Have you ever seen huge clusters of grapes, each berry in which was an exact copy of their "sisters"? No, of course, this can only be seen in paintings by famous artists, as well as in a supermarket on a shelf with plastic fruits and vegetables. If you thought so, then you are absolutely wrong. It turns out that there are grape varieties that can form very beautiful-looking large clusters of berries that are almost indistinguishable from each other. One of these varieties is “Sofia” grapes, and this article is devoted to such a question as its cultivation on its own site. What to do to make the crop excellent in every sense? First things first.
A little about the variety: description
The Sofia variety of grapes belongs to the early-ripening canteens (105-115 days). This variety originated from grapes "raisins" and "Arcadia", while retaining only the positive characteristics of the mother plants. For example, by the appearance of the cluster, "sophia" can be mistaken for an "arcade". But if you take a closer look, you can see that the Sofia grapes have larger berries, and their skin is slightly visible on sunny days. At such moments, you can even see the inner veins in them. The grape leaves of this variety are also very decorative, which is why many gardeners grow it in the immediate vicinity of the house.
What is a good grade
The first thing that is worth mentioning when listing the merits of the variety is the excellent taste of the berries: “Sofia” grapes can bypass this many table varieties by this criterion. The second indisputable advantage of the variety is its very thin skin: it is practically not felt during eating. And, finally, the third plus in the piggy bank of the variety is a small number of seeds, because even in the largest berries of the bunch there are a maximum of two seeds.
The first rule of an excellent harvest: keep the roots warm
Perhaps, the proverb that for normal life, a person needs to keep his head in the cold, and his feet warm, it is quite applicable to grapes of the variety "Sofia". This is what is considered the main point in such a matter as the survival of the vineyard in winter, and hence the stability of fruiting. Sofia grapes, the photo of which can be seen below, have good resistance to winter cold and can withstand frosts down to -20 degrees. However, in order to avoid the death of the bush, it is important to take care of preserving the roots, for which it is necessary to warm the soil around the vine well. In the event that there are stronger frosts in your area, it is worth thinking about covering the whole vine.
Secrets of large berries in a bunch
According to many gardeners, grapes "Sofia" can not be attributed to easy-to-grow varieties. If you relate to it somehow, then the harvests will be corresponding: weak clusters with peas. There are several tricks that will allow you to grow an excellent grape harvest, which you will be proud of:
- It is noticed that during artificial pollination by pollen puffing of grapes of other grades, “Sofia” forms denser brushes with large berries. You should not get carried away with this, remember that too many berries in a bunch can cause them to fade.
- Leave no more than 30 brushes on each bush! The rest can be deleted.
- Immediately after pollination, it is important to monitor which clusters are “overloaded” with the rudiments of berries. If this happens, you need to remove the bottom of the brush by about a third.
- During the pouring of berries in a bunch, you need to continue to monitor it and remove the berries that are stuck in the growth so that they do not take food from stronger specimens.
- During the pouring and ripening of the bunch, it is important to regularly process gray rot, which can ruin the appearance of the berries.
- Regular top dressing and watering increase the chance of getting large berries in clusters.
The rest of the care for the plant does not differ from all that has to be done for other grape varieties. With a little patience and zeal, and you can treat your family with grapes grown personally, the appearance and taste of which everyone will love.