Winegrowers always expect from breeders the most comfortable variety - productive, beautiful, tasty, unpretentious. With such a plant, all costs are recouped many times over. To plant a bush on your plot that meets these requirements, choose the Shakhtar grapes. In some areas it is known as "Aphrodite's Gift" or T-6-13. This is a Moldovan variety that has an amazing rich taste, high yield and bears fruit well in the regions of the middle zone. The appearance of the variety is shown in an introductory video:
A description of the variety and a photo of the plant will tell you how to properly grow the popular Shakhtar grapes.
Main characteristics
It should be noted right away that even minimal care for Shakhtar grape bushes leads to an increase in yield. Of course, you shouldn’t leave grapes completely unattended. But if it is not possible to be on the site often, the variety will still give a decent harvest. To navigate the quality indicators of Shakhtar grapes, we list the main characteristics.
Purpose: table grapes.
This means that it is consumed fresh. Table grape varieties respond to soil fertility, climatic conditions, and quality of care. However, they are the most popular among summer residents.
The ripening period of Shakhtar grapes is medium-late.135 days after the start of the growing season, you can enjoy beautiful berries. Late ripening varieties are less susceptible to diseases, are better stored, and have a rich taste.
Shakhtar's bush is powerful and vigorous. The vine reaches a thickness of 3 cm and ripens perfectly. Forms well on arbors. Produces up to 80% of fruit-bearing shoots, the fruiting coefficient of the variety is 1.7-1.8. Cuttings take root easily; the Shakhtar variety has excellent regenerative ability.
The crowns are cylindrical-conical, the mass of one reaches 1.2 kg or more. The bunch sizes are large. Although, under unfavorable growing conditions, size and weight may decrease simultaneously. Depending on the strength of the bush and the quality of pollination, the variety’s clusters have a high or medium density.
The main advantage of Shakhtar grapes, according to consumer reviews, is the berries. They are a very beautiful dark blue (almost black) color. The weight of one berry is about 10 g. The grapes are found in a regular round shape or slightly oval, large up to 24 mm in diameter. When ripe, the grapes have the taste of ripe cherries, while unripe berries have a tart thorny flavor. The pulp is juicy and fleshy. Berries with good sugar content (18 g per 100 cm3). The skin is quite dense, but it saves the crop from wasps and protects the berries during transportation.
Shakhtar's storage ability is average. The berries are stored for quite a short time, but for a table variety this is already very good.
Resistance to grape diseases is classified as good. The Shakhtar variety is almost not affected by gray mold and oidium, and has strong immunity against mildew.
Frost resistance. Normally overwinters without shelter when the temperature drops to -26°C.If the vine is slightly frozen, recovery occurs quickly.
The formation of a grape bush is carried out using medium pruning of 6-8 buds.
The only drawback of Shakhtar, which is noted by winegrowers, is the short shelf life of the bunches on the vine. For this reason, you have to immediately harvest the crop without leaving it on the vines.
In the description of the Shakhtar grape variety, the following worthy characteristics should be noted:
- The plant needs pollinators due to the presence of female flowers. But in practice, gardeners testify that grapes pollinate themselves well.
- The variety does not have peas.
- In some cases, it is necessary to thin out the fields, but Shakhtar does not suffer from overload. Therefore, it can produce a high-quality harvest even with a large number of bunches.
- The variety does not have excessive requirements for watering and nutrition. This applies to soils with average fertility. On low-fertility lands, it is better to support grapes with high-quality watering and mineral fertilizing.
- If preventive treatments are carried out in a timely manner, no signs of disease are observed on the Shakhtar bushes.
- The variety is not damaged by birds, leaf rollers and wasps.
The list of advantages of the Shakhtar grape variety can be continued, but we will get acquainted with the remaining characteristics in the process of describing planting and care. And the main parameters are confirmed by a video about the variety:
Landing
For planting the variety, purchased grafted seedlings of the Shakhtar grapes or self-grown rooted seedlings are suitable. It is better to buy from specialized nurseries or reliable companies. Particular attention should be paid to the condition of the root system and the entire seedling.It is good if the grape roots are soaked in a clay mash and well packed. They will keep in this form for 7 days or more.
To prepare planting material with your own hands, cut the stems and place them in water. As soon as the roots appear, transplant the planting material into the ground and water it regularly. The Shakhtar grape variety should be planted in the spring in March-April, and in the fall in November.
Basic recommendations for gardeners when planting Shakhtar grapes:
- When marking a vineyard, give preference to places without close groundwater. In the Shakhtar variety, the roots grow mainly deep, so the water depth should not be less than 2.5 m. Otherwise, provide the bushes with good drainage.
- Shakhtar does not have any special requirements for the composition of the soil, but planting in chernozem soil is very welcome.
- Choose seedlings with strong and moist roots. If the root is overdried, then there is a danger of the grape seedling dying after planting.
- Before planting, shorten the roots of the grapes, leaving no more than 10 cm. Leave 3 eyes on the stem, remove the rest with pruning shears.
- For a medium-sized grape variety, leave at least 2 m between plants in the row, and mark row spacing at a distance of 2.5 m.
- Prepare planting holes with a diameter of 0.8 m and the same depth. Place a layer of compost at the bottom, then fertile soil and mix them well. Now leave the hole for a week to allow the ground to settle.
- After a week, place the grape seedling in a hole, cover it with soil and water it generously. Then mulch.
- To ensure good survival rate for Shakhtar grape seedlings, water the bushes with a rooting agent.Both powder and sticky preparations are suitable.
Photo of a young seedling of Shakhtar grapes.
Seedlings planted in autumn, sheltered from freezing during the winter. For autumn planting of grapes, it is good to use layering. Select the bottom vine that rests on the ground. Dig a small depression under it (20 cm) about 0.5 m long. Add humus to it and lay the vine. Cover with soil, leaving the top and 3 leaves out. Pour water (2-3 buckets). Compact the soil, mulch it, and cover the future bush before the onset of cold weather.
Care
The Shakhtar variety bears fruit well with minimal care. But basic care parameters must be followed.
Watering. When planting grapes, many gardeners insert a plastic pipe into the hole for easy watering of the plants. If this is not possible, you can make a depression along the edges of the planting hole and pour out 2-3 buckets of water with each watering. In the spring, for the Shakhtar variety, be sure to carry out moisture-recharging irrigation, especially after a winter with little snow. During the hot, dry season, water the bushes weekly.
Feeding. For Shakhtar, use mineral complexes at the beginning of the growing season, before flowering and after fruiting. Once every 2-3 years, add organic matter when digging the soil in the vineyard. Granular “Argumin” helps strengthen the immunity of grape seedlings, which you apply according to the instructions.
Processing. To prevent diseases and pest damage, regularly inspect the Shakhtar bushes and do preventive spraying. Use Ridomil Gold against the spread of fungal infections on the variety. Spray the first when 3-4 leaves form, then several times after 10-12 days.
Trimming. The usual average is 7-8 eyes.In southern regions, prune grapes in the fall. To keep the vines from sagging, tie them to trellises or the frame of the structure.
In northern regions, protect the vine from freezing.
Reviews
A description of the Shakhtar grape variety would not be entirely complete without photos and reviews from gardeners.
I bought Shakhtar grapes in the fall, planted them, and in the summer they already produced their first 4 tassels, a very good tasty variety, I’m satisfied. I'm waiting for the harvest.