Many people, even those who adore him, do not know, grapes are a fruit or berries. This plant, without which the history of mankind could have developed quite differently, has been grown in different countries for more than 7 thousand years. At the same time farmers did not care at all, grapes are a fruit or berries. For them it was important that he had a lot of useful properties for a person.
Description of grapes
It is a plant of the genus Vitis, belonging to the family Vitaceae Juss. Its shoots, reaching a length of several meters, are called a vine. So grapes are a fruit or berries? The answer to this question is unambiguous. For all its morphological features, the fruits of this plant belong to berries. Its small flowers are collected in small inflorescences (a complex brush or panicle). Grapes are wind-pollinated, although insects can pollinate it. There are several types of flowers: bisexual, masculine, functionally masculine, true-feminine, functionally feminine. Everything depends on the degree of development in it of the male and female parts. Grapes quickly enter the fruiting phase. It is undemanding to soils, so it grows well even on stony soils. The grapes have good adaptability and are rather drought-resistant.
The origin of grapes
There are several opinions about the origin of grapes. According to one of the versions, the homeland of this wonderful plant is considered to be Front Asia. On the other - the Transcaucasus and the Mediterranean coast. At the same time wild forms of grapes were spread all over the world long before the appearance of its cultural forms. Discovered by archeologists seeds indicate that the grapes grew on Earth 60 million years ago. Out of 250 species of this plant, distributed in the subtropical and tropical belts of both hemispheres, more than 70 are known, which grow in the temperate and warm climates of the Northern Hemisphere.
Variety of species
Grapes, a photo of which shows a huge number of its species and varieties, has been selected for thousands of years. At the same time, the person strove to improve the food properties of the berries of this plant as much as possible. At the moment about 3 thousand different varieties are bred. The characteristics of grapes depend on many parameters. To date, several of its groups are distinguished. Depending on the properties and purpose of the grapes are divided into technical, table, universal and seedless varieties. They are also distinguished by maturity. There are late and early varieties.
Characteristics of grapes
By its size, the berries of this plant also vary greatly. Thus, the smallest of them have a diameter less than 10 mm. They are followed by small, medium, large berries. The diameter of the largest often exceeds 25 mm. The variety of colors of grapes is also diverse. Specialists distinguish light green, pink, red, amber-yellow, blue, violet, black grades. The peel of berries is covered with a wax coating, called pruin. It can be thin and tender or thick and strong. From its structure depends the ability of the grapes to be stored, resistance to decay and its taste qualities. Different varieties differ not only in the color of the berries, but also in their shape. They can be oval, roundish, ovate, flattened or oblong. Grapes of different varieties differ in their flesh. It can be dense, tender, crispy. It is noteworthy that not only white grapes can be raw materials for the production of light varieties of wine and juices. They are made from berries, which have colored peel. Most grape varieties have almost colorless juice, but there are also dark berries, in which it has an intense wine-red color.
Taste of berries
We already know that grapes are a fruit or berries, now we should pay attention to the quality of its fruits. Despite the variety of varieties, specialists distinguish only a few large groups that unite similar to taste species, among which:
• ordinary (neutral), combining acid and sweetness, but not having any distinctive features;
• Solanaceous, reminiscent of the taste of the fruits of herbaceous plants;
• Muscat - with a strong characteristic taste;
• Isabel, distinguished by the aroma of strawberry, black currant and pineapple, and also having a mucous pulp.
Growing grapes
Almost everyone knows that home grapes are mainly used for making juices, compotes and wine. In doing so, he often performs a decorative role as a climbing plant for planting alcoves, pavilions and pergolas. In the home gardens the most common are winter-hardy varieties, the vine of which reaches several meters in length. Unfortunately, most table varieties are unsuitable for cultivation in this way. In our climatic conditions, the success of growing grapes depends on the geographical location of the settlement and material costs. In southern regions, this plant is grown outdoors on trellises. In more northern latitudes the best table varieties are often grown in special greenhouses with heating in late spring and early autumn. The minimum dimensions of such a structure: length - 2.5 m; Height - 2,1 m. Some growers grow thermophilic varieties and in the open ground. In this case, it is necessary to cut the vine constantly, stopping its growth, since it is necessary to shelter it from frost for the winter, removing it from the trellis and laying it on the ground. Many dig small pits where they carefully place the plant, warm it with improvised materials (cardboard, wood shavings, dry grass) and cover it with earth. Such a shelter makes it possible to keep the vine undamaged even at considerable frosts. Another unfavorable factor that prevents the ripening of heat-loving grape varieties is the lack of natural light. So, under adverse weather conditions, berries can remain green until September-October. The laying of the vineyard has certain principles. It is necessary to avoid planting of tall and weakly grown varieties together, it is necessary to place separately uncontained and sheltered specimens, easily affected by diseases and resistant to them, late and early. This plant must be pruned (in spring and autumn). In this case, all shoots and vines of grapes are removed with a weak, unripened one-year increment. Excellent yield yields only strong shoots. Also during the summer it is necessary to remove the growing shoots above the largest cluster on last year's stalk, since such a young growth "pulls the juice" of the plant to itself, preventing the ripening of the berries.
Use of berries
Table grapes are distinguished by excellent taste qualities, so they are intended for fresh consumption. Some varieties go for drying to produce kishmish and raisins. Most of the cultivated grapes are sent for processing for the production of juices and wine materials. Since the berries of this plant are record holders for sugar content (25-30%) and quality composition, any products from them are very useful for humans. In the grapes there are mineral, organic substances (glucose, salts, potassium) and vitamins (A, B1, B2, B6, C, PP), therefore it is often used for preventive and curative purposes. The use of grapes helps to normalize the pressure, cleanse the respiratory tract from mucus, improve the skin condition. Table sorts, distinguished by large, beautiful bunches of berries with fleshy pulp, have a harmonious taste. This is due to the ideal content of easily digestible sugars and acids. Most table varieties are well transported and stored for a long time under favorable conditions. Despite the usefulness of grapes, it is contraindicated in people suffering from diabetes, acute intestinal disorders, obesity and diseases of the duodenum.
Reproduction of grapes
This plant reproduces vegetatively (by layers, cuttings). In some cases, for the production of young plants, plant breeders also use seeds, but in this case the grapes will not bear fruit for a very long time. Most seedlings are designed to produce new varieties. Plant grapes in the sunniest part of the site (south, south-east, south-west). The more the plant receives heat, the better the quality of the berries and the higher the yield. The soil can be anything but solonchaks. It also should not be swampy and waterlogged. Most often, rooting cuttings are planted in the open ground in spring, although if the planting stock is very well developed, autumn planting is also permissible. Since the bulk of the roots of the grapes are located 20-40 cm from the ground, the plants are planted to a depth of 0.4 m. The distances between them are 1.5-2 m. If the grapes are planted in several rows, their width should be at least 2 M.
Pests of grapes
Unfortunately, this plant is very susceptible to diseases and pests. The most dangerous of them are: mildew, gray rot, oidium, viruses, bacterial cancer, chervets, phylloxera, leaf-litter grozdevaya. Such susceptibility of grapes to diseases leads to the necessity of compulsory treatment with special chemicals for the prevention and treatment of plants.