Origin
In 1999, at the private vineyard Zagoruiko V.V. The Libya variety was obtained. Since its appearance, the hybrid has aroused interest among breeders, and has been actively studied since the beginning of the 21st century. In 2010, the author transferred the rights to it to the Scientific Research Institute of Viticulture and Winemaking of Crimea “Magarach”, after which Libya was very quickly entered into the State Register of Plant Varieties of Ukraine.
In 2014, as a result of changes in the political and territorial status of Crimea, it entered the register of selection plantings of the Russian Federation.
Useful video
To summarize, it can be noted that Libya grapes are an excellent variety for a summer cottage. It has a lot of advantages and has a very small number of disadvantages.
Excellent for cultivation in non-traditional viticulture areas and does not require any special knowledge or skills. The main thing is good care and timely processing. Libya is distinguished by its extreme unpretentiousness and high yield, and its huge sweet berries with an amazing caramel flavor will appeal to both adults and children.
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Planting and care
Livia can be propagated in various ways: seed propagation, cuttings, growing seedlings and layering.
The simplest way is to cultivate grapes using seedlings, which take root more easily and begin to bear fruit faster.
When planting, it is important to pay attention to the following aspects:
- the presence of at least 2-3 buds on the seedlings;
- when planting material is placed in a hole, it is important that the buds remain above the surface;
- need to be planted in well-fertilized soil.
It is also important to consider that the planting site should be well lit by the sun. The distance to the nearest buildings, trees, tall bushes should be at least 5 meters.
Lack of lighting leads to uneven fruit ripening.
Growing grapes in more northern regions is best done at higher elevations that receive sufficient sunlight.
Grapes can be planted in spring and autumn. But in the northern regions it is better to carry out planting work in the spring, while the buds have not yet bloomed. Autumn planting in the north may result in seedlings not having time to take root before frost.
Step-by-step planting plan:
- Prepare a hole for planting that is at least 40-45 cm deep.
- Place drainage at the bottom of the hole, add fertile soil and install a seedling. In this case, the roots must be straightened, and then gradually, in layers, covered with them.
- The seedling must be cut to the palm of the ground, making sure that 2-3 buds remain intact above the surface.
- Watering and mulching.
Immediately after planting, the bush must be covered by placing a large container over it, which must be covered with 5 cm of soil on top. In order not to damage the seedling in the spring, it is better to mark its location with some kind of marker.
In the first year after planting, seedlings can be tied to stakes, and in subsequent years it is necessary to install trellises.
It is recommended to cover grapes for the winter to avoid freezing.
Climate, growing region
Libya can grow both in the south and in the north of our country, in colder climatic conditions, but the variety has proven to be the most productive in the southern regions.
The soil
Libya feels good if the soil on which it grows is loose and nutritious. It can be light loam or clay-sandy soils. At the time of planting, you can improve the soil using organic fertilizers.
Characteristics
The Libya grape is a very early variety. From the appearance of the first ovaries to the full ripening of the bunches, about 100 days pass. This variety does not like overloading and, when properly formed, produces an excellent harvest. The same signs are demonstrated by Muscat Dievsky, Bogatyanovsky and Demeter.
Another undeniable advantage of Libya is its fairly long shelf life. After being removed from the bush, the bunches retain their properties for more than a month and tolerate transportation well.
With proper care, the Libya variety always produces consistently high yields. True, it does not differ in frost resistance.
Withstands frosts down to -20-21C, no lower, and requires careful wrapping for the winter. But despite this, it is successfully grown in areas with a moderately cold climate.
The main condition for getting a good harvest is to choose the right place for planting. Livia grows well in light loam soils, in a warm but well-ventilated location with maximum access to sunlight.
Among the disadvantages of this wonderful variety, one can note only its low resistance to diseases such as mildew and oidium. Due to the high sugar content in the berries, they are often attacked by wasps and birds.
Features of cultivation
Grapes of this variety, like others, need well-moistened soil, pruning, fertilizing and timely treatment of diseased bushes.
In addition, when growing Livia, it is important to ensure that the bushes are not overloaded. Too many fruits can not only slow down ripening, but also reduce the quality of the grapes. Experts advise leaving 35-45 buds on the bush.
Planting and Harvest Time
Annual seedlings are planted in mid-April - the first half of May. The harvest takes place in August.
The timing of fruit ripening depends on yield and climatic conditions.
Watering and fertilizing
Every spring and autumn, the soil under the vine is mulched with humus. No fertilizing is required before fruiting begins. Subsequently, every autumn you can add a small amount of organic matter and potassium phosphate fertilizers.
It is especially necessary to add a nutrient mixture to the plant during the growth period. Typically, fertilizers are applied in dry form directly under the bush.
Immediately after planting, pour out 2-3 buckets of water, then as it dries, repeat watering again. The next two soil moistenings are carried out every 2 weeks. After the procedure, it is important to loosen the soil 5-10 cm deep.
Then the soil must be moistened as needed, i.e. as it dries. Severe waterlogging can lead to rot and mold.
The required amount of watering can be adjusted according to the condition of the foliage. If the grape leaves turn brown in the heat, it means the soil is waterlogged.
Appearance of grapes
The Libya variety has great vigor when grown on its own roots. The ripening of the vines is very good. Bisexual flowers do not require pollination. The cuttings are taking root well. For this variety, short pruning, approximately 2-4 eyes, is optimal. The bisexuality of flowers is also demonstrated by Vodograi, Manicure Finger and Lyana.
One of the main advantages of Libya is its very large bunches, weighing about 1 kg. They are loose, rather loose, and often shapeless.
A characteristic feature of this variety is the different colors of berries in one bunch due to uneven ripening.
Libya's berries are very large, weighing up to 13-16 grams, round or oval in shape, soft pink in color. The pulp is juicy, pinkish, with a high sugar content and a slight nutmeg flavor. The skin is very thin, melting in your mouth. The berries contain 2-3 fairly large seeds, which are easily separated from the pulp.
Only Original, Vostok and Bazhena can boast of equally large bunches and berries.
Diseases and pests
Oidium
Mildew
Gray rot
Grape phylloxera
The variety is considered moderately resistant, therefore it is susceptible to infection by certain types of diseases caused by fungi and pests:
- average resistance to oidium - 3.5 points;
- mildew - 4 points;
- gray rot is a type of fungal disease that causes dry light brown spots to appear on leaves and stems and is very dangerous for grapes;
- Grape phylloxera is a disease caused by insects that can damage an entire vineyard.
Reproduction
Libya is propagated by cuttings, grafting, and layering. A separate article is devoted to each option. In short, the easiest way for a novice winegrower to get several bushes is by layering; if you need a lot of planting material, then cuttings are an excellent option.
Reviews from gardeners
Vladislav, 37 years old, Sumy
Our Libya gave a full harvest in the third year. I'm just delighted! We filmed on August 13th, individual brushes were ready a week earlier. Load 10.2 kg per bush. The clusters are not loose, very large, weighing 700-900 g. The berries are dense, the taste is excellent, with nutmeg, an order of magnitude more aromatic and sweeter than Transfiguration. True, the color is not so rich and elegant, I hope next year it will be brighter. It really does color better in the shade. By the way, the berries, although sweet, are unattractive to wasps, especially in comparison with Victoria and Zaporozhye Kishmish.
Grigory, 45 years old, Voronezh region
I have two young bushes. One grows in partial shade, the other in the sun. With the same care, the first one is powerful and has a slightly colored berry, light pink, almost pinkish-yellow. On the second, I noticed early ripening of single shoots, and fruitful shoots were about a meter long or less. In a sunny place, the berries are some kind of dirty pink, almost “transparent” color.
Svetlana, 56 years old, Orenburg
Excellent variety, excellent taste. Berries with a dense, easily eaten skin and crispy pulp, with a nutmeg aroma. They become especially beautiful, bright pink towards the end of summer. I noticed that the difference between day and night temperatures has a beneficial effect on the coloring of the bunches.
Description of the variety
Libya belongs to the table varieties. Its bushes have both female and male flowers. Because of this, the plant can be taken as a pollinator for other types of crops.
The bushes are tall, vigorous, form a strong trunk and strong shoots. Mature plants are decorated with massive leaves, five-lobed, dissected, and painted dark green. The root system is developed and can instantly recover from damage.
According to the characteristics of the Libya grapes, the clusters are cylindrical, massive, and can reach a length of 35 cm. At the same time, their average weight is 600-900 g, but with proper care, larger ones can be harvested - 1.5 kg. The fruits are ovoid, weigh 5-9 g, and do not crack. Color ranges from light pink to violet-red. The skin is dense, of moderate thickness, and is not noticeable when consumed. The pulp is fleshy, juicy, crispy. The taste is sweet with nutmeg notes. The number of seeds in the pulp is minimal - 1-3 pcs.
Properties of fruits
Before choosing the Libya grape variety, you need to familiarize yourself with both the description of the plant, photos, reviews, and the healing properties of the berries.
Tasting taste score – 9.3 points. The fruits contain a large amount of vitamins, minerals, organic acids, fiber, and antioxidants. Therefore, they can bring benefits to the body as:
- strengthen the immune system;
- improve the functioning of the heart muscle;
- strengthen the walls of blood vessels, increasing their elasticity, strength, and permeability;
- prevent age-related ophthalmological diseases;
- cleanse the blood of cholesterol plaques;
- free the body from waste, toxins, heavy metals, and other harmful substances;
- activate the activity of the nervous system.
Thanks to so many healing properties, berries are widely used not only as a healthy food product, but also as a medicinal product.
Attention! Due to its high acidity, Libya is not recommended for consumption by people who suffer from chronic stomach diseases.
Characteristics
The growing season is 105-110 days from the beginning of bud opening. The ripening period is in August. The variety gives high, stable yield. The shoots ripen even under heavy harvest load. From one bush you can get up to 25-30 kg of tasty berries, which on an industrial scale is 170 c/ha. In this case, the fruits do not crumble, but in hot weather they can bake under the influence of direct rays of the sun. A notable feature of the variety is its frost resistance; plant survival is possible only when the temperature drops to -21°C. Therefore, when growing crops in the northern or central regions, it is important to take care of covering the plants for the winter.
On a note! Many people confuse Livia with the mid-ripening industrial grape Lydia. But these are completely two different varieties, since Libya grapes are an ultra-early, dessert type.
What cultures are possible neighbors?
When planting grapes together with other cultivated plants, not only space in the garden is saved. Thanks to friendly crops, grape bushes develop better, such plants protect it from a number of pathogens and pest attacks, grape bushes tolerate frosty winters better, and the taste of the fruit improves.
The best neighbors for grapes will be legumes, onions, cauliflower, a number of herbs, some weeds and flowers. If you plant dill around the grape bushes, it will reduce the risk of mildew and also reduce the number of sprayings.
If you plant dill around grape bushes, it will reduce the risk of mildew
