Grapes of Zilga: description of the variety, planting, care, features and reviews

Among the many varieties of grapes, the attention of wine growers in the northern regions is attracted by frost-resistant varieties that can be grown by an unguarded method. One of them is the grape variety Zilga.

Creators

Grapes Zilga was created in 1964 by the Latvian breeder P. Sukatnieks. Variety of grapes Smuglyanka pollinated with a mixture of pollen varieties of Russian selection of Jubilee Novgorod and the Latvian Dvigetes.

It is widely distributed in Lithuania and Latvia. Used in Belarus, other regions with a harsh climate, where most varieties can not be grown even in a sheltered way. They successfully grow Zilga grapes.

Variety description

Grapes of Zilga variety are a Euro-American hybrid. Matures very early, for 120-125 days. The grafted bush is of medium height, the root-bush is above average.

Leaves whole or slightly dissected, with three lobes. They are large, dense, covered with a small coating from below. The vine grows well. This is valuable grapes Zilga. The description of his berries is presented below.

Berries

The flowers of Zilga grapes are bisexual. After pollination in their place, medium-sized berries are formed, up to 3 g. The name of the variety indicates the color of the berries. "Zilga" in translation into Russian means "bluish". The berries are indeed bluish, violet, covered in a gray bloom.

Gustatory qualities of Zilga grapes were estimated by the tasters at 3.2 points. There are notable notes of the famous Isabella. The flesh of ripe berries is jelly-like, mucous. The juice is purple, fragrant. Peel thick has a variety of grapes Zilga. User reviews say that it is removed from the berries in the form of a bag. In each berry there are 2-3 rather large grains.

On each shoot, 2 or even 3 short loose bunches are formed. On average, they account for 1.3. The shape of the bunch can be conical, with a cylindrical base, less often - lobed or winged. The number of berries in one bunch is up to 50. Weight - up to 120 g, average - 88 g.

From one bush an average of up to 12 kg of berries.

The zilga ripens at the end of August. Comments gardeners say that if the berries are not collected, then they will hang for a long time, waving in the sun. If they are not spoiled by wasps, the berries will become sweeter and may even turn into raisins.

Frost resistance

Winter hardiness of the variety is very high. Bushes can withstand the temperature drop to 32 degrees below zero. Therefore, they can not be harbored in regions where such colds are infrequent.

Diseases

The variety is quite resistant to diseases. But in the rainy summer, when fungi develop actively, it can be affected by mildew, oidium and gray rot. Treat with drugs designed to combat these diseases.

Using

Grapes Zilga is created especially for regions with a harsh climate. It is intended for uncontrolled cultivation in northern regions.

It is used in many ways:

• Use fresh;
• Compotes are cooked;
• Crush the juice;
• Make wine.

Cultivation

You can cultivate Zilga grapes in several ways:

• It's easy to grow grapes from cuttings;
• Lining is the best way to get a young bush of grapes. Unfortunately, this possibility does not always exist;
• From the acquired seedlings. Of course, before that someone must grow a seedling in one of the above ways.

To plant a bush of grapes it is necessary in places where the sum of average daily temperatures will be as much as possible. Grapes are very demanding to heat and light. In the shade can grow, but the harvest is difficult to wait. Moreover, there he is more often affected by illnesses.

Planting of grapes Zilga

If you plant a rooted seedling from a container, you need to consider that the heel roots are there at a distance of up to 15 cm below the soil level. They need to be placed at a depth of 40 cm.

If this can not be done because of too short a vine, do not fall asleep a hole for planting completely until the vine grows to the desired height. And it is better to buy a seedling more than 40 cm long.

The pit for planting grapes is digging at least 60 cm deep. Prepare the soil by adding nutrients and trace elements. The Zilga grape variety belongs to Euro-American hybrids, which grow better in neutral soil with a pH of 7. But the presence in the taste of an isabel shade indicates the kinship with the American species of Labruska. And such varieties grow better on slightly acidic soils with a pH of 5.5-6.5. Therefore, the liming of the soil will certainly be superfluous. The deoxidizer must be added in the future, in the process of growth.

The distance between the bushes is from 1.25 to 2 m in a row. The bushes of the Zilga variety are very tall, so you need to look where their crown will be placed.

In the northern regions, Zilga grapes are best planted on the south side of the stone wall. It will protect the bush from the wind, and the sun's rays, reflected from the wall, will help raise the temperature on the surface of the soil near the bush.

Plant the bush so that in the future its base does not stand in the water. Grapes do not like to get wet.

Care

Grapes need to be fertilized, but not granulated fertilizers, in which there is a large amount of salt. It is better to use organic manure from organic dung.

The area on which the grapes grow should be completely freed from weeds and grass. This helps the earth to warm up better, which is very useful for growth, fruiting and ripening of grapes.

Weeds can oppress grapes, because of which it grows poorly and even worse tolerates winter. Some wild plants produce substances harmful to grapes.

The same influence is exerted by some agricultural crops: eggplants, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers.

Each bush can create more comfortable conditions for growth. To do this, there are many ways: laying a brick on the bottom of the pit before planting, pouring a hill of land on the north side, using dark plastic bottles, dark film.

Watering the grapes is an important part of caring for the bush. Do not allow the soil to dry out.

Trimming

The bush of grapes begin to form from the second year of life. Before that, he is allowed to grow freely. In the third year, select several of the strongest stems that are allowed on the sleeves. The remaining shoots are removed. The number of sleeves is determined by the strength of the bush and the growing conditions.

Like any early variety, the Zilga grapes are prone to the formation of a large number of lashes. If they are not removed, then in the northern regions the vine will not have time to ripen and freeze in winter. In the south it will not be damaged by frost, but the bush will turn into a tangle of woven branches. Even if the berries are tied up and ripe, it will be extremely difficult to assemble them.

It turns out that every year many more branches are removed, than it remains. Sometimes it even seems that the bush will need to be restored for several years. But this goes to the bush and yields only good.

Crop the Zilga grapes shortly. On one whip leave 5-7 kidneys. Pruning is best done in autumn, before the bushes are sheltered for the winter. Perhaps in the spring some of the litters will be unsuitable. Then they can be painlessly removed. But do not rush to remove branches on the bush, which is damaged by frost. There is a high probability that the kidneys will depart a little later.

If for some reason the bush of the grapes was not cut in the fall, do it in the early spring. The vine after the trimming will surely "cry", but still the result will be better than on the uncircumcised bush.

Trimming performs one more function. Thanks to this operation, the volume of the adult bush can be maintained within the framework you need.