Growers generally prefer popular, common and versatile grape varieties. At the same time, rarer, but no less interesting varieties remain on the sidelines. These include the German grape variety Regent. It is perfect for those who like to experiment and are not afraid to try something new. Regent will surely like its beautiful appearance, high-quality taste, winter hardiness and excellent immunity to diseases. Description and photo of Regent grapes can be found in this article.
Variety and appearance
Regent is a wine or technical grape variety that can be characterized by a medium-late fruit ripening period. Berries can be harvested after 130-140 days from the moment of vegetation.
The bushes themselves are characterized by medium vigor, strong and fairly wide branches. There are not many stepchildren. The leaves are large or medium, five-lobed, serrated at the edges, green with light yellow veins.
Clusters are not large, on average 170-180grams, density - moderate, shape - cylindrical-conical. The berries are round, black (sometimes dark blue), the weight of the berry is an average of 1.5 grams. The pulp is juicy, rich, has a light nutmeg and herbal aroma. Juice with intense coloring. The fruits are great for storing sugar. Ripe grapes with an acidity of 8 g/l contain an average of 22% sugar content.
Selection and place of breeding
Grape Regent is a complex interspecific hybrid of German selection. The variety was bred in Germany, at the Institute of viticulture "Geiweilerhof", where the German breeder Gerhard Alleveld crossed two grape varieties: Diana and Chamboursen in 1967. That is why the Regent in the literature can be called Geiweilerhof 67-198-3.
The Regent grape variety is common in Germany and America. It is also grown in Russia and neighboring countries.
Rumba, Mavr and Citron Magaracha are hybrid forms of regent.
For the northern regions of our country, this variety is not recommended, since it is considered medium-late in terms of ripening, and may not have time to fully mature during the summer period.
Regent grapes: variety description
Regent is frost-resistant and can withstand quite high temperature drops - up to -28 degrees. In the southern regions, grapes are not covered for the winter, but in our middle lane Regent is grown as a covering crop.
Yield indicators for Regent grapes are average. In comparison with it, higher-yielding varieties are the Anniversary of the Kherson summer resident, the Gift of the Magarach orRkatsiteli.
In order to get a quality crop, proper care, soil fertility, and climatic conditions of the growing area are important. Fruitful shoots - up to 80%.
When growing Regent grapes, it is extremely important to harvest on time, as the fastening of the fruit to the stem weakens over time, and very quickly they begin to crumble. Also, if the berries remain on the bush for a long time after ripening, a decrease in acidity is observed.
Feeding and fertilizer
Regent really needs feeding and responds well to them. It is very demanding on growing conditions and on the soil itself. The soil for the Regent should be rich in nutrients, especially magnesium, the variety is extremely sensitive to their deficiency, therefore, before planting seedlings, the soil is fertilized with magnesium.
Care
Description of grapes Regent shows that proper care is very important for this variety. It can be described by the following actions:
- Pruning side shoots and those parts that are already stiff. Such pruning must be carried out at a right angle.
- After the flower tendrils are formed, damaged and weakened stems must be removed.
- About seven days before flowering, remove the tops of the shoots, pinch them - this will improve the flow of nutrients to the bunches with berries.
- Extra stepchildren should be removed in a timely manner, as they consume useful trace elements, preventing the grape bush from developing, and the berriesgrow. Also, stepchildren often provoke the development of fungal diseases and the appearance of felt mites on the leaves.
- In winter, grapes may lack nutrition, so in the fall it is advisable to feed them with nutritious organic fertilizers - manure, compost or peat.
Landing
For the proper planting of Regent grapes, it is enough to follow the general rules for all varieties. It is necessary to dig a cubic hole about 80 cm high. A stand is placed in the center in order to fix the seedling later. Gravel of small fractions is suitable as a drainage layer.
After drainage, manure, humus or peat is poured - about three buckets with the addition of mineral fertilizer with magnesium. You can also add potassium s alt and superphosphate in a small amount. All fertilizers that are laid should be sprinkled with ash. From above you need to add soil and water the seedling.
The bush itself needs to be tied to a rack, form a mound around it at the same level with the ground, straighten the roots of the plant and dig in, but not very tightly.
In the south, to protect the Regent grapes from drought, they spud them 20-25 cm from the ground.
If more than one seedling is planted, then a distance must be observed between them: between plants it must be at least 1.5 meters, the indent from the fence must be at least 0.5 meters. In this case, the root system of the seedling and the entire grape bush as a whole will develop normally.
In order for the growing vine to have something to lean on, they use steel wire,stretching it over vertical posts.
Diseases and pests
One of the advantages of Regent grapes is its resistance to various diseases. He is less susceptible to disease. But the Regent grape variety can suffer from mildew fungus, or the so-called downy mildew, which infects leaves and shoots. When infected with this disease, yellow spots appear on the plant, which gradually darken and become moldy. Harmful microorganisms that cause this disease are resistant to low temperatures and remain viable even in severe frosts. The danger of the disease is that subsequently the mildew will spread to the inflorescences and berries, and this threatens with a loss of the crop. If the plant is infected at the stage of appearance of berries, they begin to shrivel and fall off even before ripening. To prevent the development of the disease, it is necessary to treat the bushes annually for the purpose of prevention. This will prevent loss of berries.
Also, the Regent variety is affected by another fungal pathogen - oidium. Oidium is powdery mildew, another fungal pest of the variety. It appears as a moldy coating on shoots and leaves. The plant can get sick with it at any stage of the growing season. The pest reproduces well in heat and humidity, therefore, under long-term favorable conditions (warm weather), it is especially active and can cause serious damage to the crop. Oidium reproduces quickly, enveloping the leaves of the plant with a dense felt cover and destroying the entire crop. Powdery mildew affects not only leaves, but also berries, whichburst, exposing the flesh and bones of the fruit. Outbreaks of this disease often occur in spring and summer after a warm and wet winter.
Regent is treated with sulfur, drugs "Topaz" and "Skor".
Conclusion
Regent grapes produce the best vintage wines, aromatic and full-bodied. Also, the variety is excellent for making homemade soft drinks. The appearance of the Regent grapes does not fail either, the photo of which confirms this fact.
Today more and more gardeners choose Regent grapes. It has good taste, resistance to diseases and pests, frost resistance.
