Gooseberry - planting and care. Cultivation of gooseberries - planting and further care for it Gooseberries, how they are grown and where they are used
Gooseberry - planting and care
Gooseberry is a perennial shrub with a height of more than a meter, a diameter of 1.3-1.8 meters. The bush is very well developed root system. The gooseberry is photophilous and drought-resistant, does not like damp low areas and heavy clay soils with a close occurrence of groundwater - in such areas it is often affected by fungal diseases and practically does not produce a crop, and even if it does, the fruits are very small in size.
Gooseberries are a pantry of vitamin C ( ascorbic acid), as well as an invaluable medicine: they are useful for impaired metabolism, and also have a choleretic and diuretic effect. No wonder the gooseberry is popularly called the northern grape.
Since the gooseberry is photophilous, it must be planted in sunny open areas protected from the winds. He responds well to fertile land. Due to waterlogging, the root neck may rot. Can tolerate temporary droughts.
If there is not enough free space on the site, then gooseberries can be placed near young trees, but there should be a distance of 2 meters between bushes and trees. Gooseberries can also be planted along the fence or along the border of the site, but the main thing is that the landings should be no less than 1.5 meters from the fences and buildings.
It is best to grow gooseberries on medium loamy light soils. If the soil in the area is sandy or heavy clayey, then clay or sand must be added, respectively. Does not grow well in acidic soil. If the pH level is above 5.5, then lime must be added for planting - at least 200 grams per 1 square meter. For
good growth and the development of gooseberries, at the landing site, you need to carefully weed the ground. Raspberries and currants are bad predecessors for gooseberries - after them the soil is very depleted and pests with diseases in these crops are common, so they will certainly attack the "newcomer".
Gooseberry planting.
Gooseberries can be planted both in autumn and in spring, but it is best to plant them from late September to mid-October, since the planted plants have time to take root by late autumn, and then form new young roots. The survival rate, as well as the growth of shoots during spring planting, as a rule, is much worse. It is important to remember that gooseberry flesh is very inconvenient, as it is prickly, so you need to thoroughly clean the area from root weeds even before planting. To do this, it is necessary to dig up a site for gooseberries in early autumn, carefully choosing all the rhizomes of various weeds. After digging, the soil must be properly leveled and all lumps of earth should be broken with a rake with metal teeth.
2-3 weeks before planting the gooseberry, it is necessary to dig holes under it so that the soil has time to settle. Digging holes should be 50 centimeters wide and deep. Fertile upper layer put in one direction, and the infertile lower - in the other. Therefore, the following must be added to the fertile pile: up to 10 kilograms of humus or well-rotted manure
40 grams of potassium sulfate, 50 grams double superphosphate. All components must be thoroughly mixed. This amount of fertilizer for plants is enough for about 3-4 years. If the soil is clayey, then one bucket of coarse-grained river sand must be added to the pit.
For planting, one-year or two-year-old, healthy, pure-bred seedlings should be used, which have a well-developed root system (roots should be at least 30 centimeters long) and an aerial part of three to four strong shoots. When planting such seedlings, the plants begin to bear fruit earlier. Dried or damaged parts of branches and roots are removed from seedlings before planting.
Plants should be planted straight or slightly inclined. The root neck must be buried below ground level by 5-6 centimeters. The roots then, holding the plant by the stem, are covered with soil. The soil thrown to the roots must be gradually compacted. At the same time, the seedling needs to be shaken slightly so that all the voids around are evenly filled with earth.
Plants should be watered after filling the pit. It takes about a bucket of water per hole. Then the bush must be mulched with dry peat or humus with a layer of 3-4 centimeters, so that the amount of evaporated moisture decreases and a crust does not form. After planting, the shoots are cut off from the seedling, while leaving up to 6 buds above the soil surface.
Gooseberry - care.
When caring for gooseberries, you need to do the following: pruning, top dressing, watering, loosening, weed control, diseases and pests. It is necessary to prune gooseberries during rest: in early spring or late autumn. If the cuts in diameter turn out to be more than 10 millimeters, then they must be covered with pitch. In early April, early in spring, to combat pests and diseases, it is necessary to pour boiling water over the gooseberry bushes over the snow from a watering can, but always through a spray bottle. In May, it is necessary to loosen the soil under the bushes and around them and, if necessary, fertilize with potash and nitrogen fertilizers and manure diluted infusion along the perimeter of the crown and retreating a little further.
Fruiting at the gooseberry bush lasts about 10-15 years and even more. Such a bush draws a large amount from the ground nutrients. Because of this, in order to obtain high and stable yields, mineral and organic fertilizers should be applied annually: for half a bucket of compost - 25 grams of ammonium sulfate, 25 grams of potassium sulfate, 50 grams of superphosphate. Under bushes with abundant fruiting, the rate of fertilizer should be doubled. The soil under the bush must be loosened by fertilizing; beyond the soil outside the crown, it is necessary to dig in such a way as not to damage the root system. Immediately after flowering and even after 2-3 weeks, it is necessary to feed the plants with a solution of mullein (1 to 5), counting on one bush up to 10 liters. In hot, dry weather, it is important to monitor the soil moisture. It is necessary to water the gooseberry bushes under the root itself, which will help reduce the incidence in plants. It is impossible to water the plants by sprinkling, and even more so cold water.
To obtain larger berries of dessert gooseberries, it is necessary to additionally carry out summer early pruning of green soft shoots that are not needed for growth. They should be left up to 6 leaves and a berry in each brush. With this technique, you can get gooseberry fruits of fairly large sizes. Cut branches are placed in a compost heap or burned to get ash.
The laying of fruit buds in gooseberries occurs in the summer in the second half. Therefore, when picking fruits, it is important to remember and take care of the harvest of the next season, that is, to provide the bushes with moisture and nutrition during this period.
Gooseberry transplant.
Gooseberries, according to the "law of meanness" familiar to everyone, often find themselves out of place. The small seedling planted has grown, and now its thorns bring a lot of trouble. But it is not big problems, since the bush can be transplanted.
First of all, it is necessary to carry out a strong pruning, removing more than half of the crown from the bush. The old branches must be cut into a ring. It is very difficult to cope with the thorny shoots of this plant, so they must be removed in several stages, cutting each branch in parts. From young branches it is necessary to leave no more than 7
the strongest, but later also shorten them, leaving two-thirds.
Then, at the place you have chosen, you need to dig a hole for planting and pour about 4 buckets of water into it in order to provide a supply of moisture for the damaged roots and prepare a mixture of garden soil with humus to fill the hole.
A cropped bush needs to be dug in from all sides, stepping back from its base by at least 35 centimeters, cut with a sharp ax or cut thick roots with a saw. Then, using a shovel and a crowbar, remove a bush from the ground, transport it on a wheelbarrow to the landing site and lower it into a dug hole.
Then the roots must be covered with a pre-prepared earth mixture, gradually spilling the soil with water so that there are no empty spaces left in it, and covered with dry soil from above. After planting, the bush must be buried in the soil 5 centimeters lower than it grew before.
After trunk circle you need to mulch with peat chips or cover with roofing material. The roofing felt during irrigation should be removed, and the mulch should be raked, and then returned to its place. This method of transplanting adult gooseberry bushes (and not only) will ensure excellent survival of the plants you transplanted.
Kryzh or Bersen called him in ancient Rus', and it has been cultivated since the 15th century - first in the monastery gardens, and then in the gardens. They lovingly looked after him, showered him with dry leaves, old straw, manure, and then snow for the winter. Take care. And God protected, as they say, the bushes were powerful, the crops were excellent.
But even today it is difficult to imagine a garden without gooseberries. Its berries are very useful: they contain a lot of biologically active substances, pectin, mineral salts, including potassium, phosphorus, iron, as well as organic acids and vitamins. And, probably, not only for the external resemblance, but for the high content of useful substances, gooseberries are called northern grapes. True, one poet gardener did not agree with this:
Gooseberries are better than grapes
It has an aroma, a wonderful taste,
He is a favorite of any garden ...
What you need to know about gooseberries
This perennial shrub With various form bush and the nature of the growth of shoots - they can be straight, curved, sprawling. Depending on the variety, three-six-year-old branches are most productive, and the peak of fruiting occurs at the age of 4-9 years.
Cultivation of seedlings occurs very quickly, in the first two years after planting with annual basal and side shoots. On the branches of most varieties there are thorns, although there are also thornless varieties - Eaglet, Northern Captain, for example.
The gooseberry fruit is a false berry, different in shape, size and color. different varieties. The root system is very powerful, depending again on the variety, it can penetrate the soil to a depth of one and a half to two meters and up to 60 cm in the horizon.
Gooseberries begin to vegetate very early, perhaps the earliest berry crops. But the flowers are very sensitive to low temperatures: below 12 ° C - the set is reduced. Most cultivars are self-fertile and can set fruit when pollinated by their pollen.
The gooseberry tolerates any soil, but does not tolerate growing in the shade and thickening: in the shade, the bushes develop poorly, get sick, the berries do not ripen at the same time and their quality deteriorates. It is more than blackcurrant, thermophilic, less winter-hardy, especially sensitive to alternating thaws with severe frosts; does not like waterlogging and high groundwater standing. For him, drought (temporary, true) is better than swampiness, but in the period from flowering to ripening of berries, it requires regular watering.
Choosing the best variety
It is advisable to plant varieties in your garden different term ripening, winter-hardy, large-fruited, tasty, responsive to care, low-thorn, and, of course, resistant to powdery mildew. Here are a few zoned gooseberry varieties:
Seedling of Lefort. Bush of medium height, spreading, early term ripening and very productive, but prone to rapid thickening. There are few spines on the branches, the berries are small, sweet, thin-skinned and fragrant. The variety is very fruitful, frost-resistant, but unstable to diseases such as septoria.
Kolobok. Medium maturity variety. The bush is not too tall, very sprawling, the shoots are weakly thorny. The berries are round, dark red, with dense skin, large (up to 5 g), good taste. The variety is resistant to frost, powdery mildew and septoria.
Hinnonmaki strain No. 14 (Finnish), also of medium maturity. The bush is rather low, not very sprawling, spherical. The shoots are very elastic, they are well covered with snow, covered with rare hard thorns. The berries are yellowish-green, not too large (weight 3.4 g), with delicate skin, very tasty. It is necessary to collect them immediately after ripening, otherwise they wrinkle right on the bush. The variety is very winter-hardy, high-yielding and resistant to diseases.
Moscow red. Brought to the MCHA. The variety is medium early, high-yielding, high winter-hardy. Thorns mixed, rare. The berries are medium and large, round - oval, fragrant, juicy, do not crack and do not crumble from the rain, but are not transportable. Sugars - 12.2, acids - 1.7%, vitamin C - 39 mg%. Moderately resistant to powdery mildew.
Russian. Released to VNIIS. The variety is medium-late, winter-hardy, high-yielding. Spines single, long, straight. The berries are large (up to 5 g), broadly oval, dark red, naked, thick skin. Sugars - 7.6-12.3, acids - 1.9-2.2%, vitamin C - 32-35, vitamin P 32 mg%: Powdery mildew is slightly affected.
Russian yellow. Released to VNIIS. By most signs, it is similar to the Russian variety, but it ripens seven days earlier. The berries are transparent yellow, more tender, with a slightly better taste. Relatively resistant to powdery mildew. Universal purpose.
Proper cultivation
Which place to choose? Necessarily well lit, best of all a small slope of the southeast direction, protected from cold winds. Good Predecessors for him, vegetable plants that require careful care. The high acidity of the soil for gooseberries is not a hindrance, but liming will not harm it.
How is the soil prepared? Same as for currants. But it must be borne in mind that it needs potassium more than currants, so 8-10 kg are brought in advance for digging. organic fertilizers, 100-120 g of granular superphosphate, 80-100 g of potassium sulfide or ash per 2 m2. Apply fertilizer and landing pit: 8-10 kg of manure, 150-200 g of superphosphate, 40-60 g of potassium sulfate. No need to regret the costs, the return to them will be equivalent.
Landing. Autumn is the most auspicious time to plant gooseberries. spring planting undesirable, because it begins to grow very early, and does not take root well in the spring. From mid-September to mid-October is the best time.
Pits are dug 30-40 cm deep and 50-60 cm in diameter. The roots of seedlings are dipped in water before planting. clay talker. The branches of seedlings are cut, leaving 3-4 shoots with 4-5 buds on each. If there is a delay in planting, the seedlings are placed in water for 4-5 hours. After planting, the soil around the seedling is compacted and mulched with leaves, straw, peat, needles or sawdust with a layer of up to 10 cm.
Features of care
Agrotechnics lies in the fact that for the first 2-3 years the soil around the bushes is loosened, weeds are fertilized, in the fall they dig up the aisles with garden pitchforks, and loosen under the bushes with a rake. In the first year after planting, if fertilizers have been applied, top dressing can be omitted. If the soil is acidic good effect gives the introduction wood ash. In the future, three top dressings are made during the summer: in early spring, with urea around the bush (20 g per plant); after flowering with liquid organic fertilizers in grooves (2 buckets per 5-6-year-old bush); after harvesting - also with organic fertilizers and also in liquid form. So that the fertilizers are well and quickly absorbed, the grooves are filled with water before adding organics (1-2 buckets per bush). The third top dressing is very important, because the plants lay fruit buds for the future harvest.
Watering. If there is not enough moisture in the soil, water for the first time after flowering. In very dry weather, the second watering is necessary in the phase of formation and filling of berries. To enhance root growth and improve wintering conditions for plants, the third irrigation is carried out in the fall, the so-called water-charging irrigation, from 40 to 60 liters of water per bush.
Pruning, bush formation. Gooseberries are cut, like any shrub, trying to create a bush with uneven, well-developed and well-placed branches. Pay attention to annual intensive thinning. Of the zero shoots in the spring, the strongest ones are left, which are necessary to replace the old branches. Sometimes you have to remove young, but weak branches and leave old ones, but with good fruits.
Reproduction methods
What is the easiest way to propagate gooseberries? Horizontal layers from a young (3-5-year-old) bush. They do it like this.
In early spring, under the mother bushes, the soil is loosened and fertilized. Then shallow (10-12 cm) grooves are made, well-developed shoots are laid in them, tightly pinned with hooks in several places, and the middle part of this shoot is sprinkled with earth, leaving the top above the soil surface. As soon as the vertical shoots grow up to 8-10 cm, they are hilled with moist soil, and after 2-3 weeks the hilling is repeated, watered throughout the summer and mulched.
In autumn, rooted shoots from mother bush separated, which gave good roots, are planted in a permanent place, the rest sit near the bush for the second season, they are planted next autumn. Biennials with 3-4 shoots and a developed root system bear fruit 2-3 years after planting in a permanent place.
How does gooseberry reproduce? You can propagate some varieties and lignified cuttings (Change, Kolobok, for example). In autumn, annual shoots are cut, cut into cuttings, as for blackcurrant, placed in moist soil or sand and kept for 45-60 days at a temperature of 2-3 ° C. Then the cuttings are placed in a container and covered with snow until spring. In early spring, the cuttings are planted in nurseries, they are looked after, and in the fall they are planted in a permanent place.
Can gooseberries be propagated by seeds? This method is used only for breeding new varieties in nurseries. The properties of parent varieties in their pure form are not repeated.
Gooseberry pests
Knowing the signs and nature of the damage they cause is very important.
Pests. This is a bud currant flare, a very small insect and very harmful. The kidneys, after being damaged by a tick, swell and become like a small head of cabbage. Mass infection leads to the death of the bushes. In addition, this mite is a carrier of a dangerous disease - terry, as a result of which the bush becomes barren.
Kidney moth. Its orange-red caterpillars, emerging in early spring, gnaw out 5-7 buds each, and damaged buds look like burnt ones. You can notice damage only after the leaves bloom, when bare shoots are visible.
Gooseberry fire. The most harmful pests Bright green caterpillars feast on berries immediately after they are tied, entangle them with cobwebs, the berries are colored and dry out ahead of time, remaining on the branch.
The berries are damaged at the beginning of their setting and the caterpillars of the blackcurrant berry sawfly. The berries grow strongly, ribbed, prematurely stained and fall off.
The yellow gooseberry sawfly causes considerable damage to the bushes, eating the leaves, leaving only thick veins. It happens that the bushes become almost leafless, and the berries become very small.
A very unpleasant pest is the red-gall aphid, whose numerous larvae settle on inside leaves and suck the juice out of them. These lesions are clearly visible in swellings (galls), painted in dark red.
Currant glassware. This is a whitish caterpillar with a brown head up to 2.5 cm long. It takes root inside and gnaws a passage in the core, which is also clearly visible.
gooseberry diseases
powdery mildew - This white coating, appearing on the underside of the leaves in late May - early June. Then the whole plant is covered with a silvery coating, by the end of summer powdery mildew turns brown and thickens. Contributes to this disease high humidity and moderately warm weather. Hot and dry to her detriment.
In addition, bushes can get sick with currant anthracnose, when the leaves become as if burnt, currant terry, leading to plant sterility, its ugliness.
How to deal with diseases and pests? The main thing is the correct agricultural technology. In order to prevent diseases, they compost and burn old fallen leaves, dig up the soil under the bushes, cut dry and damaged branches to the ground, cut and destroy the tops of damaged shoots. powdery mildew, remove swollen buds, spray shrubs and the soil under them with 3% nitrafen or copper sulfate.
In summer, damaged berries are collected and destroyed; spray the bushes with infusions of mustard, tops, stepchildren of tomatoes, celandine, wood ash; when signs of powdery mildew appear, spraying with mullein infusion is carried out (1/3 bucket pour 3 liters of water, leave for 3 days and bring the volume to 10 liters). Use on the day of preparation. With the development of anthracnose, the bushes are sprayed with 1% Bordeaux mixture.
In autumn, the same activities are carried out as in spring, but without spraying.
The gooseberry is the only berry that can be harvested on different stages ripeness. There are many recipes for making green gooseberry jam, remain unchanged useful qualities this berry in any form. Despite its unpretentiousness, the gooseberry bush is very demanding on optimal watering, fertilized soil and annual pruning of the bush, so today we propose to talk about proper care for gooseberries.
Suitable place to land
An ideal place for planting gooseberries would be a flat and well-lit area, which is securely hidden from the wind. For gooseberries, the choice of a suitable place for planting is very important, initially the abundance and quality of the crop depends on it. Also, when planting, the location of groundwater should be taken into account, the gooseberry bush reacts very poorly to excessive humidity, therefore groundwater must flow at least a meter from the surface.
If the garden area is small and the place described above is not there, then a strip of land under a fence or an area between fruit trees will do. Of course, this is not the best place, but with proper watering and timely fertilization, you can achieve a good plentiful harvest.
Optimal watering
The gooseberry bush is very picky about proper watering, in dry, warm weather, it should be watered daily, preferably in the evening, when the sun has already set, and in rainy summers, you should simply monitor the soil moisture. Unlike all other berries, gooseberries need winter watering, they should be poured onto the snow. hot water under a bush.
During watering, water should be avoided on leaves, flowers or fruits, gooseberries should always be watered under a bush, otherwise the plant may get sick.
Types of gooseberry propagation
For propagation of gooseberry bushes, the method of grafting or dividing the bush is most often used. More convenient way- reproduction by combined cuttings, which are green cuttings with a piece of two-year-old wood. Having picked up a suitable cutting, it should be planted in the substrate two centimeters deep, first it is recommended to immerse the lower part for eight hours in a heteroauxin solution to improve root formation. The substrate for cuttings is mixed from sand and peat, which ensures good drainage and ventilation of the soil.
Gooseberry propagation by dividing the bush occurs in this way - when digging up the bushes, they are divided into parts and younger branches with a well-developed root system are used as planting material. Reproduction by dividing the bush can be carried out in the fall after the leaves fall in October - November or in early spring - in March, before bud break.
Useful properties of gooseberries
Useful properties of gooseberries are used in the treatment of intestinal diseases, anemia and problems with bile secretion. Gooseberries help strengthen the immune system and resist various infections and viruses. The berries of this plant contain potassium and sodium in such proportions that are sufficient in the fight against edema.
Fertilization
To obtain an annual abundant harvest, the gooseberry bush needs mineral and organic fertilizers. As fertilizers, it is best to apply nitrogen, potassium and superphosphate complexes. Fertilize at planting, and then every spring and fall, if you are not sure about the amount of fertilizer to apply, then less is better than more.
Young and fruiting gooseberry bushes do not fertilize for 2 years, as long as they have enough fertilizer applied before planting. Organic and phosphorus-potassium fertilizers for gooseberries begin to be applied from 3 years after planting. lovers natural fertilizers may choose to feed a solution of humus or organic manure.
The bulk of the gooseberry roots will be placed under the crown, and it is precisely this area that must be filled with fertilizer. Fertilizers for gooseberries are carefully scattered with a rubber-gloved hand in the near-bush area.
The most popular types of gooseberries:
Variety Captivator
Under optimal growing conditions, gooseberries can bear fruit for 20-25 years, and this is far from the limit. There are times when gooseberries please with their fruits for 40 years in a row. Of course, to achieve such results, one planting of gooseberries will not be enough. It is necessary to pay due attention to the plant and periodically carry out agrotechnical measures. Read more about growing and caring for gooseberries in this article.
This is a low shrub, the height of which is no more than 120 cm. The gooseberry has exfoliating brown or brown bark. gray color and thorns - thin spines located on the cylindrical shoots of the plant. Small 6 cm leaves can be ovate or rounded. Their surface is painted bright green, and there are blunt teeth along the edges.
Gooseberries bloom in May with axillary green or red flowers. The fruits of this culture are small, only 10-12 mm in diameter, but there are also varieties in which the size of spherical or oval berries can reach 45 mm. Painted in green, red, white or yellow, gooseberries can be completely naked or covered with small bristles. Gooseberries are not only the decoration of your garden, but also useful plant, because its fruits contain many vitamins, tannins, metals and organic acids.
On a note! The gooseberry is an early honey plant, which attracts the attention of many insect pollinators. In addition, this culture is self-fertile. This means that even a single plant growing in the garden will regularly bear fruit. The main thing is proper care.
Optimal landing time
Experienced gardeners recommend planting gooseberries in spring or autumn period, but the second half of September - the beginning of October is considered the most suitable time for planting a plant. You can land later, but starting from the second half of autumn, the gooseberries will not be able to take.
On a note! Spring planting, as a rule, has a bad effect on the properties of the plant - growth and fruiting are an order of magnitude worse.
Before you start growing gooseberries, the gardener must decide whole line important issues concerning the choice of a place for planting, the time of pruning a plant, protection from pests, and so on. In addition, you need to know how to properly plant a berry crop. Let's consider each item separately.
Location selection
Most berry crops, including gooseberries, are very demanding on lighting on the site. If you plant a plant in a shaded area, then there will be no question of a good harvest (the number of berries will decrease every year, as well as the size). In addition, you need to choose a place where the soil will not be too waterlogged, because this can harm the gooseberries. The risk of decay will increase, which will lead to the inevitable death of the bush. To prevent this from happening, try to select areas for planting that are well lit, and preferably with low groundwater. Avoid heavy clay soils, it is better to plant some other crops in this place.
Selection of seedlings
Most often found on the market annual seedlings gooseberries with an open root system. Such a plant has a small ground part. When buying seedlings, you need to pay attention to the root of the plant, or rather, check its condition. The root of gooseberry seedlings should not be dry, and besides, you need plants with a fairly developed root system. If we talk about shoots, then they should look fresh and not have any damage. Having decided on the choice of seedlings and place, you can proceed to the next step.
Landing
The process of growing gooseberries is not particularly difficult for those who have previously encountered this plant. Beginners in this business need to follow certain rules of agricultural technology - this will greatly simplify the planting process.
Table. Step-by-step instruction planting gooseberries.
| Steps, photo | Description of actions |
|---|---|
| Make a special markup on the prepared area. To do this, lay a long beam on the ground and hammer a stake every 110-130 cm - there will be holes in these places. For marking, you can use a rope, it is not so important. |
| Dig the required number of holes for the gooseberries. They should be shallow, under the size of the root system of the plant. As a rule, the depth of the hole is 25-30 cm. |
| Cut the roots of the seedlings with a pruner: if they are white at the cut point, then the plant is alive. Before planting, seedlings should be soaked in water for at least a day. |
| Fill the planting hole with nitroamphos (high performance mineral fertilizer). Approximately 200 g should go per hole. Also add 2-3 shovels of rotted manure. Thoroughly mix these ingredients with the soil from the hole. To do this, use a shovel. |
| Place the seedlings in the holes so that not only the root system is underground, but also 3-5 cm of the plant stem. |
| After carefully filling the hole with a gooseberry seedling and lightly tamping the soil, fill it with a bucket of water. This must be done immediately after landing. |
| Backfill the hole with a few shovels of manure after soaking all the liquid into the soil. This will protect the plant from frost. |
Aftercare
For good fruiting, you need to properly care for gooseberries. Moreover, regular watering alone will not be enough.
Soil treatment
Regular loosening and digging of the soil is the key to the active development of the bush and stable fruiting. Depending on the structure of the soil, the intensity and depth of processing may vary. When growing a crop on dense soil, you need to use a shovel for digging, but on loose soil it will not be needed. It is enough to process the topsoil with a garden fork.
Since the gooseberry root system is located near the surface, the treatment of areas located near the crown must be carried out with extreme caution. Try not to touch the lower layers of the soil, deepening gardening Tools no more than 6-7 cm. This applies only to the perimeter of the gooseberry crown, and the processing of other areas of the site can be carried out more intensively.
On a note! Don't forget to remove weeds when tilling the soil. They contribute to an increase in soil moisture next to the bush, due to which various viral diseases can develop.
top dressing
After planting gooseberries in the first year, no fertilizer is needed. Start next year by preparing special remedy manure and ammonium nitrate. You can also use bird droppings instead of manure. For each gooseberry bush, 1 bucket of solution is left, which must be poured not on the bush itself, but under it. Starting from the third year, a mixture of potassium sulfate, superphosphate and manure is used for top dressing.
In subsequent years, top dressing should be carried out twice a year. As an alternative, organomineral fertilizers can be used for top dressing, the most effective of which are Bioprotect, Agrekol, Sinta and others. These are long-acting fertilizers that must be applied to the soil according to the manufacturer's instructions.
pruning
An equally important step in the process of caring for gooseberries is pruning, the implementation of which in the first years should be to form the base of the plant. In this case, the main part of the root growth must be removed, and the skeletal branches must be shortened by about half.
After the fourth year, the features of pruning change dramatically, because now it is to prevent thickening of the bush. All improperly growing, dried and weak gooseberry shoots must be removed with pruners. The formation of the bush must be started before the buds open and after the leaves have completely fallen off. Gardeners are engaged in shortening green shoots in summer period to increase plant productivity. At the same time, 5-6 leaves should remain on each gooseberry branch, and the top itself will certainly be cut off. This method contributes to the growth of the largest fruits.
Pests and diseases
Like many plants grown in the garden, gooseberries can become a victim of pests, including sawflies, aphids and moths. To combat them, it is necessary to treat the culture with a special ash infusion made from water and wood ash. If you do not have the desire or ability to cook home remedy from pests, you can buy biological products or karbofos in the store. It is advisable to process gooseberries in the spring, but if necessary, the procedure can be repeated at the end of the flowering period.
As a rule, gooseberries are attacked by various diseases and pests in early summer or spring. During this period, regularly inspect the plant and monitor its development. In the second half of March, it is necessary to pour boiling water over the bushes of the plant - this will destroy pathogenic fungi, for example, powdery mildew. If we talk about the fight against more serious pests (bud mites, aphids), then appropriate (more serious) measures are taken for this. Before flowering, you need to treat the plants with mullein infusion. To prepare it, you will need cow dung (1 part) and water (3 parts).
On a note! If you find symptoms of any disease, then you need to immediately treat the plant with special preparations, including Iskra, Fufanon and others. You can also use infusions of wood ash or tobacco for processing.
With the onset of winter, when the ground is covered with a layer of snow, gooseberries must be covered with linoleum or other dense material. This is done in order to destroy all pests wintering in the ground. After the end of the flowering period, the shelter must be removed.
Common gardening mistakes
- Do not water the bushes from above, it is desirable to provide the plant drip irrigation. As can happen with many plants, watering from above often results in rot.
- Thanks to a thick layer of mulch, you can significantly reduce the number of waterings required.
- Use a hoe or rake to loosen the soil, as you can damage the root system with a shovel.
- When applying mineral or organic fertilizers, it is necessary to take into account dressing the planting hole. If, when planting, you made organic and mineral substances, then in the first few years there will be no need to feed.
- Do not prune all running bushes at once - this takes time. For example, to tidy up one crown, experienced gardener need at least 2 years. Otherwise, you risk destroying the plant.
Video - Planting and caring for gooseberries
I love gooseberries very much and cannot imagine my site without it. First, the berries are very tasty and healthy. Secondly, northern grapes are self-fertile crops; they do not require a pollinator plant for fruiting; long years you are guaranteed anyway.
Thirdly, the variety of varieties allows you to choose a berry to your taste. And, fourthly, caring for it is no more difficult than for most garden shrubs.
Features of caring for this plant may vary slightly depending on its variety. In general, all gooseberry varieties are divided into 2 rather big groups:
- Varieties of European selection, characterized by a longer productive phase and berries of impressive size. However, this group is less resistant to all sorts of misfortunes.
- Hybrid (American-European) varieties have excellent characteristics and at the same time have good resistance to insect attacks and diseases.
- In addition, there are varieties of northern grapes without thorns. We will also consider their specifics in this article.
- Not uncommon in our gardens are hybrids of gooseberries and currants, called yoshta. Their agricultural technology is practically no different from that described below.
Terms for planting gooseberries: when is it better
Gooseberries need to pick right place. The rather long root system of the shrub requires its placement on a small hill.
Landing in a lowland can cause the development of fungal diseases. The place should be well lit and protected from the winds. It is better if the soil is sandy, clay is also suitable, but then regular loosening is indispensable.
It is permissible to plant this plant both in spring and from the end of September to the second decade of October. Gardeners with experience prefer planting in a beautiful autumn time. This is due to the fact that seedlings planted in October take root better and get sick less.
Autumn planting of northern grapes
The increased thorniness of the gooseberry does not allow for full-fledged weeding under the bushes, so cleaning the soil should be puzzled even before planting. The area prepared for planting is dug up and thoroughly cleaned of weed rhizomes.
A couple of weeks before planting seedlings, square pits with sides equal to half a meter are dug on the site. Everything must be done in advance, the soil must have time to settle. At the bottom of the pit, the mixture is poured fertile soil with complex fertilizers. In clay soils, it is advisable to add a bucket of sand to the pit.
Between the bushes leave a gap of one to one and a half meters and not less than three between rows of seedlings.
Try to select one- or two-year-old plants with developed roots about 30 cm long for sowing. The aerial half of the bush should have several strong branches. Before the procedure, dip the roots for a day in a fertilizer solution prepared from 4 tablespoons of a complex of substances and five liters of plain water.
The seedling is evenly placed in the pit, carefully straightening the roots. root collar it should be just below the ground surface.
Shoots are shortened, leaving 5-6 buds.
Gooseberries: the rules of spring and autumn care
In early spring, when the snow has not yet completely melted, it is useful to spray the bushes of sulfur grapes with boiling water. This procedure will help prevent various diseases and pests.
At the very beginning of May, the ground around the plants is loosened to a depth of 10 cm, then sprinkled with mulch. In the same period, it is good to feed the shrub.
Gooseberries are classified as crops that are painfully experiencing a moisture deficit in spring and summer time. It would be ideal if you help the plant with drip or subsurface irrigation.
Any of these methods will deliver the necessary liquid directly to the root system to a depth of 5-40 cm. For the entire growing season it is desirable to repeat this procedure at least five times. Watering on the surface of the soil with cold water is not allowed.
A feature of the gooseberry is that its lower branches strongly descend to the ground, so competent agricultural technology should also include their support. To do this, at a low height between the rows of bushes, a mesh or stretch marks are pulled.
The meaning of all autumn activities for the care of northern grapes is competent training him for the winter. You can not do without dressings, because they give the plant strength to lay future fruit buds. In addition, autumn is the time of pruning. If you carry out this procedure in the spring, then you can deprive the bush of vitality and provoke its infection.
Top dressing scheme
The formation of the crop, its ripening requires considerable strength, and they can be replenished only with the help of nutrition. The situation is aggravated by the fact that gooseberry bushes grow in one place for many years, respectively. nutrients roots are taken from here.
Therefore, regular fertilization is indispensable, and it is necessary to alternate mineral and organic substances.
In the spring, it is useful to add a mixture of half a bucket of humus with 50 grams of superphosphate and 25 grams of ammonium sulfate and potassium sulfate under the plants. large bushes that give a large yield, fertilize with a double amount of the mixture. Nutrition is introduced into the soil along a perimeter equal to the dimensions of the crown. Then everything loosens up well.
Immediately after flowering and after a couple of weeks, gooseberries are watered with mullein. To do this, dissolve part of the fertilizer in five parts of water. At least five liters of the mixture must be poured onto one plant.
gooseberry pruning
Fruiting begins in the third year after planting. The ability to bear fruit remains in the gooseberry bush for 10-15 years. Due to the fact that the culture is prone to strong branching, pruning is a must.
It can be carried out early in the spring before the awakening of all living things or in the fall. If you are late with spring pruning, then you can seriously harm your pet. For this reason, to engage in the formation better in autumn after the growing season is over, this way you will cause less injury to the gooseberries.
Autumn pruning, the same can be attributed to planting, gives the plant time for a more comfortable adaptation to winter, increases its winter hardiness.
The risk of injuring the bush during this period is practically reduced to zero. Pruning should become an annual ritual, neglecting it leads to the fact that the bushes thicken very much, the fruits become smaller, the risk of developing diseases increases sharply.
A gooseberry bush should ideally have 10 branches each year of life. The most valuable are shoots at the age of 5-7 years, also refers to the branches of the first three orders. Upon reaching the age of ten, the branches turn black and cease to bear fruit, they are removed to the very base.
Also, without pity, you should get rid of weak, dried, broken and diseased shoots. Cut off the shoots coming from the roots, the thin ends of the branches. Too long shoots are also shortened. After pruning, each wound is smeared with garden pitch.
Gooseberry breeding
Propagation of this plant by cuttings is a rather laborious procedure. It is also frustrating that a positive result is not always achieved. This method is considered most suitable for breeding American varieties of gooseberries.
To obtain blanks in October-November, the tops of annual branches about 25 cm long are cut off. The cuttings must be absolutely healthy, without the slightest symptoms of disease. The foliage is completely cut off from them, and all wounds are treated with paraffin.
Next, the planting material is either removed in the refrigerator, or buried in the snow, where it is stored until spring. With the advent of heat, the cuttings are buried in the ground by 15 cm, the distance between them is left about 20 cm.
Under the ground there should be four kidneys, and above - two. The substrate around is compacted, moistened and mulched with peat or humus.
It is much easier to propagate gooseberries using layering. To do this, select a branch as close as possible to the soil and make a small incision on it. A small hole is dug near the base of the bush, a cut branch is bent to it, securely fastened with a wire pin.
The place of the incision is sprinkled with soil, watered. During the entire growing season, this place should always be wet. The roots will appear by autumn, and next year the seedling will be ready to separate from the mother plant.
Gooseberry without thorns
- This variety of northern grapes, actively gaining popularity, has its own characteristics.
- This plant is even more demanding on soil fertility and top dressing. In the spring, the bushes are watered with urea, and in the fall they add organic matter. Three years after planting, superphosphate and potassium salt are added every autumn.
- The planted bushes are cut off, leaving 2-4 buds above the soil on each of the shoots.
- The harvest on such a gooseberry ripens in the second year, up to 1.5 kg of delicious berries can be removed from the bush.
- Such a gooseberry is bred by cuttings.
- In the warm season, the bushes require watering.
- These varieties have low self-fertility, therefore, for cross-pollination, several bushes should be planted at a distance of a meter from each other.
- To prevent pest attacks and powdery mildew infection, the bushes are periodically sprayed with special insecticides.
