The "Preobrazhenie" grape is well-known among winegrowers in southern Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. It is successfully grown as a cover crop in central Russia. The "Preobrazhenie" hybrid grape variety is a new creation of amateur breeder V.N. Kraynov, created by crossing the well-known varieties "Kishmish Luchisty" and "Talisman."
Description and characteristics
It's too early to search the State Register for a description of the variety; it's not yet registered. Hobby gardeners highly value the grape. It's a table grape with an early ripening period, bearing fruit twice a season. The first bunches are picked 115-120 days after harvest from the main vine. The second wave of fruiting occurs later, with clusters forming on side shoots.
The hybrid's advantage is that it doesn't require pollinators; it's self-pollinating, producing bisexual flowers on the bushes. Under good agricultural practices, it produces fruit consistently and vigorously, yielding approximately 20 kg of fruit per bush. In southern regions, the main harvest is in late July.
Fruit
Fruit characteristics are of primary interest to winegrowers. With proper vine training and harvest control, clusters are formed:
- large;
- conical;
- medium density;
- weighing from 1.7 to 3 kg.
The clusters are appetizing, consisting of large, oval-shaped berries. The fruit is approximately 5 cm long, with an average weight of 17-20 g. When ripe, the berries turn light pink with a slight yellow tint and become covered with a white waxy coating. The fruit is cylindrical, tapering toward the tip.
The Preobrazhenie grapes are sweet with a slight tartness. When eating the grapes, the thin skin doesn't interfere with the juicy, sweet pulp. The pulp has a high sugar content (up to 19%), making this variety used for winemaking.
Additional characteristics
A variety is selected for cultivation in a specific climate zone, so frost resistance is important to the gardener. Transfiguration exhibits average frost resistance. Temperatures of -18°C and below are harmful to it.
Transfiguration bushes have vigorous growth. They produce numerous shoots per season, so for full development and fruiting, they require all types of pruning:
- sanitary;
- formative;
- regulating.
When choosing this variety for your garden, you need to keep its characteristics in mind and remember to treat the vines in a timely manner.
Advantages and disadvantages
A summary table of the main positive and negative characteristics of the Preobrazhenie variety will help make a final assessment.
| Dignity | Flaw |
| stable harvest | susceptible to a number of fungal diseases |
| low soil composition requirements | requires shelter for the winter |
| self-pollination | |
| high quality and taste of fruits | |
| does not wrinkle during transportation | |
| Suitable for all types of processing (juice, wine) and fresh consumption | |
| relatively frost-resistant | |
| no peas | |
| the harvest depends little on weather conditions |
Methods of propagation and planting features
The hybrid is propagated in two ways. Either cuttings or ready-made seedlings with open or closed root systems are used. Exact planting times vary depending on the region where the grapes are grown. Planting can be done in either spring or fall.
When choosing a place to plant vines, many factors are taken into account:
- illumination;
- depth of groundwater;
- wind rose.
The bush develops faster and begins to bear fruit earlier if a good location was chosen for planting: well-lit, not in a draft, with a low water table (below 1.5 m), and with cultivated soil.
Preparing the soil and hole for planting
Although the "Preobrazhenie" grape variety isn't picky about soil composition, it's important not to neglect soil preparation. Many characteristics of the future vine depend on the quality of the planting:
- growth force;
- beginning of fruiting;
- productivity;
- longevity;
- fruit quality.
Conclusion: the soil for planting must be prepared; the more fertile it is, the faster the seedling will take root and produce strong shoots. A large, properly filled planting hole will provide the bush with adequate nutrition for 3-4 years.
The required planting hole depth depends on the soil composition and growing region. In clayey, moist soils, plants should be planted in mounds; in lowlands, a thick layer of gravel should be added to the holes and drainage ditches should be dug. Generally, it is recommended to plant Preobrazhenie grape seedlings in holes up to 50 cm deep, spaced 2 meters apart.
The fertile soil removed from the hole should be mixed with humus and sand, the ratios being adjusted to the soil structure. The result should be a loose soil mixture, to which a standard set of long-acting mineral fertilizers (superphosphate, potassium nitrate) and ash should be added.
Planting and care
Seedlings can be planted in spring and fall. Beginners should consult experienced winegrowers in the same area for optimal planting times. The main requirement when planting is maintaining the correct planting depth. After filling with soil, the root collar should be at the surface (5 cm from the ground).
Water the seedling. Watering during the first year of life requires regularity. Both excess and lack of moisture negatively impact vine development. Mulch is essential: peat, humus, or straw. A sufficiently thick mulch layer (3 cm) prevents moisture and nutrients from evaporating from the soil.
When spring planting grapes, mulch is applied twice: once in the spring, and again in late fall in preparation for winter. Mulch prevents fungal diseases, prevents young shoots from coming into contact with the soil, and ensures optimal moisture levels in the root zone.
Care for adult plants is standard:
- watering;
- top dressing;
- preventive measures (diseases, pests);
- sanitary pruning in spring;
- Regulatory pruning in summer;
- formative pruning in autumn;
- mulching;
- removal of root shoots.
Trimming
In the spring, sanitary pruning is performed to remove shoots damaged by frost, wind, disease, or pests. In the summer, Preobrazhenie grapes require maintenance pruning. The following year's harvest will suffer if the vine's load is not controlled. An overloaded vine will reduce the number and quality of axillary buds that will produce fruit the following year.
To prevent shoots from failing to mature, the bush can be under-loaded, but this should be done judiciously, avoiding over-fertilization. Over-fertilized vines mature quickly but are less tolerant of frost. Signs of a healthy vine include its length (3 m in the south, no more than 2 m in northern regions) and thickness (12 mm).
The "Preobrazhenie" grape variety is best trained in two branches, leaving no more than eight buds per shoot. The maximum number of shoots is 25, although, judging by forum reviews, the vine can withstand greater loads. Everything depends on the level of agricultural practices.
To shape the vines, fan-shaped pruning is used, leaving several fruiting branches on each bush. The shoots are secured to a vertical trellis. The first formative pruning is performed one year after planting and is repeated annually for five years.
It's best to form the bush into two branches, cutting out the fruiting shoots in the fall, leaving the required number of replacement and fruiting shoots each year. Fruiting vines are left with 12 buds, and replacement shoots always have two.
Diseases and pests
The hybrid is not 100% immune to fungal diseases. Shoots and leaves can be affected by downy mildew and oidium. Bacterial canker on plants develops due to the use of dirty tools by winegrowers. There is no cure for this condition; the affected vine is uprooted. Spotted necrosis may appear in the spring after an unfavorable winter.
Among grape pests, the following pose a threat to Preobrazhenie:
- mite;
- pillow case;
- moth;
- flea.
These are species of insects that live specifically on grapes.
Reviews
Alexey, Stavropol Krai
A vigorous variety, the vines mature quickly, and there's no pea formation. Self-pollinating, the fruit set is good. I allow 30-35 shoots per vine, leaving 6-8 buds on each. The marketable bunches range from 700 to 1500 g, and the berries don't get crushed during transportation. The fruits are large—25 g, while medium and small ones range from 12 to 18 g. I've pruned to 2-4 buds, and the yield was good.
Pavel, Volgograd region
My Preobrazhenie ripens in the first ten days of August. I've noticed the sun's effect on the fruit's color—in the shade they're pale, but in the sun they're pink.
Vladimir, Moscow region
Here in the Moscow region, the Kraynova variety ripens well. I harvest mine from late July to mid-August. Weather affects the timing. Each bush requires its own individual approach and its own specific load. Adjusting the load allows for a harvest in any summer.
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