Features of growing grapes "Kishmish radiant"
A special place among all types of grapes is occupied by seedless varieties. They are known to our compatriots under the general name kishmish, their fruits are characterized by an exquisite sweet taste, so they can be used both raw and serve as raw materials for the production of winter preparations. "Radiant Kishmish" is especially popular among summer residents due to its increased productivity and climate resistance in the central part of Russia.
Variety Description
Grape varieties "Radiant Kishmish" is a hybrid obtained by breeders from Moldova over two decades ago. To obtain it, the common varieties "Rose Kishmish" and "Cardinal" were crossed, the result was an unpretentious and frost-resistant look that most residents of the post-Soviet space loved so much. An important role in this was played by the high productivity of the variety - up to 30-40 kg of berries can be harvested from each bush.
There is an opinion among summer residents and winegrowers that among all seedless varieties, the most delicious and fragrant is Radiant Kishmish. This is a mid-season crop - you can get ripe fruits 120-130 days after the start of flowering.
The plant is characterized by increased growth and bushiness, it forms rather long whip-shoots. The leaves are five-lobed, large, green mass developed.
Kishmish brushes are large, they can reach 50 cm in length, and each weighs 800-1000 grams, and under favorable weather conditions and compliance with all the rules of agricultural technology, the weight of a bunch can even reach one and a half kilograms.
Berries have an elongated rounded shape, pink color. Each berry weighs approximately 4-6 g. The pulp is very fleshy and juicy, but at the same time dense, thanks to which the berries perfectly withstand transportation and long-term storage.
The sugar content of fruits is 18-21%, and the proportion of acid does not exceed 7%, which leads to a pleasant delicate taste of grapes with light notes of nutmeg. The flowers are bisexual, so there are usually no problems with pollination, and the plants do not require additional hand pollination.
The first fruits can be expected within a year after planting., the approximate aging period, depending on weather conditions, varies from 120 to 140 days.
Grapes of the Kishmish radiant variety ripen in late August - early September. Fruits are 60-70% of the vines, this should be taken into account before pruning.
Harvest can be stored in boxes in a cool, dry place until the New Year. Grapes are consumed raw, and are also used for preservation and home-made wines.
Advantages and disadvantages
"Radiant Kishmish" has a lot of advantages that distinguish it from all other grape varieties. Here are just a few of them.
The plant has a very flexible vine, which greatly facilitates the cultivation of crops in regions with an unfavorable climate, for example, in the Moscow region, and other areas of the middle zone of our country.It is very simple to cover the bushes for wintering due to their characteristics - you just need to tilt the shoots and press them to the ground, while the grapes do not receive any damage. At the same time, "Radiant Kishmish" is distinguished by good frost resistance, so wintering does not harm seedlings.
High fertility is a big advantage, from each bush you can harvest a good harvest even in areas with adverse climatic conditions.
Berries have a high sugar content, they are characterized by a juicy and sweet taste. Their use can be versatile - they are eaten raw, they are suitable for spinning, the fruits are ideal for making red wine.
The variety can be grown both for personal consumption and for sale, as it has a dense skin, perfectly tolerates packaging, transportation and storage over a long period.
The agrotechnics of the culture is quite simple - after rooting, the bushes grow very actively and in a fairly short period of time reach the size of an adult plant.
Like any other variety, the hybrid has its drawbacks, and first of all, it is susceptibility to various diseases, and poor resistance to pests. However, with proper care, preventive measures and timely measures taken to heal grapes, you can get rid of the problem very quickly.
High yield, which refers to the pluses of the plant, many breeders attribute at the same time to the minuses, since the large size and weight of the clusters create an excessive load on the bush, which, unfortunately, not every branch can handle - some of them break, leading to crop losses.
Proper pruning does not solve this problem, because, even if the bush survives, the berries that form in large quantities may lack potassium and other micro and macro elements necessary for ripening. The result is the appearance of cracks in the berries, increased wateriness and excessive acidity of the fruit.
That is why it is extremely important to regularly prune overgrown bushes and feed the grapes with complex fertilizers - only in this case you can get a rich harvest of ripe and appetizing berries.
Varieties
Thanks to its exceptional consumer features, "Radiant Kishmish" is highly valued by breeders who tirelessly cross it with other hybrids, striving to get even better, tastier and more resistant to adverse effects fruits.
When crossing the varieties "Radiant Kishmish" and "Arcadia", a new variety of grapes was bred, called "Sofia". This is an early ripe table variety, the vegetation period of which is 110-115 days. The apical leaves are quite large, without pronounced dissection, rather rounded, dark green in color. Plantations have a vigorous structure.
The grapes of the Sofia variety are large, each 25-35 mm long and 20-22 mm wide. The color of the fruit is pink, the skin is thin, you can hardly feel it while eating.
The pulp is juicy and fleshy, has a sweet taste and a nutmeg smell. This variety has seeds: each berry has 1-2 seeds. The flowers are female, so the plant requires artificial pollination, most often flower stalks of the Arcadia variety are used for this.
The hybrid withstands frosts down to -20 degrees, is able to resist oidium and mildew, however, it requires treatment with fungicidal solutions.
As a result of crossing "Sofia" with "Rusbol" grapes, "Veles" kishmish was bred. The berries are distinguished by a sweet nutmeg taste, the flesh is juicy and crispy.
The variety is characterized by high yield, the weight of each fruit is 6 grams, and the mass of the brush reaches 1.5 kg.
The advantage of the hybrid is seedlessness and early ripeness., you can get ripe fruits already after 90-100 days from the moment of flowering. The variety is bisexual, so it can be pollinated naturally.
"Veles" can withstand frosts down to -21 degrees, so it can be successfully cultivated in most of Russia.
Another variety of the variety "Kishmish radiant" is the variety "Levokumsky" - its resistance to fungal diseases and other typical diseases of the vine is currently being studied.
Landing and care
Despite the fact that the agricultural technology of the "Radiant Kishmish" variety is quite simple, grape care is necessary, and throughout the year.
Landing
It is very important to choose the right place for planting a variety, since the bush is tall and sprawling, it will require a lot of space. This plant does not tolerate crowding, if the frequency of planting is increased, then the fruits are crushed and will ripen worse. It is extremely important to place a support next to the vine, for which branches will cling to as they grow.
The site should be well lit, the plant is categorically contraindicated in the shadow. It is important to avoid drafts and gusts of wind, so it is best to plant the plant near the fences and walls of the building, but so that they do not block the sun's rays.
It is optimal to engage in planting in the fall, October is best suited for these works.You can not worry that the plant will not tolerate the first winter well - if you cover a young bush, then it can withstand sub-zero temperatures without complications.
For cool regions, it is better to plant raisins in the spring - for this you should wait until the average daily air temperature reaches +15 degrees, and the soil warms up to +10-12 degrees. As a rule, this happens in the last days of April - early May.
Grapes grow only in fertile soils, they need black soil, so if your land does not meet these requirements, then take care of its fertilizer in advance. Both mineral and organic fertilizers should be applied to the soil, and it is better to do this 2-4 weeks before planting seedlings.
As for the seed, here the experts are unanimous - it is best to purchase it in specialized nurseries, while it is important to pay attention to the state of the root system - it must be developed without any defects and damage.
Planting a plant has its own characteristics. If you are planting a plant near a support, a fence or a building, then you should step back one meter from the barrier, remember that Radiant Kishmish needs space. The distance between seedlings should be 2-3 meters.
Prepare the hole before planting. To do this, they dig a hole about 80 cm deep with a diameter of 70-80 cm, drainage is placed at the bottom, most often crushed stone is used, and sprinkled on top with a mixture of compost, humus, river sand and turf.
During the week, the pit should be watered so that all the nutrients are well absorbed into the ground, after which a support is driven into the recess and a young bush is planted.
Immediately after this, you should thoroughly water the area near the stem - this is important so that the plant takes root faster.
Watering
"Radiant Kishmish" requires regular watering, which should not be excessive, usually 5-6 buckets per bush are spent in one session, this is provided that the seedlings are in black soil. If the quality of the land leaves much to be desired, then the amount of moisture should be increased to 8-10 buckets.
Watering is carried out every 4 days, however, this standard is advisory in nature.as weather conditions must be taken into account. If the weather is hot and dry outside, then watering can be carried out every other day, and if it rains all day, then the volume and frequency of watering should be reduced. It is important to avoid excess moisture, as this often leads to rotting of the roots and the development of fungal infections, and in addition, the taste of the berries becomes less intense without the typical nutmeg shade for this variety.
It is best to organize drip irrigation, but this option is good only in conditions of industrial cultivation, in their own farms water is poured around the stem, while it is important that the irrigation radius is not lower than 50-70 cm in order to give young roots the opportunity to drink.
10-14 days before the full ripening of the crop, watering is stopped, in addition, moisturizing is not recommended during flowering and ovary formation.
top dressing
The high fertility of the bushes determines their need for regular top dressing. Fertilizers are applied under the bush several times during the growing season. In the spring, as soon as the snow melts, they are fed with nitrogen-containing compounds that ensure the growth and development of green mass.After some time, the plants will need phosphorus and potassium, as well as magnesium sulfate - this will allow for more lush flowering and good formation of viable ovaries. Various fertilizers for the root system are very useful.
Plants respond well to Plantafol fertilizer - it is added to the soil shortly before flowering, as well as immediately after the formation of the ovary. And when the fruits are gaining strength, it is better to give preference to "Gibberellin" - a special growth stimulator, thanks to which the berries are large and fleshy. Under the influence of this drug, you can get a crop of up to 2 kilograms from each grape brush.
When choosing top dressing, one should take into account the characteristics of the soil, for example, if the soil is alkaline, then the plant will need potassium, and if its acidity is increased, then it should be fed with phosphorus and sodium.
When fertilizing, the proportions indicated in the instructions should be observed, since in case of excessive saturation with mineral components, the yield may, on the contrary, be reduced.
pruning
Kishmish radiant requires both shaping and sanitary pruning. Large clusters should not be allowed to form excessively, as this can cause damage to the branches. The recommended norm is 2 bunches per branch, while about 25 shoots should remain on the bush as a whole. A large amount leads to a deterioration in the taste properties of the fruit and a decrease in the size of the berries.
With timely and competent thinning of the shrub, every gardener has a good chance of getting a large crop of large and sweet berries. Otherwise, the fruits will be small, and in addition, some of them may crack due to a deficiency of potassium and other minerals.
It has been noticed that if you skip pruning, then next season the yield will be just a record, but after a year the quality and quantity of fruits will deteriorate sharply, and in addition, the plant becomes susceptible to various diseases and may even die.
Wintering
Despite the fact that the variety is classified as frost-resistant, nevertheless, it needs shelter for the winter. In addition, the root system should be protected from freezing - for this, for the winter, the stem circle is covered with mulch, burlap or agrofiber. But sawdust should not be used, as they can cause acidification of the soil.
Young seedlings require shelter even in the southern regionsAs for adults, here one should rely on the climatic features of the territory. Before the onset of frost, the lashes should be laid on the ground and pressed with coniferous spruce branches or dry straw.
Helpful Hints
Many believe that hybrid plant varieties are resistant to any disease. This is a misconception - grape varieties that would be 100% immune to fungal, bacterial and viral diseases have not yet been bred.
"Kishmish radiant" is not particularly resistant to damage and pests, this refers to its main disadvantages.
Plants are seriously ill, and it is not so easy to cure it. Therefore, many agronomists recommend paying special attention to preventive spraying of bushes.
Processing is preferably carried out in the spring, as soon as the growing season begins. It is important that the contact of the plant with chemical compounds occurs before flowering and the formation of the ovary, since this can be dangerous for the berry harvest at a later period.
To protect the plant from the fungus, it is treated with "Nitrofen" or iron sulfateBy the way, these compounds repel rats, mice and other rodents well.
To protect the grapes from mold, sulfur-containing preparations will be required.
Grape varieties "Radiant Kishmish" is a high-yielding crop with tasty and fragrant berries. The plant can grow in most regions of Russia and neighboring countries, its agricultural technology includes standard activities - watering, pruning, top dressing and pest control. If you carry out all these manipulations in a timely manner, then the grapes, as the reviews testify, will thank you with an exceptionally high yield of attractive and appetizing berries.
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