Viticulture firmly entered the life of summer residents and gardeners: each of them has at least one bush of these berries on his plot. Those of them who have just recently acquired their land or decided to do garden work, still can not decide which particular grade to give preference to. A true find for them can be the Friendship grape, which is truly universal: it can be grown both in the south and in the northern regions, as well as in the climatic conditions of the middle lane.
Grade description
This variety is usually referred to table technical grapes. This is due to the versatility of application: berries are suitable not only for fresh consumption, but also for making compote, wine, and pie filling. It is interesting to note that the wine made from these berries has an excellent taste. The Druzhba grape variety is a hybrid of three varieties at once: the Kaylyshki bowl, Villar Blanc, and Hamburg muscat.
The variety has significant advantages over others that are similar in characteristics: it has increased resistance to disease and frost resistance, has early ripening, can be grown throughout Russia, has a pleasant nutmeg taste, has a good yield and ripeness.
Description of grapes Friendship given in various sources allows us to say with confidence that to increase the yield he needs good care and proper pruning. Well-timed feeding and pest prevention are good.
Variety disadvantages
Despite its clear advantages, Friendship grapes also have their drawbacks. His vine is very strong and can withstand a large weight of berries, however, too many brushes should not be formed. Garter grapes can partially solve the problem of extra clusters, however, this can affect the quality and size of the fruit.
This grape is not suitable for trade, because it has a very unattractive appearance. The weight of the clusters is small, and the berries are small and not very beautiful in appearance. In addition, in conditions of cold northern climate, the variety needs mandatory shelter.
Taste characteristics and description of berries
Grapes Friendship is a super-early variety, the berries ripen within 115 days. The harvesting period is estimated at the end of August, however, depending on the region, these dates may vary. The brush has a weight of up to 300 grams, its shape is cylindrical. The berries are round in shape and white in color, have a sweet taste with a slight nutmeg flavor. The pulp is very fleshy. When tasting grapes, Friendship received 9.4 points out of a possible 10.
The berries are suitable for making wine, which has very high tasting ratings. For example, dry wine made from grapes of the specified variety deserves 8.6 points, and experts estimated its sparklingness at 9.4 points.
Grapes Large-fruited friendship is much less common, and the characteristics are not very different from ordinary. Perhaps the only thing that catches your eye is a slightly larger berry size. Otherwise, the fruits are completely identical.
Outdoor and greenhouse cultivation
It will seem strange to many, but in regions with constant temperature changes it is impossible to grow seedlings in open ground. In this case, greenhouses come to the rescue. Nevertheless, growing seedlings in the open field and in the greenhouse method has some features. First of all, the greenhouse must be well-lit and have drip irrigation. Daytime temperature should not be lower than 10 ° , and nighttime temperature should not be lower than 8 ° .
The way in which Friendship grapes are grown does not in any way affect the quality of the berries. However, this variety is tall and requires significant areas, so growing it in a greenhouse is very problematic. In addition, growing such a crop in a greenhouse is a very laborious affair. If possible, it is better, of course, to do it in the open ground.
Planting seedlings
When planting seedlings, the main thing to consider is that the bushes are tall. The distance between the rows should be about 3 meters, and between the bushes leave 2 meters. When preparing a landing pit, fertilizers must be introduced into it.
Immediately before planting, the vine leaves one of the strongest shoots, the rest must be removed. The roots are slightly trimmed in order to update them, after which they are planted in a pit to a depth of 60 centimeters. After planting, the plant needs to be well watered and sprinkled on top of the ground. After rain or another watering, it is necessary to loosen the ground. Otherwise, the seedling may die from a lack of air.
Seedling Care
During growth and fruiting, seedlings need care. This includes both the garter of the grape and its top dressing. For the latter, you can use both organic fertilizers and mineral ones. The first dressing should be carried out before flowering, and the second - after two weeks. The third time you can feed already before the berries begin to ripen.
Friendship grapes are one of those varieties that need to be pruned regularly. Dry and old branches should be removed immediately. The vine that will bear fruit should be pruned into 6-8 eyes, there should be no more than 35 on the bush. When the bush reaches the age of three years, it can begin to form and give that shape that will correspond to this particular variety.
Pest Prevention and Frost Protection
Despite the fact that the Friendship grape is a frost-resistant variety, it is better to take measures to protect it from freezing. This can be done by complete shelter or hilling. Young seedlings, which are about a year old, are best spud. For this, the vine is covered with a layer of earth. With full shelter, the vine is cut, laid on the ground and covered with insulation.
Early grape shelter is not welcome, as eyes may begin to appear. The most optimal period will be considered the period when the first frosts hit. Prevention from pests and diseases is recommended in April, when the active growth of the bush has not yet begun. In the process of growing treatment, it is recommended to repeat several times per season. Before picking berries and during flowering, all chemical treatments are stopped.