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If you want to get healthy and strong grape bushes, then you should start by choosing a variety that has excellent characteristics, and then follow all the conditions for planting and caring for this crop. Isabella grapes are an excellent table-technical variety, which is customarily used to make high-quality juices and wines. It has been grown by gardeners in all parts of the country for many years, since such grapes survive the winter well and have a lot of positive qualities, which this article will tell you about.
Features
This grape variety appeared in America, where for several hundred years it was not only grown, but also exported to 150 countries as an excellent wine. Breeder William Prince was able to trace all the changes that this delightful variety underwent over several decades, and made it the way it has survived to this day.
If we talk about the description of the variety, then it is worth starting with a presentable appearance of the bunches of such grapes. On them you can see small-sized, black berries with a bluish tinge, on the surface of which there is a dense white bloom. Continuing the description of the variety, a few words should be said about the pulp – in the grapes of this variety it has a pleasant, well-pronounced strawberry taste.
It is covered with a dense and durable skin, and the flesh is also somewhat mucous to the touch. This grape variety is recommended to be planted in the spring, or in the fall, before winter. If we talk about the period of final ripening of berries, the description of which you could see a little higher, then it is about 180 days from the moment when the first buds appear. The grape bushes of this variety are quite tall crops, and the clusters themselves are quite medium in size.
The yield of this variety, which can be planted both in spring and before winter, can be about 70 centners per hectare of usable area. The yield indicator may vary somewhat, depending on the climate conditions in which this grape variety is grown, as well as the characteristics of crop care. It has a fairly late ripening period, so the harvest, as a rule, falls on September – October.
In addition to the external description, thanks to which we got an idea of the presentable appearance of clusters and berries, Isabella grapes have excellent characteristics. Its obvious advantages include a good degree of frost resistance, which is very important for those regions of our country in which winter is quite severe. In winter, this variety does not require special protection in the form of wrapping with any materials or dropping. Isabella belongs to non-covering varieties, which means that the grapes do not need to be wrapped for the winter in the middle lane. In addition to the ability to endure all the hardships of winter, such grapes are highly immune not only to dangerous fungal diseases, but also to such unpleasant pests that can interfere with the normal growth and harmonious development of the vineyard, like phylloxera.
It is also worth noting that the old bushes of this variety of culture can, in case of damage or partial freezing of buds or branches in winter, give new shoots. This remarkable property allows normal harvesting on a regular basis. Also, Isabella grapes normally adapt to different climatic zones, love well-moistened soil. The only caveat is to remember that in the northern regions of our country, this late variety may not have time to ripen before the early onset of cold weather and winter.
Video “From berries to wine: the whole process”
Useful Properties
The grapes of this excellent variety are distinguished not only by their large size and excellent taste, but also contain many substances useful for the human body. Not only are they rich in high iron content, which can greatly increase hemoglobin levels, where even the famous pomegranates can beat even the famous pomegranate, but they also contain three times more antioxidants and anthicyanins than other grape varieties. Their ability to positively influence the composition of the blood should also be attributed to the healing properties, due to which not only does it thin out, but also prevents the possible occurrence of diseases of the circulatory system.
Medical professionals advise using this variety of grapes in order to effectively prevent the appearance of dangerous cancer cells, since it is generally accepted that the antioxidants present in the berries are excellent at fighting cancer, as well as tumors. To achieve the maximum effect, it is recommended to eat the berries together with the skin, as well as grains, since it is in them that a large concentration of useful substances necessary for the human body is achieved. The berries contain such rare components as catechins and polyphenols, which are rare in any vegetables and fruits. They have an excellent property to remove unnecessary toxins, fight excessive weight, and also normalize the metabolism in the body of each person. In addition to the production of juice and wine, the berries are dried and preserved for the winter, sometimes jam is made from them, which is recommended to be eaten with seeds.
If you eat about 100 grams of grapes daily, you can restore the body’s resources well, as well as raise vitality. In the juice made from grapes of this variety, there is an increased content of potassium, which is very useful not only for the heart muscle, but also for other muscles of the body. And the presence of carotene and vitamin C in the berries can positively affect the normal functioning of your vision.
Nutritionists advise with the help of Isabella grapes to correct the forces expended over the winter and get rid of spring beriberi
Berries are allowed to be introduced into the diet of children from the age of three. They are useful for babies with poor appetite, and also help restore the body’s strength after infections. Contraindications can only be individual intolerance, digestive disorders, skin rashes. In order not to provoke an eating disorder, you can not drink berries with milk or kvass.
There are also many vitamins in the stems of this wonderful grape. Its leaves have long been used as a plantain or celandine to treat wounds and abrasions.
Their positive effect is based on the content of a large amount of mineral salts in the leaves. They can also be used at high body temperature to reduce it. The juice of the stem is almost equivalent in medicinal qualities to the famous echinacea tincture. A tincture made from the juice of grape stems is successfully used as a prophylactic against autumn colds. A decoction of the leaves can quickly and effectively cure a cough, and crushed into a powder, they will help you get rid of a runny nose. Traditional medicine recommends harvesting leaves and stems for the winter, which will help fight seasonal colds.
Disadvantages
With all its significant and numerous advantages, this variety of grapes has some disadvantages. These include a poor degree of resistance to dry weather conditions. If the vine does not receive the amount of moisture necessary for its normal growth and development, then it will quickly lose its strength, the leaves will fall to the ground, and the future yield will decrease significantly. It is not recommended to eat such berries only for those people who have serious stomach problems and duodenal ulcers, since they contain organic acids, which are very likely to provoke an exacerbation of the underlying disease. Experts say that grape juice can adversely affect the condition of tooth enamel, but it is not difficult to correct this course of things – you just need to drink juice from a straw. These berries are not useful for all pregnant women; an individual consultation of a specialist is required here.
In the 80s in America, and then in Europe, this type of grape was no longer used as a raw material for making wines, citing the fact that it contains a large percentage of methyl alcohol. But today, experts have pointed out that during the fermentation of berries, along with ethyl alcohol, only 0% more methyl is released than other grape varieties, and this amount is not capable of harming the body. After that, the good name of grapes was returned, and in Our Country today more than 01 types of fine wine are made from it.
Video “Step-by-step development of the Isabella bush”
This variety is great for winemaking, so it is important to grow beautiful and ripe berries. In the video you will learn how to do it.
