Kishmish Radiant Grapes: Characteristics and Description, Planting and Care

"Kishmish Radiant" is a relatively new variety bred in Moldova. It has gained widespread popularity due to its many advantages.

Gardeners love this grape for its undemanding growing conditions and excellent flavor. Its strong immunity and high yield have made "Kishmish Radiant" popular for commercial cultivation.

General characteristics

"Kishmish Radiant" is a varietal grape. It was developed about 30 years ago at the Moldovan Institute of Viticulture and Winemaking by cross-pollinating two varieties, "Cardinal" and "Kishmish Pink."

This grape variety is considered a mid-season variety. It takes approximately 125-135 days from bud break to ripeness. These periods may vary slightly depending on weather conditions. Harvest is typically in the first half of September.

Grape harvests can be achieved in virtually any region of the country, except the far north. However, it's important to note that this variety has average frost resistance and can only withstand temperatures down to -15 degrees Celsius. Therefore, in temperate and northern latitudes, it's important to provide winter shelter for the bushes. According to winegrowers, the best results were achieved when cultivating "Kishmish Radiant" in the Astrakhan region.

Plant characteristics

This variety is characterized by a vigorous vine with long, spreading shoots. Active growth is observed in the first few years after planting. This makes it suitable for use as a decorative ornament for gazebos and open verandas. A distinctive feature of the "radiant sultana" is its flexible vine, allowing the shoots to beautifully twine around obstacles and adorn them.

The leaf blades are deeply dissected, five-lobed, light green, and medium-sized, held on long petioles and densely covering young shoots. The undersides of the leaves are covered with a barely noticeable white fluff. As autumn approaches, the foliage gradually changes from green to gold.

Description of fruits

The berries of this variety have the following characteristics:

• large in size (4-5 grams);
• oval shape (22x17 mm);
• pink color;
• dense skin;
• the pulp is fleshy and juicy;
• absence of seeds in the pulp;
• sweet taste with nutmeg notes.

The grapes are gathered in large clusters, averaging 700-900 grams each. Their length can reach 40 cm. According to gardeners, with proper care, a cluster can weigh up to 1.5 kg.

 

 

Productivity

The tall bushes produce an excellent harvest. A single plant in a private garden can yield over 30 kg of berries. Some gardeners have achieved record yields of 50 kg. In commercial cultivation, the following figures have been recorded: 150 centners of grapes per hectare. All this characterizes the variety as a high-yielding variety, for which it is renowned among winegrowers.

Uses of berries

"Kishmish Luchisty" is a versatile variety. It's great for eating fresh from the vine. It's used in home and commercial winemaking. Juices and compotes made from pure grapes, as well as various assorted berries, are delicious and aromatic. The dense skin ensures good transportability and shelf life, making it ideal for growing grapes for commercial use. Its sweet flavor and seedlessness attract buyers, making "Luchisty" one of the most sought-after varieties on the market for several decades.

Pollination features

This grape variety does not require pollinators. It is dioecious, meaning it produces bisexual flowers with both a stamen and a pistil. Under favorable weather conditions, the pollination rate of the "Kishmish Radiant" grape reaches a record 90%.

Interestingly, sultanas are a good pollinator for almost all grape varieties. The highest compatibility has been noted with the following varieties:

• Flamingo
• "Laura";
• "Red delight."

For greater efficiency, varieties are alternated when planting, with one “radiant” bush being sufficient to pollinate several plants.

Growing and care rules

Growing grapes is no easy task. A robust plant and a bountiful harvest can only be achieved with a responsible approach. This requires a thorough understanding of all the intricacies of agricultural technology.

Selecting a seedling

The future health of your vineyard depends on the right choice of seedling. Purchasing the "right" grapevine is easy; just follow these guidelines:

• buy the plant not in advance, but immediately before planting;
• It is better to choose a grafted seedling than one with its own roots (there should be a growth on the trunk - the place where the scion and rootstock are connected);
• choose a bush with a large number of roots;
• When cut, the roots should be white and moist (to check, you need to pinch off the tip of the root with pruning shears);
• the buds should not peel or fall off;
• neighboring seedlings should not show signs of disease (in this case, most likely all plants are infected).

 

 

Landing rules

To ensure that grapes take root well in your garden and thrive, you need to follow these simple planting rules:

• Grapes can be planted in either spring or fall. In temperate latitudes and the Moscow region, spring planting is preferable; in more southern regions, timing is not critical.
• the place for the vineyard should be well warmed by the sun's rays;
• When planting several bushes, it is important to maintain a distance of 2-2.5 meters;
• "Radiant Kishmish" does not tolerate drafts, so the planting site should be protected from cold, gusty winds;
• It is good to build a screen or a high fence next to the vine in the east-west direction;
• the planting hole is prepared 1-2 months before planting, its dimensions should be 80x80x80;
• the bottom of the pit is filled with a drainage layer (broken brick, expanded clay, crushed stone);
• the prepared pit is filled with nutrient soil (4 buckets of humus, 1 bucket of sand, 2 buckets of turf soil, 1 liter jar of ash);
• when planting, the seedling must be tilted at an angle of 45 degrees towards the future support (trellis);
• At the same time as the seedling, a watering pipe is installed in the pit (one end is located on the drainage, and the other rises above the soil surface by 20-30 cm);
• the distance between the grapes and the trellis should be 20-25 cm;
• the grafting site should be above the soil surface and not buried;
• After planting, the grapes are watered with warm water (2 buckets per bush).

Rules for maintaining a bush and the basics of pruning

When growing the "Radiant Kishmish" variety, agriculturalists recommend training the bush with no more than two to four vines. Each vine should be approximately one meter long. The lower part of the vine forms a sleeve, while the upper part is used for fruiting.

Pruning sultanas should be gentle. On new shoots, removing 2-3 buds is sufficient, while on older shoots, 8-10 is sufficient. The number of clusters must be carefully monitored. Overloading the plant will lead to potassium deficiency, deterioration of flavor, and smaller berries. No more than 1-2 large clusters should be left per shoot.

 

 

Watering and fertilizing

Watering should be regular and moderate. On loamy soils, 5-6 buckets per plant is recommended, while on sandy soils, 8-9 buckets. The frequency is determined by weather conditions. During dry weather, two waterings per week are sufficient.

Fertilizing "radiant sultana" follows the general grape fertilizing schedule. Nitrogen fertilizers are applied in the spring, complex fertilizers are applied mid-season, and fertilizers with increased phosphorus and potassium content are applied in the fall. When calculating fertilizing rates, keep in mind that sultanas do not tolerate overfeeding. Excessive feeding results in delayed flowering and poor fruit set.

Preparing for the winter season

Temperatures below -15°C (-15°F) are detrimental to the roots and vines of the "radiant" grapevine. Therefore, in regions where winter temperatures are typically lower, it is essential to provide adequate cover for the vines. Straw mats, spruce branches, and spunbond can be used for covering. Young vines are covered with "pyramids" made from a wooden frame, then with covering material. Mature vines are tied and bent to the ground before covering.

Fighting diseases and parasites

The variety does not have strong immunity to diseases. It is particularly susceptible to mildew and root phylloxera. Preventative treatments are important to prevent these and other ailments. Bordeaux mixture and products such as Hom, Marshall, Confidor, and others have been recognized as effective.

According to gardeners, this variety is rarely attacked by insect pests. The most annoying occurrence is a wasp attack during the ripening of the sweet berries. In this case, fumigation with liquid smoke can be used. Gardeners also consider poisoned bait a good way to combat these pesky insects.

Pros and cons of the 'Radiant Kishmish' variety

Among varieties with similar ripening and seedlessness, "Kishmish Radiant" has undeniable advantages:

• high annual yield;
• excellent transportability of berries;
• simultaneous ripening of the crop;
• commercial appearance of fruits;
• sweet seedless fruits;
• easy care;
• self-fertility, which allows for single plantings;
• bisexuality of flowers, allowing you to plant just one bush on a plot.

Winegrowers consider the following to be relative disadvantages:

• weak immunity;
• average winter hardiness.

Reviews

Ekaterina Vasilievna, Ivanovo region

My "radiant" grapevine is over fifteen years old. During this time, the bush has grown into a fine grapevine. The trunk has become well-wooded and has grown to a diameter of 3-4 cm. The grapevine grows near the south wall of our house, about a meter away. The support is wooden, made from felled branches and old trees. In total, we have formed two branches on either side. I think this is the most convenient growing method. Over the years, I've noticed that my raisins respond best to chicken manure mixed with hay. We have our own chickens, so we continue to apply chicken manure to the bush twice a year. The berries are as described – very sweet with a hint of muscat.

Evgeniya, Moscow region

An excellent grape variety. I really wanted to plant some delicious seedless grapes in my garden. Since the 'Isabella' variety already has seeds and is bearing fruit, I settled on 'Radiant'. The grapes are already seven years old. The flavor of the berries is a solid A. The yield is impressive, even in our climate. The drawbacks include the clusters being too large for such flexible vines, the need for winter shelter, and the abundance of wasps near the vine. We solved the wasp problem by using traps made from plastic bottles baited with sweetener, and we also place twig supports under the branches with large clusters.

Conclusion

https://youtu.be/MKANl8LaIOk

According to winegrowers, "Kishmish Luchisty" is one of the best seedless grape varieties. Its numerous advantages more than outweigh its minor drawbacks. By learning the variety's key characteristics and caring for the plant, even an inexperienced gardener can achieve an excellent harvest.