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Viticulture is developing at an accelerated pace in many countries of the world. Grapes are grown for food and technical purposes. This culture is even studied by a separate science. It was cultivated in ancient times, and until now it has not lost its importance.
Culture information
Grapes are one of the oldest crops. Its beneficial properties were used 7 thousand years ago. Viticulture is one of the largest sectors in agriculture.
Berries contain many types of nutrients that are preserved when dried. They receive alcoholic and non-alcoholic grape drinks.
Already in the second year after planting the vines, you can get an impressive harvest, and in the third - a full one. Grapes are unpretentious to soil conditions, they can be cultivated on soils with insufficient fertility. Plants are drought tolerant. The shrub can be grown both in the northern regions and in the southern ones.
Alpha grapes
Due to its characteristics, grapes are very popular and distributed throughout the world. Many varieties have been developed that are of interest to gardeners. One of these is the Vitis Alfa grape. The hybrid was developed by American breeders by crossing Labrusca and Riparia. The homeland of the hybrid is the American state of Minnesota. In the post-Soviet space, it has been tested for more than a dozen years.
Description of the grape variety Alf
Alpha grapes are of the mid-season ripening type. It should not be confused with the Alpha Rose hybrid. The plant forms a large bush, and the vine is capable of thickening due to the appearance of stepsons. There are large leaves on the liana, their size is about 25 cm in length and 20 cm in width. The leaf is solid, three-lobed, there are teeth at the edges. The liana itself can grow up to 8-10 meters.
The outside of the leaves is smooth, the inside is lighter than the outside. The petiolate notch has a sharp rounded bottom. In the inflorescence there are 2-3 flowers. Plants are bisexual, bloom in mid-June. Bunches of grapes reach a weight of 150 g, sometimes larger. The berries are round, black and blue with a waxy coating. Each weighs about 2-3 g. The taste is average, since it belongs to the technical one - the growers grow it for the production of wine. The berries are sour, they are consumed fresh and processed.
The Alpha variety is quite frost-resistant, withstands up to -30 degrees, therefore, does not require winter shelters. Fungal diseases are not affected, but chlorosis is ill. This is due to the lack of nutrients and lack of watering.
Another varietal characteristic is that the plants act as good pollinators for other grape varieties.
The berries ripen within 110-145 days at the end of September. Up to 14 kg of harvest is harvested from the bush.
Cultivation and care technology
Since the variety is frost-resistant, planting is possible in spring and autumn. The vineyard planting site should be well lit and protected from strong winds. Plants are grown by rooting cuttings, they also grow well with scions.
Before planting, the soil must be well fertilized, sand is added for looseness. Before planting, the seedlings can be soaked for better root development.Bushes should be 1.5 m apart in a row and 2 m between rows. A hole is dug 80 cm deep, drainage and fertilizers are poured there, and a support for the vine is installed.
During the growth and development of seedlings, many shoots appear. The two strongest are chosen, the rest are broken.
It is better to leave those shoots that are close to the ground. In the first year, there will not be a large harvest, since the cuttings need to take root and undergo hardening.
Growing
Plant care consists of pruning, thinning, pinching, feeding and watering. Trimming is performed for 8-10 eyes. The lower shoots should be left, as most of the berries are in the lower tier. Underdeveloped shoots, lower leaves must be removed. Thinning is performed all summer. Removal of stepchildren is performed 3 times per summer. This is done for the normal development of the main shoot.
Watering is very important for this variety. If spring and winter turned out to be stingy in precipitation, it should be watered immediately after removing the covering material. The critical period of water consumption falls on the end of May-beginning of June, at which time you need to carry out abundant watering. It is recommended to combine it with top dressing. On average, 2-4 buckets are poured onto each bush. Watering is carried out in the morning, until the soil has warmed up.
For feeding, bird droppings, organic matter from herbs, ash are best suited.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
Like any variety, Alpha grapes have their positive and negative sides. Gardeners note the following advantages of the variety:
- unpretentiousness to environmental conditions,
- absence of lesions by fungal diseases,
- minimum of chemical treatments,
- obtaining excellent wines of the highest categories.
Many are satisfied that the berries hold well on the vine and do not crumble. The shrub also performs a decorative role - it is an ornament on the personal plot. Plants do not need shelter for the winter. In the suburbs, they winter well without protective devices.
Harvest
There are few disadvantages, but they are. The variety has small clusters. The shrub is tall, so if you do not prune in time, the berries will become smaller. Plants are able to thicken strongly.
The considered hybrid of grapes Alpha (Vinograd Alpha) can often be seen in the garden of gardeners. For those who are just starting to grow grapes, this hybrid is ideal. It is unpretentious, does not require special care, does not require the creation of shelters for the winter. It is desirable to use the harvest obtained in the future to make delicious wine. In addition, the shrub will bring aesthetic pleasure with its appearance and will decorate any site.
