Alpha grapes: variety description, planting, care

The article presents grapes Alpha: description of the variety, characteristics, recommendations for planting, care.

As a rule, gardeners are most interested in table grape varieties, but technical varieties are also in high demand. A good option would be the Alpha grape variety. It will perfectly complement your plot with its greenery, and will also pollinate neighboring plants well. This grape variety feels good on the territory of different regions of our country.

As a rule, this variety is grown in the Primorsky Territory. This variety has been actively cultivated in this region for industrial purposes since 1937. About 800 hectares of land were occupied by this particular variety. Alpha is made by crossing Labrusca and Riparia. And this crossing was carried out on the territory of North America.

Alpha grapes: variety description

Alpha grapes: photo

This variety is no longer new for many gardeners. He has been known among summer residents for more than a dozen years. Many people like him, and this is no accident. Alpha is well able to survive cold weather, while maintaining a spreading bush shape. This variety is well suited for decorating a gazebo, veranda, balcony and other buildings. Among other things, this variety has an expressive taste, aroma, the pulp has a lot of juice.

An important factor in the description of this variety is the period in which the berries ripen. Alpha is mid-season. After the growing season has begun, you need to wait from one hundred and ten to one hundred and forty-five days, and then you can start harvesting. As a rule, the harvest is harvested in the last days of September. This variety shows good results in terms of yield, from one plant you can get from ten to fifteen kilograms of fruit. And from one hectare of the area, farmers remove one hundred fifty - one hundred and eighty centners of berries.

The bush grows quite powerful, spreading. Has a large number of stepchildren, which can lead to plantings being too dense. For this reason, it is necessary to periodically clean the stepsons, this should not be done too rarely, about twice a year. If you neglect this measure, then the berries will be too small, and there will be few of them in the bunches. Shoots can grow up to eight to ten meters. The vines have quite large leaves, in their length they can reach about twenty-five centimeters. The edges of the leaf plate are sufficiently serrated. The brushes of this variety are not too large, have a cylindrical shape, in its weight one bunch reaches from one hundred and fifty to one hundred and eighty grams. However, if all the rules for care are followed, better results can be achieved, for example, specimens weighing about two hundred and fifty grams were noted.

The flowering of the Alpha variety falls on the fifteenth of June. On one stem, as a rule, there are two to three inflorescences that are bisexual. Alphas are often planted in plots to pollinate other grape varieties. The fruits of this variety have a rounded shape, dark blue color, in its mass one berry reaches two to three grams. The surface of the fruit is covered with a slight waxy bloom. The berries have a bright aroma, the taste of nutmeg is clearly felt, the character of the taste is dessert, with a refreshing acidity present.

Characteristics of Alpha grapes

Alfa wine is very popular among gourmets, as well as juice from this grape variety. Some gardeners believe that this variety has too high a level of acidity. For this reason, it makes no sense to plant this variety for those who prefer very sweet varieties. It should be remembered, however, that Alpha is not a table grape. Inside the berries have a lot of juice, slimy texture, in the aftertaste there is a delicate strawberry shade.

One of the big advantages of this variety is its good resistance to low temperatures. Rhizomes are able to survive a drop in soil temperature to - 12 degrees, as for air, then up to -33 degrees Alpha is able to exist peacefully. This variety can be a good rootstock for those grape varieties with low frost resistance. As for immunity to major diseases, this variety is not too picky about frequent preventive treatments.

Among the disadvantages is the fact that planting Alpha grapes often expresses chlorosis... It is imperative to prune the plants by eight to ten eyes. Otherwise, the grapes will not please you with their yield.

Alpha grapes: a description of the correct planting

Photo of grape variety Alpha

The correct planting of the plant, as well as the subsequent care, are very important factors for obtaining a decent harvest of tasty berries. This variety has a very good degree of hardiness, including adaptability when planting. Such grapes, as a rule, are planted in the spring, starting from the last days of March, ending in June. Many gardeners prefer autumn planting; for this, the period from October to November is suitable.

To begin with, you need to choose the right sweat site for planting future grapes. The ground should be well lit, and an important factor is reliable protection from drafts and gusts of wind. Groundwater should not be located too close to the surface, as a rule, it is about two meters. If the groundwater is above this indicator, then it is necessary to lay a drainage layer. It is best to choose the southwest exposure for this variety.

It is necessary to prepare material for planting. As a rule, growers use cuttings for these purposes. This variety has a very good property, it grows well with the stock. Young plants must be hardened without fail, and you should not neglect the activities that are shown for grafting.
For this propagation method, it is necessary to choose shoots that are located in close proximity to the soil level. Before planting seedlings in the ground, they must be soaked in water. It is necessary to do this in order for the plant to take root better, and the root system to take root and develop better. Grapes are not very picky about the composition of the soil, but there should be a lot of nutrients in the soil. It is imperative to add sand to the soil, especially for too heavy soil. Do not overdo it with moistening the ground just before planting a plant, for this reason, planting plants after rainy weather is not worth it.

As for the size of the planting pits, in the case of fertile soils, a size of eighty centimeters is sufficient. If sand prevails, then the depth should be at least one meter. It is necessary to maintain a distance of one and a half meters between the planting pits. There should be at least two meters between the rows. It is worth noting that with a greater depth of the planting hole, rooting of young plants is better.

Planting holes must be prepared in advance. If you plant plants in the fall, then prepare the pits in the summer, but if planting is carried out in the spring, then the pits are prepared in the fall.This is necessary in order for the soil to settle down. At the bottom of each pit, it is necessary to lay drainage, after which there is a layer of humus and only then, finally, soil. The humus must be mixed with the soil. A peg must be installed in the center of the landing hole, it will serve as a support. Plants need to be lowered to the level of the root collar, then covered with soil.

After that, the planted plants must be well watered, and a mulching layer must also be laid. Young seedlings require shelter for the winter, as they are still too weak to withstand low temperatures. In the first year after you have planted the plant, there will likely be no harvest. During this period, the plant still takes root, takes root in a new place. Although this variety is not a very whimsical culture, you need to know about some of the care features.

Alpha grape variety: watering rules

It is imperative to observe the irrigation regime. This is the first time this is done after the spring shelter was removed. Such watering should be abundant, it is moisture-charging. This is especially true when the winter was snowless and there was too little rain in the spring. In the following months, the plants should be watered weekly. For this, it is better to choose early morning or evening. As a rule, there are one to two buckets of water per bush. The water should not be too cold, it must be defended for at least a day. Sprinkling and spraying are not suitable for this, watering must be carried out at the root of the plants. For an adult plant, more water is required, one shrub requires two to four buckets of water.

Top dressing, pruning of grape varieties Alpha

To get a good harvest, you need to periodically apply top dressing. Saplings of this variety grow quite actively. During this period, it is necessary to make additional food. For this, as a rule, carbon, calcium, nitrogen are used. Many gardeners use organic fertilizer for these purposes. They use the infusion of bird droppings, but it is worth remembering that it must be well bred. For the same purposes, use herbal infusion, as well as ash infusion.

Some farmers use purchased chemicals such as Biovit, Optim-humus, Vermistim and others. It is imperative to use such funds in accordance with the instructions.

It is also necessary to prune plants and remove unnecessary stepsons. This procedure can be carried out throughout the summer. It is necessary to shorten the shoots to a length of eight to ten eyes. This measure cannot be neglected, as the bush will begin to thicken strongly.

Protection

It is also necessary to carry out preventive and therapeutic measures against diseases and harmful insects. Diseases of fungal origin practically do not threaten this variety, and as for other diseases and harmful insects, they can cause considerable damage to your grape plantings.

The main danger for the Alpha variety is the following harmful insects:

• Grape cover. You can fight this pest using special preparations, for example, Fufanon or Karbofos.
• Grape mosquito. The main danger for the vineyard is the larvae of this pest; insecticidal agents are also used against them.
• Grape cushion... It is quite difficult to destroy already adult representatives, for this reason it is necessary to spray the vines in the spring. To do this, you can use Nitrafen or Preparation 30. If you do not want to once again add chemistry to your vineyards, then this pest can be removed by hand, but this procedure will need to be carried out often.
• Wasps. These insects are very fond of sweet berries. The main harm that wasps do is in damaged areas on the fruits. It is there that harmful bacteria can multiply, due to which the berry begins to rot.Sweet liquid traps can be used to control these insects; insecticides are also suitable for this purpose.

As for the diseases that affect the Alpha variety, fortunately, there are not too many of them. First of all, grape vines can be affected by powdery mildew, various rot, chlorosis. It is quite difficult to overcome such diseases, for this reason it is necessary to regularly spray the plants for the purpose of prevention. Sometimes plants can be attacked by anthracnose. Bordeaux mixture, Anthracnol and Ridomil are used against this disease.

Without fail, Alpha grapes require some preparation for the winter time. Shoots must be covered. Even though this variety tolerates low temperatures well enough, the stems located in the vicinity of the ground may freeze.

Alpha grapes: video