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The grapes with the good name Druzhba are the result of the joint work of Bulgarian and Russian breeders. The variety turned out to be unpretentious. A distinctive feature is the resistance to diseases and the excellent taste of the berries. Growing grapes Friendship is within the power of even a beginner.
Description of the variety
The Druzhba variety is adapted to the domestic climate, which makes it possible to grow grapes in almost all regions. Frost resistance is considered high, but subject the vine to temperatures below -23aboutC is not allowed. In the northern regions, they practice complete shelter of the bushes for the winter. Winegrowers in the southern regions only get by with hilling. Sometimes partial cover is used.
Considering the grapes Friendship, a description of the variety, photos, reviews, it is worth noting the average growth of the vine. The bushes do not grow to a huge size. The leaves are small, light green, and there are very few of them on the vine.
Bunches of the Druzhba variety grow small. The average weight of one brush is 300 g. The shape of the cluster is elongated, conical. The berries are loosely picked. The weight of one fruit is about 4 g. The berry is spherical, sometimes slightly elongated with a diameter of 22 mm. When ripe, the skin turns white. In the sun, barrels of grapes get a ruddy tan.
The Druzhba variety is considered early maturing. Ripening of bunches begins on the 115th day from the moment of awakening of the buds. Harvesting usually starts around the twentieth of August. Late ripening of the berries indicates an overload of the bush. With normal normalization of the eyes, the yield of the friendship variety reaches 7 kg. About 180 centners of berries are harvested from 1 hectare of plantation.
According to the tasting assessment, the taste of nutmeg prevails in the berries. The pulp is juicy, watery, very tender. The sugar content is 21%. Druzhba grapes are universal. In production, dry and dessert wine, sparkling champagne are made from the fruit. At home, grapes are allowed to juice, compotes are prepared, and cakes are decorated.
Another feature of the Druzhba grape variety is its resistance to fungi. However, the bushes must be treated for mildew at least twice a season. At home, winegrowers prefer Bordeaux liquid to fight diseases more.
The video tells about the Druzhba grape variety:
Positive and negative traits
Despite its small berries and small bunches, the Druzhba grape variety has many positive characteristics:
- resistance to fungal diseases;
- early ripening of the crop;
- resistance of the vine to low temperatures;
- excellent nutmeg taste of berries;
- the universal purpose of the fruit.
The disadvantage is the complexity of care due to the mandatory normalization of the eyes. Bunches are not in demand for sale. The grapes are delicious, but small berries and loose bunches do not create a good presentation.
Planting seedlings
You can plant Druzhba grape seedlings in rows in a trench or in holes. In the south, they practice autumn planting. In the central strip, it is better to plant seedlings in the spring. The pits are prepared in the fall, loading them with organic matter and fertile soil. Planting time depends on the condition of the seedling. If the leaves have already blossomed, then the grapes are planted after the night frosts leave. Usually this is in late April - early May. Unawakened seedlings can be planted from mid-March.
Druzhba grapes grow well on light soils.Sandy and loamy soil is acceptable to bushes. The main root goes deep into the ground, so Druzhba grapes cannot be planted in lowlands with a high location of groundwater. The place for the seedling is chosen sunny, not shaded by the crown of tall trees, preferably on the southern side of the site.
Demanding grapes for nutrients makes winegrowers dig a deep hole. The shape can be round or square. This does not play a special role. The optimum depth and diameter of the hole is 80 cm. At the bottom of the pit, drainage is poured from stones and sand 15–20 cm thick. The next layer is formed from fertile black soil, mixed with 1 bucket of compost or humus and the addition of 1 liter of wood ash. From mineral fertilizers, 200 g of superphosphate and 150 g of potassium are mixed.
Before planting a grape seedling Friendship, a mound is formed at the bottom of the prepared hole. After all layer-by-layer loads, the depth of the pit should be about 40–50 cm. The grape seedling is placed with its heel on a mound, straightening the root system, and carefully covered with loose soil. At least 2 buckets of water are poured into the hole. After absorbing the liquid, the soil will settle and need to be refilled.
Features of variety care
The Druzhba variety, like other grapes, requires timely watering. The intensity depends on weather conditions and soil moisture. At least 20 liters of water is poured under one adult bush. Watering is required before the flowers bloom, during the pouring of berries and in the fall before wintering. After absorbing water, a crust forms on the surface of the soil. For better access of oxygen to the roots, the soil is loosened with a hoe. Can be covered with a thick layer of straw, peat or sawdust mulch. Organic mound will prevent moisture evaporation, rapid germination weeds and the formation of a dried crust.
During the season, the Druzhba grape variety is fed at least three times. In the spring, before the color is ejected, the bushes are poured with a solution of bird droppings or superphosphate. After 15 days, feeding is repeated. At the time of the beginning of the ovary, the grapes are fertilized with nitroammophos.
Until the age of three, only sanitary pruning is performed on the bushes. A frost-stuck and damaged vine is removed. From the third year of life, the bush is formed according to all the rules. The vine is pruned, leaving shoots with 6-8 eyes. The total load on the bush should not exceed 35 eyes. Pruning is carried out in the fall after the foliage is dropped. In the spring, only the frozen and damaged vine is removed. In summer, Druzhba grapes grow tied to a trellis up to 2 m high.
The frost resistance of the variety allows the vine to winter in the southern regions on a trellis. For the central strip and northern regions, grape cover is acceptable. Annual seedlings just huddle well. The vine of an adult bush is tied with ropes, bent to the ground and wrapped in any non-woven material.
Before wintering, the grape bushes of the Druzhba variety are poured abundantly with water. Covering the vine early is not worth it. Heat can awaken dormant kidneys. The vine is covered with the onset of the first frost. Reed or straw mats can be used instead of material. In winter, a mound of snow is shoveled onto the grapes.
Pest and disease control
The Druzhba variety is good at resisting fungal diseases and gray rot, but no one has canceled the prevention. During an epidemic, even strong immunity cannot resist bacteria. There are a number of important rules for preventing grape disease:
- From mildew grape variety Friendship must be sprayed twice a season. It is optimal to use fungicides that additionally protect against the spread of powdery mildew.
- Regular watering should not lead to waterlogging of the soil.Excess moisture in the heat contributes to the development of the fungus.
- Regular pruning should not only focus on bush formation. Remove the vine with visible damage, dry shoots. When rot spreads, the affected shoots are cut off in the summer.
- In autumn, dry foliage, berries and fallen small branches should not be left under the grape bushes. Over the summer, many harmful microorganisms and pests have accumulated here. From under the bushes of grapes everything is raked out and burned.
- During the season, constant maintenance of the soil near the bushes is required. Be sure to perform loosening, weeding, mulching. After harvesting, the earth is dug up onto the bayonet of a shovel.
- The main pest for any grape is wasps. The Druzhba variety is sugary, which strongly attracts insects. Bottle traps help fight wasps. Wasp nests are destroyed if possible. You can spray the berries with special preparations, but eating chemistry is not useful.
Sometimes growers practice dipping grapes in gauze bags. The method is effective if the material does not touch the berries. Otherwise, the wasps will suck the juice out of the berries through cheesecloth.
Testimonials
At the end of the review of the description of the variety, let's take a look at what gardeners' reviews say about Druzhba grapes.
