Grapes "Julian" - a super early table variety, not the first year of popularity among summer residents. The plant is known for its unpretentiousness and high yield. The features of this grape, as well as the rules for its cultivation, will be discussed in our article.

Variety Origin History

The author of the hybrid is an amateur breeder from the Rostov region V.U. Droplet. Having crossed the varieties "Kesha" ("Talisman") and "Rizamat", the farmer managed to get grapes with almost perfect characteristics.

“Julian” adopted the best qualities of parental varieties: beautiful fruits with excellent taste from “Rizamat” and immunity to diseases, as well as large-fruited from “Kesha”. The new hybrid form was officially introduced by Kapelyushny in the early 2000s and was named BH8.

Description of grapes "Julian"

Hybrid "Julian" is a medium-sized shrub. He has a bisexual flower, pollination is successful. Underdeveloped fruits almost never occur. The leaves are round, medium in size, heart-shaped. Corrugation of sheet plates is average. The stems ripen almost the entire length of the growth. The load on one plant is approximately 40–45 buds.

Bunches ripen in a very short time. You can start harvesting in early August. The growing season lasts only 95-105 days. The hybrid is characterized by high frost resistance - it is able to withstand temperature drops to –24 ° С. Despite this, grapes are recommended for cultivation in the southern latitudes.

Grapes are able to maintain excellent presentation for a fairly long period. At the same time, the berries do not rot for a long time and do not lose weight. Qualitative and quantitative parameters are preserved during transportation.

Variety Characteristics

Before moving on to the Julian grape planting guide, we’ll take a closer look at the characteristics of the variety. Did you know? In 2011, the Julian hybrid took part in the Golden Bunch contest, where it won two categories: “The best form of private selection” and “The best sample of table grapes”.

Brushes and berries

Brushes are large, loose or medium-dense. The bunch has a conical shape, but because of the long stalk it sometimes seems shapeless. The weight of the bunch varies from 700 g to 1 kg, however, under good conditions and proper care, individual specimens can reach 1.5–2 kg.

The fruits are large, elongated, slightly pointed downwards, weighing 15–20 g. The grapes are colored unevenly - the pink color is slightly diluted with yellow, due to which a noble golden-pink hue is obtained. Sometimes light lilac and even red berries come across. Color largely depends on the type of soil and the amount of sunlight received. The pulp is dense, tight, when eaten, a characteristic pleasant crunch is felt.

Read also about growing and caring for grapes in a greenhouse.

At the same time, the fruit has a very thin, easily eaten peel. Despite the thin skin, grapes do not crack. Fruits are also characterized by high sugar content (up to 28%). The berries are filled with sugar earlier, so the crop can be removed without waiting for full ripening. This is especially important for those who plan to sell the product, having done it earlier and at a higher price.

Taste qualities

The fruit has a harmonious taste - sweet, nutmeg, with a rich aftertaste and a light strawberry hue. The taste lacks bitterness and astringency.

Fruits of "Juliana" are suitable for use in both fresh and processed form. Due to the rich taste, they produce high-quality wines, preserves, juices, compotes, jams, raisins and marmalade. The described grapes are often used by winemakers to blend dessert wines.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

• "Julian" has its pros and cons, although there are much more advantages:
• early and plentiful harvest;
• large, tasty, sweet berries without bitterness;
• strong rhizome, taking root in 95% of cases;
• the bush grows quickly and adapts to new conditions;
• fruiting of signal brushes begins from the second year of a seedling's life;
• the vine successfully tolerates the hot, arid summer months;
• brushes are highly stubborn;
• the variety is resistant to most fungal diseases, often affecting the grape culture (mildew, anthracnose, alternariosis, gray rot, oidium);
• rarely attacked by wasps.

Did you know? During the period of about two years of anti-alcohol activities in the USSR, a huge number of vineyards were cut down - about 200 thousand hectares.

• The disadvantages of the hybrid relate to the nuances of growing and caring for the bushes:
• the need to select a reliable landing site;
• although the variety is considered frost-resistant, sudden changes in temperature from plus to minus indicators can
• damage young creeper.

Features of planting and growing grape varieties "Julian"

If you correctly complete all planting activities and do not neglect the intricacies of care, the vine will certainly become a long-liver on your site.

Site selection and soil preparation for disembarkation

During the ripening period, the presence of a sunny place and the absence of through winds play an important role, therefore, for planting seedlings, you need to choose a place near the southern wall of the building or structure. To protect the bushes from the winds, install a protective "screen" from the film.

If ground water lies close to the surface of the area allotted for planting, 10-15 cm of drainage should be laid. Expanded clay, pebbles and walnut shells are suitable. Drainage material will additionally provide protection against rhizome freezing. For 15–20 days before planting, dig the ground in two-tier digging. Important! Preparation of soil for grapes involves the mandatory removal of stumps along with the roots, as well as getting rid of weeds and stones. Soil acidity should be low or neutral. If the soil has a high acidity, add lime (200 g per 1 sq. M) to it. Dolomite flour (500 g per 1 sq. M) also helps to lower the pH level.

In order to increase the nutritional properties of the soil, feed it with humus or compost. Additionally, you can make complex mineral fertilizers.

After preparing the soil, it is necessary to build a support system. Use horizontally stretched metal threads for this. In the soil (to a depth of 60 cm), it is necessary to dig two-meter wooden bars. The distance between adjacent columns should not exceed 3 meters.

To strengthen the structure, strengthen the very first and last columns with supports. Pull the bottom row of a thin rod at a distance of 40 cm from the surface of the earth, and then with a span of 30 cm pull another few rows.

The process of planting grape seedlings

Before planting, it is advisable to leave the seedling for a day in a container of water.

Planting scheme for one plant:

1. Form a recess approximately 80 × 80 × 100 cm in size.
2. If necessary, place drainage at the bottom of the pit. Install a drainage pipe for irrigation nearby (100 cm in length and 6–7 cm in diameter).
3. Pour the earth in a mixture with organic and mineral top dressing. Then apply an additional layer of clean soil, forming a small mound.
4. Thoroughly moisten the planting pit with settled warm water.
5. Carefully lower the sapling to the bottom of the hole, spread the roots on an impromptu hill. Sprinkle with a layer of fertile soil. Do not tamper the basal space so as not to inhibit air exchange.
6. Tie up the stem, and sprinkle the groove with mulch. The latter will help retain moisture in the soil, and a young vine will allow you to take root faster.

Important! When choosing seedlings, pay attention to the number of roots (there must be at least three x), as well as the color of the roots on the cut. If the juice does not stand out from the slice, most likely the seedling is already dead.

Watering

Being an early grape, “Julian” requires an indispensable moisture-recharging irrigation in the spring and autumn seasons.

In addition, throughout the summer it is necessary to adhere to the following important rules for moistening the soil under grapes:

• approximately 8–10 days before the bush blooms, carry out preventive irrigation by adding some wood ash to the water for irrigation;
• during the blossoming of vines, watering should be suspended;
• water ripened plant as needed (the soil under the vine requires special attention in severe drought);
• in the season of prolonged rain, place a small canopy over the vine.

Read more about how to water grapes correctly and how often.

Pruning

Pruning provides direct access to the berries of the sun, thereby increasing the speed of ripening and the level of sugar content.

Remove 8–10 eyes and leave at least 40–45 kidneys on the vine. As for the shoots, the plant should leave no more than 30–35 pieces. Be sure to thin out the leaves of the bush.

Among professional winegrowers there is an unspoken rule: on a young vine, leave the number of clusters equal to the age of the seedling. But by the fourth year of life, when the vine begins to fully bear fruit, the number of untouched brushes can be increased to 10 pieces.

Important! It is desirable to engage in pruning at the time of fruit formation, when their size is not larger than peas. Already then it is clear which clusters will be the most powerful and productive.

Early grape top dressing

The presented variety needs regular feeding: this is due to the high productivity of the hybrid. Every year feed the vine with organic fertilizers (compost). Put fertilizer under the root with a layer of 4-5 cm.

Every two weeks, treat with magnesium sulfate solution. Carry out this procedure regularly, up to the period of fruit ripening.

It is possible to fertilize an early ripe hybrid not only with natural, but also with chemical top dressing. Under the root of the bush, regularly apply potassium-phosphorus complexes, following the instructions on the packages. One of the best remedies is the plantafol soluble fertilizer. Mineral agents are preferably added to the water for irrigation, thereby combining the irrigation process with feeding.

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Pest and Disease Control

"Julian" has a strong immunity to diseases and parasites, but do not skip preventive measures against potential threats. For example, to protect against oidium, treat the bushes with a solution of colloidal sulfur.

The result of prolonged rains can be a defeat of the bush with anthracnosis or alternariosis. First, the fruits suffer from these diseases, then leaves, inflorescences and stems are affected. Anthracnose appears as dark spots on leaf blades and stems.

Alternaria can be recognized by brown spots on the foliage. Inspect the vineyard from time to time to detect the disease at an early stage. In the fight against these diseases, use a 2% Bordeaux mixture. Among chemicals, such drugs as Kurzat, Khom and Topaz have proven themselves well.

The main pests for the vine are birds and wasps. Effectively protect the plant from them help mesh or oilcloth. Just cover the vineyard with one of these materials.

Do I need shelter for the winter

"Julian" is a heat-loving variety, so in areas with frosty winters it must be covered. To carry out activities to shelter the creeper you need to start in mid-autumn. Lay the bushes on the ground, tie them in a bunch, then sprinkle with soil 10 cm. Do you know? In the world there are about 10 thousand grape varieties. However, it is more preferable to first cover the liana with a bag, then sprinkle with soil and cover with a 3-cm layer of slate or boards. At the end, cover everything with a polyethylene film to protect the aboveground part and the rhizomes from the flow of water during snowmelt. Directly in the winter months, it is recommended to keep a half-meter layer of snow above the bush.

Reviews about the variety "Julian"

The responses of summer residents engaged in the cultivation of the presented variety are overwhelmingly positive. It is difficult for summer residents to indicate in a recall at least one essentially weak side of culture.

The only nuance that experienced winegrowers are advised to pay attention to is that if the winter turned out to be frosty or lightly snowy, the vine needs compulsory shelter. Otherwise, even an amateur farmer can handle the cultivation of the vine. Clusters "Juliana" can often be observed just in small summer cottages.

Analyzing the available reviews, it is safe to say that among the new hybrids, Julian is a leader both in taste and in terms of maturity. In addition, winegrowers note the high adaptive qualities of the bushes, the beauty of brushes and berries, the high yielding capacity and versatility of the culture.