeds, the remains of the vine from the bush. It is necessary to ensure that the bushes are ventilated, for this you can not do without quality air circulation, thinning vines. Oidium is treated with ground or colloidal sulfur.
Grapes Blagovest: reviews of gardeners
This variety is perfect for cultivation in areas with a temperate continental climate and fairly frosty winters. According to experienced winegrowers, this variety is not suitable for beginner gardeners, since it requires careful care. Well, for those who already have experience in growing table varieties, this is the perfect choice: fruitful, with excellent taste, preserving the presentation for a long time. If you take good care of the fruits, the Gospel will delight you with stable crops for a long time.