Every gardener wants to grow exquisite grapes both in appearance and in taste. This is exactly what Helios, a hybrid of amateur selection by V. N. Krainov, is in the collection of varieties of each wine-grower.
The history of growing Helios grapes
The famous Russian amateur originator of grape varieties V.N. Krainov, inspired by the success of selection work of I.A. Kostrikin and carried away by its directions, in 1995 conducted his first experiments on crossing vines of different species in order to obtain hybrids with seedless or pink-colored berries. The new hybrid was supposed to be so high-quality to meet the most demanding criteria of the vine market.
Thanks to the painstaking work of the breeder, who selected only about 50 promising hybrids from hundreds of seedlings, the Helios table grape was created. The table pair hybrid Arkady and kishmish Nakhodka served as a parent pair, whence the second name of the variety - Arkady pink.
Helios, like other hybrids of V.N.Krainov, has already managed to win the love of many winegrowers and register in the southern and central regions of the former Union, displacing the traditional varieties of its predecessors.
Grade description
Helios is called one of the best ripening grape varieties (110-120 days). Bisexual flowers are able to pollinate even on cool spring days. On a strong-growing bush, brown shoots with burgundy nodules are cast in gold, like the arrows of the solar god Helios.
Between large dark green leaves, pyramids of large clusters, reaching a weight of 1.5 kg, flaunt. The elongated-oval berries shine either pink, then pale raspberry, or golden. Each berry weighing up to 15 g contains 1-2 seeds. It attracts a juicy and rather sweet pulp with a nutmeg flavor, a liquid consistency. The skin of medium-density berries is not prone to cracking and attack wasps. With proper care, the yield from one bush reaches 7 kg.
Large brushes Helios grapes reach a weight of 1.5 kg
Grade characteristics
Young shoots have time to mature before winter, so the bush is not afraid of cooling to -23 ° C. In areas with colder winters, Helios requires shelter. The name of the hybrid corresponds to its tendency to heat and light. At temperatures below 23-24 ° C, the berries do not have time to fully ripen and gain sugar content.
Helios is moderately resistant to damage by oidium, mildew and phylloxera. The hybrid will not be distinguished by stable and abundant fruiting without appropriate forming pruning, the necessary watering and top dressing, and other agricultural care measures.
Grape growers appreciate the variety for its ease in propagation by cuttings and by grafting on any stock. Due to its high storage performance and excellent cluster appearance, Helios is grown for industrial purposes.
Video: Helios grapes ripen
Features of planting and growing Helios grapes
To succeed in growing Helios, it is necessary to take into account some of the nuances of planting and the requirements of the culture for care.
Landing
Landing is carried out in autumn and spring. Helios bush is powerful and tall, so it requires a lot of space for growth. Usually between the bushes leave 3 m.
Helios seedlings will take root well in light, fertile soil, heated to 10 ° C. For planting, take healthy seedlings, with a good root system and a ripened green shoot with a length of at least 20 cm. If there is more than one shoot, the weaker ones are ruthlessly removed. It is customary to shorten the lateral roots to 15 cm, and leave 4-5 strong buds on the vine.
Helios seedling can leave up to 5 buds
It’s better to take root and grow faster in the growth of seedlings of grapes soaked the day before planting in growth stimulants Gumat potassium, Kornevin, Heteroauksin according to the instructions. A solution of honey (1 tbsp. L / 1 l of water) serves as a natural and safe rooting agent.
After preparing the seedling, proceed directly to planting. The most difficult and time-consuming procedure is to dig a deep hole.
- Dig a hole with a depth of 80 cm and with the same diameter. At the same time, the soil is laid out in two heaps: from the upper and lower layers. If the pit is square, use a 70x70x70 pattern. The shape of the pit is not significant.
- Do drainage, pouring 10 cm of gravel to the bottom of the pit. A pipe about 1 m high and 5-6 cm in diameter for irrigation is installed 10 cm from the pit on the south side (10 cm should be above the surface). The drainage layer is compacted.
Water from the irrigation pipe goes directly to the roots, and excess moisture goes into the drainage layer
- Prepare the soil mixture, mixing the components well:
- fertile soil (top layer);
- 2 buckets of humus;
- 200 g of superphosphate;
- 150 g of potassium salt;
- 1 liter of wood ash.
- The landing pit is filled up to half with the prepared soil mixture, rammed.
- In the middle of the pit they dig a peg and make a mound, pour 2 liters of water. A seedling is placed on an elevation so that the buds on the shoot are facing north, and the root heel to the south.
- The root is sprinkled with earth from the lower layer. Around the pit, an undisturbed hole is left 10-15 cm below the surface of the soil and a radius of 30-40 cm. Tamp the soil.
Around the seedling leave a hole with a depth of 10-15 cm and a radius of 30-40 cm
- The seedling is tied to a peg.
- Immediately after planting, it is advisable to mulch around the trunk around 5 cm. Seedlings planted in autumn shelter.
Some beginners complain about the great depth of the pit and make landing much easier without adhering to recommendations. But it’s precisely a deep pit with nutritious contents that over time will become reliable protection of the root system of grapes from severe frosts, and fertilizer will nourish the bush for many more years. If landing is carried out without a drainage pipe, then a pillow of crushed stone is not made.
Watering
In spring, it is recommended to make 2 waterings:
- The first time spring irrigation is carried out when the leaves have not yet blossomed, and the night temperature is above 0 ° C. In this case, use warm water (5 buckets under the plant), which contributes to the awakening of a sleeping bush.
- The second time you drink the grapes with moisture should be immediately after pruning.
In the future, Helios is watered sparingly, but regularly. Excess moisture adversely affects the quality of the bunch. In dry weather, once a week, 2 buckets in a drainage pipe is enough for a hybrid.
Watering in a drainage pipe is combined with liquid top dressing
Especially grapes require moisture in the active vegetative phases of growth:
- Before flowering.
- In the period of setting berries.
- When ripening bunches.
In late autumn, the soil in near-stem circles must be charged with moisture, introducing 2-3 times more water than with ordinary irrigation. With autumn moisture-rechargeable wetting, it is recommended to add up to 300 g of ash for each bush.
Top dressing
Helios responds positively to top dressing, like any grape variety. Since the soil is nutritious in the planting pit, it will be enough to feed the bush with liquid fertilizer solutions.
- In the early spring, immediately after removing the shelters, the bushes are fertilized with a liquid solution of ammonium nitrate, pouring it into the drainage hole (120g / 10l).
- Until July, you can spend 2 fertilizing with organic watering. Pour in a bucket a solution of mullein (1:10) or chicken droppings (1:20), infused for a week.
- For the best development of bunches in the future, 2 top dressings with superphosphate and potassium salt are made (2 tbsp. L. Superphosphate and 1 tbsp. L. Potassium salt in a bucket of water). One top dressing is done after flowering, the second - before the berries ripen.
Organic fertilizing combined with watering
You should not do liquid dressing at the time of staining the berries.
Mulching
It is advisable to mulch the grapes immediately after planting. In order for the mulch to serve as a reliable shelter from frost and retain moisture well, its layer should be about 5 cm. A big plus from using mulch is that it is also a protection against weed grass. In addition, under organic materials, as a rule, worms are cultivated, loosening the soil, which is very important for the development of the Helios bush.
Shelter for the winter
In regions with cold, snowless winters, Helios vine requires shelter despite frost resistance. Shoots of the bush divided into 2 parts are connected, laid on agrofibre or polyethylene, and fixed with flexible wire. Further different options are possible. It all depends on the availability of covering materials.
- Some summer residents add earth around the connected vines and cover it with a simple slate on top.
- Many pull the covering material on installed iron arches so that the vine does not come into contact with polyethylene.
- The simplest shelter is an embankment of soil 25-30 cm high, which in winter can additionally be sprinkled with a thick layer of snow.
Under the film stretched on the arcs, the vine bushes will winter well
Pruning
Due to the high productivity, a heavy overload of the bush often occurs. To prevent this, a mandatory shaping pruning is necessary. Do this procedure in early spring, when the buds have not yet opened. Helios bush can withstand loads of up to 35 eyes. Therefore, no more than 6-8 buds are left on each fruiting vine.
When pruning, a fruit link is formed, consisting of two shoots: the crop of this year will ripen on the fruiting vine, and the replacement knot will produce vines next year
Video: what load Helios bushes withstand
Protective measures
Due to the moderate degree of resistance of Helios to fungal diseases, the vineyard needs regular preventive measures. Bushes are treated twice - before and after flowering. Fungicides are used for spraying:
- 1% Bordeaux liquid;
- Ridomil Gold MC;
- Acrobat MC;
- Tiovit Jet.
Grade Reviews
Grape growers in their reviews note the high yield of Helios, excellent market characteristics, and resistance to disease. And the most flattering reviews deserved a beautiful brush with ripe berries.
Yes! Cool clusters and berries! I also looked in nete at the description and marveled.
Konstantin// grape-valley.rf/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=102
Handsome and delicious! This year proved to be on the good side and in disease resistance in our area.
Elena Ivanovna//forum.vinograd.info/showthread.php?p=30849
The berries are dense, crispy, although they have not yet discovered muscat. I hope to evaluate better next year.
Anatoly Savran//forum.vinograd.info/showthread.php?p=30849
Constantly caring for Helios, you can certainly enjoy the result of painstaking work in the form of fragrant bunches of high quality. I wish you success in growing this promising hybrid!
