Grape Harold

The hybrid grape variety, which is described in this article, is still not very popular among wine growers, but despite this, with each summer season it wins more and more hearts among gardeners, as well as lovers of these juicy berries. We invite you to get acquainted with an outstanding grape variety called Harold.

Growing history

This grape variety was developed by breeders from the city of Novocherkassk, Rostov Region. Scientists have set themselves the difficult task of developing a new hybrid species that tastes great and is not afraid of temperature changes and sudden frosts.

Their long and painstaking selective work was successful - having crossed the varieties Arkady and Lydia, scientists have developed a hybrid that can bear fruit abundantly in the northern part of Russia.

Did you know? The fruits of grapes, its leaves and even the vine have been used for many centuries in various recipes of traditional medicine. There is even an official name for grape treatment - ampelotherapy.

Description of Harold grape variety

Harold belongs to the white grape varieties. It has excellent yield indicators - 13-15 kg of juicy and fragrant berries can be removed from one bush. Due to the lack of strict requirements for its cultivation, this variety is becoming more and more popular every year. A good resistance to damage from rot, ticks and wasps made its breeding even easier.

Description of clusters and berries

Harold grows large clusters growing in the shape of a cone with a large number of berries. The average weight of one bunch is at least half a kilogram. The berries are oval in shape, slightly elongated at their lowest point. The color of the fruits is light green, they taste sweet and juicy, with a light aroma of strawberries.

The properties

Harold grapes have the following characteristics:

• sugar content - 20 g per 100 g;
• acidity - 5 g per 1 liter;
• the number of productive shoots - 80%;
• fruiting coefficient - 1.5.

Bush characteristics

The bush grows very tall and sprawling. The vine is powerful and flexible, has a brown color. The leaves grow medium in size, their shape is a bit like a heart, the color of the leaves is saturated green. Important! This hybrid does not need pollinating insects. The fact is that these shrubs are hermaphrodites, and cope with their pollination independently .

Grape application

Harold's excellent tastes make him ready to eat right after harvest. Beautiful appearance, early maturity and good keeping quality can attract the attention of many buyers in markets and stores. And if you want to add juicy berries to the compote, sweet grapes will convey their taste without a trace, making the drink very tasty and healthy.

It should be noted that the fruits of this hybrid variety are also used in winemaking - they are used to make Muscat wine.

Video: Harold grape variety

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety Harold

• Harold grapes have many advantages and advantages over other varieties:
• Early ripening.
• Resistance to frost and mild droughts.
• Unpretentiousness in leaving.
• Good yield from one bush, as well as the possibility of re-harvesting.
• Good shelf life of the collected berries, allowing them to be transported over long distances.

• It should be noted that the shortcomings of this miracle variety also have:
• Strong sprawl in the bushes.
• Ripe berries often become prey for birds.
• Shoots often overload themselves with crops, so the bushes need regular pruning.

How to grow grapes

Before planting seedlings, you need to make sure that the air temperature does not fall below + 13 ° C ... + 15 ° C. There are no special requirements for the composition of the soil in the bushes, adding various nutrient mixtures is also not required. Did you know? Many are familiar with the feeling of heaviness in the stomach and bloating after eating grapes. To rid your body of excessive gas formation in the intestines, do not eat berries immediately after picking them, but let them lie down for a couple of days. Harold's seedlings need preparation before planting. Sprouted vines should be left in the water before being instilled into the ground. In some cases, growth stimulants can be added to the water to help the seedlings take root in a new place.

Before planting, make sure that the distance between the bushes will be at least 2–2.5 m, otherwise the spreading shoots of Harold will interfere with each other and you will definitely not be able to harvest a double crop.

After the seedlings have stood in the water for several days, they are completely ready for planting. For the full development of the root system, it is enough to dig a shallow hole of about 80 × 80 cm. Gently lower the grapes into the hole and cover it with a layer of soil; you can add a small amount of peat and compost to it, which will serve as an excellent first fertilizer.

The final landing action is watering. Do not spare water for the first watering - young grapes need a lot of effort to form the root system and the growth of young shoots.

Did you know? Under pomegranate bushes it is useful to sow parsley - it will protect plantings from pests.

Harold Grape Care

After planting grape seedlings in open ground, caring for them will not cause you much trouble. It is only necessary to pay special attention to regular pruning of shoots and to avoid overflows.

Watering grapes

You need to start watering the grapes after their winter shelter is removed from the bushes; most often this happens in early April. This is followed by a short break - before the flowering of grapes. During this period, it is important not to skip water procedures, so that the grapes gain strength for the formation of clusters and new shoots. Another mandatory watering is necessary after the clusters are fully formed.

On average, approximately 25–35 liters of water are consumed per irrigation. On particularly hot summer days, water consumption can be increased. Before sheltering bushes for the winter, the volume of water is increased to 40-50 liters. Watering can be simplified by creating a drainage system.

Bushes shelter

Despite the fact that frost resistance is considered one of the Harold varieties, experienced winegrowers still recommend sheltering shrubs for the winter. One of the most reliable, and at the same time easy to use materials, is polyethylene. It helps not only maintain the necessary microclimate, but also protect the grapes from snow.

Before you shelter grape bushes for the winter, they should be prepared for this procedure - cut, tie the shoots and gently tilt to the ground. To exclude decay, the area under the bushes needs to be covered with something - for example, with a layer of mulch. This stage can be called the most difficult. Next, you will need to put arches over the grapes (the most reliable way is to use metal ones). These arches should be covered with polyethylene - one layer will be enough.

Such a simple winter shelter will help your grapes survive severe frosts and heavy snowfalls.

It will be useful for you to get acquainted with other table grape varieties:

Pruning

Pruning bushes is a mandatory procedure for growing grapes, and for the Harold variety, it is absolutely necessary. With it, you can control the size and shape of the bush, as well as affect the amount of yield. Due to the tendency of this hybrid to overload, it is recommended to carefully shorten the shoots; on average, no more than 35 eyes should remain on the bush after pruning.

Do not be afraid to cut off thick shoots, this variety tolerates their shortening well - in response to such care, he will thank you with a good harvest.

How and when to fertilize

The very first soil fertilizer is produced at the time of planting seedlings. This is followed by a long break of 3-4 years. After this period, you need to make mineral fertilizing regularly - immediately after waking up from hibernation to the flowering period.

Most often, fertilizers are bred in water and watered with bushes. Combining potassium, nitrogen and phosphate in the fertilizer, you can replenish all the necessary trace elements for the lush growth of plants and the formation of large berries.

But with organic top dressing should be careful. It is necessary to accurately calculate the recommended dosages - excessive fertilizing of the soil with manure or compost can cause burns at the root of the grape system.

Important! Before planting seedlings, make sure that they are not damaged, have no signs of pest damage or disease. Good seedlings must have at least four strong roots.

Mulching Varieties

To preserve moisture in the soil and protect it from weeds, mulching is used. Various materials are used for these purposes - sawdust, bark, straw, cardboard and geotextiles are most popular.

It is advisable to mulch the land in the selected area a season before planting in order to prepare the soil, increase its fertility and get rid of weeds. Then, after planting, the mulching must be carried out in the spring, when the eyes open at the grapes. The ground around the seedling must be covered with a layer of mulch about 5 cm thick, in a radius of at least 50 cm.

Double crop

Re-harvesting for Harold is not uncommon. True, the bush is capable of this only if it is provided with proper care.

The fact is that for the second stage of bunch ripening, stepsons are responsible, abundantly growing on bushes. In order for them to prove themselves, you should carry out the obligatory pruning of excess inflorescences every spring. If you did everything right, then at the end of August get ready for the second harvest. But know that berries and clusters will always be smaller than during the first ripening.

Learn more about how to prune grapes in the spring.

We protect against diseases and pests

Variety Harold rarely gets powdery mildew or gray rot. However, if this still happened, then at the first signs of the disease you need to spray the grapes with a solution of Bordeaux liquid or fluorinated fungicides.

Of the pests, a lot of trouble during the cultivation of Harold is delivered by butterfly butterflies. Being in the stage of caterpillars, they are able to completely eat the entire bush, leaving only one trunk. You can save your crop from attacks by leaflets by spraying the vineyard with insecticides. But you need to do this at least three times in one season - in April, at the very beginning of flowering and in early July.

Important! After the invasion of the leaflet, your garden becomes more susceptible to infection with gray rot.

Now you know that there are grape varieties that can grow and bear fruit even with a lack of heat and bright sunlight. Thanks to the simple care of the bushes with the cultivation of the variety Harold, even a beginner in this business will be able to cope.