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At first acquaintance, the Sofia grape variety may seem like a plastic dummy. It's all about large berries of the same size. Indeed, the bunches look exactly like this. If you want to have delicious berries in your garden, read the description of the variety, characteristics of the grapes and photos.
Description
The Sofia grape was bred at the end of the last century by amateur gardener V.V. Zagorulko. Varieties were used as parents Kishmish Radiant And Arcadia. The new grapes have absorbed the best qualities of their ancestors. The growing season varies between 110-115 days.
Sofia is a variety of early ripening table varieties. Thanks to its exquisite taste, grapes are gaining popularity among gardeners. We will present a detailed description of the Sofia grape variety, photos, reviews and videos to our readers below.
Bush
The vine of the bush is powerful, bright brown. But the most remarkable thing is the leaves on the grapes. The upper leaves are dark green without pubescence. The leaf blades are large, rounded, slightly dissected, and the edges are wavy. The bush is especially beautiful in autumn, when the foliage turns green-yellow.
That is why grapes are used in landscape design: they decorate gazebos, the porch of a house, and other buildings located on the territory.
Bunches
The variety's clusters are large, weighing more than a kilogram. Sometimes supergiants grow up to three kilograms. The shape of the grape brush is conical. The berries are pressed tightly against each other, so the clusters are never loose.
Berries
The berries are slightly elongated, egg-shaped, weighing up to 15 grams. They inherited external characteristics from the Arcadia variety. The size of the berries is 3.3x2 cm. This is clearly visible in the photo.
Berries with juicy and tender pulp, sweet in taste. The aftertaste is nutmeg, bright, and easy to remember. Thin but dense skin with veins is another advantage.
When technically ripe, the berries have a soft pink tint and glow in the sun. Kishmish Sofia grapes are a low seed variety. There are no more than two seeds in the berries. They are soft, like rudiments. Some fruits have no seeds at all.
Flowers
The Sofia variety has only female flowers, so it requires pollinating plants. To prevent cross-pollination, which can lead to loss of varietal qualities, there should be an Arcadia bush on the site nearby.
The grapes bloom for a long time. The pistils of flowers retain moisture for a long time, so all the flowers are pollinated: peas do not form in clusters.
Successful fruiting requires not only pollinating plants, but also proper care, in particular, pruning of bushes. Shoots that bear fruit should be shortened by 4-8 buds.
Productivity
Sofia grapes are a high-yielding variety.It's all about the vigorous bush, on which all the shoots ripen at the same time. Thanks to this, food is supplied in the required quantities. And if grapes are grown in regions with long daylight hours and sufficient sun, then a high and stable harvest is guaranteed.
Distinctive characteristics
Based on the description of the Sofia grape variety, we can name its characteristic features and point out its pros and cons.
Advantages
- Terms of ripening. The grapes are early ripening varieties.
- Taste features. The berries have a delicate, sweet taste with hints of nutmeg.
- Growing conditions. Sofia is a frost-resistant grape that can winter at temperatures down to -21 degrees when grown in the southern regions. In more severe climatic conditions, the vine must be covered.
- Drought. Fruits well in arid climates at high temperatures. If the heat lasts for a long time, the bunches must be covered with grape leaves.
- Survival rate. Self-rooted seedlings quickly grasp the soil.
- Marketable condition. The grape bunches are visually attractive and withstand transportation well. That is why the Sophia variety is grown by farmers for sale.
- Application. The berries are good fresh and for processing into juice.
- Excellent immunity. Bushes are not affected by many grape diseases or the symptoms are mild, due to the ability of the vine to fight them. This is oidium, powdery mildew, various types of rot. But to be safe, you need to take preventive measures.
Flaws
Despite the advantages, the variety has disadvantages:
- The presence of only female flowers can lead to cross-pollination with other grape varieties located at a distance of one meter from Sofia.
- The grape variety is susceptible to gray rot.
- Overripe berries may crack.
- The high density of the bunch contributes to the rotting of the berries.
- Overripe berries do not hold well on the bunch and fall off.
The secret of large berries
As gardeners note in reviews, the Sofia variety is not an unpretentious plant. It needs special care, then the berries will be large, and the clusters will not pea. Let us reveal a few secrets to future winegrowers:
- During flowering, it is necessary to artificially pollinate the grapes. To do this, use a powder puff. Thanks to this procedure, the density of the bunch increases.
- You should leave no more than 30 brushes on the bush. More clusters result in smaller berries.
- It is necessary to monitor the number of primordia formed. If there are a lot of them, you need to thin them out. There is no need to spare the ovary, otherwise, due to too much density, some of the berries will begin to rot.
- If some berries in the bunch are lagging behind in development, then during filling they need to be removed so that they do not draw nutrients onto themselves.
- The plant needs to be sprayed against gray rot so that the appearance of the bunch and taste do not deteriorate.
- Large and tasty berries grow with regular feeding.
Reproduction
The Sofia grape is a unique plant because it can be propagated in various ways:
- seeds;
- layering;
- cuttings;
- seedlings;
- through vaccination.
For grafting, a rootstock on which the wood has matured is used. The effect of this method is the presence of an excellent root system. Fruiting begins a whole year earlier.
When propagating by layering, choose the most productive bush with powerful and strong shoots. It is laid horizontally on the surface and sprinkled with fertile soil. To prevent the layer from rising, it is pinned. During rooting, it is necessary to monitor the condition of the soil: drying out is not allowed. When good roots appear on the layering, you can transplant it to a permanent place.
The seed method of growing Sofia grapes takes longer, but the result is always positive.
Features of care
As follows from the description and characteristics of the variety, any gardener can grow it. Care is almost identical to other varieties of grapes. But you need to take into account some features:
- Sofia reacts negatively to large amounts of nitrogen-containing drugs. But phosphorus-potassium fertilizers allow the bush to develop well, bear fruit in a timely manner and produce a rich harvest.
- When growing grapes in regions where temperatures drop below -21 degrees, you need to think about proper shelter for the winter.
- During prolonged heat, the bunches can be damaged, so they are covered with grape leaves.
- Proper formation of the bush contributes to obtaining stable yields. The vine needs to be pruned every year. No more than eight eyes are left on the bush. Overloading reduces the weight of the bunches.
- Sofia grapes need to be watered abundantly before, during flowering and during the period of berry filling. When the berries begin to ripen, you need to be careful with watering. A large amount of water leads to cracking of the berries.
Diseases and pests
The description states that Sofia grapes are resistant to many diseases and pests. But you still need to make every effort to get a rich harvest of large berries with a delicate taste.
The most dangerous pests for grape plantings are wasps and birds, who love to feast on sweet berries. Damaged fruits begin to rot, which deteriorates the presentation. You can escape from birds with the help of nets that are thrown over the bushes or by hiding each bunch in plastic bags.
As for wasps, they cause a lot of problems. First, you need to survey the area in search of wasp nests. Found insect colonies are burned. Secondly, it is advisable to hang Velcro baits on the bushes.
You should not rely on disease resistance if different grape varieties grow on the site. In any case, preventive treatments will be required using Bordeaux mixture, karbofos, vitriol, and other special preparations.
Reviews
