Viking grape variety - description of the variety, especially planting and growing

Among table grape varieties, the Viking variety stands out by its early ripening. Berries have a beautiful appearance and can become a real decoration of the garden. Good taste and long-term preservation of berries on the bushes are its undoubted advantages.

The history of the cultivation of Viking grape varieties

Viking grape variety obtained by V.V. Zagorulko (Ukraine). This famous breeder bred more than 25 hybrid grape varieties. The priority direction of his selection is to obtain early-ripening, large-fruited species that are most resistant to frost and susceptibility to disease. It is these properties that the Viking variety obtained by crossing varieties ZOS-1 and Kodryanka possesses.

Viking grape cluster has a conical shape, average weight - 600 g

Description of Viking grape variety

The table variety is intended primarily for fresh consumption. The main features of this variety:

• Strong, powerful liana.
• Leaves are alternate, large, five-lobed.
• The flowers are very fragrant, small, green, bisexual.
  

  Grapes flowers collected in a panicle

• The berries are oblong, dark blue, large (22x34 mm). The flesh of the berries is juicy, has a pleasant harmonious taste, the skin is not felt during the meal.
  

  The pulp of Viking berries is quite dense

• Berries are collected in conical-shaped clusters of medium and large size.

Video: Viking grape variety

Characteristics of the Viking grape variety

Among other table grape varieties Viking stands out for such features:

• It belongs to very early varieties - from the budding of the buds to the full ripeness of the berries, only 100-110 days pass. This is one of the varieties that will produce the first crop of the season.
• Viking berries have an attractive appearance and great taste.
  

  Viking variety has an unusual blue-and-blue color - decoration of the vineyard

• The berries of the Viking variety are quite large, the average weight of the berries is 10 g, the brushes are 600 g. With good agricultural technology and favorable weather conditions, the brushes can reach a weight of 1 kg, moreover, the variety is not very prone to peeling.
  

  Viking is a fairly productive variety

• The fruits are well preserved on the vine without cracking, until the end of September.
  

  The bush is well loaded with fruits with age

• Pretty good winter hardiness for growing in the southern regions (can withstand frosts down to -21⁰), in the middle lane this variety needs to be sheltered for the winter or grown in a greenhouse.
• In the first years after planting, Vityaz grapes are characterized by a very strong growth of lianas, sometimes even to the detriment of the crop.
• Weak immunity to diseases such as mildew and oidium.

Features of planting and growing Viking grape varieties

Grapes grow in one place for a long time, so it is important to think about where to grow the vine. For planting, an even, well-lit place is suitable, since with a lack of light the quantity and quality of the crop decreases. The best time is early spring.

Soil requirements: good water permeability, fertility, light mechanical composition.

You can plant grapes with seedlings and cuttings, observe the following conditions:

Before planting, it is necessary to dig the soil to a depth of 30-60 cm, to make organic and mineral fertilizers. Fertilizer application rates:

The distance between rows should be 1.5-3.5 meters, between seedlings or cuttings - 1-3 meters. You can plant seedlings or cuttings in trenches or planting pits to a depth of 50-70 cm.

At the bottom of the landing pit, you need to make a small mound, on which to straighten the roots and sprinkle with earth a layer of at least 10 cm, pour 15-30 liters of water and again sprinkle with earth. During spring planting, you should not completely fill the landing pit, so the roots will be better warmed up and take root faster.

When planting with cuttings, we completely fall asleep the landing pit in May-June

Leaving after planting consists in loosening the soil and watering in a dry time, mulching. As mulch, peat, compost, black agrofiber can be used.

Agrofibre holds moisture and inhibits weed growth

In the second half of summer, chasing of the vine will be required, for this the green tops of all growing shoots are cut off. The breeder advises for the Viking variety to conduct it over 12-15 buds.

Chasing - removal of the upper part of the shoot (30-40 cm) with an incompletely formed leaf surface and the main growth point

In the second or third year, trellis is installed, the shoots are tied.

Grapes on a trellis

On fruiting vineyards annually loosen the soil, fertilize, and water. Cleaned by hand.

Bunches of grapes must be cut manually as they mature

Disease susceptibility

Viking grapes have medium resistance to diseases such as mildew and oidium.

Mildew and oidium are fungal diseases, to prevent them, first of all, preventive measures are needed:

• collection and burning of affected leaves;
• Autumn digging of the earth in the aisles;
• ensuring good ventilation of plants - planting plants with a sufficient interval from each other, timely pruning.

Fungal diseases of plants account for more than 80% of all crop damage.

Mildew or downy mildew is one of the most dangerous fungal diseases of grapes. The disease is caused by a fungus that hibernates directly on dry leaves and tolerates frosts well. The onset of the disease can be noticed by oily spots and white coating on the leaves. In the next stage, yellow spots, leaf necrosis appear. A whitish fluff spreads to inflorescences and can lead to a large loss of crop.

Photo gallery: signs of mildew disease

If the whitish fluff has already appeared on the leaves or the grapes were already mildewed in the previous season, chemical preparations can not be dispensed with. High efficacy is shown by such drugs as Radomil, Delan, Thanos, Profit. Young plantings in the spring should be sprayed approximately every 10 days, and from mid-June every week. When processing, use the dosage specified by the manufacturer.

Oidium, or powdery mildew, is the most common grape disease. Unlike mildew, spores of the fungus winter under the scales of the eyes and on the shoots themselves, at temperatures above 18⁰ spores begin to germinate actively and affect all parts of the plant. In early summer, infected buds and leaves turn yellow, a powdery mildew appears. Subsequently, the leaves become covered with brown spots and gradually die, the disease passes to the berries, which are also covered with a coating.

A characteristic powdery coating with oidium grape disease

It is necessary to start processing the vineyard from this disease before budding. During this period, sulfur spraying is necessary (25-40 g of sulfur should be dissolved in 10 liters of water). After flowering, you can use drugs such as Rubigan, Topaz, Skor, Bayleton, Karatan, following the recommendations of the manufacturers of these drugs specified in the instructions.

Video: processing grapes from oidium, mildew

Reviews

In the Ulyanovsk region, I grow a Viking variety as uncovered, only with the obligatory laying of vines on the ground. Very beautiful summer grapes, with good taste, excellent ability to winter without shelter. Southerners are not very fond of it due to low productivity, they are kept only for beauty. But for our region, especially for beginner winegrowers - the most MOT. There is no need to normalize the crop, it grows just as much as necessary. Indeed, when you start to cut off excess clusters, the feeling that you are solving a cunningly wise task does not leave, and the toad strangles. The vine and buds ripen perfectly in any summer. The loose bunch is well ventilated and does not pick up the disease.

Victor Vasilievich Garanin

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We Viking bears fruit for 2 years and, as they say, "normal flight." All the neighbors wanted to plant themselves. There is no irrigation, clusters of about 600 grams, the taste is decent. Ripens before Kodryanka. Of course, you need to care. It seems to me that you need to have a collection.

Alexander Malyutenko

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Good afternoon! We immediately liked the Viking hybrid form. Ripens a little earlier codrianka varieties. The clusters are loose, spreading, the berry is large, long, tasty. They tried, left the bunch, wanted to see how long it sagged, the berries did not burst, did not rot, they just began to wither and turn into raisins. It turns out that it can hang on the bushes for a very long time. But for us, what we liked about him is that he is early!

Gennady

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Viking grapes are one of the varieties that certainly deserves attention. Try to plant it in your garden plot, perhaps this is the variety that will become one of the favorites in your garden.