Ilya grapes: a complete guide to growing
The Ilya grape is a new table variety of this berry. It was brought out quite recently at VNIIViV them. ME AND. Potapenko by crossing Wax and Radiant Kishmish together, which made it possible to combine the characteristic features of these two species in one. This variety is distinguished by early ripening, large bunches, juiciness of berries and their pleasant taste.
Content:
Place for planting grapes Ilya
Like any variety of this berry, Ilya grapes love the sun and warmth, so for his life it is worth choosing a place that will be closed from the wind, but have free access to sunlight.
Compared to varieties, which have a dark color of berries, light ones can tolerate lower temperatures, so they can be grown in colder regions of our country. Usually grapes are grown on the southern or southwestern slope of the mountain, but since we are talking about growing it on the territory of a summer cottage, it is best to choose a place near a house, fence or wire system. The plant should be able to wrap itself around something, growing sideways and upward.
As for the soil, this variety can grow in its various forms. However, it is important that it has a sufficient drainage layer and is deep.
This will make the plant feel comfortable and will remove some of the factors that could adversely affect it. Also, the presence of drainage will allow to avoid excessive oversaturation of the soil with moisture.
Planting grapes Ilya
Front direct planting of grapes Ilya needs to take care of soil preparation in advance. If it is poor, then it is worth adding manure or compost to saturate with nutrients. A high level of acidity can be eliminated by watering it with lime.
Tips for growing grapes:
- This plant is usually planted between October and March in warm areas, and in colder areas in April.
- If the Ilya grape vine is weak, then you should first give it the opportunity to develop better in a greenhouse, and only then plant it on open ground.
- The temperature at the level where the roots will be should not be lower than 10 degrees C, otherwise the plant will simply die in the soil that is not warmed up after winter.
- If you plant several grape vines at once, then they should be placed at a distance of at least 130 cm from each other, otherwise they will interfere with each other with more growth.
- After planting, it is necessary to tie the plant to a previously prepared support and fertilize with manure or compost.
Ripening and harvesting
Of all the shoots of Ilya grapes, 75% are fruitful. The berries of this variety have an oval, slightly oblong shape and a light color. You should not start harvesting as soon as it gets ripe. Grapes need a few more weeks to accumulate enough sugar.
Since the Ilya grape belongs to the early varieties, it takes him about a month to complete this process.
Like any plant, Ilya grapes need constant careful care:
- Every spring he needs feeding with compost or manure... As for mineral fertilizers, they should be fed weekly during the growth and flowering periods of this variety.
- Do not forget about regular watering, which should be more abundant if the grapes grow near the wall of the house.
Ilya grape pruning
It's no secret that one of the most important phenomena in the life of any grape is trimming it... It is on its quality and literacy that the amount of the future harvest and the life of the plant itself depend. It helps to keep it within the required size limits, not allowing it to grow too much. Therefore, it is worth taking this process seriously, so as not to harm Ilya's grapes, on the contrary, to improve the conditions for fruiting.
During pruning, do not touch those shoots that do not show any signs of infection or external damage.
The stronger parts are left for further growth, the easier it will be for the plant to develop further. After all, it is much better to have a few large leaves and vines, and not a bunch of small ones.
In general, grape pruning can be carried out both in autumn and spring. In the first case, juice will drip from the cut sites, which is usually called "crying" of grapes. Seals will form on them, which will prevent the juice from flowing down excessively. As for spring pruning, the situation is somewhat different with it. Usually it is carried out at this time to play it safe before winter and prevent the plant from freezing. However, it has some disadvantages that can further affect the life of the grapes. It happens that the vines that have died out during the winter begin to rot in the spring from the heat of the sun, which can be transmitted to healthy parts of the plant.
When pruning in spring, clogging plugs are not formed at the cut site, which can lead to excessive juice leakage.
Thus, it is very important not only the quality of pruning, but also the timing of its implementation, since first of all it should be for the benefit of the plant, and not vice versa.
More information can be found in the video.