Sometimes wine growers want to plant a delicious and beautiful “novelty” with original shapes and colors that attract attention. Of the new, but still several unverified varieties, the hybrid with the Italian name Giovanni from the Russian amateur breeder V.U. attracts the eye. Droplet. Consider the description and main characteristics of the table grape variety Giovanni, its advantages and disadvantages, the rules of cultivation.

Selection history

The variety was bred by an amateur from the Rostov Region Kapelyushny V.U., who is a mechanical engineer by training, who created more than a dozen new hybrids. Parent forms were the popular early variety Rapture Red and F4. The variety is still being tested by gardeners.

Did you know? The science that studies grape varieties is called ampelography. This name was introduced into everyday life in 1661 by a scientist from Poland Philip Sachs, considered to be its founder. The scientific basis for it was laid by Simon Clemente in 1806 in his book on the varieties of Andalusia.

Description of Giovanni grape variety

This is an early table grape with red berries with nutmeg in taste. It has great growth power and forms a powerful bush. Its frost resistance is at the level of -23 ... -26 ° C. Resistance to diseases is average - 2–2.5 points to the main diseases of grapes (oidium, mildew, gray rot). Good sugar content - up to 21%, acidity at the level of 7-8 g / l.

Grape characteristics

This variety is difficult to confuse with others, due to its characteristic features.

Ripening dates and productivity

Refers to varieties of early fruiting (100-105 days from budding of buds). Productivity is 10-15 t / ha.

Bunches

He grows large brushes with a long stalk, weighing 0.7-1.2 kg, cylindrical in shape and medium density. No tendency to pea.

The clusters can hang on the vine for a long time and not crumble, but it is better not to overexpose them, since they can begin to become curious. But they do not rot, do not crack and are not particularly affected by wasps. On one shoot, usually 1 large bunch is formed.

Berries

Very beautiful elongated nipple berries grow on clusters, which, when fully ripe, become dark cherry in color. They are large in size and weigh about 10–12 g. The pulp is sweet, fleshy and juicy, with a light nutmeg. Inside each berry are 2-3 seeds.

Advantages and disadvantages of Giovanni

• The advantages of this grape variety from Kapelyushnoy include:
• early ripening;
• beautiful marketable clusters;
• great taste with hints of nutmeg;
• interesting elongated nipple-shaped berries and their rich color;
• frost resistance;
• relative resistance to major diseases;
• transportability;
• good rooting of cuttings and compatibility with many stocks.

• There are not so many shortcomings:
• the rarity of high-quality planting material and its high cost;
• overload tendency;
• too strong growth requires good formation and care.

Growing rules

This variety, like any grape, loves well-lit places with aquifers no closer than 1.5 m. It prefers chernozems and clay soils with a slightly acid reaction. Landing is best done in the spring, but in the southern regions it is possible in the fall. This vigorous variety easily takes root, but should not be landed after purchase. Before planting, the seedling is soaked in water, in which you can add a growth stimulator. Important! If you decide to be vaccinated with Giovanni, then you need to choose stocks with great growth strength, for example, Cober 5BB and Fercal. When planting a bush against the wall of the house, you should choose the south side. The landing pit breaks out in standard sizes (0.8 × 0.8 m) at a distance of 2-3 m from other bushes, 1.5 m from the walls and away from trees.

Prepare the pit in advance. Humus or rotted manure is poured into the bottom, into which ash can be added. From above, the upper fertile layer of soil is poured, into which the seedling is planted later. When planting, you should well spread the roots and fill it with soil, compact and water abundantly. With very active sunshine, a young seedling is first recommended to shade and prevent drying out of the soil, which can be mulched.

Landing methods

Giovanni's hybrid is notable for its great growth power and various methods can be used to plant it:

• trellis;
  

• parietal;
  

• arched;
  

• gazebo.
  

Care Rules

When caring for Giovanni grapes, it is recommended to adhere to the following rules:

• Carefully take care of young seedlings in the first 3 years;
• regularly water - each bush at least 1 time per week is watered with 2 buckets of water;
• after watering, loosen the soil and remove weed grass;
• in the spring to carry out the releasing of the shoot and carry out the catharization in this way - remove thin roots from above and again fill with soil;
• carry out recommended preventative treatments;
• fertilize bushes to increase productivity;
• pinch and pinch 6-7 days before flowering;
• for the winter it is necessary to shelter from frost.

Coniferous branches, spanbond are used as a shelter, and they are also simply covered with soil.

Check out table grape varieties such as:

Bushes

To such a variety, you can apply a fan-shaped bush formation without a stem on 4 sleeves in the autumn period. The length of the formation is about 15 cm, that is, shoots are removed at a length of 5–10 cm. On pruning, an average of 6–8 eyes are left.

Important! It is imperative to remove the extra shoots (stepsons), since their growth will reduce the yield and quality of the grapes.

Fertilizers

Organic and mineral fertilizers are used to fertilize Giovanni grapes. Fertilizing is combined with irrigation.

To get a good harvest, grape growing experts recommend at least three top dressings during the year:

1. The first fertilizer application is carried out immediately after the opening of the bushes in the spring. During this period, it is good to use organic top dressing in the form of rotted manure or bird droppings. To do this, 0.5 l of such organics is diluted in 10 l and watered. For 1 bush goes 1-2 buckets of nutrient solution. During this period, it is useful to sprinkle soil near the bush with wood ash. This will not only fertilize the soil, but also protect against the occurrence of fungal diseases.
2. The second fertilizer application must be performed immediately before flowering. To do this, use mineral fertilizers. Take 30 g of the mixture, which consists of 3 parts of nitrogen, 2 parts of phosphorus, 1 part of potassium, diluted in 10 l of liquid and water the vine bushes.
3. The third top dressing is carried out at the initial stage of berry formation. To do this, take 50–70 g of superphosphate and 20–25 g of potassium sulfate. You can buy ready-made mineral fertilizers such as Novofert and Master.

Did you know? The breeders of winegrowers are protected by the International Union for the Protection of Achievements of Crops using the OIV classifier. To determine the varieties, he uses 77 characteristics, each of which has its own encoding.

Disease and Pest Prevention

To preserve the harvest, preventive treatments should be carried out against diseases that grapes may be susceptible to. This is mildew, rot, oidium, anthracnose. After all, any disease is better to prevent than to cure.

Grape growing experts recommend the following preventive measures against the appearance of diseases and pests:

• before shelter for the winter, conduct treatment using iron sulfate at the rate of 350-400 g per 10 liters of liquid;
• in the spring immediately after the opening of the grape dose, treat the bushes with copper chloride;
• do once every 2-3 years treatment with the drugs "DNOC" or "Nitrafen";
• after the first 3-5 leaves appear on the vine, treat with one of the preparations: Ridomil Gold, Omayt or Antracol;
• before flowering, spray again with Ridomil Gold or Antracol chemicals;
• after flowering at the initial stage of berry formation, carry out processing again: colloidal sulfur, Strobi or Ridomil Gold.

Important! It is necessary to use colloidal sulfur at an air temperature above + 18 ° C, since only at this temperature regime is the evaporation of sulfur. Otherwise, this drug does not have the desired effect. Adherents of organic grapes process vineyards in a year, alternating Bordeaux liquid with 3% iron sulfate.

Ripe berries can attract birds and wasps. These pests love to enjoy the sweet fruits of grapes. In this case, to protect the crop, a special nylon bag with small cells is put on each bunch of grapes.

Such bags do not interfere with the flow of air and sun to the fruits, but do not allow these winged pests to the berries. To scare away small birds, you can put a scarecrow or tie ribbons of bright colors to the bushes. But to fight wasps, they should destroy their nests and set sticky traps.

Learn also why grape berries wilt on the bush and how to deal with gray rot on grapes.

Reviews about Giovanni

Amateur gardeners and winegrowers speak about the Giovanni variety very ambiguously. The thing is that this is a rare, recently bred variety, and there are forms on sale that do not meet the requirements of the variety in terms of yield, type of berries and bunch weight, taste and ripening time, disease resistance and frost resistance. Some winegrowers explain this with material taken from an unproductive kidney. The result is one - many criticize the variety and abandon it.

The winegrowers, to whom the quality planting material got, confirm the characteristics of the variety and are not going to part with it. They note excellent varietal taste and appearance, early ripeness and productivity.

In this regard, cuttings and seedlings are recommended to be purchased from winegrowers who confirm the characteristics of the variety, and they can look at this hybrid with the crop.

Did you know? There are many antioxidants in the grapes, which contribute to the prolongation of youth, which protect against cancer. Most of them are in black and red grape varieties, which have a rich color due to anthocyanins, giving them a bright color. Giovanni grape variety is a frost-resistant hybrid with medium disease resistance, tasty dark-cherry large berries of an interesting shape. However, you should responsibly approach the purchase of planting material.