Vineyards can be found on many farm plots and orchards. Quite productive grapes Cardinal fell in love with both professional winegrowers and ordinary gardeners. This table variety has firmly taken an honorable place among other cultures, since it is distinguished by a successful combination of taste, quick ripening times and good vitality. It works well for making aromatic wine, juice and jam, but it is also good for fresh consumption.

Culture information

The Cardinal grape was obtained by breeders not so long ago. An excellent result was achieved by crossing other varieties in 1939 at a federal experimental station in California. At that time, this variety was extremely popular in Italy, Greece, Turkey and France. This grape came to the USSR only in 1958. And, despite its thermophilicity, this variety has taken root well and is grown in many garden plots.

Characteristics and features of the variety

Tomato Cardinal

This grape culture has some characteristics and important parameters.

Frost resistance

With all its positive qualities, this grape variety also has disadvantages that relate to its weakened immune defense. The cardinal is not distinguished by increased frost resistance, therefore, the plant must be covered during the cold periods of the year. And also, due to weak immunity, grapes can easily succumb to infection with various diseases. Most often, he suffers from fungal diseases. This crop is also attractive to most pests.

Cardinal grape

Therefore, the cultivation of grapes should be approached with special care and increased attention. Mildew, gray rot, powdery mildew, bacterial cancer, bunny leafworm - all these diseases can easily settle on the Cardinal and destroy the plant.

Fact! This low resistance to disease is explained by the fact that the Russian climate is different from that in which the grapes were produced. Therefore, the plant hardly adapts to natural conditions and does not tolerate them well.

Yield

The Cardinal grape belongs to the early ripening varieties, since you can get the first ripe fruits already at the end of the summer season. The Russian climate and soil type allow the plant to mature within 120 days.Important! When collecting the first fruits, you should pay attention to one significant detail: Cardinal berries ripen unevenly. On ripe bunches, one can find not fully ripe and therefore sour grapes.

The yield of this crop has always been considered quite high, but it is not always possible to achieve good results. Poor yields may be due to poor disease protection. On average, one bush can contain almost 70 shoots, which may well provide the owner with the optimal number of crop loads. Productivity can be significantly improved with excellent agricultural technology.

Flowering period

The flowering time is the period that determines the further quality of the entire crop. During the flowering period of the Cardinal grapes, there is a threat that the first inflorescences may die. This can be due to spring frosts, as the grapes begin to bloom early enough. This period can last from 7 to 15 days.In the spring season, the plant is extremely demanding on good weather conditions, therefore, an acceptable air temperature is considered to be from 15 to 30 degrees.

Flowering grapes

Plant parameters

The purpose of the Cardinal grape variety is a table one. The sugar content of the fruit is about 20%, and the acidity varies within 7 g / l. The shape of the berries is oval, inherent in this culture. The weight of one fruit does not exceed 10 grams, and the color is purple with a shade of red. The berries of this variety are large, the peel is quite dense, covered with a slight bloom. Inside there is a greenish-white pulp, very juicy, like jelly in consistency. There are also bones inside. As a rule, their number is 3-4 pieces.

Grapes Nadezhda Aksayskaya

The grapevine of the Cardinal variety has a bright brown color and shiny leaves with a small yellowish border, there are no fluffy hairs. In autumn, the leaves will change their light green color to yellowish. The bunch of grapes has a cylindrical-conical shape, the long stem is slightly loose and boasts rather large sizes. In length, it can reach almost 30 cm, and in width - 15 cm.But with such dimensions, the average weight of one varietal bunch is not particularly large - only 450 g.

Interesting to know! The size of the bunch of this variety is fixed up to 900 g.

The Cardinal grape variety is loved by many owners of gardens and summer cottages for its excellent taste. Professional tasters give a score of 9 points. The grape has a fresh, pleasant and mild flavor, as well as a slight nutmeg aftertaste. Harmonious flavors distinguish this variety from other similar hybrids.

The rich taste and moderate sugar content make the crop ideal for conservation. Additional Information! Quite often, experienced winemakers add notes of this variety for a noble taste.

Features of agricultural cultivation of the Cardinal

Grapes in Altai for beginners

Having familiarized yourself with the characteristics and features of this variety, it becomes clear which climatic conditions are most optimal for this grape. Compliance with the usual rules for growing this crop will not be enough. Winegrowers who want to grow this variety on their plots should take this into account. For him, the best option would be regions with moderate winter cold. For landing, a sunny place is chosen, if possible without shade zones. Suitable soil for seed is chernozem, loamy and sandy loam.

Attention! Excess moisture can lead to the fact that ripe berries begin to crack, flowers can crumble, the ovary on the bunches disappears and the presentation in general.

Watering should be done before flowering and after. In the case of heavy rains, drainage will be required, since as a result the plant can get sick with fungus. It is recommended to treat the grapes with a fungicidal solution before watering. Periodically, the plant should be saturated with nutrients and mulching should be carried out.

Before the onset of severe frosts, the grapes will need careful protection. A shelter can be made from hay or straw. Young, newly planted bushes can be covered with wooden utensils. It is necessary to hide the plant under it and sprinkle it with earth. Additionally, it is also recommended to feed the crop with mineral fertilizers. For these purposes, potash-phosphorus fertilizer will be the best option.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

Like any other variety of these tasty and sweet fruits, Cardinal grapes have positive and negative sides. However, it is worth noting that this plant has much more positive qualities.

Brush

The main problem is low immune defenses, due to which grapes are easily susceptible to fungal and many other diseases. Also of the minuses can be called poor resistance to frost, but this problem is eliminated by covering.Despite the difficulties with care and cultivation, the fruits tolerate transportation well, and therefore they are often used commercially. Among the advantages, you can also highlight other features:

  • Early ripening of berries (the first harvest can be obtained at the end of summer).
  • Sufficiently high yield.
  • Intense and pleasant fruit taste.
  • Long storage period (about 3 months) and preservation of presentation.

Due to its taste, the Cardinal grape has a wide range of uses. It is often used to make compote, jam and wine. Also grapes lend themselves well to conservation. However, its main feature is considered to be its high resistance to dry weather, which many other grape bushes cannot boast of. Now there is a more stable version of this variety - Lux.