Grapes Friendship

Grapes with the good name Druzhba is the result of the joint work of Bulgarian and breeders. The variety turned out to be unpretentious. A distinctive feature is resistance to diseases and excellent taste of berries. Even a beginner can grow Friendship grapes.

Variety description

The Druzhba variety is adapted to the domestic climate, which makes it possible to grow grapes in almost all regions. Frost resistance is considered high, but expose the vine to temperatures below -23^оWith it is impossible. In the northern regions, they practice complete shelter of bushes for the winter. Winegrowers of the southern regions manage only by hilling. Sometimes partial cover is used.

Considering Druzhba grapes, variety description, photos, reviews, it is worth noting the average growth of the vine. Bushes do not grow to huge sizes. The leaves are small, light green in color and very few on the vine.

Clusters of the Friendship variety grow small. The average weight of one brush is 300 g. The shape of the bunch is elongated cone-shaped. The berries are loosely collected. The weight of one fruit is about 4 g. The berry is spherical, sometimes slightly elongated with a diameter of 22 mm. When ripe, the skin turns white. In the sun of barrels of grapes gets a ruddy tan.

Variety Druzhba is considered precocious. Ripening of clusters begins on the 115th day from the moment of awakening of the kidneys. Harvesting usually begins in the twentieth of August. Late ripening of berries indicates an overload of the bush. With normal normalization of the eyes, the yield of the friendship variety reaches 7 kg. About 1 tons of berries are harvested from 180 hectare of plantation.

According to the tasting assessment, the taste of nutmeg prevails in the berries. The pulp is juicy, watery, very tender. Sugar content is 21%. Berries of grapes Friendship are universal. In production, dry and dessert wine, sparkling champagne are made from fruits. At home, grapes are used for juice, compotes are prepared, and cakes are decorated.

Another feature of the Druzhba grape variety is resistance to fungi. However, mildew bushes must be treated at least twice per season. At home, growers prefer Bordeaux liquid to fight diseases.

The video tells about the Druzhba grape variety:

Positive and negative traits

Despite small berries and small clusters, the Druzhba grape variety has many positive characteristics:

• resistance to fungal diseases;
• early ripening of the crop;
• resistance of the vine to low temperatures;
• excellent nutmeg taste of berries;
• universal purpose of fruits.

The disadvantage is the complexity of care due to the mandatory normalization of the eyes. The clusters are not in demand for sale. The grapes are tasty, but small berries and loose clusters do not create a good presentation.

Planting seedlings

Druzhba grape seedlings can be planted in rows in a trench or in holes. In the south, autumn planting is practiced. In the central strip, seedlings are best planted in the spring. Pits have been prepared since autumn, loading them with organic matter and fertile soil. Planting time depends on the condition of the seedling. If the leaves have already blossomed, then the grapes are planted after the departure of night frosts. Usually it is in late April – early May. Unawakened seedlings can be planted from mid-March.

Druzhba grapes grow well on light soils. Bushes accept sandy and loamy soil. The main root goes deep into the ground, so Druzhba grapes cannot be planted in lowlands with a high location of groundwater. A place for a seedling is chosen sunny, not shaded by the crown of tall trees, preferably on the south side of the site.

The exactingness of grapes for nutrients makes growers dig a deep hole. The shape can be round or square. It does not play a special role. The optimal depth and diameter of the hole is 80 cm. Drainage is poured from stones and sand 15–20 cm thick at the bottom of the pit. The next layer is formed from fertile black soil mixed with 1 bucket of compost or humus and adding 1 liter of wood ash. From mineral fertilizers, 200 g of superphosphate and 150 g of potassium are mixed.

Before planting a seedling of Druzhba grapes, a mound is formed at the bottom of the prepared hole. After all the layer-by-layer loading, the depth of the pit should be about 40–50 cm. The grape seedling is placed with its heel on the mound, spreading the root system, and carefully covered with loose soil. At least 2 buckets of water are poured into the hole. After the liquid has been absorbed, the soil will settle and must be topped up.

Features of variety care

Variety Druzhba, like other grapes, requires timely watering. The intensity depends on weather conditions and soil moisture. At least 20 liters of water are poured under one adult bush. Watering is required before the flowers bloom, during the pouring of berries and in the fall before wintering. After water absorption, a crust forms on the surface of the soil. For better access of oxygen to the roots, the earth is loosened with a chopper. You can fall asleep with a thick layer of mulch made of straw, peat or sawdust. An organic mound will prevent evaporation of moisture, rapid germination of weeds and the formation of a dried crust.

During the season, the Druzhba grape variety is fed at least three times. In the spring, before the release of color, the bushes are poured with a solution of bird droppings or superphosphate. After 15 days, top dressing is repeated. At the beginning of the ovary, the grapes are fertilized with nitroammophos.

Until the age of three, only sanitary pruning is performed on the bushes. Remove frost-bitten and damaged vines. From the third year of life, the bush is formed according to all the rules. The vine is cut, leaving shoots with 6-8 eyes. The total load on the bush should not exceed 35 eyes. Pruning is carried out in the fall after the leaves are shed. In the spring, only frozen and damaged vines are removed. In summer, Druzhba grapes grow tied to a trellis up to 2 m high.

The frost resistance of the variety allows the vine to winter in the southern regions on a trellis. For the central strip and the northern regions, sheltering grapes is acceptable. Annual seedlings just spud well. The vine of an adult bush is tied with ropes, bent to the ground and wrapped with any non-woven material.

Before wintering, Druzhba grape bushes are abundantly poured with water. It is not worth covering the vine early. Heat can awaken dormant buds. The vine is covered with the onset of the first frost. Instead of material, mats made of reeds or straw can be used. In winter, a mound of snow is piled on the grapes.

Pest and disease control

Variety Druzhba resists fungal diseases and gray rot well, but no one canceled the prevention. During an epidemic, even a strong immune system will not resist bacteria. There are a number of important rules aimed at preventing grape disease:

• From mildew, the Druzhba grape variety must be sprayed twice a season. It is optimal to use fungicides that additionally protect against the spread of oidium.
• Regular watering should not lead to waterlogging of the soil. Excess moisture in the heat contributes to the development of the fungus.
• Regular pruning should be aimed not only at the formation of a bush. Remove the vine with visible damage, dry shoots. When the rot spreads in the summer, the affected shoots are cut off.
• In autumn, dry leaves, berries and fallen small branches should not be left under the grape bushes. Over the summer, many harmful microorganisms and pests have accumulated here. Everything is raked out from under the vines and burned.
• During the season, constant care of the soil near the bushes is required. Be sure to perform loosening, weeding, mulching. After harvesting, the earth is dug up on a spade bayonet.
• The main pest for any grapes are wasps. The Druzhba variety is sugary, which strongly attracts insects. Bottle traps help fight wasps. If possible, destroy wasp nests. You can spray the berries with special preparations, but eating chemicals is not useful.

Sometimes growers practice dipping grapes into gauze bags. The method is effective if the material does not touch the berries. Otherwise, the wasps will suck the juice from the berries through gauze.

Reviews

At the end of the review of the description of the variety, let’s take a look at what gardeners say about Druzhba grapes.