Grapes Motley

Among the new table varieties, Motley grapes are gaining more and more popularity. Description of the photo variety and reviews from the best side characterize this hybrid form, obtained by a well-known breeder during amateur crossing of two famous species.

A valuable quality that allows expanding the geography of growing Motley grapes is its early ripening. Harvest can be harvested as early as three and a half months after the appearance of the first leaves.

Characteristic of the variety

Grapes Motley successfully combined the best characteristics of the parent varieties. Bushes self-pollinate, giving excellent fruiting. They wake up from early spring, as soon as the ambient temperature rises to 10 degrees Celsius. With the beginning of sap flow, grape buds swell and leaves appear.

With further warming, flower ovaries and fruit clusters begin to form. However, despite the high frost resistance, Motley grapes noticeably react to spring cold snaps – it can slow down or even completely stop its development.

The hybrid variety Pied produces large cone-shaped clusters, sometimes supplemented with another wing. Large fleshy berries are distinguished by:

• oval shape;
• juicy, crispy pulp;
• bright nutmeg taste;
• pink with a hint of purple;
• high sugar content – up to 25-26%;
• good tasting score – up to 8,8 points.

Peculiarities of growing

Description of the variety and photo of Motley grapes indicate that it is unpretentious in care, however, it has some features that should be considered when growing it:

• it is better to plant bushes of the Variegated variety on the south side, where they will receive more sun;
• in shaded areas, a delay in the development of grapes is possible, up to the absence of fruits;
• the place should not be strongly ventilated, as the vine does not like drafts;
• plants will feel comfortable near a fence or wall, which, heating up during the day, will give off heat at night;
• next to the Motley grape bush, it is necessary to install props in advance;
• so that each branch receives enough light and heat, it is necessary to periodically thin out the bushes using pruning.

The Pied grape variety grows well on all types of soil, including rocky soils. Excellent development on sandstones. On fertile chernozem, the fibrous root system branches close to the soil surface, since there is no need to search for food and water in the deep layers.

Preparing for planting

Variegated seedlings can be planted on the beds at any time from spring to autumn:

• an annual sapling with a lignified stem takes root well from April to the end of spring;
• the best time for rooting young green stepchildren is the summer period;
• autumn rooting of Motley grapes is also possible, but requires careful preparation of the seedling for wintering.

During the autumn planting of Motley grapes, the soil around the plant should be tightly covered with peat or sawdust. Many gardeners use spruce branches as a covering material.

A careful examination of the cuttings of the Motley variety will help select the most healthy and strong. They can be distinguished by some features:

• on the white inner pulp on the cut – brown is a sign of illness;
• a cut of an annual seedling is distinguished by a bright green color;
• on a healthy grape cutting, the buds are fresh and do not fall off.

Root sprouting

After the cuttings are selected for planting, they must be prepared for it. Two internodes are left on the cuttings: one is 1,5 cm above the lower end, and the second is 2 cm lower than the upper one. Motley grape cuttings, as reviews advise, are placed in a growth stimulator for a day, it can be replaced by a solution of honey in water. Then the sections should lie in a cold room for up to a month. They are preliminarily lubricated with garden pitch so that pathogenic microflora does not settle inside the stem. Next, grape seedlings are planted in containers with fertile soil for the development of the root system.

Planting of seedlings

At the same time, work is underway to prepare holes for planting grapes:

• a month before planting, they dig holes measuring 0,8×0,8 m;
• the bottom of the holes is laid out with a mixture of humus and compost;
• a layer of fertilizers and ash is placed on top of the substrate, which is covered with earth up to 2/3 of the volume of the hole;
• in this form, holes should be left for a month so that the soil is saturated with useful microelements;
• a month later, ready-made seedlings of the Motley variety are planted in holes;
• for irrigation, a plastic pipe is installed next to the bush, protruding 15-20 cm above the surface;
• when planting grapes, it is necessary to carefully straighten the roots of the seedlings and cover them with earth, carefully compacting it;
• tamp the near-stem circle well and pour plenty of warm water.

  

Care of grapes

To obtain high and stable yields, the Motley grape variety needs to be properly looked after – watered on time, pruned and protected from diseases.

Pruning vines

The pruning procedure not only shapes the shape and volume of vines, it provides:

• increase in the yield of the variety;
• faster ripening of berries;
• better illumination of the bushes;
• removal of diseased and old shoots;
• disease prevention;
• increasing the resistance of grapes to frost.

Pruning grapes Motley can begin when the winter frosts are gone and the air temperature approaches zero degrees:

• starting from the top of the bush, all weak or frozen branches are gradually removed;
• pruning depends on the thickness of the grape shoots – the thicker it is, the greater the length is removed;
• you need to trim the bushes evenly on all sides;
• in summer, pruning grapes helps to reduce the number of unnecessary shoots, remove excess leaves and improve light access to the shoots, creating favorable conditions for the ripening of berries;
• pinching stimulates the growth of new buds and branching of shoots, it is carried out, according to the video, a week before the flowering of Motley grapes;

  

• too many clusters will lead to crushing of the berries, so some of them are broken off at the beginning of flowering.

Watering bushes

Proper organization of watering favorably affects the yield of the vine. One of the most common mistakes is watering bushes with cold tap water. It won’t do any good. Plants should be watered only with settled water and in the evening. Spring irrigation of grape bushes should be carried out before bud break. Watering with warm water will speed up this process.

During the growing season, the frequency and intensity of watering depend on weather conditions and the condition of the bushes. It is especially useful to carry it out simultaneously with top dressing. Before wintering, the Motley grape variety must be watered abundantly, otherwise the cold will penetrate deep into the dry, porous soil. As a result, part of the roots of the grape dies. Watering will not allow deep freezing of the soil, but it will provide a supply of water for the next growing season. However, autumn watering of grapes is necessary only in dry autumn.

Top dressing of grapes

If, when planting, all the necessary fertilizers were applied to the holes, they will ensure the effective growth and development of Motley grapes during the first 3-4 years. However, over time, the land is depleted and it becomes necessary to regularly feed the vines, and its composition is determined by the vegetation phase:

• nitrogen increases the volume of green mass, it must be applied mainly in the spring;
• phosphorus compounds will bring the most benefit to Motley grapes at the beginning of flowering and the formation of ovaries;
• potassium salts contribute to the accelerated ripening of berries, they are applied at the end of summer and autumn – to prepare the grapes for winter.

You need to feed the bushes not only with mineral fertilizers. To stimulate beneficial soil microflora, fertilizing with manure or compost is necessary. They improve the air permeability of the soil, and when decomposed, they provide the necessary minerals. Top dressing of Motley grapes should be carried out:

• early spring before opening the vine;
• 15 days before flowering bushes;
• after the end of the flowering time, before the beginning of the ripening period;
• after harvest, to increase the winter hardiness of the variety.

Disease Prevention

Despite the resistance of Motley grapes to typical diseases and pests, their probability cannot be completely excluded. Among the most common are:

• grape or bunch leaflet, which hibernates at the base of the roots, and with the advent of spring feeds on young tender leaves;
• a spider mite that sucks the juice from the leaves and causes them to fall off;
• grape mite, the appearance of which stops the development of the Motley grape variety;
• bacterial diseases that destroy the vineyard;
• fungal diseases.

Preventive treatments for Pistry grapes, as recommended by reviews, should be carried out regularly:

• in the spring, before bud break – with a solution of copper sulfate;
• after the appearance of the first leaves – one more time;
• before flowering – colloidal sulfur;
• in the summer – several times with antifungal agents and a solution of potassium permanganate;
• in the fall, after pruning – with a solution of iron sulfate.

Reviews of summer residents

Beginners and experienced growers confirm the positive characteristics of the Motley variety.

Of the many early-ripening varieties, Motley grapes stand out for their excellent characteristics, due to which it is attracting more and more attention from gardeners.