Grapes "Lady's fingers" is considered one of the best table varieties in the history of viticulture. Despite the emergence of new interesting varieties, Ladies' Fingers do not lose relevance. Gardeners appreciate this grape for its extraordinary taste and original shape of berries.
grape variety "Lady's fingers"
Lady's fingers grapes serve as raw material for raisins, since there are no seeds in it
grape variety "Ladies' fingers" is in demand and popular in the retail industry
Variety selection history
This variety has been grown in Central Asia for centuries. It is believed that he was bred artificially by selection of wild grapes. "Ladies' fingers" is the unofficial name of the Husayne Bely variety, but it is under this name that this heat-loving grape is known to our gardeners.
Berries have an unusual, elongated shape - hence the association. Dagestanis call this grape “Shah-raisins”, Azerbaijanis - Itaptuk, Turkmens - Huseyn, and in Astrakhan they call it “Bokalny”.
General description of grapes
Grapes "Lady's fingers" are easy to recognize by the characteristic shape of the berries. The clusters of this variety are very appetizing and beautiful. We learn what else is famous for the famous variety.
Bunches
Ladies' fingers are loose, rather large. The shape is conical or cylindrical. Cluster parameters:
- length - 20-50 cm;
- width - 10-25 cm;
- weight - 500-600 g.
The comb is fragile, grassy.
Berries
The fruits are large, elongated, cylindrical, yellow-green in color. The pulp is transparent. Ripening grapes acquire a light pink blush. Parameters of berries:
- length - 2.5-4 cm;
- width - 1.5-2.5 cm;
- weight - 5-7 g.
The skin is thin, elastic, with a wax coating. And most importantly, in the fruits there are practically no seeds.
Vine
Bushes "Ladies' fingers" vigorous, need support. The vine is powerful, thick and long. The length of the branch can grow up to 5-6 m. The vine is covered with bright green leaves of medium size, they are 3 or 5 lobed, rounded.
The wrong side of the leaves with a weak bristled edge, the edges of the leaves slightly raised. Many stepchildren grow on the bushes, requiring regular removal.
What characteristics do ladies fingers have?
The variety has excellent taste and market characteristics, but with the rest of the parameters, not everything is so smooth. This grape is truly “capricious”, it needs certain conditions for growth and fruiting.
An overview of Lady's fingers grapes is presented in the video below:
Ripening time
The variety belongs to the medium-late group. Ripening is quite long - 130-155 days pass from the beginning of flowering to the full ripening of berries. In regions with a short summer, the fruits do not have time to ripen. Even in Central Asia, clusters ripen only by the beginning of September.
Fruiting time
The variety gives its first crop in the fourth year after planting. Full fruiting occurs in the fifth year of life. In order for grapes to be ready for this process, it should be regularly fed with fertilizers.
Productivity
The yield of Husayn Bely is high, but not stable. This grape is very picky. To get 40 tons of grapes from 1 ha, it is necessary to create ideal growing conditions.
Taste Features
Grapes are sweet, juicy, crisp when bitten. Once Husayn was considered the pinnacle of grape taste, and even now it is one of the most delicious grape varieties.
The fruits of Lady's fingers have a unique feature - although they are sweet, they perfectly quench thirst. The secret of this effect lies in the combination of low sugar content with low acidity of berries. Sugar content - about 17%, with acidity - 4.5 g / l. Overripe, the fruits become freshish.
Tasting taste rating - 8.5 on a 10-point scale.
Application and purpose
The variety is famous for its excellent taste - the berries are very tasty fresh. "Husayn Bely" refers to the drying varieties, it is ideal for cooking raisins. Also, "Lady's fingers" can be used for the production of wine, juices, compotes, marinades. The variety is good for decoration.
Regional
The variety is widely distributed in its homeland - in Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries. "Husain White" is grown everywhere where there are suitable conditions for its growth:
- on the Crimean peninsula;
- in the south of Russia;
- in the Caucasus and other regions with warm winters and long summers.
It is difficult to grow this variety in the middle Russian latitudes - because of cold winters and short summers. Only the most faithful and patient fans of this variety can grow “Ladies' Fingers” in such difficult conditions.
Pollination Features
The variety is self-fertile - it has bisexual flowers, so there is no need for additional pollination.
Frost resistance
The variety is not frost-resistant, and this is the reason for the limited distribution area. The bushes withstand temperatures up to minus 10-15 ° C. This grape necessarily requires shelter if the frost in the place of growth exceeds the indicated mark.
Drought tolerance
The variety does not tolerate drought. "Ladies' fingers" is a moody variety, and the provision of water is the main condition for its fruiting. Due to the low drought tolerance, the variety needs regular watering. But abundant waterlogging is dangerous for the variety - rot may develop.
Disease and pest resistance
The variety has low resistance to diseases - 1-1.5 points out of 10. To grow a crop, prevention and treatment are needed, as well as regular top dressing - root and foliar. Potash and phosphorus fertilizers are especially useful in combating diseases and pests.
Like all Central Asian varieties, Ladies' Fingers are poorly resistant to fungal infections. This grape is affected by oidium, mildew, various parasites.
Advantages and disadvantages
Despite its shortcomings, Husain White has been the most popular variety for several centuries. For the sake of its magnificent, sweet, crispy berries, gardeners are ready to put up with the difficulties of growing it.
Advantages:
- high taste characteristics;
- spectacular view of clusters;
- lack of seeds;
- the possibility of making raisins;
- high productivity;
- self-pollination;
- good transportability;
- clusters are well preserved on the vine.
Disadvantages:
- Low frost resistance - the variety is difficult to grow in a temperate climate. Shelter for the winter is necessary even in the southern regions of the Russian Federation.
- Berries are not suitable for long storage.
- Low resistance to diseases, is attacked by parasitic insects.
- Low rate of maturity.
- Demanding on the growing conditions - climate, care, etc. For the berries to be sweet, the variety needs a lot of heat and sun.
Landing place
Landing site requirements:
- good illumination;
- protection against drafts and north wind;
- lack of shadow;
- light fertile soils are preferred;
- occurrence of groundwater - at least 2.5 m.
The best option is the south or southwest side of the site, covered from the north by a wall, a fence or garden plantings.
Landing time
An important plus of Ladies' Fingers is the possibility of planting at any time except winter. The exact planting period depends on the climate and the method of propagation of the grapes.
The following periods are suitable for planting sleeping seedlings and cuttings:
- beginning and middle of spring;
- mid October.
Green seedlings with leaves and shoots are planted when stable spring heat, or even summer, sets in.
If we are talking about grafting cuttings, then this can be done in the middle or at the end of spring - having adapted, they will grow intensively, and will be well established by the fall.
Branches "Lady's fingers" are also propagated in any period - in spring or autumn. Branches quickly take root, and can be transplanted as full bushes.
Landing pattern
The variety is distinguished by vigorous bushes, so they need a lot of space for growth. The optimal planting scheme for seedlings is 3x5 m. The minimum pit depth is 80 cm.
How to plant grapes?
Planting technology depends on the chosen breeding method. Consider the grape planting "Lady's fingers" seedlings and grafting.
Seedlings
The order of planting seedlings:
- Dig a hole 80-90 cm deep.
- Lay rubble, gravel, broken brick - drainage layer at the bottom.
- Fill it with soil mix 1/3 - mix fertile soil in equal parts with compost, add some superphosphate, potash and nitrogen fertilizers (30-50 g each).
- Sprinkle another layer of soil on top of the fertilizer so that the roots of the seedling do not burn.
- Prepare supports in advance - pillars with trellises.
- Now pause for a couple of weeks, let the earth settle. If the pits are prepared in the fall, then they will stand until spring.
- When the time comes for planting (the ground warmed up to +10 degrees), lower the roots of the seedlings into the water for 3-4 days.
- Gently lower the sapling into the pit, roots on fertile soil, and pour a bucket of water - so that the soil is compacted.
- Sprinkle the roots of the seedling with earth. Tamp it with your hands and water again. Enough of a pair of buckets of water.
- Put a support near the seedling - on the north side so that the bush does not wander along the ground.
The root neck of the seedling should remain above the soil level - it is strictly forbidden to fill it up.
Vaccinated
Vaccination is a simple and economical way of propagating grapes, but for its implementation it is necessary to have old grape bushes that will be used as rootstocks.
Vaccination order:
- Prepare for grafting grafts - this is done in early spring or autumn. The optimal number of eyes is 2-3 pieces.
- Cut the bottom of the wedge-shaped on both sides.
- Before grafting, cuttings, like seedlings, are dipped for several days in water.
- Prepare a stock - cut the old bush, leaving a stump 10 cm high. Chop it exactly in the middle so that you can insert a stalk into the resulting slit.
- Dip the stalk into the prepared split with the wedge-cut part. Pull the cleavage firmly and cover it with clay.
- Water the stock well with three buckets of water.
- Build a support for the future bush. Feed the bush and mulch the soil with humus, a circle near the stem.
How to care for Lady's fingers?
The variety is very demanding for care - Ladies' fingers need a full range of caring measures for successful fruiting.
Moisture
Water is the main need for Ladies' fingers. It is especially important to water the bushes after hibernation, during and after flowering. During droughts, the rate and frequency of watering are increased. After the formation of the ovaries, hydration is reduced.
Top dressing
The principles of feeding "Lady's fingers":
- At the beginning of the growing season, nitrogen fertilizers are applied. This top dressing favorably affects the growth of shoots and helps the plant prepare for fruiting.
- In spring and summer, potash and phosphorus fertilizers are applied - they are important for the formation of bushes.
- If the bushes are lagging behind in development, apply foliar top dressing - spraying with liquid fertilizers.
Fertilizers for grapes - dates and doses:
Type of dressing | When to apply / spray | Composition (doses are given for 1 sq. M) |
Under the root | half a month before flowering | Nitrofoska - 50 g. |
Spraying | two days before flowering | For 10 L:
|
Under the root | half a month after flowering | Nitrofoska - 40-60 g. |
Spraying | at the stage of formation of small berries | For 10 L:
|
Under the root | one week before harvest | For 10 L:
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Under the root | ripening period | For 10 l - an infusion of ash with micronutrient fertilizers (1-2 tablets). |
Under the root | after harvest | For 10 L:
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Pruning
A feature of the variety is a small number of fruit-bearing processes. Therefore, the main task of care is to timely and correctly trim the bushes. Trimming Rules:
- The shoots have a low level of fruitfulness, so they use a long pruning, shortening the shoots by 4-10 eyes.
- The shoots intended for fruiting should not be damaged. They are left only if they are fully ripe - stretched out in full length.
- Preference is given to medium stems - in adult bushes they reach a thickness of 1 cm. Thicker shoots bend poorly and can break, and fruit buds grow poorly on them. Branches thinner than 1 cm are weak, do not have sufficient nutritional reserves.
- When pruning, be careful - any damage can lead to the formation of wounds that will not heal on perennial branches.
- To calculate how many processes to leave on the bush, count the eyes. For 1 square. m it is recommended to leave 8-12 eyes.
Gardeners argue - how many eyes to leave on the bush. Some believe that there should be more of them - to compensate for possible losses after frost. Others, on the contrary, are sure that the reserve left leads to the complication of pruning, since many processes appear from the lateral and sleeping buds.
Principles of pruning technology:
- Make the cut perfectly smooth - use a sharpened secateurs.
- Cut old branches at right angles - so that the cut area is small.
- When pruning old stems, try to steer clear of the base.
- When pruning young shoots, retreat from the lower eye by 1-3 cm.
Warming
Before covering the grapes, moisture is carried out - 2-3 days before warming. Dry soil freezes deeper and faster than wet soil. Watering increases the heat capacity of the earth. For each year of life of the bush - 2 buckets of water.
Shelter order:
- So that the vine does not rot from contact with wet soil, they put a spruce branch or wooden boards under it. Do not place insulating material on the ground. In winter, heat comes from the ground, preventing the vines from freezing.
- The branches are tied into bundles with a synthetic rope or soft wire. Do not tighten strongly - you can damage the shoots.
- The vine is laid and fixed with brackets so that it is 10 cm to the soil.
- Insulation is used dry and sanitized. To scare away mice use tansy, ledum, marigold or wormwood. The grass is laid between the layers of insulation.
For Ladies Fingers, afraid of the cold, full shelter is recommended, which provides two options:
- tunnel - agrofibre or other covering material is placed on the frame of the arcs;
- sandwich - covering material is applied to the vine in several layers.
Pest and Disease Control
Exposure to fungal diseases is one of the main disadvantages of the variety. Most often, "Lady's fingers" are affected by such diseases:
- oidium (powdery mildew);
- mildew.
A characteristic sign of powdery mildew is the smell of rotten fish.
The most dangerous pests for Ladies' Fingers:
- thrips;
- aphid;
- phylloxera;
- leaflet;
- spider mite.
Lady Finger Disease Control Measures:
Diseases and Pests | Symptoms and Harm | How to fight? |
Oidium | The disease can carry up to 80% of the crop. On the shoots and leaves a dirty gray powdery coating forms. Unopened inflorescences perish, and the berries stop growing and dry. |
|
Mildew | Appears in wet weather.On the aboveground parts oily spots of yellow color appear. The vine dries and falls, unripe berries rot, and ripe ones become acidic. |
|
Pest Control:
- timely destruction of weeds, loosening and annual digging of the soil;
- spring cleaning of bushes from the old bark (burnt bark removed);
- uprooting and destruction of diseased bushes;
- if the phylloxera has attacked the plantings, grapes have not been planted in this place for 20 years;
- preventive treatments against aphids, weevils, leafworms, ticks, thrips - bushes are sprayed with Actellik, Fufanon, Aktara;
- from phylloxera and cicadas help spraying with Confidor, Karate;
- “Flies”, “Zemlin” and “Bazudin” help from Khrushchev and scoop - granules are scattered in the aisles for digging.
Spraying mode - 2-3 times at intervals of 10 days. The last spraying is carried out 3 weeks before the harvest, not later.
The popular method of combating spider mites is garlic infusion. 200 g of garlic are put on a bucket of water. A decoction of onion peel helps against the leaflet.
Grade Reviews
Suschenko V., Novocherkassk. Ladies' fingers are my favorite grape. You have to really fight for the crop - with birds, wasps, aphids, etc. To grow large clusters, and to protect the bushes from the fungus, you need fertilizing, spraying, watering. If you follow agricultural technology, then there is nothing complicated in growing Lady's fingers.
Loiko R., Yeisk. I grow Husain for raisins. I have been doing this for a long time, so I know all the problems of the variety. Today, there is every means to fight diseases and pests, because the soreness that many amateur gardeners talk about is not an obstacle to growing this variety. I have not seen a more delicious and beautiful grape.
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The famous variety "Ladies' Fingers" is a classic of viticulture and a standard of grape taste. Unfortunately, this variety is difficult to grow in most of Russia - too cold winters and short summers. But gardeners in the southern regions, with due care, can grow this unusually tasty grape.
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