Arcadia grapes (also known as Nastya) are one of the most popular varieties. With proper care, it produces a consistently high yield of large berries with a pleasant nutmeg aroma. Adapts well to different climatic conditions and does not suffer from sudden temperature changes. The photo below shows the harvest of the Arcadia variety:
Description of the Arcadia grape variety
The Arcadia grape variety has the following characteristics:
- It is early ripening, the period from bud break to the ripening of the first clusters is about 120 days. Depending on the growing area;
- Arcadia grapes were obtained as a result of crossing 2 varieties: Moldova and Cardinal. And received the best qualities from the parent varieties;
- The berries are quite large, the weight of each is close to 15 g, the shape of the berries is round, the color when the fruit is technically ripe is white or light yellow. At biological ripeness – amber. The skin is dense, but thin, covered with a whitish waxy coating on top. The taste of the berries is moderately sweet and balanced. The pulp is fleshy and juicy. When fully ripe, the fruits develop a nutmeg aroma;
- The brushes tolerate transportation well and have a conical shape. The average weight of an individual brush reaches 700 g, although there are record holders whose weight reaches 2 kg;
- The Arcadia grape bush is large, the leaves are large, 5-lobed, covered with light white pubescence below,
- Most growing shoots (up to 70%) can form fruit clusters;
- The yield of each Arcadia grape bush can reach 20 kg. In a particularly successful growing season, you can get 50 kg of berries from 1 grape bush;
- The flower is bisexual and does not require artificial pollination. It can pollinate other varieties;
- The Arcadia grape variety tolerates frosts well down to -23°C, which makes it suitable for cultivation in central Russia;
Beginning winegrowers are often concerned with the question: in what year does the Arcadia grape variety produce a harvest? It all depends on the planting method. If you planted grapes from cuttings, then in the second year you will have only signal clusters. It is recommended to leave no more than 2 of them, since a larger number will overload the bush, it will be difficult for it to grow full-fledged shoots and direct energy to ripening the berries. In the 3rd year, the Arcadia variety produces a full harvest.
Excellent varietal and commercial characteristics make Arcadia grapes a desirable variety for cultivation in gardens and household plots. It is a table grape variety that is also suitable for winemaking.
Arcadia grapes on video:
Planting and care
To get a decent harvest of Arcadia grapes, you should take a responsible approach to choosing where to grow the grapes and then properly care for the crop.
The Arcadia variety prefers well-lit areas, protected from the passage of cold northern winds. Those parts of the garden that are surrounded by tall trees or near buildings are not suitable. The presence of shade will not have the best effect on the taste and ripening time of the berries.
There are no high requirements for soils. They must be well drained. Stagnation of water will lead to the death of the grape crop. A layer of expanded clay or broken brick is laid at the bottom of the planting hole, measuring 70x70 cm, which will perform drainage functions.
Next, add humus or compost, mix it with the existing soil, pour out a bucket of water so that there are no voids, and allow the water to be absorbed. When preparing a planting pit for grapes, you can add mineral fertilizers: superphosphate and nitrophoska 50 g each.
Planting Arcadia grapes is best done in the spring, when daytime temperatures are around +15°C and the soil warms up to +10°C. Next, you can plant the existing grape seedling, but this must be done so that the soil level of the tree trunk circle is lower than the level of the edges of the planting hole. According to the advice of experienced winegrowers, in this way you will make it easier for yourself to further water and cover the grape bush for the winter.
Only lignified seedlings grown independently from cuttings or purchased from a nursery are suitable for spring planting.
Preparing such seedlings will take some time. In the fall, cuttings of Arcadia grapes are cut, up to 30 cm long, about 10 mm thick, treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, dried well, wrapped in canvas, and then in polyethylene, stored on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator until early March.
The cut of the cuttings is freshened, several longitudinal notches are made on the bottom of the bark without touching the wood, and they are placed in planting containers (it is convenient to use plastic bottles cut in half) filled with soil, sawdust and humus in equal volumes. In a month, the grape cuttings will take root.For growing, they can be placed on the windowsill. In the spring, with the onset of stable warmth, prepared seedlings are planted in a permanent place of growth.
You should immediately take care of organizing a support - a trellis for the Arcadia variety and laying pipes for its further watering and nutrition.
There are several types of trellises. The simplest ones are made from a dug-in support (wooden or metal poles, 15 cm in diameter) and wire stretched between them. The distance between the trellis supports is 3 m, and the distance between the rows of wire is 30 cm, the first bottom row is at a height of 50 cm from the soil surface.
This type of trellis is called single-plane and is the cheapest; you can make it yourself from available material.
The presence of support for a grape crop is mandatory, since the harvest can be heavy and it is difficult for the shoots to hold it. Attaching to trellises makes it possible to obtain a high-quality harvest. Bunches of grapes receive the maximum amount of sunlight and heat. There is no crowding in the foliage, and there is no threat of fungal diseases.
Grape shoots begin to be tied in the 2nd year of life to a stretched wire, parallel to the ground. Growing shoots are attached to the next line of wire when their length becomes more than 30 cm.
Another important agrotechnical technique that is necessarily used when growing the Arcadia variety is pruning bushes. It is carried out with the aim of rejuvenating the bush, causing shoot growth, which makes it possible to obtain a bountiful grape harvest.
Pruning of grapes is carried out in early spring, when the buds are still dormant, mainly frozen or rotted shoots are removed, or in late autumn, at the end of October - beginning of November. For Arcadia grapes, pruning in the fall is preferable, if the plant is grown in the middle zone; after pruning, wintering is much easier, and it is easier to cover the formed bushes. Any type of pruning is suitable for the Arcadia variety. Each winegrower chooses the most suitable one for himself.
Overgrown grape seedlings are shortened to 2 buds in the fall. In the future, 2 sleeves will be formed from them. In the summer, stepsons are cut out so as not to impede the ripening of the crop.
Pay attention to the condition of the shoots, the vines - these are the shoots that have borne fruit and should be removed, since there will be no more harvest on them. Always leave the strongest shoots. Pruning is a mandatory event, it will allow the grapes to develop properly and produce the richest harvest possible.
Arcadia grapes need regular watering, especially before flowering and before planting the crop. The rest of the time, rely on weather conditions.
For the winter, after pruning and water-charging irrigation, all grape shoots are removed from the trellis, laid on the ground and covered with agrofibre and pieces of slate or simply covered with soil.
To prevent disease, it is best to take preventive control measures by spraying grape bushes twice a season, in spring and autumn, with the most accessible means: Bordeaux mixture.
Conclusion
The Arcadia grape variety is a favorite among winegrowers. It is not capricious to soils and weather conditions, tolerates winters well, and responds with a good harvest to all the efforts made. Beginning winegrowers should pay attention to the Arcadia variety.
Maxim Solenko, 39 years old, Belgorod, it’s pretty stupid to make wine from table grapes. Its purpose is to eat it. And for wine they use technical varieties. Take at least a little interest in the question so as not to write nonsense