Sofia grapes: description of the variety, growing rules

The article presents the Sofia grapes: description of the variety, advantages, secrets of growing large berries, reproduction, care, protection.

The Sofia grape variety is very popular among gardeners, this is due to the fact that Sofia produces very beautiful berries of the same size. Such fruits are often even confused with artificial ones. To have good results in terms of the yield of this variety, you must follow the basic rules for growing and caring for the plant.

Sofia grapes: description of the variety, full characteristics

Sofia grapes: photo of the variety

This grape variety was developed by the gardener V.V. Zagorulko. It happened in the last years of the XX century. To breed Sofia, the breeder used grape varieties such as Arcadia and Radiant raisins. Sofia adopted all the positive features of her predecessors. The growing season usually ranges from one hundred and ten to one hundred and fifteen days.

Sofia is a grape variety that is early maturing in terms of ripening.

The shoots of this plant are quite powerful, they have a bright brown color. Sofia has very beautiful foliage, she has a rather decorative appearance. The leaves that are in the upper part of the plant are dark green in color, there is no pubescence. The sheet itself is quite large, rounded, and wavy at the edges. The cuts are not too strong. In autumn, the bush acquires a beautiful green color with a yellowish tinge. Such a plant looks very decorative, for this reason Sofia is very popular for landscaping a site. The vines of this grape can be a beautiful decoration for gazebos, verandas and other buildings.

The brushes of this variety are rather large, in their weight one can reach about one kilogram. Sometimes you can find specimens even up to 3 kilograms. The bunch of grapes is conical in shape. The fruits are arranged in a bunch quite closely, they are not friable in structure. This dense arrangement of berries makes caring for the grapes a little difficult. In order for the fruits not to start to rot, thinning should be carried out periodically.

As for the fruits themselves, they have a slightly elongated ovoid shape, in weight one berry reaches, as a rule, fifteen grams. By their appearance, the berries are very reminiscent of Arcadia. The fruit usually reaches two to three centimeters in size. Inside, the fruit has a lot of juice, the texture is quite delicate, the taste is dessert, balanced. The aftertaste has a distinctly nutmeg tone. The fruits have a rather thin skin, the veins are visible. When this variety ripens, it turns into a delicate pinkish color, the berries look especially beautiful in the sun. In such fruits, seeds are practically absent, in one berry you can find no more than a couple of seeds. The seeds have a soft structure, and in some berries they are not at all.

This variety has only feminine flowers, for this reason, Sophia needs plants that will carry out pollination. In order to avoid cross-pollination, it is recommended to plant the Arcadia grape variety in the neighborhood. Otherwise, there may be a loss of the basic qualities of the variety. This variety blooms for a long time.On flower pistils, water is retained for a long time, for this reason all flowers are pollinated. Polishing is unusual for such brushes.

In order for the bush to bear fruit successfully, not only a pollinator for Sofia grapes is needed, but also compliance with the rules of agricultural technology. An important point is grape pruning. The stems that bear fruit must be cut to a length of four to eight buds.

This variety shows good results in terms of yield. The shrub is strong and vigorous, the stems ripen on it at the same time. For this reason, nutrients are distributed evenly in the right amounts. If you grow this grape in an area where the daylight hours are long and there is a lot of sun, then excellent results in terms of yield will not be long in coming.

Sofia grapes: description of the variety, pros and cons

Like any other crop, the Sofia variety has both a number of positive qualities and negative ones.

Let's start with the main advantages of this grape variety. Sofia ripens quickly enough, which is good news for grape lovers. The quality of the berries is at a high level, they have a delicate texture, a dessert taste, and a pleasant nutmeg note in the aftertaste. This variety tolerates low temperatures quite well, can survive temperatures up to - 21 degrees in a southern climate. If you grow this grape in areas with colder winters, then the shoots need to be covered. This variety shows quite good results in terms of yield in dry season. However, if the hot weather is stable, then it is better to darken the bunches with grape leaves. This variety takes root quite well. The berries have a good presentation. Brushes have a beautiful appearance, very easy to transport. For this reason, this variety is often used commercially.

As for the scope of application of such berries, it is universal; you can make juice, wine from Sofia berries, and also the fruits are good fresh. The Sofia variety has a fairly strong immunity. Many diseases that affect other varieties do not have a negative effect on Sofia grapes. This grape variety is practically not affected by powdery mildew, various rot and powdery mildew. In order for these problems not to bother your planting at all, it is necessary to carry out certain measures in order to prevent it.

As for the disadvantages of this variety, there are much fewer of them than advantages. Firstly, the plant has only feminine flowers, for this reason, cross-pollination with other varieties that are located near the plantings of the Sofia variety is possible. Secondly, this variety has an average resistance to diseases such as gray rot... Thirdly, berries that are overripe can crack. Fourthly, due to the too dense arrangement of the berries in the brush, rotting of the fruit may begin. Fifth, the berries, which are overripe, do not stick too well on the shoots, begin to crumble.

Bunches that have reached their ripeness must be removed from the plant in time, otherwise the berries will partially fall off, besides, the quality of overripe berries leaves much to be desired.

Sofia grape variety: how to grow big berries

Sofia grape variety: how to grow big berries

This variety is not a very whimsical plant. However, you need to be aware of the basic rules of care. If you follow them, then the fruits will delight you with their size.

During the period when the plant is blooming, it is necessary to artificially pollinate the grapes. For this purpose, many gardeners use a powder puff. Then the bunch will be denser. A maximum of thirty bunches should remain on one plant. If there are more of them, then this can lead to a decrease in the size of the fruit. Be sure to make sure that there are not too many rudiments. They need to be thinned out periodically.Do not spare the ovary, otherwise, if the berries are too dense, decay will begin. If, for some reason, the fruits do not develop in the brush, then during the period of berry pouring, they must be removed so that they do not overstretch the food. Planting Sofia grapes periodically needs to be processed against gray rot, otherwise the presentation of the brushes will deteriorate, and the aroma and taste of the berries will also suffer. Periodically, it is necessary to make top dressing based on organic matter and mineral elements; without additional nutrition, a large crop cannot be obtained.

How to properly propagate the Sofia grape variety

For these purposes, gardeners use a variety of methods. Reproduction is suitable with the help of seeds, layering, cuttings, grafts, and also with the help of seedlings. If you decide to propagate grapes by grafting, then you must use a stock with matured wood. The advantage of this method is a fairly strong root system. Such a plant begins to bear fruit one year earlier. For the stock, you can use tall grapes so that the bush does not lose this property.

If you give preference to reproduction using layering, then you need to choose the bush with the highest yield, while the shoots should be strong and powerful. The stem must be laid horizontally on the ground, sprinkled with fertilized soil. To prevent the stem from striving upward, it must be secured with a wire. For the rooting period, you need to monitor the soil, it should not dry out. At the moment when strong rhizomes appear on your layers, you can transplant to a permanent habitat. As for the method of propagation using seeds, this is the most time-consuming process, however, the result will most likely please you.

Sofia grapes: photo, description of care rules

As for the care of this grape variety, it is almost no different from the agricultural technology of other varieties. However, there are rules. This variety does not respond well to excess nitrogen. As for potassium and phosphorus, they will benefit the plantings, these elements have a good effect on the development of the bush, as well as on its fruiting and productivity in general. If you grow the Sofia variety in areas where the winters are quite harsh, and the temperature drops below -21 degrees, then you need to take care of the insulation of your plantings in the winter. If there is prolonged hot weather outside, then cover the brushes of the plant with grape leaves, otherwise the berries may be damaged.

To get a stable and rich harvest, it is necessary to form a bush on time and correctly. Pruning should be done annually. No more than eight eyes should be left on one plant. Too much is bad for the future harvest.

Watering this grape variety is carried out in large quantities at certain periods, for example, before flowering, and during it, as well as at the time of pouring the fruits, you need to water the plants abundantly. When the fruits are ripe, water the plants carefully. Excess moisture can cause the fruit to crack.

About diseases and pests

This variety copes very well with major diseases and harmful insects, thanks to its strong immunity. However, efforts must be made to ensure that these problems do not arise at all. As for the main pests of this variety, they are, as a rule, wasps, as well as birds. They are very fond of sweet grapes. Those fruits that have been damaged can rot, this has a bad effect on the presentation of the berries. Experienced gardeners use special nets against birds; they need to be thrown over the plantings. For the same purpose, plastic bags are used, which are put on each grape cluster. Wasps are dangerous enough for grapes. First you need to inspect the site for nests where wasps live. These nests are usually burned.On landings, it will not be superfluous to place traps for wasps. There is also a risk that the Sofia variety will get sick with something if there are other grape varieties in the neighborhood. It is necessary to periodically carry out treatments for the purpose of prevention. For this, Bordeaux mixture, copper sulfate, Karbofos and other similar preparations are usually used.

Sofia grapes: video about the variety