Velika grapes

Many gardeners grow grapes for more than just food. And also to create a design on your site. If you are a beginner gardener and do not know which variety to plant, then Velika grapes are perfect. This variety is quite popular. Everyone likes its taste. The yield of the variety is above average.

Velika grape variety: history of creation

The Velika variety, appeared, thanks to several breeders, was headed by Ivan Torodov. It was he who carried out most of the scientific work. Ivan crossed several varieties of Alphonse Lavalle and Bolgar. The result is a new variety. Velika has a peculiarity that distinguishes it from other varieties, it is early ripening, with large fruits and excellent appearance. After studying this variety in more detail, it was decided to include it in an official state document, which contains only good varieties of various plants.

Characteristics of the Velika grape variety

Photo of the Velika grape variety

This variety is perfect for making wine, so it is highly valued by gardeners who make wine.

The Velika grape is a very large variety, its bush grows very much, therefore, the pruning of Velika grapes and the formation begin to be done within 80-100 days after planting. The growth of the grapes is so strong that gardeners often wonder if this can be stopped. Control over this can be taken with the help of a vigorous rootstock. It is better to use Monticola in this case, this will increase the size of the bunch and increase the number of fruits.

Note: The shoot of this variety should be tied to a support, where there are several levels, on average to a height of about 3-3.5 meters. The flowers of the variety do not require any additional pollination, as they do everything on their own.

Velika grapes: description of the variety

The leaves of the Velika grape variety are slightly elongated, with cutouts. The leaf itself is smooth on top, and there are small villi at the bottom.

Note: This variety is often used for decoration, as the leaves look very beautiful. This is due to the different color of the leaves. For example, on the one hand, they can be green with a slight sheen of brown, and on the other hand, they are already a rich burgundy color. At the end of the summer period, the bush becomes completely golden-burgundy.

The fruits are on oval-conical clusters, the berries have space between them. Each bunch averages about 700-1200 grams. If proper care has been taken, then the yield of each bunch increases to 1500-2000 grams. Length about 22 centimeters, width about 18 centimeters. The Velik variety is very large, in comparison with its brethren, it is the record holder in size. The fruits are very large, the length reaches 5 centimeters, the width is up to 3 centimeters, each fruit is on average about 20 grams. The fruit is elongated and usually the tip is slightly pointed.

Berries varieties

Photo of vine leaves Velika

The berry of this variety is burgundy with a slight purple tint. They are not particularly bright, because when fully ripe, they are covered with a safe coating that resembles wax, it is he who makes the berries more matte and protects them. The flesh of the berry has a purple-pink hue, it is quite dense, so it crunches when bitten. There are no seeds in the pulp, so it is much more convenient to eat them.

Note: The bush must be treated with Gibberellin, it removes the rudiment from the fruit.

The peel of the berry is very thin and quite dense, this type of peel helps to protect the pulp from damage, that is, the fruits do not crack, do not shrink in hot weather, and are good for transportation.

Which grapes taste great?

Many gardeners note the taste is very sweet without sourness, and the aftertaste also reminds many of cherries. This was the property of the Bolgar variety, the parent of Velika. This is what makes these varieties different from many others.

Pros and cons of the variety

In order to make a firm decision whether to plant this variety, you need to find out about its pros and cons, since the description of the fruits and the plant itself is not always enough.

Pros:

• The plant is bisexual, therefore, does not require additional pollinators, and due to this, the berries are large and do not crack at the same time.
• .High yield of the variety. On average, about 12 kilograms of fruit can be harvested from one specimen of grapes. With proper, careful maintenance and care of the bush, the yield can be increased up to 16 kilograms. A feature of this variety is that the fruits can be removed from both fruit buds and buds that are replacing, only the berries become slightly smaller.
• Long storage time. Berries are stored for a long time, only for this they should be provided with the necessary conditions. The storage location should be dry and cool, such as a refrigerator.
• Great taste of grapes.
• The early ripening period is Velika, the harvest will already ripen by August.
• Excellent attitude to transportation, without loss of appearance and taste.
• Wasps and other insects, trying to eat the fruits, cannot do this due to the dense shell, but the birds succeed and therefore they will have to be driven away.

Each variety has its drawbacks, and Velik is no exception. Minuses:

• Very fast growth, because of this you have to very often cut and form a bush, which is very tiring.
• The grapes are not very resistant to frost, the variety does not tolerate frosts below -21 degrees, therefore it is not recommended to plant this variety in areas where it is cold.
• Poor resistance to many diseases, this is due to the fact that he has a weak immune system. The most popular diseases with which he becomes infected are anthracnose, oidium, alternaria. Also, the variety will not be able to overcome phyloxera, it is aphid that begins to destroy the roots and the entire grape system.

Difficulties of growing

The Velik variety has its own difficulties that every gardener faces when starting to grow this variety.

• The first difficulty is accurate watering, that is, due to the poor transfer of excess water by the variety, watering must be careful. Otherwise, the root system may begin to rot, and the plant will die, or a fungus will settle in the root system.
• The second complication is poor resistance to fungal diseases. Because of this, the place where the variety will grow should be well ventilated.
• The third difficulty lies in the treatment of the plant from diseases. As we already know, the variety is very poorly resistant to many diseases. Therefore, without carrying out preventive treatments, it will not be possible to grow healthy clusters. The best treatments are fungicides. Also, this variety quickly gets used to the product, so they should be alternated for best action.
• And the last, fourth difficulty lies in the fact that if the gardener does not provide the necessary care, does not follow the bush, produce it improperly, especially if the variety is grown in a climate where there are frequent frosts, then the berries of the bush will become tasteless. The amount of sugar in fruits will decrease by 30-60%, which will greatly affect the taste. Very often you can find reviews of gardeners who talk about this, so it is worth noting that such changes occur only with poor care.

Reproduction methods

There are many breeding methods, but the following are the most popular.

• Grafting using a lignified cutting. This method is done in the part of the trunk underground. It is necessary to cut off using a sharply sharpened knife, after which it is necessary to split and insert the handle. The place where the grafting was carried out is lubricated with garden pitch and pulled together using twine.
• Grafting on bushes of a different variety. With this grafting, the growth of the variety slows down. Thus, it becomes not as complicated as it was before. The stalk is grafted in the spring using the split method. The grafting height is usually about 90 centimeters.
• You can propagate grapes using a portion of the root of the cuttings. This method is possible only if the cutting is absolutely healthy, otherwise it will not take root. The first crop appears in the third year after planting.

Velika grapes: variety care

Caring for the Velika variety is the most common and does not differ in any way from caring for other varieties. Planting should be done either in late spring or in autumn. The departure from the landing time does not depend in any way. The landing hole should be in the southern part of the site. The best planting site for this variety will be the slope. There should not be any shading trees or buildings near the Velika grape seedling, this is necessary due to its rapid growth. Before planting, drainage should be arranged in the pit. It will not allow groundwater to reach the root system of the grapes. Watering is carried out only as needed, depending on weather conditions.

Throughout the whole season, it is necessary to take care of the bush, removing weeds and various debris near it, loosen the soil, and also treat it with fungicides. Usually 3-4 treatments are carried out, while the land is also cultivated.

• The first treatment is carried out in early spring, usually Bordeaux liquid or copper oxychloride is used.
• The second treatment is carried out when the kidneys are still "asleep". For such processing, Strobe is suitable. In no case should processing be carried out when the buds have blossomed, as this will affect the fruits of the variety.
• The third treatment is carried out when the fruits have reached the size of a pea. Bordeaux liquid, solutions that contain copper are fine.
• The fourth treatment is carried out after the harvest, it refers to a preventive measure so that there is a good harvest next year.

If the bush is infected with any fungal disease, then the number of treatments carried out becomes greater.

When the bush prepares for wintering, careful processing must be carried out in order for the plant to survive the winter well.

Note: Formation of the bush begins immediately after planting and is carried out every year.

Before wintering, Velika grapes must be covered with straw, earth, slate sheets and everything must be arranged so that the plant does not freeze. But this is only done in areas with cold winters. If the winter is warm, then the plant is not covered with anything, but simply processed and thoroughly cleaned and loosened the soil.