Review of the Early Violet grape variety and features of its cultivation

Early Violet grapes are valued by winegrowers for their resistance to frost, unpretentiousness, compactness and excellent taste of berries. The proportion of juice during extraction is 85%. The grapes are used to make wine and raisins for fresh consumption, and frozen berries are placed in glasses of champagne or brandy. In this article we will talk about the technology of growing a hybrid, caring for a vineyard and methods of propagation.

History of creation

Early Violet is a European-Amur hybrid originally from the Rostov region (Novocherkassk). When creating it, breeders from the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute Ya. I. Potapenko used the Severny and Muscat Hamburgsky varieties.

The seedling was bred in 1947, and 10 years later they applied for registration in the State Register. After 8 years of state variety testing in 1965, the hybrid was included in the register of breeding achievements with permission for cultivation in the Lower Volga and North Caucasus regions.

The hybrid has become widespread in other areas, but in not the most suitable climatic conditions it does not show maximum yield and ripens later than the stated period.

There is some debate about the origin of the hybrid. Some connoisseurs of this grape call it Early Voronezh Violet and attribute the authorship to the creator of books, atlases and manuals on viticulture, M. Abuzov. Early purple is popularly known as Levokumsky.

The reason probably lies in the varied shape of the leaves.Winegrowers are trying to find differences in this trait and prove that it is they who grow real Violet Early.

Characteristics and description of bushes

The bushes are characterized by medium growth vigor, and without additional irrigation they are weak-growing. Annual shoots ripen completely.

The crown of young shoots is light green with pinkish-bronze teeth and covered with slight bristly pubescence.

Young foliage is green, the back side of the leaf blade is slightly pubescent. The shoots are light green. Annual mature shoots are light brown, the nodes are also brown. The leaves are medium-sized and large, slightly and moderately dissected, 3- and 5-lobed, less often entire, slightly funnel-shaped, the edges are slightly bent down, sometimes vesicular. The upper cuts in the form of a reentrant angle are shallow or of medium depth, open, lyre-shaped, less often closed. The lumen is ovoid or oval.

The petiole notch is lyre-shaped, open, vaulted. The terminal teeth are triangular in shape, the base is wide and pointed, the apex is elongated. The marginal teeth are sharp, triangular, dome-shaped. The flowers are bisexual.

The growing season is 134 days from the moment the eyes open until harvesting at a total of active temperatures of 2651°C. For fresh consumption, grapes are harvested in early September, and for making wine - in the third ten days of September.

The number of fruitful shoots is 78%, 1.4 clusters are concentrated on one developed shoot, and 1.8 on a fruitful shoot.

Sustainability

The hybrid is frost-resistant down to -25…-27°C. It tolerates moisture deficit well and is able to bear fruit even in arid regions.

Violet early is resistant to mildew and gray rot, susceptible to oidium and bacterial cancer.The hybrid is not affected by grape budworm and phylloxera.

Characteristics and description of the fruit

If spring came early and the summer was hot and dry, the first berries can be harvested after 120 days. In regions of the middle zone and areas with short and cold summers, grapes rarely ripen before the onset of frost.

The weight of the berries is 2-3 g, in areas with additional irrigation - 4-6 g. To maintain fruiting, normalization of the clusters is required.

The skin is dark purple, shrouded in a dense waxy coating. The pulp is transparent, the juice has no color. The taste is sweet, pleasant, with a delicate nutmeg aroma. Each berry contains 2-3 seeds.

Brush length - 17 cm, maximum weight - 200 g. The shape is cylindrical, tapering towards the apex, and sometimes has lateral branches. The bunch is loose, thanks to which the berries are well ventilated and warmed up, so they do not grow moldy.

Sugar content - 16-22 g/100 ml, acidity - 3.8 g/l, tasting score - 8.9 points.

Reference. Based on Violet Early, winemakers prepare a vintage dessert wine, Muscat Steppe Rose, with pronounced tones of rose in taste and aroma.

Areas of use

Harvesting and processing is carried out in dry, clear weather. The brushes are cut with scissors, supporting them from below by the branches, but not by the berries. The brushes are placed in wooden boxes covered with newspaper or thick paper. Winegrowers advise not to touch the fruits in order to preserve the waxy coating.

This is a universal grape; it is used for fresh consumption, making raisins and wine. Frozen berries are placed in a glass instead of ice or as a decoration.

To prepare wine, 2-3 varieties of grapes are taken, since Violet Early alone cannot produce a drink with a pronounced taste due to the low acidity of the berries. The extracts are preserved and prepared into aromatic mash, grappa and brandy.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages:

• frost resistance down to -27°C;
• immunity to mildew and gray rot;
• early ripeness;
• juicy berries with nutmeg aroma;
• no peas;
• high productivity;
• unpretentiousness to the composition of the soil;
• the ability to cultivate grapes on slopes of any direction.

Flaws:

• predisposition to oidium and bacterial cancer;
• colorless juice with low acidity requires blending to make wine with a rich taste;
• the need to ration the harvest.

Growing technology

The Violet Early hybrid is not at all picky about the soil structure, which simplifies its planting.

There is no need to dig deep holes or trenches and fill them with loose soil. However, the crop’s instability to powdery mildew requires more attention and preventive spraying from winegrowers.

Landing dates and rules

Violet early grows well on clay soil. In the south it is not necessary to look for the sunniest place for it. landings. In a large vineyard where several varieties are grown, the brightest areas are reserved for late and large-fruited varieties.

Seedlings in containers are planted from May to October, with an open root system - in spring or autumn.

The planting site is prepared 2-3 weeks in advance:

• dig a hole 50-60 cm deep and wide;
• crushed stone, expanded clay, broken brick, pieces of thick branches are poured onto the bottom in a layer of 10 cm;
• the soil from the top layer is mixed with river sand, peat, humus 1:1;
• 500 g of ash and 50 g of superphosphate are added to each hole, mixed with the soil mixture and filled to the brim.

If you start preparing the hole 1-2 days before planting, pour the soil deeply, wait until it settles, and add soil mixture. 24 hours before planting, seedlings in containers are watered abundantly, and with an open root system they are placed in a solution of “Epin” or “Zircon” (30-40 drops per 1 liter of water).

On the day of planting, holes are dug in the area according to a 1x1.5 m pattern, seedlings are planted, watered and mulched with peat, humus, straw, and dry leaves.

If grapes are grown as a cover crop without a trunk, the seedlings are buried down to the first branch on the trunk. Flexible vines are left on the surface and bent to the ground for the winter.

Further care

A year after planting, the shoots are tied to high stakes, and next year reliable permanent trellises are installed.

Grape pruning performed in the spring before sap flow begins.

When growing a hybrid, 2 molding methods are used: standardless with 4 arms for covered viticulture, standard with 2 arms for non-covered viticulture. The height of the trunk is 1.2 m.

It is recommended to leave 5-7 eyes on each sleeve, and 1-2 clusters on each shoot. This rationing method allows you to control the load on each bush.

In the year of planting, the hybrid is watered once every 2-3 weeks, subject to moisture deficiency. Water consumption for each bush is 20-30 liters. Overflowing is not allowed, since water displaces oxygen from the soil, and the roots begin to rot.

Fruiting bushes need sprinkling:

• at the beginning of spring, taking into account weather conditions;
• before flowering;
• during the period of berry formation.

Water consumption is 50-70 liters for each bush. When the berries increase in size and begin to color, stop watering.This is a general rule for watering a vineyard, but winegrowers advise taking into account the condition of the bushes, weather and soil structure.

If the plant has slowed down its growth ahead of time or there is a drought, additional watering must be carried out. Clay soil does not allow moisture to pass through well, while sandy soil, on the contrary, does not retain it. In such growing conditions, grapes are watered 1.5 times more often. However, it is important to remember that excessive watering contributes to the leaching of nutrients from their soil and the development of chlorosis (yellowing) of the leaves.

In the first 3 years after planting, no fertilizing is applied.. The plant feeds on the nutritional components that were originally added. At the first signs of growth retardation, the seedling feed by analogy with adult plants.

In autumn, most of the fertilizers are applied - 10-15 kg of compost or humus, 200 g of wood ash per bush. A circular furrow 25 cm deep is formed around the base at a distance of 0.5 m. Humus and ash are evenly laid out in the tree trunk circle, watered with warm water and the furrow is leveled.

Liquid fertilizing based on mullein is applied before buds open, 2 weeks before flowering, in the summer at the time of berry formation. Slurry is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:3. The container with the solution is placed in a warm place to speed up fermentation. After a week, the fertilizer is diluted with water 1:5. Consumption per bush - 20 liters.

Feeding Apply simultaneously with watering or immediately after it. After 3-4 days, the soil under the bushes is powdered with 200-300 g of wood ash and loosened.

Reference. Nitrogen fertilizers cannot be applied simultaneously with wood ash. Alkali reacts with nitrogen and forms volatile ammonia, so most of the nutrients evaporate.

Possible problems, diseases, pests

To prevent powdery mildew, it is enough to carry out 2 preventive treatments with copper-containing preparations in spring and autumn.

“HOM” (40 g / 10 l) and a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture are highly effective. When processing, make sure that the liquid completely wets the leaves, vines and soil under the bushes. Yellow, dry leaves are removed from the area and burned.

Insect control is carried out before flowering and in the fall after harvesting. The leaves are carefully sprayed with broad-spectrum insecticides: Karbofos, Aktara, Aktelik.

Before blooming the vineyard is being cultivated "Nitrophen" - once every 3-4 years. This drug is effective in combating fungi and insects.

Wintering

Early purple can withstand severe frosts, but it is still recommended to be grown as a cover crop.

The vines are removed from the supports, laid on the ground and covered with loose soil. This is done for the reason that in winter the plant can be damaged by icy rains. Under the weight of a thick layer of ice, the vine breaks. As it melts, water penetrates under the scales of the buds and freezes there, damaging them.

In the Urals, Siberia and central regions, the hybrid is not very common, since the grapes do not have time to ripen before the onset of frost.

Reproduction

Violet early is propagated by cuttings, layering and vaccination, making it a versatile hybrid. The grapes are suitable even for novice gardeners, who can use any convenient propagation method.

Most often, winegrowers practice propagation by cuttings due to the high efficiency of the method. Cuttings are harvested after leaf fall, before the first frost. For slicing, a flexible vine with a dense core is used.Cuttings of branches of the current year with 4-6 developed buds, 50-70 cm long, 5-7 mm in diameter.

The preparations are stored in a cool place (refrigerator, basement). The tendrils and leaves are cleaned off, the cuttings are dipped in melt water for a day, then in a solution of copper sulfate or potassium permanganate for disinfection. The prepared cuttings are wrapped in cellophane or placed in a plastic bottle. Storage temperature is 0…+4°С. Once a month the workpieces are checked; If mold appears on them, wash them in a strong solution of potassium permanganate.

In spring, cuts are made at the ends to determine the viability of the cuttings. If drops of moisture appear, it means the material is ready for planting; if not, it has dried up. A cut of quality cuttings should be light green. Dark spots indicate infection.

Notches are made on viable cuttings and immersed in clean water for 48 hours. The water is changed every 3 hours.

After soaking, the material is placed in a growth stimulator “Kornevin” or “Heteroauxin” for half an hour and transferred to a container with wet sawdust. In such conditions, cuttings are stored for 10-15 days. After the root shoots appear, the cuttings are placed in a bottle of water until a full-fledged root system is formed.

Reproduction by layering is the least effective method. It is used when the plant does not root well from cuttings. E.I. Zakharov’s method was widely used in the Rostov region when growing Violet early. Layerings are obtained by rooting green or mature vines that are not isolated from the mother bush.

In the spring, before the buds open, annual branches or vines with developed shoots 10-12 cm long are placed in 15-20 cm depressions. The bottom is covered with nutritious soil with humus and minerals.

The vines are secured with metal or wood pins, covered with loose soil in a layer of 5-10 cm and moistened. If there are green shoots on the vine, it is covered so that the leaves remain on the surface. As the shoots develop, the depressions are completely covered with soil. Roots form at the nodes and internodes, and shoots form from healthy eyes.

With the help of grafting, it is possible to transplant one plant to another and merge them into a single organism. Transplantation is performed at different stages of development, at different ages. Variety, species, genus do not matter. As a scion, a one-year-old matured or green cutting or a separate eye is used.

The most popular method is cleft grafting. It is used before the sap begins to flow. Cuttings harvested in the fall are fixed into a wedge-shaped cut so that the outer sides fall on the developed part of the wood. The upper cut of the cutting is made 2-3 cm above the node.

Reviews from winegrowers

Early purple is widespread in the south of Russia. Here it is grown almost everywhere and is valued for its low maintenance and excellent taste.

Kirill, Pyatigorsk: “I’ve been growing these grapes for 10 years now and I can’t get enough of them. The wine made from it has a strong taste and bright aroma of rose mixed with nutmeg. To maintain fruiting, I spray regularly, especially in the heat.”

Inna, Volgograd: “Early purple is a great variety for those who don’t want to bother with care. The plant rarely gets sick, even with the very common powdery mildew. For prevention, I spray the vineyard with HOM in spring and autumn. The berries are tasty, sweet, and suitable for universal use.”

Conclusion

Early purple is a universal-purpose hybrid.It is suitable for beginning winegrowers, as it is characterized by low maintenance, winter and drought resistance, and strong immunity.

The plant needs rationing of bunches and additional irrigation to maintain fruiting. The berries are eaten fresh, wines and raisins are prepared. The culture is propagated by cuttings, layering and grafting. For the winter, the vine is covered to prevent the buds from freezing.