Grapes are a heat-loving culture, but there are varieties that, with proper agricultural technology, will please gardeners in the middle lane and to the north. Crystal grapes are one of these, characterized by early ripeness, unpretentiousness, good yield.
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Description and main characteristics of the variety
The variety was included in the catalog of the State Register in 2002. Specialists recommended cultivating it in the North Caucasus region, although it is also spread in more northern regions. In the middle lane they grow it with obligatory shelter for the cold period.
This grape was bred in Hungary, the basis was the parental forms of the Russian variety Amursky and Hungarian Villars Blanc and Challoci Lajosh. Crystal is a technical grade, that is, initially, by its characteristics, berries are intended for making wine. But the optimal ratio of acidity and sugar content indicators make Crystal valuable not only for winemakers, the variety is great for food, stewed fruit, juices.
The bushes are medium-sized in size, the shoots are light brown with a reddish tinge. Leaves of dark green saturated color, of various shapes - strongly dissected or with weak cuts.
The shoots of the first year are reddish, later the color changes to brown. When trimming in the fall by 3-4 eyes, the standard load on the bush is usually about 58-60 eyes. Bushes are powerful, good growth. Shoots ripening - up to 86-90%. Duration - 110-115 days, in the middle lane and more northern regions, the ripening period increases. In the south, the berries ripen by August 10, but it all depends on weather conditions, as well as the correctness of agricultural technology.
Brush conical shape, medium size and density. Weight varies from 160 to 200 grams.
The berries are small, oval or rounded, light green with a bright golden or yellowish tint. The skin is dense, does not crack. Weight - 1.8-2 grams. The surface of the berries is covered with a slight waxy coating. The appearance of the fruit is not very presentable, but everything is compensated by the excellent taste and sweetness of the grapes.
The pulp is tender, juicy, sweet. During the period of full ripening, sugar indicators gain maximum, acidity is minimal. The seeds of the variety contain a large amount of essential oils.
The taste of the pulp is simple, without spicy notes, which does not reduce the quality of the berries. The percentage of sugars is 16-18%, acidity is 6-7 g / l.
Crystal berries are tasty, sweet, the range of their fields of application is extensive. Basis - raw materials for the production of dry white wines (on an industrial scale). Vine growers growing this variety in their own plots make various types of wines using blending methods.
Berries are suitable for various preservation, processing. Compotes, juices, preserves are obtained from it, drying for raisins. In the middle lane Crystal berries are eaten fresh, used in desserts.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
Grapes with the beautiful name Crystal are loved by many gardeners for their unpretentiousness in care, sweet berries, and productivity.
Among the advantages of the variety:
- increased winter hardiness (according to various references, they vary from 29 ° C to 32 ° C);
- universality of the use of berries;
- resistance of the variety to traditional diseases of grapes (oidium, gray rot, mildew);
- low demands on growing conditions;
- good yield indicators (160-200 kg per hectare of plantings);
- great taste of berries;
- self-pollination of the variety.
According to the system of resistance of the variety to diseases (a 5-point scale is used), the Crystal has 2 points for mildew, 2.5 points for oidium.
With respect to gray rot, the Crystal has a high resistance at the genetic level. The “pluses" include the fact that when ripe, the berries do not fall off the bush, so a slight delay in the harvest is acceptable. At the same time, it is taken into account that the berries on the underside of the hands during overexposure are slightly wilted, so the timing should still be observed.
Crystal variety is grown in the middle lane and even in some areas of the Urals, North-West. In such areas, care, of course, will be different from the southern regions, shelter for the winter will be required, possibly planting in greenhouses. In addition, the variety has no special flaws.
During the ripening period of berries it is necessary to protect the grapes from “raids” of birds and wasps, who really like ripening, juice-flowing fruits. They use rattles, special nets, as well as traps for insects (they are sold in specialized stores, it is easy to make them with your own hands).
Grape Care Features
Variety agricultural technology is standard, the basic techniques will be described below. It should be noted that when cultivating the Crystal in the middle lane, shelter for the cold season is necessary, in the southern regions it is recommended to cover young shoots of plants for the winter
Landing
The choice of site determines the future crop yield, the quality of the berries. Grapes grow well in sunny, well-heated places, without stagnation of water. Low-lying places and territories with a shallow groundwater table are not suitable. In this case, you need to choose other places or equip a high-quality drainage system.
In the middle lane it is advisable to plant Crystal seedlings in the spring, in the south they practice autumn planting, in addition to spring. The ridges are prepared in advance: if for spring planting they dig in the fall, for autumn planting a month before planting.
The diameter of the pits is 70-80 cm, at the bottom there is an obligatory layer of crushed stone or pebbles (drainage). A nutrient mixture is prepared in advance, consisting of chernozem (humus), potassium sulfate, superphosphate (can be replaced with ash).
Grape seedlings are planted when warm weather occurs, the soil warms up to + 14 ° C. The distance between the pits is 80-90 cm, for a technical grade it is quite enough. You can not thicken the planting, since then the grapes will lack nutrition, lighting.
Care
Crystal is watered regularly, especially if the weather is hot. Lack of moisture affects the quality of the berry. It is advisable to equip irrigation systems by making grooves, pits or special drip complexes. For young bushes, preparations for the development of the root system (Kornevin) are added to the ode.
Water is only standing and warm.
Full dressings are introduced from 3-4 years, provided that the soil on the ridges was well filled with fertilizers and young stocks of this reserve will be enough. They make nitrogen fertilizers (in spring, before flowering), during the growing season and in autumn - potash and phosphorus compounds. For foliar top dressing, spraying grapes on leaves with superphosphate or potassium sulfate is suitable.
For the Crystal, a short pruning is used (2-3 eyes), so that up to 55-60 buds are on the bush.Spring pruning is carried out before the swelling of the buds on the bushes, while it is necessary to properly cut so that there is no "crying".
In the summer, thinning bushes, removing fattening and thin branches. In autumn, the crystal is cut off two weeks after the leaves fall completely. The shoots are removed from perennials, the stepsons are cut off on annual shoots, and the tops are also nipped.
This grape variety is resistant to disease, but prevention is imperative. It is necessary to observe the rules of watering the grapes, to prevent overmoistening of the soil, to thin out the bushes.
Before flowering (5-6 days), and also after harvesting, the bushes are treated with a solution of any fungicidal preparation (Topaz, Skor), or copper sulfate, Bordeaux liquid. Effective processing of grapes with a solution of colloidal sulfur (three times per season), infusion of ordinary wood ash.
Compliance with agricultural technology allows you to avoid diseases, get a good harvest of delicious berries.
Crystal grapes are an unpretentious technical variety, loved by gardeners from different regions of the country. It is successfully grown outside the Urals, in other regions of risky farming. With proper care and observance of simple recommendations, grapes abundantly bear fruit, and berries are distinguished by excellent taste and sweetness.
Reviews about Crystal grapes
Ivan, Volgograd region
A good solid grade, albeit a technical one. I do not make wine out of it, there are other varieties for this. It has been growing for a long time on the site (ten years for sure), I grow it for food. We make the juice, but it tastes so fresh like that. Best Crystal comes fresh from the bush. The berries are all in juice, sweet and delicious.
Olga, Moscow Region
It has long been selected several varieties for themselves as wine. The crystal among them is the main one (well, it’s quite a sort for our region). With a crop always, never failed. I cover for the winter, but there is no special work. Care is needed, but as without it, otherwise no berries, no wine.
I still grow Platovsky, and so I think Crystal is more tasty, juicy and better for wine.
Igor, Tatarstan
I grow Crystal variety for three years. The clusters are good, they hang well, and they like berries best when fresh. The taste is simple, without frills, but the sweetness outweighs all the flaws. We do not make wine, but the juice is almost tasteless, although the berries themselves are very sweet. In a word, we now have this variety - only in fresh form, I don’t even take it on compotes, the children eat everything like that.
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