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Creating a unique design in a country house is the dream of many gardeners. Isn’t it great to relax in the shade of the vines placed on the arch. And picking an amber, ripe bunch of grapes glowing in the sun and treating friends with the fruits of their labor is already a fairy tale. This is not just a fairy tale dream, but a completely feasible reality. You just need to choose the right variety.
If you are thinking about planting grapes, pay attention to Velika grapes. It should be noted that there are few people who would not like the taste and aroma of berries. And the yield of the variety is not bad. So it remains to get acquainted with the description, characteristics and features of cultivation.
Bulgarian newcomer
The grape variety Velika is from Bulgaria. Breeder Ivan Todorov, based on the parent varieties Alphonse Lavalle and Bolgar, in 1987 managed to get a new grape by crossing. It is characterized by medium early ripening, large grapes and excellent taste. In Bulgaria, its fruits can be tasted already at the end of August. To the State
The Velika variety was included in the register ten years later.
Grape Features
Velika grapes are a red table variety, highly valued by both amateur growers and professionals. Unfortunately, photos do not always allow you to appreciate the variety without a detailed description.
Bush description
The Bulgarian grape variety can be recognized by the large size of all parts of the plant. The bushes have a powerful growth, so the formation should be dealt with 3-4 months after planting.
The description of the rapid growth of the Giant grape excites even experienced gardeners. Growth can be controlled with vigorous rootstocks. The best, as the author of the variety himself considered, are Monticola, Chasny, Berlandieri. In this case, not only the yield increases, but also the size of the grons.
Flowers on the Velika variety are bisexual, so the inflorescences are 100 percent pollinated, there is no pea. The beauty of grapes is that only the vine of this variety can be grown on the site.
Leaves
The foliage of the Velika variety is deeply cut (small in comparison with the size of the bush), rounded. The leaf plate is smooth on top, and the bottom surface is rough. There are instances with five or seven blades.
Description of bunches and grapes
The berries ripen on cone-shaped elongated clusters of medium density. Weight from 600 to 1000 grams. There are also champions up to 1,5 kg, if the technological standards of cultivation and care are observed. The length of the brush is up to 20 cm, and the width is up to 15 cm.
Velika grapes, according to the description of the variety (this can be seen in the photo) and the reviews of gardeners, has a record size. Each grape is up to 39 mm long and up to 25 mm wide, weighing about 15 grams. Many compare berries to the size of a matchbox. Elongated-oval fruits are most often pointed to the tip.
In technical maturity, the berries are dark blue with a well-marked shade of burgundy. The fruits are dull, as they are covered with natural wax, which protects the grapes from mechanical damage and fungal diseases. Below is a photo of the Velika grape variety, it reflects this description well.
The pulp of Velika grapes is pinkish inside, not too watery, crispy. Seeds, as such, are absent, sometimes rudiments are found.
The skin of the fruit is dense, but not hard (according to consumer reviews, it does not affect the taste), which ensures high stability:
- berries do not crack;
- do not raisin under adverse conditions;
- grapes do not lose their presentation, they are well transported.
Velika flavor
With regards to the taste of the Velikan grape variety, the photo is not an assistant here. It is necessary to be based on feedback from consumers and gardeners. For the most part, they note that the fruits are richly sweet, the taste notes have much in common with the parent, the Bolgar variety.
About the grapes of the Bulgarian selection Velika:
Characteristic of the variety
To better understand the virtues of Velika grapes, only descriptions, reviews of gardeners and photos will not be enough. It is necessary to find out the characteristic features of the variety, its advantages and some disadvantages.
The advantages include:
- High grape yield. As a rule, up to 10 kg of fruit can be obtained from one bush in a private area. When grown on an industrial scale, from 350 to 400 kg / ha. The uniqueness of the Velika variety is that the crop is harvested not only from fruit buds, but also from replacement buds, although clusters and grapes are a little smaller.
- Due to the presence of bisexual flowers, the bunch is full-fledged, without peas, the berries do not crack.
- The berries are sweet and fragrant. In grapes, sugar is up to 19 g/100 cc/cm, acids are from 4 to 6 g/l.
- The collected bunches can be stored for a long time in a cool place, which is very important for sellers and buyers.
- Dense berries are perfectly transported, do not lose their presentation.
- Wasps cannot bite through dense skin, but grapes have to be hidden from birds under a net or in bags.
Despite these advantages, not all gardeners tend to plant Velika grape bushes on their plots, due to the fact that:
- bushes grow too fast;
- grapes have an average winter hardiness, problems arise at temperatures below -23 degrees, cultivation in the northern regions is undesirable;
- grapes cannot overcome many diseases due to weak immunity, it especially suffers from anthracosis, oidium, alternariosis and mildew. There is another problem – the low resistance of the Velika variety to phylloxera (aphids that destroy the root system).
Peculiarities of growing
Let’s talk about difficulties
From the description and characteristics of the Velika grape variety, it is clear that the plant has its own characteristics that complicate the cultivation of this crop in private plots:
- First, fungal diseases. For planting Velika grapes, you need to choose well-ventilated areas.
- Secondly, you need to water with caution, since excess moisture is dangerous for the root system. In addition, fungal diseases can develop in a humid environment.
- Thirdly, it is unlikely that it will be possible to grow a healthy vine and grape harvest without special treatments. Experienced gardeners use such drugs: Switch, Horus and many other fungicides. Velika grapes quickly become accustomed to treatments, so they need to be alternated to get the effect.
- Fourthly, care errors or the cultivation of Velika grapes in a cold climate leads to a change in the taste and external qualities of the berries. The sugar content of fruits decreases sharply, and the amount of acid increases. Gardeners often write about this in reviews, noting the taste and small berries as negative properties of the variety. It turns out that the problem should be sought not in the characteristics or description of the hybrid, but in the growing conditions.
Reproduction
Seedlings of the Velika variety are obtained in various ways:
- Grafting on other varieties. The most commonly used are CO4 and Chasselas. This will help moderate the rapid growth of the bush a little. Green cuttings of grapes are inserted into the split in the spring. The vaccination should be at a height of 40-150 cm.
- Grafting with the help of lignified cuttings is carried out in the above-ground or underground part of the trunk. The cut is performed with a sharp (treated) knife, split, and the stalk is inserted. The grafting site must be pressed, lubricated with pitch and pulled off with twine.
- Good grape seedlings are obtained from root cuttings. But this method is possible only if the plants are not affected by phylloxera. Fruiting grapes begins in three years.
Care
There is nothing special in caring for Bulgarian grapes, almost everything is traditional.
You can plant seedlings of the Bulgarian variety Velika in spring (March-May) or autumn. Regardless of the time chosen, everything must be done in accordance with agricultural standards.
A pit or trench for grapes is dug on the south or southeast side of the garden.
If you have a slope on your site, it’s better not to choose a place. The distance to the buildings is at least 5 meters, because the bushes of Velika grapes are vigorous. Seedlings are planted in a large pit with drainage and fertile soil. Watering as needed.
During the season, weeds should be removed, fungicide treatments should be carried out. As a rule, the grapes are sprayed three times (the soil under the bushes is also cultivated):
- in the spring with Bordeaux liquid or copper oxychloride or Choris;
- The second time during the formation of buds with the help of Strobe. If you are late with spraying and the grapes have bloomed, it is forbidden to spray the plants!
- When the berries become the size of a pea, the third treatment is carried out. You can take Bordeaux mixture, copper oxychloride or other copper-containing fungicidal preparations.
In the event of an outbreak of fungal diseases, the number of grape treatments increases. Especially carefully you will have to spray the bushes after removing the bunches in preparation for winter. So that plants overwinter without diseases and pests.
As for the shelter of the vine for the winter, in the southern regions (according to the description, the plant is thermophilic), it is not required. If you grow it in more severe conditions, you will have to make a lot of effort to create a warm “blanket”.