"Finger Manicure" is a rare and quite expensive variety of table grapes. This is a new development by Japanese breeders that has won the hearts of connoisseurs of grapes around the world. The distinctive features of this hybrid, as well as the rules for its cultivation, will be discussed in our article.

Derivation and Distribution History

"Finger Manicure" was launched at the Uehara Institute (Japan) in 1988. Unicorn No.2 and Baladi grades became its parent.

In 1998, the Chinese began to cultivate this grape. Today, China is one of the main exporters of Japanese novelty planting material to the world market. Recently, one of the agricultural enterprises of the Kharkov region of Ukraine is engaged in the cultivation of seedlings of the described form.

Description and characteristics of varieties "Manicure Finger"

Before moving on to the cultivation manual, we’ll take a closer look at the properties of this crop.

Bunch

Beautiful-looking “Finger Manicure” brushes are of medium density and slightly elongated shape. Their average weight is 700–800 g, and the maximum is 2 kg.

The fruits are very large, elongated-curved in shape. The color of the grapes is light yellow at the base and bright red at the tip. In the process of ripening, the red color rises higher in the fruit, and after full maturity reaches the middle of the berry.

Due to the fact that outwardly the grapes look like painted women's nails, the variety got its original name. Sometimes there are green patterns or even completely pink.

In length, the berry can reach 5.8 cm, in width - 3 cm. The average mass of one fruit is 12.6 g, and the maximum is 20 g. The pulp is dense, juicy and crisp. The skin of the fetus, although thin, is strong enough. When eating, the peel is almost not felt. The taste is harmonious - sweet and refreshing. The concentration of sugar in the fruit is approximately 17.5% (up to 19%).

Productivity

Fruiting “Manicure Finger” begins the next year after planting. About 4-5 kg ​​of berries can be removed from one bush. The highest yield from the bush is 20 kg.

Table grape varieties also include such as:

Transportability and lightness

Harvest is characterized by good transportability. Due to the thin but firm peel and a fairly dense pulp of cluster berries, they are well tolerated.

Shelf life is usually low. However, the ability of “Manicure” to maintain its commercial qualities is largely dependent on the care of the culture. If the berries received protection from the bright sun, they will not soften even after a sufficiently long time after harvest. But the "burnt" fruits still on the vine begin to lose their elasticity.

Disease resistance

When choosing a hybrid for planting at your dacha, be prepared for the fact that it has poor resistance to grape ailments. The variety is particularly susceptible to anthracnose, white and gray rot.

First, the aerial part of the plant becomes infected with anthracnosis, then the disease covers the entire vineyard. Obvious signs of the disease are brown spots on leaf blades. White rot (sclerotiniosis) of the vine can become infected with a lack of sunlight.

In the hot and rainy season, there is a risk of gray rot (Botrytis cinerea). If the vineyard became infected during the ripening period, this may adversely affect the taste indicators of the crop. The entire crop may be unfit for human consumption. Did you know? The most weighty bunch of grapes in the world was grown in Chile in 1984. Her weight was almost 9.4 kg.

Frost resistance

With proper protection of the vine and sheltering it for the winter, the variety shows good winter hardiness (up to –22 ° С). If you neglect the shelter, the grapes may disappear at –15 ° C for five winter days.

Advantages and disadvantages

• The presented variety is of interest to winegrowers because of its advantages:
• excellent appearance of brushes and berries;
• does not suffer from attacks by insect pests;
• good taste characteristics;
• suitable for transportation.

• Unfortunately, the variety has many shortcomings. Among them:
• low fertility;
• excessive ductility in a continental climate (poor frost resistance and exposure to sunburn);
• weak immunity (poor resistance to various diseases);
• not high enough keeping quality;
• the high cost of seedlings and their pickiness in care.

Features of planting and growing grapes

To get a healthy crop, you must correctly complete all planting activities, as well as take into account the peculiarities of the Japanese hybrid.

Choosing a landing site

Farmers, whose vineyards are located in the southern regions and especially on the southern slopes, often remain disappointed with the received Manicure Finger harvest. Not taking into account the characteristics of the variety, summer residents often expose the brushes: being without protection, the fruits literally burn out under the sun.

It must be remembered that the location point of view is a very sensitive variety - clusters and berries respond by changing appearance to climatic conditions, regional characteristics, soil quality, degree of illumination and air humidity.

Carefully select a place for planting: it should be a site with natural or artificial shelter from the wind, low temperatures and the sun. Choose a landing area with light and breathable soil. Its acidity should be low or neutral.

Seedling preparation

Before planting, it is advisable to leave the seedlings for a day in a container with water. This will help young bushes to absorb the maximum amount of moisture, then acclimatization in the new place will be less painful, and the seedling will quickly and confidently move to growth.

Important! Make sure in advance the freshness of the planting material: a sign of a quality seedling is the green color of the wood. Examine the bark - there should be no mold on it.

Proper fit

Step-by-step instructions for planting one seedling:

1. Form 30 × 30 cm landing pits or trenches.
2. Place drainage (expanded clay, pebbles) at the bottom of the recess. Install a drainage pipe for irrigation nearby (100 cm in length and 6–7 cm in diameter).
3. Pour in fertilizers that enhance the nutritional properties of the soil.
4. In the center of the prepared landing recess, form a small hill of fertile land. Place a seedling on top of the embankment, carefully spreading the roots.
5. Sprinkle the young vine with soil, crushing it slightly, to the root neck.
6. Moisten and mulch the root circle with sawdust. The latter procedure will help prevent the rapid evaporation of moisture and the growth of weeds around the plantings.

Plant care

Compliance with the intricacies of care will significantly increase the chances of getting attractive yellow-red fruits.

Pruning

Trimming for Japanese news is a must. The procedure helps to strengthen the vine by getting rid of excess, old and weak branches. The need for pruning is indicated by a plant height of more than 180 cm and densely covering the stem of the foliage. Fruits in such conditions are practically not supplied with light, which negatively affects the crop. In order not to overload the vine, leave no more than 6-8 eyes on it or even less. Did you know? The world's oldest 400-year-old vineyard is developing in the small Slovenian city of Maribor. This old vine continues to bear fruit and gives birth to grapes for 100 bottles of wine every year. Stepsoning helps take care of preserving the vegetation and fruiting. It is advisable to free the vine from weak and barren lateral shoots without a trace. Partially cut off the more powerful ones so that in the future they can produce berries.

How to protect grapes from diseases

The grapevine must be timely and correctly processed with special preparations. Preventive treatment of grapes 2-3 times per season will help prevent plant death from disease.

Since infection with anthracnose contributes to increased humidity (rain, morning dew) and wind, try to protect the vine from these negative factors. And at the first signs of the disease (brown spots on the leaves), the plant must be treated with drugs effective against this ailment (for example, “Haupsin” or “Mikosan”).

In order to protect the bushes from rotting from time to time, open the vineyard access to the sun. Also, make sure that the bushes do not overgrow - otherwise, natural ventilation will be impaired. Be sure to get rid of fallen leaves in the fall. Periodically examine the cortex for fungus. If infection could not be avoided, cut and burn all the rotten shoots. We recommend to learn more.

How to water grapes correctly and how often? To prevent the consequences of infection with gray rot, water the bushes with soda solution or potassium iodide. For preventive purposes, it is worth treating the vine with mildew and oidium. In the fight against these diseases, the biological product Planriz has proven itself well.

"Finger Manicure" needs regular feeding with humus, phosphorus and potassium. Choose specialized mixes by type of soil. Feed the planting pits before planting seedlings. In addition, after removing the winter shelter, it is necessary to regularly add organic matter. Be sure to enrich the vine with nutrients during the period of cluster formation.

Water the bushes at least once a week. Choose evening time for this, when the sun hides behind the horizon. On one plant you need to spend 5-20 liters of water (depending on the height and development of the bush). After the ripening of berries begins, moistening should be stopped and renewed in the fall, in preparation for winter. Important! Summer watering is the most important step in the care of the vine. With a lack of moisture, the brushes will fade, and the growth of the vine will slow down.

Grape propagation

Agrarians try to propagate the Japanese novelty by three methods: cuttings, layering and grafting. The simplest technique is grafting. To propagate “Finger Manicure” with chubuki, select the same sized shoots. Cut the cuttings into pieces about 50 cm long with 4 shaped buds. Next, planting material needs to be cleaned of leaves and antennae and immersed in water for a day.

The next step is the treatment of cuttings with copper sulfate, which will prevent the formation of mold. At this stage, planting material is ready for planting in the ground. Annual cuttings can be prepared in the fall and kept in a cool place all winter. There is no official information on the degree of rooting of cuttings of the "Manicure", although some gardeners speak of very active root formation.

To grow grapes by layering, rooted rooted shoots are separated from the mother plant and used as seedlings. However, to propagate "Manicure Finger" in this way does not always come out. The success of the method depends on whether it will be possible for the old plant to start new cuttings, thereby rejuvenating the vine.

They also try to propagate the variety by vaccination. The method consists in combining stock and scion. The stock should be medium-sized, as in a vigorous-growing specimen the vine actively builds up leaf mass. Clear data on the results of reproduction by vaccination is also not yet received.

Read more on how to plant grapes properly.

Reviews about the grade "Manicure Finger"

If you like to experiment, then you can try to grow this unique variety on your site. Although this is not the easiest grape to grow, subject to the above rules and cautions, you can collect a rich harvest of unusual and tasty fruits called “Finger Manicure”.