Muscat Grapes Summer

Muscat Letniy is an excellent varietal grape of Eastern European selection. It is widespread in amateur gardening, appreciated for the beauty and compactness of the bunches, and for its special taste. Not used for wine production.

The grapes were obtained by the originator "Vierul" in Moldova when crossing Pierrelle x Queen of Vineyards.

Vigorous grapes Muscat Letniy belongs to table varieties. The number of fruitful shoots on it reaches 75-80% of the total mass. It can be grown as a rooted culture, and on rootstocks, while maintaining the strength of growth. Cuttings are well rooted.

An early variety ensures that the berries reach technical ripeness in 110-120 days. In most southern regions, harvesting begins from the 2nd decade of August. In central Russia, maturity occurs closer to mid-September.

The classic cylindrical-conical shape of the bunch is a characteristic feature of this grape. The density of the bunches is average, the tendency of the berries to pea is not noted. The average hand mass is 600-700 g.

Large fruits of a beautiful amber-white hue practically do not change their size. The average berry weighs 7-8 g with dimensions of 28.8 × 22.9 mm. The skin is dense, inside there is a fleshy-juicy pulp. The shape of the berry is oval-elongated.

The harmonious nutmeg flavor of this grape variety is directly related to the balance of its performance. With an acidity of 6-8 g / dm3, it contains 170-200 g / dm3 of sugar.

Summer Muscat is considered a high-yielding variety. The fruiting factor is 1.3-1.8. For industrial cultivation, up to 150 c / ha are harvested. In private gardening, the yield reaches 30-40 kg of berries from a bush.

When growing Summer Muscat, it is important to provide the bushes with sufficient space. 1 plant should have 3-5 m2 of area. Trellis with a height of 2 m or more or arches must be used.

The optimal time for planting the Muscat Summer variety is autumn, when you can choose the strongest and healthiest plants. In addition, they will have ample rooting time. Planting begins in October, but with a margin, before the onset of frost, taking care of protecting young shoots from the cold. For this purpose, ordinary plastic bottles with cut ventilation holes are used.

Annual plants are planted in spring.They already have stiff shoots, and the young bushes themselves are ready for rapid rooting. They are placed in the ground at the beginning of May, after the soil has warmed up to +10 degrees. The choice of a place on the site for the vineyard is made in favor of sunny, protected from strong winds areas located no closer than 2-3 m to the fruit trees.

Planting pits are prepared with a size of 80 × 80 cm.They are dug out in advance, leaving a fertile soil layer, and then mixing it with 2-3 buckets of organic matter and 300 g of wood ash. It is also worth putting up to 0.5 kg of superphosphate in the soil mixture. The resulting substrate is placed in a pit, carefully spilled. The seedling is soaked in water with a root formation stimulator, then it is placed with its “heel” in the hole to a depth of 0.5 m, sprinkled with soil until it grows.

The variety is distinguished by the presence of bisexual flowers. It does not need additional efforts to obtain a crop, pollination occurs naturally.

Muscat Summer vine is trimmed into 7-8 eyes. In total, 30-40 are left on the bush. Such rationing will increase the size of the bunches. In the first 3 years, only spring pruning is practiced, then it is done in the fall.

Shelter in winter is required. Frost resistance indicators are limited by lowering atmospheric temperatures to -23 degrees.

The variety is tolerant to phylloxera - resistance index is 3 points. May be affected by this root parasite when it spreads in the area. To oidium and mildew, they stand at 3.5 points. He often suffers from bacterial cancer and chlorosis. Risks can be reduced by choosing the right planting site, careful care, adherence to the rules for pruning the vine.

The bunches have good marketable properties, and successfully tolerate transportation. When stored on a hive, they do not lose their external data.

According to amateur gardeners, Summer Muscat can be called a good choice for both beginners and experienced winegrowers. Its taste has pronounced spicy and tart notes. It is noticed that when ripening on the bush, the berries pick up nutmeg in aroma and pulp, and also acquire an amber hue. Growing conditions greatly affect the palatability.

Of the shortcomings, the owners highlight the need for compulsory normalization of the shoots. The reason for this is the high proportion of fruitful vines. But the bush can easily withstand a load of 2-3 clusters per shoot.There are also mentions that the pulp of the berries is too watery with thick skin, and the size of the brushes is close to the minimum values ​​indicated by the originator.