Description of Rkatsiteli grapes
The well-known grape variety Rkatsiteli occupies a leading position among the white varieties. At one time it was the most common in the USSR. I fell in love with gardeners for a good yield and excellent taste. It is used as a raw material for high quality wines.
Description of Rkatsiteli grapes
Characteristics of the variety
An ancient and valuable Georgian variety, originally from Kakheti. Also grown in Russia and Ukraine.
Has a medium late ripening period. From the beginning of the growing season to the onset of ripeness of the fruit, 150-160 days pass. The fruits are harvested in early - mid-October.
According to the description, Rkatsiteli grapes have the following positive properties:
- high yield - 80-140 centners per hectare (depending on weather conditions);
- immunity to gray rot and phylloxera;
- relatively resistant to low temperatures - withstands up to -26˚С;
- excellent transportability.
Among the disadvantages are poor drought tolerance. The variety requires irrigation.
Technical characteristics of Rkatsiteli grapes:
- juice - 80%;
- ridges - 3%;
- seeds, skin, pulp fiber - 17%;
- sugar content - 17-23%;
- acidity - 7-9 g / l.
Description of appearance
Plant of medium vigor. Leaves are medium or large, rounded, 3 and 5 fawn, slightly dissected. Have weak pubescence below. The petioles are bright, so the variety received another name "Red vine". The flowers are bisexual.
The density of the clusters is average, weight 155-165 g. The berries are small, oval. They have 3 bones. The skin is thin and dense. The color is golden yellow with bronze spots on the side of the sun. Sometimes the color becomes pinkish. The taste is pleasant with a slight astringency. The aroma is special - notes of wild herbs and flowers combined with a slight hint of grapefruit zest.
The fruits are used for the production of wines, juices, as raw materials for brandy. Consumed fresh. Also suitable for storage.
Growing grapes
The yield of the plant depends on the correct care.
The culture prefers well-moistened sandy loam or loamy soil. The site should be on a low rise. The northern slopes are the best place to grow in hot climates (to prevent premature ripening).
Landing in the soil
Reproduction of Rkatsiteli grapes is carried out with shanks and grafted seedlings. With the first method, planting is possible only in the spring, with the second - also in the fall. In many regions, manipulations are performed in the spring. When the soil warms up to 6-8 ° C, seedlings are planted, 10 ° C - shanks.
Planting material must be prepared in advance:
- cut the roots (save somewhere 10-15 cm);
- shorten the growth (leave 2-3 eyes);
- soak in water;
- dip in a clay chatterbox.
For planting, a 2 * 2 m scheme is used, since the bush requires a lot of space. Rows are best positioned from north to south. Complex fertilizer should be applied to the bottom of the planting pit. After that, water it abundantly.
Care
The yield of a culture directly depends on the correctness of the implementation of agrotechnical techniques.Long pruning in spring is used for Rkatsiteli. Leave 30 fruitful shoots with 50 eyes, on the arrow - 10-12 eyes. When forming a bush, fruiting shoots are placed horizontally or in a fan. This facilitates the access of light and heat to the bunches, as well as airing the plant. Another piece of debris and pinching is performed so that the culture does not suffer from overload, otherwise the bunches will be loose and green. The vine must be tied up.
Fertilizer
Top dressing of adult bushes is done 3 times:
- in early spring (as soon as the plant wakes up) - ammonium nitrate is suitable as a nutrient (1 tablespoon per bucket of water);
- in late spring - organic substances are used;
- after harvesting, potash preparations are used (this will help the culture to endure the winter more easily).
Watering
Since grapes do not tolerate drought well, the soil should be frequently and abundantly moistened. To do this, the plants make special grooves around them, into which 2 buckets of water are brought in at once. If you do little watering, the growing season will greatly slow down, which will affect the rate of ripening of the crop.
Diseases and pests
The grape is moderately resistant to mildew. Afraid of powdery mildew. Vulnerable to such pests as grape leafworm, spider mite.
The plant needs preventive measures against fungal diseases and insects. They consist in the following actions:
- processing of a bush and land with 3% Bordeaux mixture after leaf fall and early spring;
- cleansing the plant from old bark;
- cleaning of plant residues.
At the first sign of the disease, the grapes are treated with fungicides. If pests are identified, prepare the following infusion:
- several heads of garlic;
- 100-200 g of onion husks;
- 5 liters of water.
The liquid is left for 5-6 days. After that, processing is carried out. The following insecticides are also used against the leafworm: Inta-Vir, Aliot, Alatar. Acaricides help fight the tick: Akarin, Fitoverm.
Conclusion
Rkatsiteli grapes are suitable for making wine. Due to their good transportability, the bunches are sold on the market.
It is better to grow in regions where temperatures do not drop below -15˚С. Proper care will ensure high performance. Preventive measures taken in time will help to avoid many problems.
