Sofia grape variety: detailed description + photo

The grape variety Sofia at the first meeting may seem like a plastic dummy. It’s all about large berries of the same size. Indeed, the bunches look exactly like that. If you want to have delicious berries in your garden, get acquainted with the description of the variety, characteristics of the grapes and photos.

Description

Sofia grapes were bred at the end of the last century by amateur gardener V.V. Zagorulko. The varieties Kishmish Radiant and Arcadia were used as parents. New grapes have incorporated the best qualities of their ancestors. The vegetative period varies within 110-115 days.

Sofia is a variety of early ripe table varieties. Thanks to its exquisite taste, grapes are gaining popularity among gardeners. We will present a detailed description of Sofia grapes, photos, reviews and videos to our readers below.

Bush

The vine at the bush is powerful, bright brown. But the most remarkable are the leaves on the grapes. The upper leaves are dark green in color without pubescence. The leaf blades are large, rounded, slightly dissected, 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 the house, and other buildings located on the territory.

bunches

Clusters of the variety 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 tightly pressed against each other, so the clusters are never loose.

Berries

Berries are slightly elongated ovoid, weighing up to 15 grams. They inherited external signs from the Arcadia variety. The size of the berries is 3,3×2 cm. This is clearly visible in the photo.

Berries with juicy and tender pulp, sweet in taste. The aftertaste is nutmeg, bright, easy to remember. Thin, but dense skin with veins is another advantage.

In technical ripeness, berries with a pale pink tint glow in the sun. Grape kishmish Sofia little 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

Variety Sophia has only female flowers, so it needs pollinating plants. To prevent cross-pollination, which can lead to a loss of varietal qualities, there should be an Arcadia bush in the area nearby.

The flowering of grapes is long. Moisture is kept on the pistils of flowers for a long time, therefore all flowers are pollinated: there is no pea in clusters.

For successful fruiting, not only pollinator plants are required, but also proper care, in particular, pruning of shrubs. Fruit-bearing shoots should be shortened by 4-8 buds.

Productivity

Grape Sofia is a high-yielding variety. It’s all about a vigorous shrub, on which all the shoots ripen at the same time. Thanks to this, food is supplied in the required quantities. And if the grapes are grown in regions with long daylight hours and enough sun, then a high and stable harvest is guaranteed.

Distinguishing features

Based on the description of Sofia grapes, one can name the characteristic features, point out the pros and cons.

Advantages

1. Ripening dates. Grapes belong to the early ripening varieties.
2. Taste features. The berries are distinguished by a delicate, sweet taste with hints of nutmeg.
3. 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.
4. Drought. Fruits well in dry climates at high temperatures. If the heat is for a long time, the bunches must be covered with grape leaves.
5. Survival. Own-rooted seedlings quickly grab onto the soil.
6. Marketable condition. Grape clusters are outwardly attractive, tolerate transportation well. That is why the Sofya variety is grown by farmers for sale.
7. Application. Berries are good fresh and for processing into juice.
8. Excellent immunity. Many grape diseases do not affect the bushes or the signs are mild, due to the ability of the vine to fight them. This is oidium, powdery mildew, various types of rot. But for reliability, you need to take preventive measures.

Disadvantages

Despite the advantages, the variety has disadvantages:

1. The presence of only female flowers can lead to cross-pollination by other grape varieties located at a distance of one meter from Sofia.
2. The grape variety is susceptible to gray rot.
3. Overripe berries may crack.
4. The high density of the bunch contributes to the rotting of the berries.
5. Overripe berries do not hold well on the bunch, crumble.

The secret of big berries

As gardeners note in the reviews, the Sofia variety does not belong to unpretentious plants. He needs special care, then the berries will be large, and the clusters will not be pea. We will reveal a few secrets to future winegrowers:

1. During flowering, it is necessary to artificially pollinate the grapes. To do this, use a puff. Thanks to this procedure, the density of the bunch increases.
2. On the bush you need to leave no more than 30 brushes. More clusters result in smaller berries.
3. It is necessary to monitor the number of buds formed. If there are a lot of them, it is necessary to thin out. It is not necessary to spare the ovary, otherwise, due to too high density, some of the berries will begin to rot.
4. 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.
5. The plant must be sprayed from gray rot so that the appearance of the bunch and taste do not deteriorate.
6. Large and tasty berries grow with regular top dressing.

Reproduction

The Sofia grape is a unique plant because it can be propagated in a variety of ways:

• seeds;
• layering;
• cuttings;
• seedlings;
• through vaccination.

For grafting, use the stock on which the wood has matured. The effect of this method is the presence of an excellent root system. Fruiting begins a whole year earlier.

When propagated by layering, the most productive bush with a powerful and strong shoot is chosen. 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 breeding Sofia grapes is 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 at the same time, you need to take into account some features:

1. Sophia reacts negatively to a large number of nitrogen-containing drugs. But phosphorus-potassium top dressing allows the bush to develop well, bear fruit in a timely manner and give a rich harvest.
2. When growing grapes in regions where temperatures drop below -21 degrees, you need to think about the right shelter for the winter.
3. During prolonged heat, the bunches can be damaged, so they are covered with grape leaves.
4. Obtaining stable yields contributes to the correct formation of the bush. 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.
5. Sofia grapes should be watered abundantly before the start, during flowering and during the filling of berries. 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 planting grapes are wasps and birds, lovers of eating sweet berries. Damaged fruits begin to rot, from which the presentation deteriorates. You can escape from birds with the help of nets that are thrown over the bushes or hide 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 settlements of insects are burned. Secondly, it is desirable to hang Velcro-baits on the bushes.

Relying on disease resistance is not worth it if different varieties of grapes grow on the site. In any case, preventive treatments with the help of Bordeaux liquid, karbofos, vitriol, and other special preparations will be required.

Reviews