Content
For about 10 years, the Marquette grape has been cultivated in our country. Description of the variety, photos and reviews testify to its excellent technical qualities. The wines obtained from it have taken leading positions in tastings more than once.
The Marquette grape was obtained by American breeders by crossing complex interspecific hybrids from well-known varieties, including the famous Pinot noir. The novelty was patented in 2005 and immediately appreciated in North America.
Variety characteristic
The average ripening time of the Marquette grape variety, combined with its high frost resistance, make the variety indispensable for cultivation in the northern and northwestern regions of the country. Uncovered vines can successfully overwinter even in 38-degree frosts. However, after the spring opening of the buds, the Marquette vine becomes defenseless against the cold and can easily die even from slight frosts. The most susceptible to them are annual seedlings, the older the vineyard, the less it is afraid of cold weather. Freezing rain is especially terrible for the bushes of the Marquette variety, therefore, in early spring, growers try to shelter the shoots from moisture.
The Marquette grape belongs to the technical varieties. Its small dense clusters are hung with small dark blue berries with a purple tint and a thin waxy bloom. The Marquette variety is different:
- high sugar content - up to 26%;
- acidity above average, although it is not felt at all in fresh berries;
- high yield - up to 90-100 c / ha;
- resistance to fungal diseases.
Due to the vertical growth of vines, there is no need to tie them and the illumination is improved. Fruitful shoots of the Marquette variety give up to two clusters weighing up to 100 g. The Marquette grapes proved to be excellent in the climatic conditions of the Moscow region.
Landing features
Marquette grapes are easily propagated using seedlings or cuttings. It can be planted both in spring and autumn. It is important to choose the right site for planting vines. The best spot for the Marquette variety is in the southern part of the garden with good lighting. An important factor influencing the choice of the site is the depth of the groundwater. Therefore, it is advisable to choose areas located in elevated places. The soil should be loose, with good carrying capacity. Otherwise, you need to dig it up with compost. Grapes grow well on loam or sandy loam. In the description of the variety, it is recommended that the Marquette grapes be planted in a trench manner. The landing technology is simple:
- it is necessary to dig a trench up to half a meter wide and up to 1m deep;
- fill its bottom with a 20-centimeter layer of broken brick;
- pour a mixture of fertile soil with sand on top;
- on the sides of the trench, put 4 half-meter plastic pipes for irrigation and feeding, so that their ends are above the ground;
- plant grape bushes, leaving a distance of 1 m between them;
- cover with earth up to the second eye of the seedling;
- water each grape bush abundantly;
- mulch the soil under the plantings;
- to tie the vines, build a trellis along the trench with a stretched wire at a height of about 30 cm;
- pull two more rows of wire strings every 40 cm.
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Hardening of grapes
Despite the winter hardiness, in the first years after planting, expert reviews are advised to gradually accustom Marquette grapes to the cold, since young bushes are not yet very resistant to frost.Seedlings need to be hardened gradually, otherwise they will die very quickly. Within a three-year period after planting, Marquette bushes should be insulated for the winter, as expected. To protect against unstable weather, it is better to put the vine on the boards and cover it with snow.
In subsequent years, the amount of covering material should be gradually reduced and the Marquette grapes should be insulated at a later date. In the spring, you need to monitor the damage caused by frost shoots. This will allow you to adjust the thickness of the shelter for the next year. When the vine is completely strong, it can no longer be covered.
Removing the upper roots
As can be seen from the description of the variety and the photo of Marquette grapes, after 3-4 shoots appear on the seedlings, it is necessary to choose the strongest of them, and remove the rest. From the remainder, a long, powerful vine will grow by the fall. For deeper branching of the roots, you need to cut off the upper ones that are close to the soil surface. Otherwise, they will begin to freeze in winter along with the soil, which will harm the grapes. Root pruning should be done early in the morning in early and late summer. To remove the top roots of grapes:
- around the shoot you need to dig a hole about 20 cm deep;
- cut the roots close enough to the trunk with a sharp pruner;
- fall asleep until the branches grow green;
- after the next trimming, you need to leave a hole 10 cm deep.
Pruning
For a three-year period, caring for the Marquette grape variety consists in timely feeding and watering. However, further you need to deal with pruning and shaping the bushes of Marquette grapes. In time, uncut grape bushes grow very quickly, forming dense thickets. Pruning creates favorable conditions for its development, increases the illumination of the bunches and their aeration.
At the beginning of summer, a "dry garter" of grapes is carried out, with the help of which the growth of the vine is directed. Shoots of last year are tied to a trellis after the end of the spring frost. For the southern regions, the optimal time for the procedure is April, when fresh twigs have not yet grown. In the Moscow region, “dry garter of Marquette grapes is carried out in June.
The next operation - a fragment of branches, is carried out with bud opening. It consists of:
- in pruning barren shoots growing at the base of the vine;
- removing excess shoots of the Marquette variety appearing from one eye;
- breaking off weak and difficult-to-grow branches.
By the end of June, you need to pinch the shoots. To provide the grape clusters with more nutrition, the shoots on the fruiting vine must be shortened by cutting off their tops. Pruning Marquette bushes should be done, leaving 5 leaves behind the second brush. At the same time, you need to pinch the top of the vine so that it does not stretch too much. All sterile grape shoots should not be removed, as a supply of food is formed in them.
Pinching shoots
All the following operations for the Marquette grape variety are performed only for adult bushes that have reached 3 years of age or more:
- "Green garter" is carried out several times per season, as the shoots grow to the next string on the trellis;
- normalization of grape inflorescences will also provide the fruits with a supply of water and trace elements, strengthen their protective properties;
- in August, branches are minted, that is, their tops are cut off behind the fifteenth leaf, after which the growth process slows down, and the brushes ripen faster.
Twenty days before the harvest of the Marquette variety, a leaf thinning procedure is performed. Its essence is to remove old leaves from the bottom of the bushes. Leaves also break off, shading ripening clusters with berries. Thinning the Marquette vines will provide the bunches with better illumination and aeration.
In August, growers ration the harvest by cutting out small berries. Two bunches are left on the branches, the largest, since in the northern regions climatic conditions do not allow the entire grape harvest to fully ripen.
Watering and feeding
Marquette grapes do not require too frequent watering, but they are especially needed during bud break, before flowering, after leaves fall. Simultaneously with watering, you can feed the Marquette grapes with phosphorus and nitrogen fertilizers. It is important to regularly loosen the tree trunks to avoid a thick crust, especially after watering or rains.
When organizing the feeding of the vine, it must be remembered that its roots can only absorb liquid fertilizer. Therefore, all complex fertilizers must be water-soluble. Nutrition for Marquette grapes is especially necessary during the periods of ovary formation and ripening. This process can be accelerated by treating grape bushes with ash infusion or solutions of potassium-phosphorus salts.
Diseases and pests
Despite the resistance of the Marquette variety to fungal diseases, it is necessary to periodically inspect the grape leaves. Healthy foliage has an even light green color on the underside, without any plaque. If yellowish spots or ash deposits appear on it, you should immediately treat the vineyard with antifungal drugs. All shoots and leaves affected by the disease must be removed and immediately burned.
The best way to fight disease is prevention. Reviews for Marquette grapes are advised at the very beginning of the growing season to process the bushes with a solution of copper sulfate. Winegrowers often use proven folk remedies. Fruiting bushes of the Marquette variety can be sprayed with a solution of baking soda or potassium permanganate. Useful regular processing of grapes with an infusion of hay dust. You only need to insist on it with rainwater.
Variety of wines
The Marquette variety was bred by gradual crossing of 8 different species, due to which it has a wealth of flavors. Excellent table wine of different categories is obtained from it:
- semi-sweet drinks;
- dessert wines;
- fortified wines.
Since Marquette grapes are characterized by sugar content, it must be mixed with less sweet varieties. In a ratio of 1: 4, the required value for the wort is achieved. Experienced winemakers know that it is important to stop fermentation in time to avoid the appearance of bitterness in the drink. A bitter aftertaste can also appear if the technology of berry pressure is violated.
Subject to all the rules, excellent wine from the Marquette variety can be obtained in the conditions of the North. The climatic conditions of the Moscow region are especially favorable for growing Marquette grapes, as evidenced by numerous reviews. The berries contain a lower percentage of sugar - 24%, due to which the wine is obtained without the aftertaste of bitterness.
Winegrowers reviews
The positive assessments of summer residents and winegrowers confirm the merits of the Marquette grapes.
Conclusion
The high technical characteristics of the Marquette grapes give reason to many experts to talk about its excellent prospects as a leading variety for the northern regions.
