Features of the grape variety "Ruby Jubilee"
Grape bushes have long become almost an obligatory attribute of every summer cottage. After all, these sweet berries can be consumed fresh and processed in order to obtain healthy juice and delicious wine. Choosing the right plant variety will help summer residents save time and money. This article is devoted to the features of the grape variety "Ruby Jubilee".
Story
This variety owes its unusual name to the poetic history that preceded its creation. When the famous amateur breeder V. N. Krainov was approaching his fortieth wedding anniversary, he was just working on breeding a new hybrid variety. Deciding to surprise his wife with an extremely unusual gift, he decided to name this variety in honor of their anniversary. And since it is customary to call a forty-year wedding "ruby", the name of the new hybrid was "Ruby Jubilee".
Variety Description
According to the ripening period, the Ruby Jubilee grapes are classified as early-medium, which means that in most cases you can start harvesting as early as mid-August. The aging period is from 100 to 125 days. The height of the bushes of this variety reaches from 2 to 3 meters. The plant forms very large clusters, each of which can weigh from 600 to 1200 grams.
The berries themselves are also quite large, their weight can reach 18 grams. Fruit color is pale pink or ruby. Due to the sugar content of 25% with an acidity of up to 7 grams per liter, this grape is characterized by a delicate sweet taste with hints of nutmeg and honey.
Despite the fact that the berries are covered with a skin of medium thickness, when eating grapes, it is practically not felt. At the same time, its thickness is sufficient so that the fruits almost never crack. So, "Ruby Jubilee" tolerates a fairly humid climate, which makes it a good choice for growing in coastal regions.
This variety is resistant to a variety of fungal diseases, including both types of powdery mildew (true and downy mildew) and gray mold. It is well protected from diseases of a bacterial nature. Its main enemies are a variety of insect pests, primarily wasps, which are attracted by the sweet taste of fruits.
Unfortunately, the variety is characterized by reduced frost resistance (tolerates frosts only up to -22°C) and strong shedding of flowers.
How to plant?
Preparations for planting seedlings of the "Ruby Jubilee" should begin in the fall. It is at this time that you need to prepare cubic pits with a side of 600 mm, while they should not be closer to each other than 2 meters. The place chosen for landing must be protected from gusts of wind. It is desirable that the aquifer of the soil lies as deep as possible. It is worth pouring 500 grams of superphosphate into the prepared hole, and adding a 25-cm layer of a mixture of earth and manure on top.
Before planting, seedlings need to be kept in growth stimulants for up to 20 hours, for which root, succinic acid or sodium humate are suitable. Then you need to fill a little earth into the prepared pit so that a hill up to 50 cm high forms at the bottom. You need to install a seedling on this hill and fill it with earth mixed with manure.
It is not necessary to completely fill the hole with earth, leave about 10 cm to the surface. Provide shade to the plant, which should last for the first two weeks after cuttings are planted. At first, seedlings need to be watered abundantly,
How to care?
The main thing in caring for the "Ruby Jubilee" is to protect the bushes from possible frosts and pests. Sheltering the grapes with the help of hilling, straw, fabric, and best of all, agrofiber will help against the cold weather.
In addition to traditional chemical methods of controlling wasps with the help of various insecticides and other pesticides, the method of enclosing fruit-bearing clusters in special nets proved to be very good, leaving air and sunlight to the fruits. This method is much more laborious, but safer and more economical.
Top dressing should be carried out in the following sequence - chicken manure is added in the first weeks, zinc and boron are added 2 weeks before flowering. When flowering ends, the course of boron is repeated and manganese is added.
Before the fruits are tied, fertilizers with phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen will be needed.
It is important not to forget about pruning the bushes - in the spring you need to cut off the damaged shoots and leaves, and in the summer - remove the stepchildren. If the bush is growing too actively, it is worth reducing the frequency of watering.
Application and reviews
Due to the very sweet taste of the berries, Ruby Jubilee is great for eating without processing. In addition, it makes excellent dessert, table and rosé wines. Sufficiently strong skin allows you to transport fruits over decent distances without losing their presentation.
Even the leaves of this wonderful variety have been used in the preparation of various Georgian dishes, such as dalma or spicy sauces. You can also use them for a typical South Ukrainian recipe - cabbage rolls from grape leaves.
Most summer residents in their reviews note the excellent taste of the "Ruby Jubilee" and its relative unpretentiousness. Some admire the beautiful color of the fruits of this variety. Only individual gardeners are faced with the fact that, despite the declared resistance, the bushes are abundantly affected by gray rot. Almost half of gardeners give the variety a 4 out of 5 rating.
For a description of the features of the Ruby Jubilee grape variety, see the following video.