Grapes Sofia: characteristics and description of the variety

Grapes "Sofia" was bred by the famous Ukrainian gardener V.V. Zagorulko at the end of the last century. The winegrower crossed the famous variety Kishmish Radiant with the equally popular variety Arcadia.

The hybrid plant produced amazing large fruits that looked like a plastic dummy. Judging by the description of the variety and viewing the photo, the grape shrub has many advantages. Reviews of gardeners argue that in the northern part of the country, the plant will not give the desired crop.

General characteristics and description of the variety

A grape bush with a female name refers to early ripening table varieties. The vegetation period of the plant lasts for 100 - 115 days. Kidney swelling occurs in mid-spring, so the berries ripen in time closer to August. Productivity of a grade in many respects depends on climate. In the sunny side, where the daylight hours are slightly longer than normal, Sofia brings a stable, high yield. In a cool climate, the percentage of fruiting is greatly reduced, and the berries are slightly smaller in volume.

Powerful, vigorous vine, painted in a bright brown palette. Young shoots grow very quickly and can reach a height of a meter in a month. The leaves are oblong, large in size, with notches and jagged edges, which is characteristic for foliage of a dark green color. The dense crown of the bush protects the clusters from feathered pests and prevents the drying of berries in the sun.

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In shape, the berries resemble a small copy of a chicken egg. On average, a grape weighs about 15 g, and very large fruits are found, weighing up to 20 g. The delicate pink peel with thin veins is quite dense and elastic, thanks to it, grape brushes retain a presentable presentation even after transportation. Sometimes, in the pulp, small bones can come across, this phenomenon is rare, but it still occurs. The product is intended exclusively for raw consumption, but stewed fruit and wine from this raw material are also tasty.

Advantages

Sofia grapes inherited many good qualities from their parents, which is why, in principle, hybrid cuttings are still popular among sellers in markets and specialty stores. Gardeners willingly acquire the seedlings of Sofia to taste the sweetness of vaunted grapes. The advantages include the following characteristic features:

• early ripening grade;
• large and sweet berries;
• friendly ripening of fruits;
• unusual taste;
• resistance to frost up to - 21 degrees;
• not afraid of drought and the scorching sun;
• high level of productivity;
• good immunity, able to protect the plant from diseases such as powdery mildew and oidium.

disadvantages

• the presence of only female inflorescences;
• spoilage of clusters from the inside;
• in overripe berries, the skin cracks;
• the overripe crop crumbles;
• poor resistance to mildew.

Growing Features

You can get seedlings for sowing in several ways, the simplest is propagation by cuttings. Gardeners are actively using the method of grafting a sprout to another root system. Inexperienced summer residents buy cuttings in specialized stores.There are also winegrowers who grow seedlings from seed, but this method does not always work to grow good bushes.

Before proceeding to planting, it is necessary to prepare the bed and determine the composition of the soil. The Sofia vineyard takes root in the sandy clay soil, so if the clay composition prevails on your site, it is better to dilute it with river sand. Conversely, dig a sandy layer of clay with clay. Experienced gardeners begin to prepare a place for the vineyard in the fall.

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The root of the vine is planted in the open ground in springtime. It is during this seasonal period that the earth warms up to the desired temperature, and the warm air currents will not allow the young seedling to freeze. In such conditions, the plant adapts better to a new place and takes root in the soil. The process will go faster if the ridge for the vineyard is on the sunny side and does not shade buildings.

Wells for grapes are prepared a couple of weeks before planting. The root system of "Sofia" can grow greatly, therefore, they dig holes up to a meter deep, and the distance between the wells is left from 3 to 5 meters. At the bottom of each hole, 2 buckets of fertile soil mixed with humus are poured. Then, the rhizome of the vine is carefully inserted into the pit and half covered with earth, moistened with 10 liters of water, and the hole is finally buried, having slightly tamped the top layer. Mulch with blackened sawdust or dry grass.

Vineyard Care Features

The hybrid variety "Sofia" loves moisture, so it is watered several times during the summer. The first time watering is done before flowering, then during the formation of the ovaries. Also, do not forget about watering, if the summer time does not indulge in rains. Under the bush, on average, one bucket of defended water is poured. Each time after watering, the earth around the vine is mulched.

Shrubs are trimmed in late autumn or early spring. All shoots shorten using secateurs, leaving on the vine no more than 6 - 8 eyes. Before the onset of cold weather, the vineyard is insulated with film "corridors", creating a greenhouse effect or each bush is covered with large eggplants with a cut-off neck, and young shoots are covered with a layer of sand and covered with a film.

Pollination

As already mentioned, the flowers of Sophia cannot self-pollinate, since they have feminine properties. So that the pollination is successful, and the vine is rewarded with generous berries, bushes with a bisexual flowering type are planted next to the female shrub, or they are artificially pollinated with fur puff. A special device is brought to the flowering pollinator, pollen is collected and transferred to grape flowers. Artificial pollination is performed early in the morning and in the evening in dry weather. After two days, the procedure is repeated.

Pests and diseases

The main lovers of grapes are birds and wasps. Vine growers protect their garden from birds by small nets. To get rid of wasps, first check the nearest terrain and destroy aspen nests. Then, a sweet bait is prepared from sugar syrup and poison, the resulting poison is poured into flat containers, and set near grape bushes.

A high level of immunity can protect the plant from only a few potentially dangerous fungal sores. If other types of grape shrubs with a weak immune system grow on the plot, then Sofia is sprayed exclusively for preventive purposes with such solutions as: copper sulfate, TILT-250; Anthracol and Bordeaux fluid.

Reviews

Catherine

Three years ago, a neighbor shared the grapes cuttings “Sofia”. After a year, the plant grew so big that I had to dig out the roots and transplant them to another place. Soon, she dug up the bushes altogether and gave them back to her neighbor. There are too many problems with pollination of flowers and care. I like the varieties for which there is practically no need to look after, but at the same time they give a good harvest.

Alina

Sofia is our favorite grape variety. Large berries with a nutmeg aftertaste liked our whole family. Now in the garden, we exclusively grow bushes of Sofia and several bushes of Arcadia, which serve as a pollinator for female inflorescences of a favorite variety. We have a small garden, so my husband decided to entwine a high fence around the vine, which served as a good saving of space.

Conclusion

"Sofia" is a moody plant, but careful and timely care of the bushes will soon bring a good reward. This variety is good for sale, because the grapes are dense and retain a beautiful presentation for a long time. By the way, in addition to the main purpose, the vine is used to decorate the summer cottage. Often, gardeners entwine the arbor with young shoots or weave them on the outside of the house. How beautiful the summer cottage looks in autumn, when large leaves of the vineyard change their usual color scheme to autumn colors.