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Variety Lancelot Novocherkassk breeders bred for cultivation in the northern regions. Grapes are resistant to harsh winters. Harvest can be stored and transported. The fruits are of particular value to merchants. Clusters retain their presentation for a long time and are in demand in the market. A complete description of the Lancelot grape variety, photos, reviews, videos will help you better understand the characteristics of the crop, as well as the features of its cultivation.
The main features of the variety
A review of the description of the Lancelot grape variety must begin with the origin. Culture is a hybrid. The grapes were obtained by crossing Podarka Zaporozhye, FV-3-1 and the Ecstasy variety. The result of the selection was an early hybrid Lancelot, which brings the crop about 130 days after the awakening of the kidneys.
The Lancelot bush is characterized by a sprawling, strongly growing vine. The flowers are bisexual, which promotes self-pollination. The vine has time to ripen for almost the entire length of the season.
Clusters grow large, conical in shape with densely packed berries. Usually the average weight of the brush varies from 0,9 to 1,3 kg. Good top dressing allows you to increase the weight of the bunch up to 3 kg. The shape of the berries is cylindrical, turning into an oval. The weight of one fruit is about 14 g. The average berry length is 31 mm, width is 22 mm. The skin of Lancelot grapes is light green, turning white when ripe. In the sun, the berries get a tan.
The structure of the pulp is fleshy, the taste is sweet with a moderate presence of acid. When eating a berry, a honey aroma is felt. The peel is so strong that it does not crack when the soil is heavily waterlogged, however, during the chewing of the fruit, it is practically not felt.
Variety Lancelot is characterized by high unlimited yield. To reduce the load on the bush, even before flowering, some of the brushes are removed. In winter, Lancelot grapes withstand frosts down to -24оC. The variety is resistant to fungal diseases, but preventive measures must be taken.
Better help to know Lancelot grapes video:
Positive and negative qualities of the variety
Finishing considering the description of the Lancelot grape variety, photos, reviews, it is worth summing up the presence of positive and negative qualities of the culture. The benefits include:
- excellent taste of berries;
- beautiful presentation of bunches;
- large brushes, large berries;
- resistance to frost, fungal diseases and pests;
- brushes are able to hang on the vine for a long time, can be stored and transported.
The high density of berries on the bunch can be attributed to the advantages and disadvantages. Due to the dense accumulation of fruits, the Lancelot variety brushes do not crumple during transportation. However, the same density prevents the berries inside the bunch from ripening evenly.
Secrets of cultivation
If there is a desire to grow a Lancelot grape variety, then a sunny place is selected for seedlings on the site. Landing is best done in the fall. Before winter, the Lancelot seedling will gain strength, take root and survive severe frosts. Spring planting time is dangerous with night frosts. Affected young shoots on a seedling may not resume their growth.
However, most gardeners recognize the spring planting of Lancelot grapes because of the 100% survival rate of the seedling. To protect against frost, a shelter made of film is erected at night. Agrofibre allows air to pass through and can not be removed from the seedling even during the day. When the period of night cooling ends, the shelter is removed.
Autumn planting of Lancelot is carried out in mid-September. The weather should be warm around the clock. When buying planting material, Lancelot grape seedlings are chosen about 50 cm long with mature buds and a large root. It is important to carefully examine the bark. On the surface there should be no signs of damage in the form of spots, dry patches, places gnawed by pests. In a seedling of Lancelot grapes, the root system is shortened with scissors to 15 cm, after which it is immersed in a liquid solution of clay.
The site is prepared long before planting the grapes. If the procedure is performed in the spring, then the soil and pits have been prepared since the fall. When the landing time falls in September, they prepare the site for at least three months, somewhere in the beginning of summer.
First, the entire soil is dug up on a shovel bayonet. Remove weed roots, debris, stones. Variety Lancelot is characterized by strong bush growth. For normal development, a gap of 2–3 m is left between seedlings. A hole is dug at least 80 cm deep. Approximately the same dimensions are kept in width and length. The dug hole is loaded with a nutrient substrate, consisting of:
- 2 buckets of humus;
- 3 buckets of peat;
- 2 kg of ash;
- 150 g of potassium and superphosphate;
- 2-3 buckets of fertile soil.
If the soil is too poor, the amount of organic matter is doubled. At the bottom of the pit, a drainage layer of stones, sand and earth is organized.
Before planting Lancelot grapes, the hole is prepared again. A small mound-shaped elevation is paved at the bottom. A seedling with roots soaked in clay is lowered into a pit, sprinkled with earth, lightly rammed with hands, and then poured with a bucket of water. After the liquid has been absorbed, the loose soil will settle. More earth is added to the hole, and straw or sawdust mulch is covered on top.
Long shoots of Lancelot seedlings are shortened with secateurs, leaving no more than 4 pieces. Before the onset of frost, the grapes will have time to dissolve the roots in the ground and take root.
Features of care
Variety Lancelot, like other grapes, requires the implementation of standard care procedures. From the beginning of April to the end of October, the bushes are regularly watered. The frequency depends on weather conditions. Water is poured under the root of the grapes. After the liquid has been absorbed, the earth is loosened with a chopper to avoid the formation of a crust. Mulch gives good results. Straw, sawdust, or peat prevent grass growth, prevent moisture from evaporating, and are also a good organic fertilizer.
Mandatory watering of Lancelot grapes is carried out before flowering, as well as during the pouring of berries. 1 m2 lands pour at least 50 liters of water. The lack of moisture during this period threatens to shed inflorescences and ovaries. About 3 weeks before harvest, watering is completely stopped.
Preparing for the wintering of Lancelot is similarly not complete without abundant watering. The amount of water per 1 m2 increase to 100 liters. The abundance of moisture makes it possible to stock up on the vine with useful substances for the winter.
Variety Lancelot loves top dressing, for which he thanks with large clusters. The best fertilizer is organic. Gardeners use rotted manure, humus, compost and add wood ash. Fertilizing the grapes with mineral fertilizers containing potassium and phosphorus helps to increase the sweetness, as well as the size of the berries. Young bushes of the Lancelot variety are fertilized monthly. Adult grapes are usually fed at the beginning and end of the season.
Under good weather conditions, Lancelot bunches will ripen in early September. The amount of harvest depends on care and climatic conditions. In the southern regions, up to 10 kg of grapes are harvested from a bush. For the central strip, a yield of up to 7 kg per bush is considered normal.
Variety Lancelot is considered frost-resistant, but in cold regions the vine is covered for the winter. Branches of grapes are removed from the trellis, tied with a rope, laid on shields or straw bedding. From above, the vine is covered with dense material and covered with earth.
Before shelter, the vine must be pruned. Lancelot bushes are vigorous and need to be shaped. The advantage of autumn pruning is that the procedure is less painful. By this time, sap flow slows down, and the grapes lose less nutrients. In the spring, it is better to cut off frozen and damaged shoots.
On young Lancelot bushes, 3-4 eyes are left on the lashes. They do not give birth, but are used to form a bush. On adult grapes, lashes with 8 eyes are left. A bush forms from 3 to 8 fruiting sleeves. The maximum number of eyes on an adult grape is 35 pieces. It is not advisable to leave more. Overloading the bush will only reduce the yield and deplete the vine.
Disease Prevention
A feature of the Lancelot grape variety is resistance to dangerous diseases: mildew and oidium. However, preventive measures should not be ignored. Before flowering, grape bushes are sprayed with a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture.
Insects and birds carry no less danger to ripe berries. The strong skin of the berries creates difficulties for wasps, but if desired, they can gnaw it. With the appearance of sweet juice, a fly flies along with the wasps. Plastic bottle traps help to get rid of the enemy. Containers without corks are hung with ropes from a trellis, and a sweet liquid is poured inside. From voracious birds, grapes are covered with nets.
The video provides an overview of Lancelot grapes:
Reviews
A lot of reviews on Lancelot grape forums are left by experienced gardeners and simple summer residents.