Vitis 'SOUVENIR'^® (Datteltraube)

Souvenir^® is a fantastic grape vine variety which attracts your attention for two reasons: it has beautiful deep purple-blue colour, and the grapes are date-shaped which reminds of seedless South American grapes, very popular in our supermarkets in winter. The taste is very sweet, moderately aromatic, best if left on the plant until late September and picked then.

Grape vine has to be pruned every year in warmer days of January or at the end of winter after the danger of the worst frosts. Cut back side branches to 2-3 buds – 2-years-old wood bears fruit. Treat it against mite before buds open. When it sets fruit cut off the new shoots a few centimeters above the grape and do not let it grow again. From midsummer you can start removing leaves from above the grapes to allow direct sunlight. Get some wasp-trap as they could ruin your fruit and may get dangerous.

Grow grape vine in sunny and airy (not windy) locations. It is not suitable for damp sites and shady pergolas where it can easily be affected by diseases. Provide a good support. The best results are on slopes – because of the angle of sun rays. The soil has to be permeable, humus-rich and deep. Extra watering is desired by end spring and later only if the summer is dry, and always directly in the soil, never water the whole plant. In autumn remove fallen leaves from under the plants as they might contain diseases and mites. Fertilizing is good if adequate, otherwise the plant will grow wild and set too much fruit of inferior quality. Older and well-established plants are hardy to min. -24°C, younger plants are best protected from the most severe frosts.

Last update 07-02-2012