Grapes "Bazhena"

The hybrid Ukrainian white grape variety Bazhena was bred not so long ago, but has already gained popularity among domestic gardeners. Being a descendant of the famous variety "Arcadia”, The Bazhena grape has inherited the ability to produce a rich harvest. And besides, successfully resist various diseases.

But the Bazhena variety can hardly boast of the frost resistance of its parent. Therefore, it is not suitable for cultivation in the northern regions of the country. In the conditions of central Russia, it needs insulation and shelter for the winter.

This article will discuss the distinctive features of this variety, its advantages and disadvantages, as well as how to properly care for the Bazhena grape variety.

White grapes Bazhena: description of the variety and its botanical characteristics

Bazhena grapes: photo of the variety

The Bazhena grape belongs to the group of early-maturing white grape varieties. The fruits of this variety ripen for 3.5 months, which makes it possible to cultivate it even in regions with a short summer period.

The main thing to remember and what should in no case be neglected is the need to provide grape bushes with favorable conditions for the wintering period. It is necessary to insulate and cover them, especially if the winter is expected with little snow.

Bazhena grapes are one of the earliest varieties suitable for cultivation in the territory of the national middle zone. Some gardeners choose to sacrifice the short ripening time of the fruit in favor of frost resistance. Therefore, the Bazhena variety is crossed with other varieties that are frost-resistant.

The hybrid obtained as a result of grafting will tolerate the winter better. But it will also ripen later than the parent variety. Grafting with another variety also improves Bazhen's resistance to damage by the phylloxera grape aphid.

Shoots of Bazhena grape bushes tend to grow rapidly. Saplings and cuttings root quickly and take root well in a new place.

This allows you to quickly grow lush bushes. However, this feature also adds to the hassle of care. The rapidly appearing side shoots must be removed in time. The grapes' stepchildren will not bear fruit, but will only draw on themselves some of the nutrition needed for other parts of the plant that will yield the harvest.

In contrast to the shoots, the leaves of this grape variety do not tend to form dense thickets. Therefore, frequent pruning is not needed. Thinning of the foliage is necessary provided that it prevents the formation of the grape bunches.

Variety "Bazhena" is self-pollinated, since bisexual inflorescences are formed on its shoots. The size of the fruits and clusters is the main advantage of this variety. The cone-shaped berries of a yellow-green hue can weigh about 15 g. And brushes - from 0.7 kg to 1.5 kg.

Sometimes the weight of individual bunches can reach 2 kg.

Bazhena grapes: the benefits of the variety

It is obvious that the white Bazhena grape has a number of undeniable advantages:

• The Bazhena grape has the largest fruits and clusters among the early varieties of grapes, which provides it with the sympathy of domestic gardeners.
• The early ripening of the fruits of this variety allows harvesting from the second half of August.
• The resistance of the Bazhena variety to infection with fungal infections (among them - oidium and downy mildew) greatly simplifies the care of grape plantings. Due to its strong immunity, the grapes of this variety do not need regular preventive treatment, which helps to save financial resources of the vineyard owner. Healthy plants are attractive in appearance and yield quality crops.
• The yield of the Bazhena variety is so high that it sometimes requires the rationing of the number of inflorescences. Otherwise, the load on the plant at the time of fruiting will be excessive and adversely affect its health.
• Due to its structure, the berries of this variety can be stored for a long time without losing their presentation and quality. This allows gardeners to enjoy the fruits of their labor for longer.
• Variety "Bazhena" is resistant to bad weather and even in case of temperature jumps or changes in humidity level does not lose its taste. The fruits are not covered with cracks and are not deformed under the influence of unfavorable environmental conditions.
• The presence of bisexual inflorescences makes the Bazhena variety self-pollinated, thereby relieving the owner of the vineyard from the need to carry out artificial pollination. This quality also eliminates the problem of grape peas.
• The high sugar content in the fruits of this variety gives them a sweet taste, characterized by harmony, as well as a pleasant aroma.

"Bazhena" is considered a universal variety, suitable for both processing and fresh consumption. Its berries are very popular among lovers of homemade compote and jam. Their taste is slightly similar to that of sweet cherries, but with more sour notes.

Bazhena grape variety. Choosing a landing site

Bazhena grapes

Choosing the right site for growing a particular grape variety means providing yourself with a bountiful harvest of tasty and aromatic fruits for several years with minimal effort.

Neglecting recommendations regarding the preferences of grapes of different varieties is fraught with great trouble in caring for it. Since the plant takes root with difficulty in adverse conditions.

The white Bazhena grape is quite unpretentious and suitable for cultivation in the conditions of the Russian central zone. In southern regions, summer heat can damage young shoots if protection measures are not taken.

In the north, winter frosts can kill the grapes of this variety. Especially if the vineyard is not insulated in advance. With shelter, the likelihood that plants will survive severe frosts increases.

Preparing seedlings for transplanting into open ground

Bazhena grapes

Before proceeding with the actual procedure for transplanting seedlings into the ground, it is necessary to prepare them.

First of all, you should prune the roots and shoots of a young plant. The roots are shortened slightly to freshen them up. And then they are placed in a container filled with wet sawdust or diluted clay.

The seedling will remain here until transplanted into the ground to prevent the roots from drying out. It will not be superfluous to cover it entirely with polyethylene.

Shoots that are too long should also be shortened. Because they consume too much food, which is necessary primarily for the root system. Without a sufficient amount of moisture and nutrients, it will not be able to adapt to a new place for a long time. And this will slow down the development and growth of the entire plant.

It is important that the seedling has time to take root and take root before the onset of winter. Due to the low resistance of the Bazhena variety to frost, the roots that did not have time to go deep into the ground can quickly freeze through, which will lead to the death of the plant.

It is enough to lower the temperature to -20 degrees to severely damage the root system of a young grape bush. Thoroughly rooted seedlings are easier to tolerate and summer heat. Since the branched root shoots are better at extracting moisture and nutrition.

Pruning a seedling before planting involves removing all but one of the strongest and healthiest shoots. It should also be trimmed at the level of 2-3 buds, removing everything above them.

Bazhena grapes. Instructions for transplanting seedlings

When choosing a site to place a vineyard, you should give preference to well-lit areas. In temperate climates, constant shading can slow the development of vines and reduce yields.

The early Bazhena variety is especially sensitive to the lack of solar heat and light. Without them, the size and weight of fruits and bunches, the volume of the crop and its taste will suffer.

The composition of the soil is no less important than the light regime. The characteristics of the crop are directly dependent on the fertility of the land. The Bazhena variety prefers black soil. Loves loose and light soils. Good permeability allows even distribution of nutrients, water and air in the soil layers.

Root system of grapes takes root faster on loose soil and grows new branches faster. Even if the soil on the site meets these requirements, regular loosening is still necessary to keep the plantings in good condition.

Planting holes for grape seedlings should have a diameter of about 0.8 m and about the same depth. In a too deep hole, the young plant will be uncomfortable. Its growth and development will be slower.

With insufficient depth, its root system will not receive sufficient protection during drought or frost. It will be difficult for the roots to obtain nutrients from the soil.

Therefore, compliance with the recommended size of the planting hole is not only desirable, but necessary for the successful development of grape bushes.

Experienced gardeners begin preparing for transplanting seedlings in the fall. They dig up the area and apply fertilizer to the planting holes. For this, organic matter is suitable, which during the winter period remains in the hole, gradually being distributed in the ground.

You can feed young grape bushes during planting by adding mineral mixtures. The poorer the soil, the more fertilizing will be required to enrich it with the elements necessary for seedlings.

The soil mixture for filling the planting holes can be made on your own. To do this, it is necessary to mix the soil from the site with peat and phosphorus fertilizers. It will also not hurt to add humus (20 kg) and wood ash (about 2 kg).

If the soil in the area is heavy and dense, it is recommended to dilute it with sand. The resulting mixture is introduced into the planting hole, filling it by about 1/3. Then a grape seedling is placed in the hole, spreading its root system to a depth of about 0.4 m.

Soil is poured on top with the addition of sand and compacted well. Then the soil in the vineyard must be thoroughly shed with water to provide the young plants with sufficient water for successful adaptation.

It is not recommended to fill the seedling with fertilizers when planting in a hole. The nutrient mixture should be at the bottom of the planting well.

Protection of Bazhena grapes from infections and pests

The Bazhena white grape variety is distinguished by a high degree of resistance to various diseases and attacks of harmful insects. This allows you to significantly reduce the amount of preventive procedures aimed at protecting against pests and fungal infections.

Meanwhile, experienced gardeners recommend from time to time to treat grape bushes with solutions based on copper sulfate or ferrous sulfate.This is done by spraying the ground parts of plants in compliance with all the necessary instructions for the use of the drug.

As a rule, the bushes should be irrigated in the spring, before the buds open, or in the fall. For the procedure, you need to choose a dry and calm day. Otherwise, the rains will quickly wash off the protective agent from the surface of the shoots and foliage before the desired effect occurs.

If infection with a fungal infection does occur, more drastic measures should be taken and chemicals should be used. The sooner it is possible to detect signs of the disease and promptly process the diseased plant, the lower the risk of its spread to other grape bushes.

Harmful insects do not often attack the Bazhena grape variety. The greatest danger is posed by the grape aphid - phylloxera.

In order to avoid the frequent treatment of the vineyard with insecticides, you can take care of measures to prevent aphid infestation.

• Firstly, placing the vineyard on sandy soil will save you from the invasion of phylloxera, which does not favor this type of soil. However, in this case, the need of grapes for nutrients will increase, therefore, fertilizers will have to be applied quite often.
• Secondly, the solution may be to inoculate with another grape variety that is resistant to the attack of aphids. It should be borne in mind that as a result of this procedure, the variety may lose some of its qualities.

Finally

The popular variety of white grapes "Bazhena" deservedly enjoys the sympathy of domestic gardeners. The reason for this is a number of advantages of this variety.

These include the versatility in the use of fruits, which are good both fresh and as raw materials for the preparation of various drinks and other products.

High yield and early ripening in combination with unpretentious nature and disease resistance makes the Bazhena variety suitable for cultivation in the middle zone of Russia.

Self-pollination of this variety saves gardeners from the hassle associated with artificial pollination of grapes, and also eliminates such a common problem as peas.

Compliance with the necessary agrotechnical recommendations, competent care for Bazhena grapes at all stages of its development will allow you to easily collect a bountiful harvest of very sweet and fragrant large berries.