Content
The amber bunches of Valentina grapes are so huge and beautiful that they fascinate any gardener. The crop is famous for its high yield and good commercial qualities. Many amateurs and owners of professional vineyards are looking for descriptions of the variety, photos, reviews, videos about Valentina grapes, in the hope of growing a handsome one on their plot.
Description of the variety
Valentina is considered a table grape. The average ripening times coincide with the well-known Pervozvanny varieties, as well as Gift to Zaporozhye. The culture is famous for its huge beautiful clusters of delicious berries, which make excellent juice and wine.
Considering the description of the Valentina grape variety, photos, reviews, it is worth paying attention to the vine. The bushes are vigorous with rapidly growing shoots. With good feeding, the vine grows long and requires free space.
The Valentina variety is famous for its large cylindrical clusters with an elongated lower part. The berries are not collected tightly. The length of a large bunch can reach 40 cm and weight – 1.5 kg. One berry weighs about 16 g. The length of the fruit is 44 mm, width is 26 mm.The shape of the berry is cylindrical, elongated, slightly curved.
After ripening, a bunch of Valentina grapes acquire a yellow color with an amber tint. A distinctive feature is freckling. Dots resembling freckles appear on the skin of ripe berries. The sun turns the side of the fruit a light brown tan. The ripening of the bunches is amicable. The berries are not peas.
The pulp is of particular taste. The grapes are so tender that they simply melt in your mouth without the feeling of a thin skin. The pulp contains one or two seeds. When eaten, the taste of nutmeg with the aroma of sage is felt. The sugar content in ripe fruits is up to 19%, and the acid content is about 6 g/l.
By origin, Valentina grapes are a complex hybrid. The creators are breeders from Novocherkassk. The variety was obtained by crossing Summer Muscat with a hybrid bred from two popular grapes: Delight and Arcadia. The resulting variety Valentina has taken root in many regions, but requires shelter for a good wintering.
The value of the Valentina variety lies in its stable yield. The first clusters may appear in the second year of life, but winegrowers usually remove them to form a bush. The ripening of the grapes begins 140 days after the buds awaken. If you remove the first bunches in the second year, the next season's harvest will double. Over the summer, ¾ of the vine’s length has time to ripen. During autumn pruning of bushes, shoots with 8–12 buds are left.
The Valentina variety produces bisexual flowers. The ability to self-pollinate allows you to obtain a crop without the participation of insects. The Valentina grape vine can withstand winter frosts down to -22OWITH.This is an extreme indicator at which freezing of fruit buds has already begun. In order not to risk the future harvest, the vine is insulated in the fall. The process involves not only covering the bush. First, a weak and non-woody vine is cut off, a bush is formed, and water is poured generously under the root. The soil around the trunk is covered with a thick layer of mulch. After these procedures, the vine is tied with a rope, wrapped in dense material, placed in a groove and sprinkled with soil.
Positive and negative traits of the variety
The following advantages will help to better describe the Valentina grape variety:
- stable fruiting and high yield;
- the Valentina variety is rarely affected by mildew, gray rot and has moderate resistance to oidium;
- plucked bunches retain their presentation for a long time and are amenable to storage and transportation;
One of the disadvantages is the weak frost resistance of the Valentina variety. Juicy large berries burst when exposed to excess moisture, and the sweet juice quickly attracts insects. Brown tan skins of berries with freckles do not always attract buyers.
The video shows detailed characteristics of the Valentina grape variety:
Rules for planting seedlings
According to reviews and descriptions, Valentina grapes have a good survival rate of seedlings. The crop can be grown not only by a professional, but also by a novice amateur gardener. Planting grape seedlings is carried out according to the following rules:
- Spreading, vigorous bushes require a lot of space. The optimal scheme for planting Valentina grape seedlings is 4x6 m.
- The variety loves light black soil, nutritious soil, and organic feeding. This is a prerequisite for obtaining large bunches of grapes.
- Seedlings can be planted in spring and autumn.Gardeners assure of better survival rate when planted in October.
- A hole for a Valentina grape seedling is dug with a depth of 80 cm and a diameter of 40–60 cm. A drainage layer of small stone must be installed at the bottom. At least three buckets of a mixture of chernozem and humus are poured into the hole. Sand is added for looseness. After backfilling, the depth of the hole is about 50 cm.
- A new mound-shaped hole bottom is formed from the fertile mixture. A seedling is placed on top with its roots, tilted slightly and gently sprinkled with loose soil.
- The planted grape seedling is watered with two buckets of water. For better engraftment, a root growth stimulator is added.
After water is absorbed, the soil inside the hole will subside. The deficiency is compensated by adding soil and mulching with sawdust or peat. A peg is driven in near the hole. The grape seedling is tied and left in this state until it takes root.
Propagation by cuttings
To plant Valentina grapes on your plot, it is not necessary to buy a seedling. The variety propagates well by cuttings, and you can cut them in the fall from a bush from a familiar gardener or neighbor. To grow grapes you must do the following:
- The preparation of cuttings of Valentina grapes is done during autumn pruning. A mature annual vine without damage to the bark and buds is suitable for propagation.
- The cuttings are cut to such length that they have at least two developed buds.
- Cut grape branches are wrapped in a damp cloth. Store the cuttings in the refrigerator or cellar, periodically moistening them with a sprayer.
- At the end of December Grape cuttings Valentin is inspected, dried branches are discarded, and then subjected to disinfection.Planting material is dipped in a pink solution of manganese and then washed with running water.
- For each cutting, an oblique cut is made above the lower bud with pruning shears. Using the edge of a knife, cut 1–2 cm long notches along the bark to simplify the appearance of roots. Valentina grape cuttings are placed in a jar of water for a couple of days, where a growth stimulator is dissolved.
- Each gardener has his own method of germinating roots. You can wrap the lower part of the cutting with moss or a damp cloth, wrap it with film on top and put it in a warm place. Sometimes gardeners prefer to immediately plant planting material in cups with a wet substrate, where root growth and simultaneous engraftment occur.
- If the grape cuttings are wrapped in moss or damp cloth, after the buds open, they are planted in glasses with a nutrient substrate.
Germination of grape cuttings occurs on the windowsill. With the establishment of round-the-clock heat, the finished seedlings are planted in a permanent place.
Plant care
Valentina grapes need care, but the measures do not involve particularly complex actions. The standard procedure contains the following requirements:
- During the entire growing season, Valentina grapes need organic and mineral supplements. Watering is required, but when the berries are ripening, you cannot overdo it with water. The fruit will begin to crack.
- After each watering, the soil around the bush is loosened and covered with sawdust or peat mulch. Be sure to do additional weeding when there is abundant growth. weed.
- The Valentina grape vine is subjected to medium and short pruning.
- In the fall, after pruning, the bushes are covered. Residents of the southern regions, where the thermometer does not fall below the critical minimum, can ignore the process.
From early spring until the moment of sheltering for the winter, the Valentina grape vine is sprayed with preventive drugs.
Disease and pest control
The average resistance of Valentina grapes to oidium increases the risk of damage to the bushes during the epidemic. The disease appears on the leaves as light spots. The disease quickly spreads to the stems and berries. Mold and rot appear, accompanied by an unpleasant odor.
In order not to lose the entire harvest, the grape bush is urgently treated with a solution of colloidal sulfur or other preparations for oidium. However, it is better to prevent the occurrence of the disease by performing preventive spraying three times a year. In the fall, after the leaves fall, the vine is treated with Bordeaux mixture or copper sulfate solution.
Preventive measures include timely pruning to prevent overcrowding. The peeled bark is removed from the old vine, as many parasites live on it. When the disease spreads, the affected brushes and foliage are removed.
The Valentina grape variety has many pests: leaf roller, mites, phylloxera, itching. Store-bought preparations help fight insects. The bush is processed according to the instructions on each package. For wasps, traps are hung from plastic bottles, into which a little sweet liquid is poured.
Reviews
Gardeners leave the best reviews about Valentina grapes on forums. It is rare to find dissatisfaction with a variety.
My Valentina grapes have been growing for the second year, I bought “seeds” at the store, but haven’t seen a single bunch yet. This year I wrapped it in two layers of agrospan for the winter. the roots were left exposed. You will have to cover the roots with humus or birch leaves. I didn't know. that it may freeze, because... I'm new to the grape business. Thanks everyone for the advice.