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Bunches of grapes of the mid-early ripening period of the Count of Monte Cristo are mesmerizing with their beauty. Berries of the same size are tightly gathered together, shimmer in the sun with red-burgundy shades. The beauty of the bunches is compared to the Maradona variety. To grow grapes Count of Monte Cristo on your site, you need to know the characteristics of the culture, care requirements and breeding rules.
Variety characteristics
The Count of Monte Cristo belongs to the group of table grape varieties. By the color of the berries, the culture is considered red-fruited. However, ripe bunches can take on a brown or burgundy hue. At the initial stage of ripeness, the berries are light red or pink. Be sure to have a white bloom on the fruits of the Count of Monte Cristo.
In terms of ripening, the Count of Monte Cristo grape variety is considered medium early. Mass ripening of the bunches occurs 130-135 days after the awakening of the buds. In September, the grapes are ready for harvest.
The bunches grow large, with an average weight of 900 g. Under normal load of the bush, the mass of the brushes can reach 1.2 kg. The shape of the berries is round, slightly elongated. The average weight of one fruit is 30 g. The skin of the berry is thin, almost imperceptible when chewed.
A big plus of the variety is the ease of propagation by cuttings. The seedlings take root quickly. With proper care for 2-3 years, you can get your first brush.
Frost resistance of the Graf Monte Cristo variety is high. The bushes can withstand temperatures as low as -25aboutC. This is a critical minimum that should not be allowed. In the northern regions, the vine is covered for the winter.
The crop can hang on the bushes for a long time, but if the berries begin to crack, the clusters are immediately plucked. Fruit cracking occurs due to thin skin, oversaturation and excessively large fruit size. However, even cracked berries retain their taste.
Grapes are considered to be of universal use. Ripe berries are so sweet that no added sugar is required while juicing. In very rare cases, grapes can cause an allergic reaction, which makes it possible to use the fruit for preparing dietary meals.
The table variety was chosen by winemakers, but the quality of the drink is influenced by the weather conditions. All notes of aroma and maximum sugar accumulate in the berries in a favorable sunny summer.
Fighting berry cracking
The table variety is rarely affected by mildew, as well as oidium, but you should not give up prophylaxis. The bushes are treated with a solution of Bordeaux liquid, colloidal sulfur and other fungicides.
Cracked berries are more troublesome for winegrowers. The problem arises in a rainy summer or with excess watering. Large fruits are torn along, and the flowing juice attracts insects. Wasps instantly eat up the entire crop. In addition to harm from insects, there is a threat of fungal spores penetrating the cracks. The affected berry begins to rot, gradually infecting nearby whole fruits.
If 1-2 bushes of the Graf Monte Cristo variety grow at home, then the bunches with cracked berries are immediately plucked for processing. Do this immediately when cracks appear, preventing the fruit from rotting. On large plantations, it is difficult to keep track of all the bunches and it is impossible to partially harvest the discarded brushes.Considering the Count of Monte Cristo grapes, a description of the variety, a photo, it is worth learning several important rules to prevent cracking of the fruit:
- On the bushes, they try to cut off the upper branching of the roots. They absorb a lot of excess moisture.
- In the rainy season, earthen embankments are made under the grape bushes and covered with foil. Most of the water will drain from the hills.
- At the end of the rain or after watering, a section of soil with a diameter of about 1 m is loosened around the bush. Oxygen access becomes easier through the loose soil to the roots.
- Cracking of berries can occur from excess nutrients. If the problem is observed even in dry summers, then the amount of fertilizing is reduced, especially with nitrogen-containing fertilizers.
If it was possible to grow bunches of grapes with uncracked berries, the harvested crop will be stored for a long time, will be transported and will not lose its presentation.
You can get acquainted with the Graf of Monte Cristo variety in the video:
Planting grapes
Continuing to consider the Count of Monte Cristo grapes, a description of the variety, photos, reviews, it is worth paying attention to the cultivation technology. In cold regions, spring planting of seedlings is preferable. The pits are prepared in the fall. If you have not prepared in advance, then the holes can be dug in the spring 1.5 months before planting grape seedlings.
Wells for grapes
The development of a grape bush depends on the basic dressing laid down when planting a seedling. For these purposes, organic matter, mineral fertilizers are used and the drainage layer is equipped. Grape seedlings are planted in pits. Trenches are dug on large plantations.
Regardless of the shape of the planting site, soil preparation measures depend on its quality:
- Black earth or clay soil. Drainage must be arranged in the pit. A thick layer of any stone is laid on the bottom, and sand is poured on top. When preparing the soil, phosphorus-containing fertilizers are added.
- Sandy sand. Loose soil has excellent air permeability and good drainage properties. At the bottom of the pit, stones with sand are not needed. When preparing the soil, a lot of organic matter and nitrogen-containing fertilizers are added.
- Sandstones. For table grapes, such soil is considered the most favorable, provided that a large amount of top dressing is applied. 30 kg of organic matter with the addition of 700 g of superphosphate are poured into one bush in the pit.
A table grape seedling is planted to a depth of 30-50 cm. Due to the arrangement of drainage and top dressing, a pit is dug about 80 cm deep. Sandstones freeze more in winter and warm up in summer. On such a soil, the pit is deepened by 20 cm, and clay is poured on the bottom instead of a drainage layer. A 20 cm layer will prevent water from quickly seeping into the ground.
When digging a hole, the fertile top layer of the earth is set aside. In the future, the soil is used for backfilling the seedling of the table grape variety, mixing it with fertilizers. Bad land is simply leveled on the site.
The grape seedling pit consists of the following layers:
- Drainage, if necessary, is equipped at the bottom.
- The next layer, 25 cm thick, consists of fertile soil mixed with humus.
- Fertile soil is poured on top with a thickness of 10 cm, adding 300 g of superphosphate and potassium each. Additionally, 3 liters of dry wood ash are added.
- The last layer, 5 cm thick, comes from pure fertile land.
After all the nutrient layers have been added, the depth of the pit will remain about 50 cm. Before planting a table-variety grape seedling, the hole is poured abundantly three times.
Preparing seedlings before planting
To grow good grapes, you need to choose quality seedlings. You can grow them yourself from cuttings or buy them.In the second case, purchased seedlings are thoroughly examined. If there is mechanical damage to the bark, signs of fungus and other defects, then such material is not worth buying.
Good annual grape seedlings of the Graf Monte Cristo variety have a root system with a length of 10 cm. The height of the aboveground part is at least 20 cm with four developed buds. If the grape seedling is already sold with leaves, then the plates should be clean without spots of bright green color.
Planting rules for seedlings
Before planting, the ends of the roots are cut off in annual seedlings of table grapes, shortening them to a length of 10 cm. Only four eyes are left on the upper part, and all the rest are removed.
A seat is arranged in the prepared pits. A dense mound is formed from the soil. The grape seedling is placed on the tubercle with the heel. The root system is carefully straightened along the slopes of the mound. Backfilling the grape seedling is done with loose soil, lightly pressing with your hands. Two buckets of water at room temperature are poured into the pit. After absorbing the liquid, the earth is poured, a peg is driven in and the aboveground part of the seedling is tied to it.
Green seedlings of grapes of the Count of Monte Cristo variety are planted together with a clod of earth. For the first 10 days, they organize protection from the sun during the day, and at night, complete shelter from the cold. In the fall, all grown stepchildren are cut off, leaving one shoot.
The video shows a container method for spring planting of grapes:
Testimonials
There are still few reviews about the Count of Monte Cristo grapes, since the variety is just beginning to spread widely across all regions.
