Zilga grapes

There are grape varieties that delight in the size and taste of the berries. Unfortunately, they can fully manifest themselves only in the south, where there is a long, warm summer. Those who live in cool regions and cannot afford to plant grapes in a greenhouse have to choose from varieties that can bear fruit even with a lack of heat. One of them is the Zilga grape. It doesn't boast the size of the bunches and berries that are typical of southern varieties, and the taste is simple enough, but this variety is for busy winegrowers. Even with unobtrusive care, and the absence of shelter for the winter, he will regularly give not very large, but such desirable bunches of grapes. Zilga belongs to technical varieties.

Features of technical grades

Technical grape varieties are intended for making wine from them. As a rule, the highest quality wine is obtained from varieties of medium to late ripening, but there is also a small amount of early maturing grapes, which are quite suitable for making wine. What are the features of wine varieties:

• They are less capricious to soil.
• They can forgive the grower for mistakes in care, without reducing the yield.
• Most of them are highly frost-resistant.
• Even in cold summers, they accumulate a lot of sugars.
• They are easy to shape and easy to care for.
• After ripening, the berries hang on the bush for a long time and at the same time accumulate sugar.
• Technical varieties are easy to propagate.
• They are fast growing
• The use of berries in technical grapes is universal, and the yield is high.

Description and characteristics

The Zilga variety was created by the Latvian breeder P. Sukatnieks back in 1964. He was engaged in breeding and obtaining varieties that can grow well and bear fruit in the conditions of Latvia. Zilga is the result of pollination of Smuglyanka by two other grape varieties: Yubileyny Novgorod and Dvietes Zilas. In his genotype, as in some other Latvian varieties, there is a gene of Amur grapes, it was he who gave Zilga high frost resistance.

The variety is not included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements, but, according to gardeners, it is from him and some others that inexperienced wine growers need to start growing this sunny berry.

Varietal features:

• Zilga is a technical grape variety. This does not mean that it cannot be consumed raw, but it is most suitable for making wine.
• Zilga grapes ripen early. The first berries can be tasted after 105 days, provided that the CAT is 2100 degrees.
• The vigor of this grape variety is high.
  
• The ripening rate of shoots is very good - 90%.
• Their fertility is also at a decent level - from 80 to 85%.
• The vine is cut, leaving 5 to 7 eyes.
• Experienced winegrowers for this variety recommend a multi-sleeved correct formation with a garter to the trellis.
• Zilga grapes are well compatible with any rootstock.
• The Zilga variety does not require rationing of the crop.
• The frost resistance of the variety is at a good level - from -25 to -27 degrees, therefore, the grapes overwinter normally in the presence of sufficient snow cover without shelter.
• Zilga is highly resistant to both mildew and mildew - 4 points.
• Zilga's flower is bisexual, therefore, she does not need pollinators.

Characteristics of berries:

• The bunch is small in size and weight - about 90g. Its shape is cylindrical-conical, sometimes with a wing.
• On red ridges, medium-sized - up to 2.3 g round blue berries with a pronounced prune bloom sit quite tightly.
• The pulp is slightly slimy, with a large amount of weakly colored juice.
• Over the years, Zilgi berries can accumulate from 18 to 22% of sugar. Their acidity is low - up to 5 g / l.
• Tasting assessment of berries with a weak isable aroma - 7.1 points.
  
  Wasps do not like this variety, the berries can hang on the bush for a long time and even sometimes raze.
• The yield of the Zilga variety is very high. With a large formation, up to 23 kg of berries can be collected from one bush.
• The use of berries is universal: you can use them as a table or wine variety.

Planting and leaving

Technical varieties have their own characteristics when planting and nursing.

Seat selection

Zilga grapes have no special soil requirements. What it should be:

• Organic content - from 2 to 4%.
• Soil acidity from 5.5 to 6.5.
• Light in composition, sandy and sandy loam.
• Low water table.

A place for planting Zilga grapes is chosen well-lit by the sun, closed from the cold north wind. If Zilga grapes are planted to decorate the gazebo, this should be done from the south side.

Landing

Planting seedlings can be carried out both in spring and autumn. In spring, Zilga grapes are planted after the end of the spring frost, when the soil warms up to 10 degrees Celsius. In the fall, planting dates are calculated taking into account the fact that a month without frost is needed to root grapes.

The planting method depends on the texture of the soil. If it is heavy, it will need to form ridges and improve the soil by adding sand. It is necessary to prepare a place for landing in advance, one season before it. When planting a single bush, a hole is dug, the depth of which is 60 cm and the width is -70 cm. If there are several bushes, they are placed in a row, the distance between them is from 1.5 to 2.5 m. Between the rows there should be about 2 meters.

Landing Algorithm:

• The upper part of the soil layer is mixed with rotted manure, adding about 200 g of superphosphate and the same amount of potassium chloride to each bush. Experienced growers are advised to embed fertilizers in the lower part of the planting pit, but so that the roots do not touch them.
• A seedling is placed on a mound from the planting mixture, the roots of which are well straightened.
• A plastic or ceramic tube is reinforced next to it, its diameter is about 4 cm.
• Poured into a pit near a bucket of water. It should be warm.
• The roots are covered with the prepared planting mixture.
• Make a roller of earth around the seedling.
• Another bucket of water is poured into it.
• Cut the seedling into two buds, treating the cut with paraffin.
• Mulch the ground around the seedling with humus.

Further care

The main operations for caring for grapes are watering, feeding, shaping and sheltering for the winter.

Watering

Young plants of Zilga grapes are watered 4 times per season:

• After removing the shelter in the installed pipe, and if it is not there, then up to 4 buckets of water are poured under the bush with mixed ash in an amount of 0.5 liters. If there is no threat of frost, the water should be warm. If it is required to postpone the beginning of the growing season in order to protect the plants from frost, cold water is taken.
• The second watering is carried out with the formation of buds.
• The third watering is timed to coincide with the end of flowering.
  
  As soon as the berries of the Zilga grapes begin to acquire the color characteristic of the variety, all watering is stopped.
• The last watering is water charging. It is carried out 7 days before it is planned to cover the plant for the winter.

For adult plants of Zilga grapes, the only watering per season is needed - moisture charging.

Top dressing

As a rule, the fertilizers applied when planting a seedling are enough for the first three years of the growing season.In the future, both organic and mineral fertilizers will have to be applied. At the beginning of growth, the emphasis is on nitrogen fertilization, in the middle of the growing season, a universal fertilizer is needed, after the formation of berries, Zilga grapes require phosphorus and potassium, after harvesting - only potash fertilizers.

Pruning grapes

The main formative pruning is done in the fall. All weak and unripe shoots are cut out, the rest are shortened in accordance with the chosen formation scheme, leaving from 6 to 7 eyes.

Spring pruning is sanitary; shoots that have dried up and grown out during the winter are removed. It is done before the start of sap flow, but always at a temperature not lower than plus 5 degrees.

During the summer, you will need to break out excess shoots, remove stepchildren, chasing grapes, closer to autumn - remove leaves that shade ripening bunches.

To harbor or not to harbor Zilga grapes for the winter? In case of snowless and frosty winters, it is better to insure yourself and build a shelter. It is also necessary for seedlings in the year of planting. In the future, you can do without shelter.

When choosing the type of shelter, it is better to give preference to the dry-air method. Unlike shelter with the ground, the eyes will not vypryat, and the bushes will be reliably protected from frost.

You can watch the video about the experience of growing frost-resistant grape varieties using the Chuguev method:

Testimonials

Conclusion

Zilga grapes are one of the few technical varieties that can grow in most regions of our country, and in an open culture. The not too outstanding taste of the berries is compensated by the high yield and unpretentiousness of the variety. He is quite worthy to be in every vineyard.

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