Among the new grape varieties, the variety of the Russian selection Harold is notable for its very early ripening and unusual taste of berries. Gardeners' reviews about this grape are contradictory, but positive still prevail.
The history of growing grapes Harold
Early ripe hybrid Harold received breeders VNIIViV them. J.I. Potapenko. To produce a new variety, Vostorg and Arcadia grapes were crossed, and then the intermediate hybrid obtained from them was crossed with summer Muscat. Initially, the Harold hybrid was simply called IV-6-5-pc.
Harold is not yet listed in the State Register, but has already gained popularity among winegrowers from various regions of Russia for their good taste and high yield.
Harold hybrid can be grown even in Siberia, because it needs a short northern summer to ripen.
Harold grapes on video
Grade description
Harold belongs to the early ripening table varieties. From the beginning of the growing season to ripening, 95-100 days pass. For example, in the city of Novocherkassk, crops can be harvested by the end of July.
The bushes are characterized by strong growth and power of vines. Almost 4/5 of the resulting shoots are fruitful. Flexible and strong vines with bright green leaves ripen well during the season. On each bush, up to two dozen clusters are formed (on each vine, 1-2 full-bodied brushes ripen). In addition to the main crop, a number of brushes appear on the stepsons, which makes it possible to collect a second crop in the fall.
Flowering Harold grape - video
The clusters are rather dense in structure, the average weight is 250-300 g (maximum 500 g). The form of clusters is cylindrical. The medium-sized (5-6 g) berries are oval, slightly pointed at the end. The skin is relatively dense, but does not interfere with food. In the stage of technical ripeness, the color of the berries is greenish, and when fully ripe, it is amber-yellow. The pulp is juicy, but, by definition, some lovers of "liquid". The taste of the pulp is very pleasant, with a pronounced muscat aroma. Sugar content in berries is high - 19-20 g per 100 cm3, a little acid (4-5 g / l).
Harold's berries are quite large for an early variety
Variety Characteristics
Harold grapes have several advantages:
- very early ripening;
- high productivity (with proper care up to 14-15 kg from 1 bush);
- two waves of fruiting;
- good resistance to fungal diseases (mildew, oidium, gray rot);
- good preservation of clusters on the bush (they can hang without shedding and drying until mid-September);
- resistance to transportation and long shelf life;
- unpretentiousness to soil and climatic conditions.
The disadvantages of the variety:
- tendency to overload (crop rationing is required);
- low density of pulp;
- a decrease in nutmeg aroma when over-ripe.
The frost resistance of the hybrid has not been finally established, but according to the opinions of winegrowers Harold tolerates frosts well up to -25 aboutFROM
The rules for planting and growing grapes Harold
Hybrid Harold is unpretentious to growing conditions, however, to obtain truly high yields, it is recommended to follow the rules of agricultural technology.
Grape planting
Harold is undemanding to the soil. Of course, the more fertile the soil, the higher the yields. The best soil option is chernozem or other light, moisture-conducting and nutrient-rich soils. Close occurrence of groundwater and moisture stagnation for grapes is contraindicated. If your site is located in a lowland, you need to plant grapes on a hill (including artificial) or provide quality drainage.
The site selected for planting should be well lit and protected from the cold wind. It should be remembered that grapes "do not like" the close proximity of buildings and trees. The fact is that with poor ventilation of the bush there is a risk of developing fungal diseases.
When planting several grape bushes, it is recommended to observe the row spacing of 3 m, and the distance between plants in a row of 1 m.
You can plant grapes in the spring and autumn. Spring planting (from late April to mid-May in various regions) is considered preferable, as the seedling is better able to take root and grow stronger in winter.
Planting Harold, according to amateur winegrowers, it is advisable to carry out seedlings, and not with the help of cuttings. The success of the planting largely depends on the quality of the planting material. Seedlings can be purchased or grown independently. When buying a seedling, check it for flexibility (it should not crunch when bent). The root system must be developed (at least 4 long roots), without signs of disease or damage. The optimal number of buds on a seedling is 4-5.
Purchased seedlings must be healthy, with a developed root system
For self-cultivation of cuttings, it is necessary to prepare the material in advance - cut the cuttings from the ripened part of the vine in autumn, wrap them in polyethylene and put them on the lower shelf of the refrigerator. In mid-February, cuttings are put in a jar of water in the illuminated part of the room and wait for the roots to sprout. You can immerse the cuttings in moist moist soil.
Growing grape seedlings from Chubuk - video
Planting seedlings in open ground is carried out when the air temperature is set to more than 15 aboutC. Before planting, the roots of a seedling for 24-48 hours are immersed in a solution of a growth stimulator.
For each bush, pits 0.8 m deep and of the same diameter are prepared in advance. Up to half the depth, the pit is filled with a mixture of fertile soil, humus (or peat land) with the addition of potash and phosphorus fertilizers.
The nutrient mixture is sprinkled with a thin layer of clean soil so that the roots of the seedling do not suffer.
A seedling with spreading roots is placed on the soil layer (try not to break the white young roots!), They are covered with soil and compacted. Around the bush make a small hole for watering and pour 2 buckets of water into it. The soil around the seedling should be mulched.
Planting grapes on video
Care for grape bushes
A good harvest from Harold can be obtained by providing him with proper care. Large bushes need to be formed and trimmed regularly. The formation of the bush can be done in a fan pattern.
Fan formation takes 3-4 years
In the southern regions, where grapes can be grown without shelter for the winter, cultivation in a standard form is possible. To do this, leave 1-2 main vines, which are lifted vertically to the desired height (2-3 m), and then distribute shoots emerging from the upper part of the "trunk" on horizontal supports.
If there is no need to lower the grapes on the ground every winter, you can grow it like a tree with a high stem
Every year you need to prune young vines, leave 25-30 knots on each. During or immediately after flowering, the ovaries should be normalized, otherwise the bush will be overloaded and the quality of the crop will decrease. Do not leave more than 30 brushes on the bush.
Thinning inflorescences improves the vegetation of grapes and stimulates the laying of flower buds of the future crop.
Stepsons in cold regions need to be broken out so that the bush does not spend extra strength on their growth. In the southern regions, stepchildren are the source of the second crop (ripening by October). They also require rationing - no more than 20 inflorescences should be left on stepsons.
Grape harvest normalization - video
During the growing season, grapes need to be watered. Harold easily tolerates a slight drought, but it is not recommended to dry the soil. It is enough to carry out 3-4 waterings per season: at the end of flowering, when pouring berries and after harvesting. Under adult bushes serve up to 5 buckets of settled water. Before shelter for the winter, in October, you can conduct another watering (6-7 buckets per bush).
So that the soil retains moisture better, mulch the surface of the trunk circle with sawdust, straw or withered grass.
Fertilizers must begin to be applied from the third to fourth year after planting (before this, nutrition is provided by organic and mineral substances introduced during planting). Annual top dressing is applied 2-3 times during the summer. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are dissolved in a bucket of water in a ratio of 2: 4: 1. The first top dressing is carried out during or after flowering. It is enough to apply organic fertilizers every 2-3 years. It can be used as a liquid form (mullein solution or bird droppings infusion) or solid form as a thick layer of mulch in the trunk circle.
How to feed grapes - video
For all its resistance to fungal diseases, Harold needs preventive treatments. It is advisable to use phosphorus-containing fungicides, but you can use a 1% Bordeaux mixture. Spraying is carried out 2-3 times during the summer, for the first time - before flowering.
Pests usually do not touch grapes, excluding wasps and birds. And from those and from others, the best means of protection is fencing the bushes with a net or tying each brush with a mesh bag.
Mesh brushes are kept in all its glory
For winter, Harold needs to be sheltered only in cold regions, since the winter hardiness of the vine is -25 aboutC. To protect against cold weather, shoots after autumn pruning are untied from the trellis, tied together and lowered to the ground. You can cover it with agrofabric, spruce branches, straw, film or just cover it with earth.
Vines sprinkled with soil to protect against frost
Harvesting and Harvesting
Harold’s first crop can be harvested in late July – early August, and the second in late September – early October.
Some winegrowers break off brushes, but it is best to cut them off with secateurs. The brushes tolerate transportation well if laid in shallow containers.
Although mature brushes can remain on the bush without spoiling for another 1.5-2 months, it is better not to let them hang for too long. When re-oiled, the nutmeg aroma weakens, and the flesh becomes “liquid”. Overexposure of brushes on the bush is justified if it is planned to make wine from grapes.
Grape Juice - One of the Most Healthy Drinks
Harold's timely clusters of grapes are usually consumed fresh, but you can make delicious juice, compote or backmes (grape honey) from them.
Reviews of winegrowers
But I do not understand - what impresses Harold? The size? Yes, he has a rather modest size, I don’t know how anyone has his personal plot, but in prom. When planting with a 3 x 0.5 m pattern, clusters rarely exceed 500 g, a berry of 5-6 g maximum. He has one, extremely undeniable advantage (in our conditions) - this is a real premature maturity. Many people like it - bright nutmeg. The flesh, in my opinion, could be fatter. Another problem is that it is overloaded with the crop, and when overloaded, it sharply loses its taste (the inheritance came from Arcadia). By mildew, resistance at the level of Kodryanka, to the oidium is worse. We have been growing for a long time without covering, but it froze, and now I am sheltering. A general summary - the form is quite decent and interesting, but not a bomb, if you are interested.
For varieties of a very early ripening period, Harold's peel is somewhat dense (this is felt in comparison with the pulp), but it eats up and the emphasis on the peel does not occur when eating. The berries have never burst, they have not crumbled, and they tolerate transportation well - though they didn’t take them to long distances, but they carried them on a tractor for 5 km - but this is an indicator.
Krasokhina, Novocherkassk//forum.vinograd.info/showthread.php?t=699
HAROLD just showed himself perfectly: both root, and (which surprised) the vaccine. Shelter is very light: synthetic burlap (denser than usual, took waste in construction stores: as a container for other bags ...). All the kidneys came out from winter. Harold was the very first to begin the growing season and, accordingly, the increase was the largest. I think this is one of the signs of early maturity. Let's see when it blooms ...
Vladimir_Sumy//forum.vinograd.info/showthread.php?t=699
I liked Harold very much. Steady, well pollinated, fruitful, but the most pleasant is very early with decent clusters and a rather large berry. We have now reached the “you can eat” state of 14-75, Platovsky, Ekaro 35. And Harold is already “very possible to eat,” and since he has better dimensional characteristics, Harold is submitting a serious application for leadership among the super-early varieties in our zone. So, northerners, strain, it is necessary to plant.
Wincher, Stary Oskol//forum.vinograd.info/showthread.php?t=699
Harold disappointed, although the first five-berry signaling was magnificent. And the pulp is not liquid and the nutmeg was good. I thought it would be even better next, but it turned out the other way around. Two years in a row is overkill! My vineyard is non-irrigated, processing standard, the bushes are not sick.
Bataychanin. Bataisk. Rostov region//vinograd7.ru/forum/viewtopic.php?p=347851
Harold is an unpretentious variety of kishmish, which even the not-so-experienced grape grower can grow. A nice feature is a double crop and a delicate nutmeg aroma.
