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Grapes are an exquisite autumn delicacy. And delicious homemade grape wine cannot even be compared with store brands. The ability to grow table and industrial grapes separately is considered a luxury by many. An excellent solution to the problem is grape varieties suitable for both food and wine making.
Lydia belongs to the American grape varieties. Lydia grapes are a hybrid that is part of the Isabella group of varieties. Unlike Isabella, Lydia grapes are considered not only a technical variety, but also a table variety. Winegrowers sometimes call this grape differently - Lydia pink, Isabella pink. The clusters are usually of medium size and gain weight up to 120 g.
Description of the variety
The oval/round berries are red in color and have a high sugar content of approximately 19%. The grapes are covered with a natural waxy coating, which gives the berries a purple tint (as in the photo). The Lydia variety has a unique taste, with a light strawberry aroma.
Advantages of grapes:
- brushes mature well;
- frost resistance index down to -22-26˚С, disease resistance;
- the Lydia variety tolerates high humidity, but does not welcome stagnation of liquid;
- able to winter without additional shelter.
The disadvantages of Lydia grapes include the small size of the berries. The peculiar taste cannot be considered a minus. Rather, we can say that these are grapes for everyone.
Features of cultivation and care
To arrange the vineyard, sunny areas without drafts are selected. The best option is sunny slopes or the south side of buildings and fences.
The distance between the rows of Lydia grapes should be at least 90 cm. Lydia grapes can be planted both in spring and autumn. Each option has pros and cons:
- in the autumn there is a greater choice of planting material, but plantings will be very sensitive to low temperatures;
- Spring planting of Lydia grapes has more time to settle in and get stronger by autumn, but there is a high probability of lack of moisture for the seedlings.
Some winegrowers practice a special method of planting Lydia grape seedlings. In the fall, a hole is dug and a drainage layer of expanded clay or gravel is laid on the bottom. Then the hole is filled with the excavated soil, with a layer of soil alternating with a layer of fertilizer. All layers of soil mix well. By the time of spring planting of Lydia grapes, the entire mixture in the pit is well infused.
Stages of planting work
- The trench for planting Lydia's seedlings is prepared in advance. It is believed that the less fertile the soil, the larger the hole must be dug. Grape bushes that are shallowly planted and poorly covered are capable of freezing in severe frost. Therefore, the optimal pit size is 80-90 cm in diameter, depth 40-45 cm (loamy soils) or 50-55 cm - sandy loam soils.
- When preparing a trench, the top nutrient layer of soil is deposited separately from the lower, less fertile one. Layers of fertile soil, compost (humus), and wood ash are laid in the trench. All components are mixed and covered with a layer of infertile soil on top. The trench is repeatedly watered to shrink the soil.
- After 2-3 weeks, you can plant seedlings of the Lydia variety - just make small holes in the trench for the bushes.
- Before planting in the hole, the roots of the grapes are carefully straightened. The seedling is covered with earth and watered abundantly to eliminate any voids formed in the soil. It is advisable to mulch the area around the seedling.
When choosing a method of planting bushes (trench/pit), one must take into account that the trench creates more favorable opportunities for the development of grapes, since in the trench there is a lot of space for the development of the root system of the Lydia grape bush. In addition, the moisture will be evenly distributed between the bushes and will quickly reach the roots, especially if the drip irrigation method is used.
But we must not lose sight of the fact that only one grape variety can be planted in one row. Therefore, if you plan to plant one Lydia grape bush, it is better to dig a hole.
Features of caring for Lydia grapes include constant pinching and chasing (removing a young segment of a shoot with eight leaves). They start minting in July, but they start minting Lydia much earlier.
Rules for watering and fertilizing grapes
There are no strict requirements for watering Lydia - as the area dries out. But we must admit that proper, timely watering is the key to a good and high-quality harvest.To make it convenient to water the grapes, a shallow groove (about 15-20 cm) in the form of a circle is dug around the Lydia seedling. After watering, it is recommended to mulch the soil.
Top dressing is selected depending on the quality of the soil and the time of its application:
- before flowering (two weeks), a mixture of ammonium nitrate, superphosphate and potassium salt is used (per liter of water - 10 g, 20 g, and 5 g, respectively);
- When the Lydia grapes begin to ripen, it is recommended to water the plant with a solution: 20 g of superphosphate and 5 g of potassium salt per bucket of water.
Harvest
Ripe clusters can be collected 145-156 days after the first ovaries; most often, harvesting time occurs at the end of August or September. In a good year, one bush produces at least 30-35 kg of fruit. A special feature of the Lydia variety is that ripe berries easily fall off, so the clusters are collected in dry, windless weather.
When cutting bunches of the Lydia variety, they are immediately inspected - damaged berries are laid aside separately. Boxes with holes are suitable as containers for ventilation of the crop. Do not collect more than 13 kg in one box, as the grapes may become wrinkled.
A special advantage of Lydia grapes is that they can be enjoyed both fresh and canned (compotes, jams).
Pruning a grape bush
From the second year of the plant’s life, it is recommended to form a vine of the Lydia variety - pruning three times a season.
In the spring, the procedure is carried out for sanitary purposes - dried shoots are cut off.Pruning can only be done at a constant temperature of at least +5˚ C and always before the juices begin to flow.
In summer, the pruning procedure helps to thin out the Lydia grape bush. Stepchildren are cut to improve ventilation of the vine.
The first time the shoot of the Lydia variety is cut off at the level of 2-4 eyes. Every year the cutting height rises - 8 buds, then 15 buds. The recommended load on a Lydia grape bush is 36-49 buds.
Preparing the vine for wintering
Lydia grapes belong to frost-resistant varieties. However, additional shelter will not be superfluous, especially in regions where winters are very harsh. A newly planted vine definitely needs shelter. It is recommended to take time for covering work in November: the Lydia vine is carefully removed from the trellis, tied and sprinkled with a layer of earth. In this way, a bed of 10-15 cm is formed.
Diseases and pests of grapes
A significant advantage of the Lydia variety is its resistance to mildew. To prevent infection with other diseases, you will have to take preventive measures. The most common diseases:
- anthracnose (pathogens are fungi) - is expressed in the appearance of dark spots on the foliage and affects the above-ground part of the grape bush (leaves, stems, shoots, fruits), leading to the death of the vine. Spreads through contaminated residues, soil, and seeds. Control methods include spraying the grape bush with Bordeaux mixture. Prevention: destruction of damaged areas of the plant and burning them with plant residues after harvesting;
- gray rot (fungal disease) is especially dangerous because the grape bush can get sick at any time, and all parts of the vine are damaged.The most common causes of the disease are poor ventilation of the grapes (too thick) and prolonged damp weather. Chemical control is carried out by spraying the plant with Ronilan and Rovral. Prevention: refusal of nitrogen fertilizers, removal in September of leaves located near the clusters and below them.
The most common pests of the Lydia variety are:
- spider mite – affects the foliage and leads to its shedding. Methods of control: spring spraying with DNOC solution before buds open and autumn treatment of the bush with Phosfamide. Preventive methods: removing and burning damaged leaves, weeding weed – breeding grounds for ticks;
- leafroller - caterpillars that feed on leaves and fruits, which leads to rotting of bunches in wet weather. To combat the pest, it is recommended to treat the bushes and adjacent soil with DNOC solution in the spring. As a preventive measure, it is necessary to provide the bushes with light and ventilation;
- phylloxera is an insect that infects the root system of the Lydia variety (the root type of insect), and sometimes the entire above-ground part of the bush (leaf type of pest). Damage to grapes appears in the form of swollen roots or leaves with swollen areas. Control methods are spraying the bushes with Confidor solution. Prevention - covering the soil near the Lydia grape bushes with fine-grained sand.
The Lydia grape variety boasts not only tasty fruits and high yields, but also a beautiful decorative appearance - it perfectly covers gazebos and canopies. Therefore, it is not surprising that this variety is in great demand in Moldova and in the south of Russia and Ukraine.
