Grapes in Memory of Negrul: Variety Description
The Negrul Memorial Grapes is a fairly popular table variety. Having excellent taste, he was able to break into a leading position among medium-late varieties, although he needs a little more attention than some of them. We offer you to get acquainted with the characteristics of this variety and the features of its cultivation.
Variety breeding history
A group of Moldavian scientists worked on the cultivation of the variety. They wanted to get a plant that is resistant to a number of basic fungal diseases, has good frost resistance and at the same time has excellent taste, as well as good storage performance during transportation. To get what they want, scientists crossed the varieties Corna nagra and Datier de Saint-Valle.
Did you know? Negrul Alexander Mikhailovich was considered the " king of grapes " (according to the famous botanist Vavilov N.I.). He laid down his whole life to work on the study and selection of this culture, so the Moldavian scientists decided to name a grape variety in his honor - In memory of Negrul.
Description of the variety of Memory of Negrul
It has already been mentioned that this grape is medium-late, since it takes 145-160 days to grow and ripen the brushes, which means that its brushes are ready for harvesting in the second decade of September in the middle lane.
Appearance
The grape bush is tall, reaches 210-300 cm, strong, erect. Has well-developed shoots, always densely covered with flowers. Of the total number of shoots, only a third does not bear fruit. The load is large on the plant, but it can easily cope with it. The leaves of the grapes are rounded, five-lobed, of medium dissection. Culture blooms with flowers of both sexes, which eliminates the need to artificially pollinate it. Due to this feature of grapes, the variety can play the role of a pollinator for others with same-sex flowers.
A bunch is formed of a large, medium friability, cylindrical-conical shape. On average, its weight in ripened form is 450-500 g, but there are specimens larger. The bunch consists of oblong, ovoid berries weighing 5–9 g. The fleshy, sugary, juicy flesh hides behind a dense, crunching when cracked, skin of dark purple, almost black color. From above it is slightly covered with a wax coating.
Grade characteristics
In a variety, the following characteristics can be distinguished that most accurately describe it:
- cuttings perfectly take root (at least 95%);
- young seedlings form the first brush the next year after planting;
- high productivity - 180-200 c / ha;
- brushes for a long time (about 120 days) are stored in a cool place and do not lose their appearance after transportation;
- the variety is resistant to oidium, mildew, gray rot, phylloxera, grape mite;
- fruiting coefficient - 0.8 (on 10 shoots of 8 bunches);
- fruiting coefficient - 1.2 (on 10 fruitful shoots of 12 clusters);
- 65% of fruitful shoots (65 shoots out of 100 give inflorescences).
Did you know? Some vine bushes grow up to 100 years. It is interesting that the more the bush lives, the greater the yield it brings each year.
Grape application
Sugar content of berries is 16–17% with an acidity of 6 g / 1 l, which makes this grape an excellent table variety for universal use. It lies well, so it can be harvested fresh. It makes a wonderful juice, as well as raisins. You can use this grape to make a weak wine.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
- The positive features of the variety include:
- high productivity;
- good storage, transportation;
- presentation of a bunch;
- tall bush, allowing to form an arch;
- resistance to most diseases;
- frost resistance;
- wasps do not damage the berries.
- The disadvantages of the variety:
- you need to regularly engage in the formation of a bush;
- Despite frost resistance, it is still necessary to shelter it for the winter;
- young shoots, until they are strong, it is advisable to tie.
Features of growing and planting
Grape varieties of Memory Negrul unpretentious. The rules for planting it are the same as for most other varieties. It is only necessary to take into account that he loves chernozem, loamy and moisture-proof soil.
Landing time
Planting of cuttings is carried out both in spring and in autumn. Spring planting is best done in April-May. The shank should be annual and lignified. If it is green and growing, then it is better to start planting in May-June. In autumn, grapes are planted to frost on the soil. Such planting provides several advantages: the growing season begins earlier and you do not need to think about where to store the prepared cuttings.
Care for the grape of Negrul memory
There will be no problems in plant care if all the rules are followed.
Watering
The Negrul Memorial variety is able to tolerate short-term droughts, but it is better not to experiment with this, since you can lose part of the crop or it will be of lower quality. That is why watering should be monitored closely. It should be plentiful before budding, after flowering and during the ripening of the bunch.
Important! It is necessary to completely stop watering the plant a month before the harvest.
Top dressing
In order for more fruit buds to form on the vine in spring, in the fall you need to fertilize the plant with superphosphates. They will also help to increase the sweetness of berries, accelerate their ripening, and also facilitate the wintering of the plant. To strengthen the immunity of the bush, you need to make potassium top dressing. It is advisable to make any top dressing along with watering.
Shaping and trimming
If the grapes are grown in areas with warm winters, it is better to form it in a two-armed cordon (the vertical part is no more than 80 cm, and the two vines diverge in different directions and give young shoots). Where the plant requires shelter for the winter, the vertical part is not formed so that the vines can be easily bent to the ground without causing damage to them. The bush is not trimmed very much.
The whole procedure can be divided into two stages:
- Autumn pruning (preliminary) - after the discharge of foliage.
- Spring pruning (final) - removing dead buds.
For these two prunings, the vine should be shortened by 4–5 eyes, but so that no more than 45–50 eyes are left on the whole bush, otherwise this will heavily load the plant. Trimming is carried out from top to bottom.
Important! It is advisable to leave more lignified shoots, since the best brushes are formed on them.
Features of protection against cold in the winter
One of the unusual features of the variety is that although it is frost-resistant, it needs shelter. It helps the plant survive severe frosts with less loss. If you need to prepare a young seedling for winter, then you can cover it with a plastic bottle, making holes for ventilation in it. Adult bushes are tied with burlap or covering material, and then mulched (peat, needles). Before frosts, abundant irrigation and loosening of the soil are mandatory.
Diseases and Pests
This variety is resistant to many common diseases, but this does not mean that it is never sick and it is not attacked by pests.
Control Measures and Prevention
So that the culture is not affected by ailments, it is advisable to carry out preventive treatment of the bush. So, for example, the worst enemy of many vineyards - phylloxera (insect) - will not hit your crop if it is treated with a 5% solution of carbolineum. But treatment with fungicides will help prevent the appearance of mildew, gray rot, oidium.
Learn more about how to treat gray rot on grapes.
Bordeaux fluid is considered a good preventive and therapeutic agent for most diseases. It should be noted that in addition to the misfortunes mentioned, grapes can be attacked by birds, so you need to be prepared for the fact that suddenly on your site flocks of crows, tits, sparrows, which arrived to enjoy juicy fruits, may appear. You can discourage them using ordinary garden scarecrows.
Grade Reviews
Reviews about the grape variety in Memory of Negrul vary, but most of them are positive. Experienced growers note that the plant behaves differently in different conditions. So, if the growing season was hot and arid, then the berries will form small and rounded. In case of heavy rains, they will be large and oblong. Some note that due to rainy weather, the peel on the berries begins to crack, and this attracts wasps. As a result, you can lose about 20% of the crop. But those who have been breeding this variety for a long time claim that if you control watering, then losses can be minimized and the yield will always be stably high.
