Description and characteristics of the grape variety “Sharov’s mystery”

According to many gardeners, grapevines can only be grown in the southern regions of Russia. In fact, this is not true at all. There are many early ripening and frost-resistant varieties that bear fruit in more severe conditions.

The Sharov's Mystery grape variety can grow in any climate and give good results if the rules of agricultural technology are observed. The description, characteristic features of the variety, as well as photos sent by gardeners will be presented in the article. It is possible that this grape will have new fans.

Advantages and disadvantages

The variety has a lot of advantages:

• Frost resistance.
• Fast growth and excellent fruiting on infertile soils.
• A high-yielding variety that produces up to 10 kilograms of berries from a five-year-old bush.
• High transportability without loss of presentation.
• Universal purpose.

The main disadvantage of the hybrid is its weak immunity to fungal diseases. You can learn about most diseases and pests of grapes from a separate article.

Diseases

Despite the huge number of advantages, the Sharov Riddle variety still has disadvantages. The fact is that he has weak immunity to fungal diseases:

• powdery mildew (mildew);
• oidium.

To prevent plantings from becoming infected with downy mildew, careful care is required: removal of all weeds, timely removal of cut shoots and fallen leaves. In addition, compost heaps are never arranged near the variety.

Attention! It is almost impossible to get rid of mildew once it appears on plants: if there is a massive infestation, you will have to say goodbye to the bushes.

That is why timely preventive measures are important: treating the soil and plantings with fungicides. Experienced gardeners advise treating grapes in spring and autumn with copper-containing preparations, for example, Bordeaux mixture, Champion, Kuproxat and other means.

Description

A new variety was developed in 1972. Amateur breeder Sharov R.F. from the city of Biysk, Altai Territory, during an experiment he received grapes capable of growing and bearing fruit in the harsh climatic conditions of Siberia. The “parents” of the resulting hybrid were:

• Wild frost-resistant Amur grapes “Far Eastern 60”.
• “knock”
• “magarach 352”.

The parents of “Sharov’s riddle” are “Magarach 352”, “Far Eastern 60” and “Tukai” respectively

The hybrid received its name in honor of its creator. Sharov's riddle was created for cultivation in regions with long, cold winters and short summers.

Reference! Berries contain many useful substances. With regular consumption of black grapes, you can strengthen your immune system and get rid of depression.

Rules for applying fertilizers and fertilizing

For feeding it will be enough to use organic matter. Because compost and manure have a very beneficial effect on plants. It is also worth considering that it is best to add organic matter in dry form. Right under the bush.

This can be done either in the spring or in the autumn. In fact, organic fertilizer also mulches the soil. And the plant is nourished with useful substances. It is also useful to add wood ash under the bush. Or water it with mullein-based infusion. But this should be done very carefully so as not to harm the plant.

Main characteristics

The “Sharov’s mystery” grape has its own distinctive features.

Ripening period

The variety is early ripening. The growing season is 100 – 110 days. When growing a hybrid under natural conditions, the harvest begins in mid-August. If grapes are grown in a greenhouse, the growing season is shortened by 20 to 30 days. Early ripening wine varieties also include “Amur breakthrough”, “bianca” and “supaga”.

Bush

The grape bush grows intensively in the first years of its life. The shoots are thin, flexible, long, the nodes are located close to each other. The vine ripens quickly and reaches a height of three meters, which requires the installation of a support.

The plant has bisexual flowers, so it pollinates itself. In addition to flowers, the grape inflorescence includes tendrils that wrap around the support in a strong spiral.

The formation of a bush is carried out using a standard-free, multi-level method.

bunches

Small loose clusters have a winged shape. The weight of one bunch of grapes ranges from 300 to 600 grams.

Berries

The medium-sized berries are round in shape and weigh 2–3 grams. Juicy, tender pulp with two to three small seeds is covered with a thin but very dense skin. Ripe berries are dark blue, almost black in color with a white waxy coating. Ripe fruits contain up to 22% sugar.

Taste

Pleasant sweet taste with subtle strawberry-raspberry aroma.

Grapes Sharov's Mystery: description of the variety

The bushes of the variety have good growth vigor. Early ripening shoots are long, thin and flexible. Over the summer the vine grows up to 3 meters. The medium-sized leaves have a heart-shaped and five-lobed dissected shape.

White Delight, Viva Aika and Regent also have good growth power.

The clusters are medium or small, weigh from 100 to 500 g and have a loose and highly branched shape. Grape flowers are bisexual and do not require pollinating varieties.

Round and not very large blue-black berries weighing up to 3 g are densely covered with pruin. They have a pleasant taste with juicy pulp that seems to melt in your mouth.
The taste of the fruit changes as it ripens, acquiring first strawberry and then raspberry shades. Very tasty varieties are Romeo, Velika and Chocolate.

The accumulation of sugars in berries is about 22%. The skin of the berries is thin, but quite dense. The fruits contain 2 or 3 small seeds.

The variety is remarkable in that it has good shelf life and can be stored for three months after harvesting without losing its appearance or taste. Ripe clusters stay on the bushes for a long time. At the same time, the berries, slightly withering, become even sweeter.

Help - “Sharov’s Mystery” propagates well from cuttings that do not require grafting, which makes it easier to obtain your own planting material.

You can also propagate by cuttings Aladdin, Bogatyanovsky and Tukay.

Comparison with analogues

“Sharov’s Mystery” is a universal grape variety. The berries are consumed fresh and used to make delicious homemade wine, desserts, juices, and jam. The same universal varieties include “Isabella”, “Moldova”, “Minsk pink” and several more varieties. For clarity, consider them in a comparative table

Preparation of planting material and propagation

Sharov's Mystery grapes, description of the variety, photos and experience of many gardeners are recommended to be propagated in one universal way - by cuttings. Rooting of vines is so easy, and seedlings develop so quickly that there is no need for grafting or seed propagation.

The qualities of the Sharov grapes allow it to be used as a rootstock. Other varieties are pinched onto the vine to produce frost-resistant plants.

Propagation by green shoots

The procedure is most effective in early autumn or late summer, from the moment the berries color. If it rains at this time, the stems of Sharov’s Riddle take root most readily. But you can root a section of a young vine in the summer.

The process of obtaining seedlings of Sharov’s Riddles:

1. When pruning bushes, the tops of the stems with leaves are harvested. The length of the green cutting can be arbitrary, but not less than 3 internodes.
2. For rooting, prepare containers and fill them with wet sand.
3. The cuttings are stuck into the substrate so that one node is completely immersed in the sand and the stem is inclined at an angle of 45%.
4. Containers with green shoots should not be brought indoors. To grow seedlings, just choose a damp, shady place in the garden.
5. As they take root, the leaves on the shoot will wither, and after the root system has formed, new ones will begin to appear.

For the winter, the rooted cuttings of Sharov's Riddles are taken indoors and grown. Seedlings can be planted in a permanent place in the spring.

Preparation of lignified cuttings

Sharov's riddle gives a very impressive increase every year. When pruning grapes in autumn, you can obtain a large amount of material for further planting.

Preparation and storage of cuttings:

1. Stems with matured (brown) bark are cut into sections with 4 nodes.
2. The chubuks are soaked in clean water for a day, and then the ends are dipped in warm paraffin.
3. The stems are tied in bunches, wrapped in fabric, and then placed in a plastic bottle or container.
4. Place the cuttings on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.
5. Once a month they unwrap and check the safety of the wood.

If you have a frost-free cellar, cuttings can be stored there. To do this, the shoots are placed horizontally in a box, sprinkled with layers of wet sand. Once a month the planting is watered.

Obtaining seedlings from cuttings

Sharov's Riddles cuttings begin to germinate in February. To do this, you can use any loose substrate, garden soil with sand or sawdust.

Planting cuttings for rooting:

• healthy stems are selected;
• remove the paraffin layer;
• if necessary, update the slices;
• the cuttings are planted obliquely, deepening one node;
• arrange a mini-greenhouse from polyethylene or an inverted jar;
• leave in a bright place, regularly water and ventilate.

Traditionally, cuttings with 3 nodes are taken for propagation. In the case of the Riddle Sharova variety, a piece of vine with 2 healthy buds is enough. The grapes are distinguished by great growth vigor and excellent root formation.

By the time the soil warms up on the site, Sharov’s Riddle seedlings have a developed root system and small green growth. But some gardeners still recommend growing cuttings throughout the year and planting next spring.

Features of cultivation

Grapes are planted in well-lit areas protected from the wind. You can learn about the ideal place for grapes from a separate article.

Important! In areas with close groundwater, the vine may die.

Trimming

In autumn, one of the strongest mature shoots is left on the annual plant. The ripened shoot is brown.

In the fall, the vine is pruned to 5–6 buds. After wintering the grapes, during spring pruning, the shoots are cut off again, leaving only 2 to 4 strong eyes.

In summer, pinching is carried out regularly and excess leaves are removed.

In adult bushes, the load is regulated, leaving no more than three brushes on the vine.

Resistance to diseases and pests

The “Sharov’s mystery” grape has poor resistance to fungal diseases. More often it is affected by mildew and oidium.

This is what an advanced form of grape itch looks like

The main pests of the variety:

• Phylloxera is a grape aphid.
• Grape itch.
• Bunch leaflet.

In addition to insect pests, birds and wasps love to eat grapes. Birds peck at ripe berries, and wasps eat berries with damaged skins, destroying the crop.

Shelter for the winter

Even without shelter in snowy regions, the Sharov’s Mystery grape variety can withstand sub-zero temperatures of 32 – 34 degrees. The root system is resistant to soil freezing.

In winters with little snow, it is recommended to cover young bushes before wintering. The vine is removed from the support and bent to the ground, then covered with earth and pine needles.

How long does it last?

The grapes are collected in bunches, placed in wooden boxes and stored in a cool place. Grapes can be stored for up to three months without losing their beneficial properties and presentation.

Important! When harvesting, it is necessary to preserve the waxy coating on the berries as much as possible in order to increase shelf life.

Regions

“Sharov’s mystery” grapes are available for cultivation throughout almost the entire country due to their frost resistance and early ripening. The hybrid is found in areas in the European part, Siberia, Central Russia, Ukraine and the Republic of Belarus. Even in regions with short, cold summers, 90% of the fruits have time to ripen before the onset of frost.

Landing

The grape variety “Sharov’s Mystery” quickly takes root and reproduces well. Anyone, even a novice gardener, can cope with planting. Before you start planting a vineyard on your site, familiarize yourself with the basic planting recommendations.

• Choose the warmest and most illuminated place. The south side, protected from drafts and strong gusts of wind, is ideal. The southern wall of the building will not only become a natural barrier, but will also slightly increase the temperature around the bushes.
• The culture is not picky about soil and can grow on poor, sandy or rocky soil. She owes this to the peculiarities of her root system. The main roots can go 10 m deep in search of sources of moisture and nutrition. However, to increase the quantity and quality of the harvest, it is recommended to feed the soil in advance with organic fertilizers in the form of compost and humus. Areas with high groundwater levels or potential for flooding should be avoided. In this case, it is recommended to plant cuttings at higher elevations and away from natural water sources. You can arrange a drainage system to remove excess moisture.
• It is important to choose the right moment for planting seedlings in open ground. The best time is spring, when positive temperatures have finally settled above 12 degrees Celsius. Depending on the climatic conditions of the area, the dates may vary from mid-April to May. It is important to plant before the buds open, otherwise the survival rate of the cuttings will be significantly lower. Sometimes they also practice autumn planting, but in this case it is necessary to plant the plant long before the onset of frost, and it is better to cover the young bushes for the winter.
• Usually cuttings are used as planting material. Dig trenches in the north-south direction, which will ensure maximum illumination of the bushes throughout the day. A drainage layer of crushed stone or gravel is laid at the bottom of the trench. Then add organic fertilizers that do not contain manure. Plastic tubes or bottles with a diameter of about 10 cm are installed not far from the trenches, into which water will be added for irrigation as needed. The structure is often used for applying mineral fertilizers, combined with irrigation. In this way, the roots of the vineyard have direct access to a source of moisture.
• The trenches are filled with soil, forming a small mound rising 10 - 15 cm above the ground surface. A cutting with straightened roots is placed on it. The soil is compacted and watered abundantly. To maintain moisture, you can mulch the soil around each bush.

Photo

Next, read the comparison with other varieties, reviews of the Sharov’s Mystery grape and its photo.

How to plant grapes

To plant cuttings, a classic scheme is used: in a selected place protected from drafts, it is necessary to dig a shallow trench (for row planting) or a hole (for single planting). A prerequisite is good drainage. To do this, large stones, gravel, and broken bricks are placed at the bottom.

You can use pieces of perforated tubes buried vertically or plastic bottles: they will supply the nutrient mixture and water for irrigation.

Required soil composition

Riddle, like other varieties, is sensitive not to the composition of the soil itself, the presence of minerals and nutrients in it, but to the fraction. Heavy, clayey soils with stagnant water are absolutely not suitable. The initial dose of fertilizer is applied during planting, when a soil mixture is created from humus and soil. The use of fresh humus is not allowed; it can burn the roots of the seedling.

Selection of seedlings

Due to the good viability of the variety, there are no special restrictions on the choice of seedling: it can be one or two years old, but the main thing is that it is healthy and not affected by pests and diseases. Propagation by cuttings is allowed, but the first option is preferable.

See also

Description of the Zilga grape variety, its characteristics and secrets of agricultural technologyRead

Seating chart

When planting seedlings, the standard scheme is followed: the distance between them is up to 3 meters, away from tall, shading plants. The bush is immersed deeply in the ground, leaving a couple of buds above the surface. When choosing a location, you need to meet 2 conditions: plenty of sun and no drafts.

Fertilizing and watering young grapes

The riddle is unpretentious: all the necessary substances are laid when planting the seedling. A developed root system allows you to find the elements required for bush growth in the soil. To evenly distribute the load on the fragile stem, shoots are removed during the first year, leaving one strong one. Such radical pruning allows you to strengthen the plant and strengthen it.

Watering is carried out regularly, but without excessive fanaticism, so as not to soak the roots.

Reviews

I have been growing Sharov's Riddle for many years. The best variety for my region. It ripens early, is very sweet, the harvested grapes do not spoil for a long time and are stored almost until the New Year. The only and significant drawback is that it is affected by mildew. Vladimir, Khabarovsk

Sharov created the most unpretentious grape variety; there are no problems in growing it. It begins to bear fruit the very next year after planting. The bunches ripen early, all the berries at the same time. Especially tasty and sweet berries that are dried in the sun. Veronica, Novosibirsk

A mystery has been in my garden since 2006. I would like to note the sweet taste of the berries and early ripening. But there is one significant drawback - it is susceptible to mildew. Vitaly Ivanovich, Leningrad region

The variety impressed me with its ease of care. With a minimum of effort, the harvest from three bushes was about 25 kilograms. Tamara Petrovna, Cheboksary

Sharov’s riddle is an excellent choice for a beginning winegrower living in a region with a harsh climate. It is frost-resistant and produces a good harvest at minimal cost.

Diseases and pests, methods of control and prevention

For preventive purposes, dig up the soil around the plant in the fall; over the winter, the larvae of parasitic insects will die. Remove dry grass that may contain fungal spores. In the spring, the “Sharov’s Mystery” grapes are treated with Bordeaux mixture. If signs of mildew appear, spray with copper sulfate several times at an interval of 10 days.

To destroy grape itch, use “Nitrophen”, “Omite”, “Dnok”, and colloidal sulfur. Phylloxera is neutralized with Thiovit Jet. Get rid of the bunch budworm using the means “Promark”, “Match”.

Use in medicine and cooking

This wonderful variety is used in cooking for making raisins, juices, jam, and wine. Berries go well with different fruits. You can use it to cook poultry, meat, sauces, and add berries to salads. Dried grapes - raisins - have a beneficial effect on liver function, cleanse the gastrointestinal tract and normalize high blood pressure.

Compote and decoctions of raisins have tonic and restorative properties. Freshly squeezed juice has a hemostatic, expectorant, sedative and laxative effect. The Sharov's Riddle grape is useful for anemia, appetite and metabolism disorders, and some kidney diseases. Decoctions of grape leaves reduce blood sugar levels, so they are successfully used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, as an additional remedy. Despite many beneficial properties, grapes cannot be consumed by everyone.

In cooking, grapes are used to make wine, raisins, juice, and jam. Berries go well with various fruits. With grapes you can cook meat, poultry, sauces, and also add berries to a salad with mayonnaise. Prepared grape wine is not only an alcoholic drink, but also a valuable medicine that helps get rid of many chronic diseases.

Dried grapes - raisins, improve liver function, cleanse the gastrointestinal tract and normalize blood pressure. Raisin decoctions and compote have a general strengthening and tonic effect on the entire body. Freshly squeezed juice has an expectorant, hemostatic, laxative, and sedative effect.

It is useful to consume grapes for anemia, poor appetite, metabolic disorders, and kidney diseases. Grape leaves help reduce blood sugar, so decoctions based on them are recommended for use in the treatment of diabetes. Grapes are widely used in medicine and help get rid of many diseases. However, not everyone can use it.

The following pathologies are contraindicated for use: diabetes mellitus, peptic ulcer disease, obesity, acute heart failure. Due to the high sugar content of berries, excessive consumption can lead to tooth decay. Therefore, it is advisable to rinse your mouth with water after eating it fresh.

Preparing for winter

Although the Sharov’s Riddle grapes are considered a frost-resistant plant, it still doesn’t hurt to prepare them for winter in case of unexpected drops in temperature, hurricanes and storms. With the onset of October, when the first frosts arrive, it is recommended to cover the bushes with earth, like potatoes. The hilling height should be about ten centimeters.

Despite the fact that the Sharov’s Riddle grapes are a frost-resistant plant, the bushes must be prepared for winter. In October, they are covered with earth to a height of about ten centimeters, and the vines are laid on the ground. In the spring, when the snow has completely melted, the mounds can be removed.

Berries

The berries of the Sharov's Riddle grapes are round, medium in size, colored dark blue. Their weight ranges from two to four grams. The berries are covered with a thick skin with a waxy coating. It is not felt when used. The Riddle Sharova grape variety (reviews confirm this) has excellent taste, thanks to which it occupies a leading position among varieties developed for cultivation in the northern regions.

The aroma is rich, but not cloying. Its intensity largely depends on the degree of ripening. When harvested early, the berries have a pronounced strawberry aroma. The sugar content of the pulp reaches 22%, and it does not decrease even after three months of storing the bunches.

Contraindications

It is necessary to limit or completely eliminate the consumption of grapes for people suffering from peptic ulcers, acute heart failure, and obesity. Excessive consumption of berries can lead to tooth decay due to the high sugar content, so it is necessary to brush your teeth or rinse your mouth with water every time after eating fresh berries.

Dark grape varieties can cause allergies in children. Grapes are very healthy, but they must be consumed in limited quantities.