Rumba grape variety (21 photos): detailed description, cultivation features and reviews from gardeners

In recent decades, various grape varieties have been grown not only in the southern Russian regions - they grow and bear fruit well in the Volga region, Moscow region, the middle zone and other areas with similar climatic conditions. Moreover, most of these subspecies are characterized by increased resistance to frost and quietly winter under little shelter. One of these frost-resistant varieties is Rumba, which has become very popular among gardeners in the middle zone and the Moscow region due to its positive qualities.

Characteristic

Drought resistance, frost resistance

This subspecies does not tolerate periods of drought, so Rumba bushes should be watered regularly, especially recently planted seedlings - they are watered once every 3-4 days, but moderately, so that moisture does not stagnate in the soil.
The subspecies has good resistance to frost and can withstand cold snaps down to -18-20ºС without shelter. At lower temperatures, it is recommended to cover the vines of this grape so that the fruiting buds do not freeze, or to choose more frost-resistant varieties, for example, Strasensky grapes, there is a description separately.

Botanical description

The Rumba grape is a very early, table, consistently high-yielding and resistant variety. Its yield is high: 60 kilograms of grapes are harvested from a bush that has entered full fruiting. Withstands winter frosts of -22-24 0C without shelter. However, in harsh winter conditions, it is best to cover this variety in order to protect the fruiting buds from freezing.

The Rumba grape has a flower with male and female flowering types. There are no problems with pollination of this hybrid even in unfavorable years, and the grape bunch always develops practically without peas.

Advantages and disadvantages

The main advantages of Rumba include:

• the clusters are large in size and beautiful in appearance;
• berries are medium and large in size, not prone to peas;
• the skin of the fruit is compacted, so the berries are practically not damaged by pests and tolerate transportation well at any distance;
• the first clusters on the grapevines appear 2-3 years after planting seedlings or cuttings;
• this subspecies combines well with rootstocks;
• early ripening of the crop - ripe bunches can be collected from the last ten days of July;
• good resistance to frost - the bushes can withstand cold temperatures down to -18-20ºС;
• berries are not susceptible to sunburn;
• Fruiting is stable, annual;
• cuttings and seedlings quickly take root; thanks to their good resistance to frost, they can be planted in a permanent place not only in spring, but also in autumn;

Cuttings and seedlings of Rumba grapes take root very well and quickly

• high resistance to major fungal diseases, including mildew and oidium;
• When fully ripe, the brushes can hang on the bushes for up to several weeks without falling off, losing their taste or bursting.

This grape has no particular disadvantages.

It must be borne in mind that this subspecies is an amateur form and has not yet been included in the Russian State Register of Agricultural Achievements.

Description of the Rumba grape variety

Rumba is a table grape variety. It has large (about 30 cm in length), slightly loose clusters weighing 800–1100 g. The color of the fruits is usually pink, less often purple. The berries are fleshy, crispy, high in sucrose and have a pleasant nutmeg aroma.

Rumba berries are usually pink, but are sometimes purple

Grape bushes grow very quickly and can grow up to 5 m in the first year. Rumba can always be recognized by the shape of the leaf - cut in the middle, with large cutouts.

Characteristics of the variety

1. Thanks to the durable film covering each berry, the grapes do not suffer from pests and are transported with virtually no losses.
2. It begins to bear fruit in the 2nd–3rd year.
3. Has good compatibility with rootstocks.
4. The harvest ripens quickly, the first berries can be picked in early August.
5. Frost-resistant, withstands frosts down to -24°C.
6. The berries are not subject to sunburn.
7. Resistant to fungal diseases, oidium, mildew.
8. Even after full ripening, the bunches can remain on the vine for a long time, the berries do not crack.

Table: technical characteristics of Rumba grapes

Parameters may vary depending on the region in which the grapes grow.

Video: Rumba grape harvest

Selection of planting material

Since this variety is an amateur one, you can purchase it for planting only from winegrowers who professionally prepare seedlings and cuttings from Rumba vines, value their reputation and sell only high-quality planting material.

But even experienced winegrowers find it difficult to say whether it is better to choose cuttings or Rumba seedlings for fudge, because all this planting material (if it is properly prepared or grown and healthy) has not only its advantages, but also its disadvantages, which will be discussed further.

History of appearance

Photo of the variety:

When it comes to the appearance of a variety, it usually means that it was bred at a research institute or experimental station, in short, as a result of many years of work by large teams of scientists. In the overwhelming majority this is true, but there are exceptions that only confirm the general rule. One such exception is the Rumba grape.

The “progenitors” of Rumba were the varieties Charell and Red Delight. As a result of their crossing, the grape Rumba began its dance. First, she “settled” in the private vineyards of the Rostov region - the birthplace of Kapelyushny, and then continued her dance throughout central Russia, and then crossed the borders and continued her dance in Ukraine, Belarus and other countries.

In reference books, Rumba is listed as an amateur variety. This designation in no way detracts from its merits; it simply states that the variety was bred without the use of special technologies that are usually used when crossing two varieties.

Landing Features

The Rumba variety is quite unpretentious, not demanding on the quality and type of soil, and can grow in almost any conditions.

The basic rules for choosing a site for planting, the rules and techniques for planting Rumba planting material will be discussed separately.

The soil

As already mentioned, Rumba is unpretentious to soil types, so it can be planted almost anywhere. The exception is swampy soils and lowlands where melt water accumulates. But the best soils for this subspecies will be sandy loam or loam.

If the site has heavy loamy soils, then it is better to add organic matter to them in advance (up to 10 kg of humus for each square of area and the same amount of river sand). Clay must be added to sandy soil, and if the soil is too acidic, then lime must be added to it at least a couple of months before the intended planting of the crop.

The area where it is planned to plant the planting material should be well illuminated by sunlight and protected from gusts of cold wind. Therefore, it is usually planted next to garden buildings, blind fences, or near fruit or ornamental trees.

Rumba is unpretentious to soil types

Neighbours

Since this subspecies will grow in one place in the garden for many years, you need to make sure that suitable neighbors grow next to them. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the requirements of plants growing nearby in terms of soil nutrition, irrigation regime and degree of illumination.

A number of annual flowers can be planted next to this subspecies, which is especially important if there is not much space in the garden and there is not enough for flower beds.

Therefore, next to the grapevines, you can plant annuals with a small root system - asters, Drummond phlox or gypsolphylla. You can plant biennial flowers between the rows of grapes - pansies, mallow (forest mellow) or forget-me-nots. The crop also grows well with some perennial flowers - hare cabbage or primroses.

Next to the crop rows, it is worth planting some other berry crops, for example, garden strawberries. If Rumba grows next to strawberries, its berries will acquire a pleasant strawberry aroma and become larger and sweeter.

This variety will grow better, and its fruits will gain more sugars, if a sufficient amount of nitrogen is added to the soil. Therefore, legumes will be excellent neighbors for this berry crop - they absorb nitrogen from the environment and actively enrich the soil with nitrogen compounds. It is best to plant peas, soybeans or beans near the vines.

It is best to plant peas next to grapes; they enrich the soil with nitrogen.

You can also plant some green crops between the rows, in particular, beds of dill, sorrel or spinach - these greens and grapes will have a beneficial effect on each other’s development and productivity.

Some vegetable plants do not interfere with the development and fruiting of Rumbas - it is good to plant beds of onions, radishes, cucumbers, beets or cauliflower in the inter-row spaces, which will grow better next to the grape bushes.

Grape bunches will form better and more actively if wheat or rye grows nearby.

However, there are flowers and other plants that can negatively affect the development of grapevines and their fruiting, while they themselves will grow worse, and sometimes stop growing altogether. Such bad plants include:

• calendula;
• cornflowers;
• cloves;
• bells;
• bindweed;
• carrot;
• pepper;
• potato;
• tomatoes;
• eggplant;
• corn;
• sunflower;
• a number of weeds and some vegetable crops.

Knowing which vegetables, flowers or herbs will be good neighbors for Rumba, and which ones will be bad, you can not only improve the fruiting of this berry crop, but also activate its growth by planting legumes nearby, for example.

Well preparation

Usually the area for planting Rumba and the planting holes are prepared in advance.
If you plan to plant it in the spring, then in the fall you should remove all remnants of vegetation, spread a layer of humus or compost - depending on the degree of depletion of the soil in the area, add from 6 to 10 kg of organic matter to each square of area. Then the soil is dug up with simultaneous application of fertilizer. In the spring, about a couple of weeks before planting the seedlings, planting holes are dug with a depth of 0.8 m and a diameter of 1 m.

To plant seedlings, holes are dug 0.8 m deep and 1 m in diameter.

A drainage layer 5 cm thick is placed at the bottom; small crushed stone or broken brick can be used as drainage material. The next layer is organic matter, its thickness is about 0.2-0.3 m, then a layer of soil in which the support is fixed. A seedling or cutting will be tied to it after planting.

If Rumba is planted in the fall, then the planting hole is prepared about a month before planting the planting material. The holes themselves and their filling are carried out in the same way as for spring planting.

Rules and techniques for planting seedlings and cuttings

You can plant seedlings or rooted cuttings of the crop in spring or autumn. In spring, it is necessary for the soil to warm up to at least 10ºС, and the air temperature should be stable at least +5ºС. And in the fall, the crop is planted about a month before the onset of frost, so that the plants have time to take root. With the onset of cold weather, all planted bushes are covered to protect them from frost.

If the seedlings are purchased with a closed root system, then they can be planted in a permanent place even during the summer.

The scheme for planting seedlings and cuttings is as follows:

1. 24 hours before planting, the root system of seedlings is trimmed and dipped in a solution of any growth enhancer.
2. Then the plants are placed in prepared holes and covered with a layer of earth, leaving 5-6 cm to the top of the hole.
3. 20 liters of water are added to each hole, and after the moisture is absorbed, the soil is mulched with a layer of compost, humus or cake.

After planting the seedling, mulch the soil with a layer of compost or cake.
Mulching the root areas is done so that moisture evaporates more slowly from the soil, as well as to protect the bushes from pests.

Caring for Rumba

Rumba does not require special care, as it is quite unpretentious. However, the creator of this variety says that the bushes require a special watering scheme, which must be followed.

Irrigation rules and schemes

Rumba requires a certain watering regime, which should be followed from spring to autumn:

• for the first time, the seedlings are watered abundantly at the time of planting the plants in a permanent place;
• the next time the bushes are watered 20 days after the first watering, immediately after pruning;

The bushes are watered a second time 20 days after planting.

• when the bushes begin to actively grow in the spring, they need more moisture, so the number of waterings of the bushes during this period increases;
• when buds appear on the grape vines, watering is temporarily stopped, otherwise the flowers may be damaged;
• About a couple of weeks before the expected harvest, reduce the amount of watering, otherwise the berries will become too watery.

Watering should be carried out as the top layer of soil dries, otherwise too much moisture in the soil can lead to the development of root rot in the bushes.

Feeding

This subspecies does not need annual feeding; it is enough to apply fertilizer once every 3 seasons. This berry crop is responsive to organic matter, so in the spring it is recommended to add a sufficient amount of humus or chicken manure.

Circular grooves are made around the trunk circles of the grapes, into which organic matter is introduced, and then the grooves are leveled with a layer of soil.

In early spring, before the buds begin to bloom on the Rumba bushes, fertilizer with a high nitrogen content is applied to the root zone. And before flowering begins, in the process of preparing the vines for winter, organic fertilizers should be applied.

In early spring, fertilizer containing nitrogen is applied to the root zone.

Mulching bushes

After watering, it is recommended to add a layer of mulch 4-6 cm thick to the tree trunks of Rumba. This is done so that moisture evaporates more slowly from the soil, weeds practically do not appear and harmful insects do not appear.

You can use humus or compost as mulch.

Trimming

It is very important to regularly prune the bushes of the subspecies, since they are characterized by high growth vigor and a large number of shoots and stepsons are formed on the vines.
In the spring, before the sap begins to flow, all overwintered vines are cut out. During the summer period, part of the shoots is removed, as well as stepsons and part of the bunches, so that the bushes are not overloaded with the harvest. After summer pruning, no more than 20 brushes are left on young bushes, and no more than 40 on mature bushes.

In the spring, before the sap begins to flow, all overwintered vines are cut out.

Autumn pruning is done after the leaves fall, but before the vines are covered for the winter. In this case, up to 10 eyes are left on each vine.

Preparing for winter

The bushes are able to withstand frosts down to -20ºС, so in the south of Russia an adult bush is usually not covered, but in some cases, gardeners in winter shovel a layer of snow onto the ridges with the crop.

But young plantings require mandatory shelter for the winter in any growing region. It is also necessary to cover Rumba for the winter when grown in the middle zone or areas with a colder climate.

Usually, a layer of soil or humus 10-12 cm thick is raked onto the root zone of grape bushes, and the bushes themselves can be covered on top with a layer of rotted sawdust or spruce branches.

In winter, bushes can be covered with spruce branches

Protecting crops from birds and insects

Since the berries of this subspecies have a thick skin, and the fruits themselves are not prone to cracking, wasps usually do not damage them during the period of fruit ripening.

To protect the bunches from being pecked by birds, it is recommended to put special bags made of fine metal mesh over them. It is also recommended to install scarecrows and rattles on the grape plantation to scare away birds.

Useful tips for planting

Beginning gardeners need to remember a few useful tips for planting and care:

1. Rumba should be planted at a distance of 3 m so that the bushes do not interfere with each other’s growth and fruiting;
2. Avoid overloading the bushes with crops;
3. Since this variety has high immunity, it practically does not get sick during the season. However, in spring and autumn, gardeners usually carry out preventive treatments of vines against major fungal diseases;
4. In the southern regions, bushes are usually not covered for the winter, but in colder areas it is recommended that before the onset of frost, the shoots are treated with copper-containing preparations, laid for the winter and sprinkled with a layer of soil or covered with film.

Rumba should be planted at a distance of 3 m from each other.
In general, this subspecies is so unpretentious that it takes root well and develops even in the areas of novice gardeners.

Diseases and pests, preventive measures

Rumba is resistant to most diseases, including fungal ones, if its bushes are properly cared for.

It is necessary to regularly remove weeds, spray the vines in early spring and autumn with fungicidal preparations, and also carry out sanitary pruning, removing stepsons and excess shoots.

Mildew and oidium

Downy and true powdery mildew usually do not affect Rumba bushes if they are regularly cut out, avoiding thickening, and the plants are watered according to a schedule, avoiding waterlogging of the soil.
Also in spring and autumn, grapevines are treated with a 1% solution of copper sulfate or Bordeaux mixture for preventive purposes.

Powdery mildew usually does not affect bushes if they are regularly pruned

Gray rot

To prevent the development of gray rot on bushes, the following measures should be taken:

• form a high standard;
• constantly weed the grape plantation;
• remove excess shoots, especially those growing inside the bushes;
• promptly break off some of the foliage in the cluster area.

It is also important to carry out preventive spraying of grapes against gray rot with fungicidal preparations.

It is important to carry out preventive spraying against gray rot

Anthracnose

This disease also practically does not appear on bushes with proper care and timely preventive treatments.
Usually, for preventive purposes, bushes are sprayed with copper sulfate twice a spring to prevent the appearance of this fungal disease.

Anthracnose practically does not appear when the bush is treated in a timely manner.

Advantages and disadvantages

Rumba grapes, along with other varieties and crops, have both positive and negative characteristics.

Among the main advantages of the variety, gardeners and winegrowers highlight:

• early ripening;
• good keeping quality and transportability;
• quite large bunches and berries;
• frost resistance;
• lack of tendency for berries to crack;
• immunity to fungal diseases;
• high productivity.

In addition, rumba grapes do not require special care, and their fruits, due to their high sugar content, have a sweet taste even when not fully ripe.

“Rumba” is a grape variety that has virtually no disadvantages. There is only one disadvantage - the need to ration the harvest. The fact is that excessive load on the vine leads to peas.

Transportation and storage

Rumba berries have a fairly dense skin, which is also covered with a waxy coating, so these grape bunches can easily withstand transportation over any distance, without bursting or leaking, and their appearance remains beautiful.

Due to the beautiful appearance, harmonious taste and elongated shape of the berries, clusters of the Rumba variety are always in demand at the market. To preserve the harvested crop, it needs to be provided with appropriate storage conditions: a cool room with good ventilation, in which a constant temperature will be maintained (8-10ºC).

In such conditions, the collected brushes can be stored for up to six months, and the marketability and taste of the harvest will not deteriorate.

Under the right conditions, brushes can be stored for up to six months.

Productivity of Rumba

Rumba is a high-yielding variety - ripe berries can hang in clusters for a long time, practically without falling off. Therefore, this variety is especially popular among summer residents who visit their “haciendas” from the city once every 2-3 weeks, or even a month.

Thanks to their durable skin, Rumba berries are well stored and are better suited for long-term transportation than most grape varieties. This is confirmed by statistics: during transportation, about 5% of Rumba’s berries are damaged, while for the vast majority of varieties this figure is around 10-15%.

Rumba is a dessert grape variety. Because of its excellent taste, it is readily purchased by restaurants. Winemakers and confectioners also pay attention to it, making a variety of jams, preserves, juices, and wines from it. But still, most of its berries are consumed fresh. However, due to the large amount of sugars accumulated in Rumba berries, this variety is not recommended for consumption by diabetics and overweight people.

Reviews

The Rumba variety, although bred by a private gardener-breeder, has become popular among Russian winegrowers due to its unpretentiousness, good yield, and good taste of the fruit. Also, its bushes do not require special care and frequent feeding.

Reproduction of the variety

To propagate Rumba grapes, the cutting method should be used. For this purpose, branches with 4 buds are cut from adult bushes. All leaf plates are cut off from the branches. The top is slightly shortened. The cuttings are kept in settled rainwater for 20 hours. After this, you can wrap them in plastic and place them in the basement until planting.

Grape cuttings

Before planting cuttings in the ground, it is recommended to treat them with a growth stimulator. Cuttings are planted in prepared containers filled with fertile soil and peat. The container is covered with glass and transferred to a warm room. The soil is systematically moistened with a spray bottle.