Grapes "Strashinsky" ("Consul") has existed for more than 30 years, but despite this, the plant still has not lost its popularity. This variety allows you to get high yields, characterized by excellent quality of berries. In addition, the fruits of the plant today are considered one of the most universal, as they are ideal for fresh consumption, as well as for the preparation of grape products. This article discusses the main subtleties of cultivation of "Strashensky" grapes and the rules for caring for it.

Breeding history

This variety was bred in Moldova in the 80s of the twentieth century under the auspices of the Moldavian Research Institute of Viticulture and Winemaking. As a result of many years of work by scientists (M. Zhuravel, G. Borzykova, I. Gavrilov, N. Guzun), a highly productive table variety was developed, distinguished by large and aromatic fruits. Parent plants of this species have become quite well-known varieties today, the basis was the Muscat de Saint-Valle grapes, which were alternately pollinated by the Druzhba, Dodrelaby and Catta Kurgan varieties. The bred hybrid received only the best qualities of the original varieties, which instantly popularized it among professionals and lovers of viticulture.

Description of the Strashensky grape variety

Despite the fact that this variety is a rather complex hybrid, it has typical morphological features inherent in grapes of temperate latitudes. But it should be borne in mind that the plant has its own characteristics, affecting not only the agricultural cultivation technique, but also further care.

Appearance

Grapes "Strashinsky" is a powerful mid-sized, branched bush. The average height of the plant in optimal conditions can reach 2 m. Its shoots are strong, able to quickly lengthen and grow with young branches. The level of shoot ripening is also high and amounts to about 80%. Leaves are small or medium in size. Three or five-lobed leaf blade, round.

Did you know? In the small town of Maribor (Slovenia) there is the oldest vineyard in the world. On its territory, individual bushes about 400 years old still successfully grow and bear fruit.

The flowers are medium, bisexual, gather in small racemose inflorescences. After flowering, cone-shaped brushes form on the bush, sometimes loose, but more often of medium density, weighing about 700–1000 g. The berries develop large, rounded, weighing 12-14 g. The color of the berries is saturated, mostly dark blue, with full ripening it can change to dark purple, almost black.

Taste qualities

The variety has high taste. Its fruits are inherent in juicy and fleshy pulp, characterized by a harmonious taste. Sugar content of berries is in the range of 19–22%, and acidity does not exceed 8.5%. The peel of berries when consumed is almost not felt.

Productivity

This grape belongs to the mid-late ripening crops, which means that the plant enters the fruit filling phase 130-145 days after the start of the growing season. However, this did not prevent the variety from becoming one of the most productive in the world. The average yield of "Strashensky" from 1 hectare is 20–25 tons, while about 20–35 kg of fruits can be harvested from one bush during the growing season.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

• The main advantages that made Strashensky grapes popular among gardeners:
• high productivity;
• increased commercial qualities of bunches and berries;
• improved rate of resistance to damage by fungi and pests;
• the plant withstands frosts down to –24 ° С, and is also resistant to drought;
• the Strashensky crop is resistant to mechanical damage, which allows it to be transported over long distances.

• This grape is not without its shortcomings, they are most often referred to:
• long flowering period;
• in a cold climate, the berry may not fully ripen;
• the variety is particularly susceptible to powdery mildew;
• Fresh clusters are not able to be stored for more than a few weeks.

Features of planting and growing grapes "Strashensky"

It is not difficult to grow this plant on your site; its cultivation provides for a standard set of agrotechnical measures and techniques. For planting this grape, only well-lit areas with fertile soil rich in all kinds of minerals and organic compounds are selected. This is a mandatory measure, because otherwise the plant will not only grow slowly, but also mature for a long time.

Important! The substrate for the Strashensky variety must be characterized by friability and low moisture capacity, otherwise the root system of the grapes will be prone to rot.

Both spring and autumn planting is allowed. The procedure is carried out only after special preparatory measures. To do this, at the planting site of the vineyard, under each cuttings create depressions of 80 × 80 × 80 cm. A drainage layer of 4–5 cm is laid on the bottom of the holes, after which the rest of the space is filled with a mixture of soil and manure or humus (1: 1), and then on top it is covered with clean soil (about 3-4 cm). This variety is distinguished by a branched root system, so between each bush there should be a distance of at least 2.5 m, and between rows - 3 m.

Cuttings are planted about a week after soil preparation, during which time it will restore its structure. Before planting, small depressions are created in the areas (the size of the root system) in which the plants are placed. Further, the wells with cuttings are filled with soil, while the soil is not very compacted to avoid damage to the root system. Planted cuttings are abundantly watered, after which they are given time for full rooting.

After about 1.5–2 months, the seedlings can be fed; for this, potassium phosphate top dressings based on superphosphate and potassium nitrate are used. Fertilizers are applied in dry or in liquid form. At the same time, the concentrations recommended by the manufacturer should not be exceeded, otherwise this will adversely affect the development of seedlings.

How to care for grapes

The most important thing in caring for this variety is proper watering throughout the year, the activity of the plant itself and its productivity depend on it. Watering begins in early spring, seedlings are watered once a week, adult plants - not more than once every 2 weeks. During the rainy season, grapes are not watered, as this will provoke rotting of the roots. Watering is stopped only in late autumn, when the air temperature drops to + 5 ° C.

Did you know? The most expensive in the world is the Japanese grape variety "Roman Ruby". In 2016, a fresh bunch of berries of this plant was auctioned for almost 11 thousand US dollars.

Only clean water is used for irrigation, depending on the age of the bush, one plant should account for 5 to 15 liters of water per procedure. Proper top dressing plays a major role in achieving not only high yields, but also quality berries, so they approach this procedure responsibly.

It is recommended to feed grapes 3 times per season:

• a few weeks before flowering;
• during the formation of the ovary;
• before winter.

As a top dressing, use any complex phosphorus-potassium mixture. For this, 20 g of superphosphate and 5 g of potassium nitrate are dissolved in 10 l of water. The resulting solution is well soaked in the soil. In autumn, the bushes are fed with organic mixtures, a solution of mullein (1:10) or bird droppings (1:13) is best suited for these purposes. In addition, the grapes always need timely pruning. This is necessary in order to avoid a decrease in yield on the bush, as well as to eliminate excess or non-viable shoots.

To carry out the correct and timely pruning of the Strashensky cultivar, it is necessary:

• be sure to pinch 1/3 of the brush during the period of ovary berries, this will help achieve uniform ripening of the crop;
• reduce the load on the bush, for this no more than 2 brushes are left on the fruit bearing branch;
• the bush must be well leafy, for this the young stepsons are removed in moderation, but reaching their even number throughout the bush;
• depending on the growing region, the number of eyes in one adult bush should not exceed 40-60 pieces (less in the north, more in the south).

Find out in more detail how to properly feed the grapes in the fall.

Fungal and pest damage

As mentioned above, Strashensky grapes are resistant to various pests and diseases, however, due to varietal characteristics, this plant affects them quite often. This is often associated with non-compliance with the general agricultural technology of crop cultivation, which creates a favorable environment for the development of harmful insects and fungi. The main diseases and pests of Strashensky grapes and methods for their elimination are presented in the table.

Title	Symptoms of lesion	How to fight
Anthracnose	Brown spots with a white border, with untimely treatment, they grow together, causing the death of individual parts of the bush.	The bushes are treated with Antracol, Acrobat, Kuprosat, Ridomil, Thanos or Horus.
Downy mildew	Oily spots on foliage and young shoots, in rainy weather they are covered with a whitish coating.	Affected plants are treated with Antracol, Bordeaux liquid, Cuproxat, Ridomil, or copper chloroxide.
Powdery mildew	Curly foliage, white or gray-white coating appears on the green mass.	Grapes are sprayed with solutions of the drug "Thanos", "Strobi", "Tiovit" or "Topaz".
Black spotting	Dark spots on foliage and young shoots.	The bushes are treated with solutions of the fungicides Antracol, Acrobat, Kuprosat, Ridomil, Thanos or Horus.
Gray rot	Gray coating on fruits and foliage.	The preparations “Antracol”, “Acrobat”, “Kuprosat”, “Ridomil”, “Thanos” will help to overcome the disease, however, when the infection is infected, the crop becomes unusable.
Phylloxera	Small, greenish-yellow parasites that cause drying and wilting of foliage.	Bushes are sprayed with Actellic, Zolon or Confidor insecticides.
Spider mite	Cobweb coating on the bottom of the leaves.	Grapes are processed with Actellic, Zolon or Confidor.
Leaflet	Small green caterpillars that live on foliage and inflorescences.	Affected bushes are treated with Bi-58, Zolon, Talstar or Fury preparations.

"Strashensky" is an ideal variety for industrial and domestic cultivation. This plant does not require complex care, and its fruits delight with a rich taste and rich aftertaste. In addition, the variety is unpretentious and resistant to frost and drought. But to grow such grapes is best in the south, this is the only condition that will help achieve complete ripening of the berries.