Gooseberry - a berry of the genus Currant, family Gooseberries. Homeland - African continent, grows in America, Asia, Southern Europe, the Caucasus. Gooseberries were discovered in the 16th century; by the 18th century, breeders bred about a hundred varieties. Bushes reach a height of up to 1.2 m, some varieties yield up to 25 kg per bush.
The bark is brown, exfoliating, spikes on the shoots in the form of thin spines. The leaves are oval, rounded, with denticles, bright green. The plant is frost-resistant, can withstand low temperatures up to -30 ° C. Berries - green, red color, there are varieties with black fruits, purple.
Gooseberry Care Tips
Gooseberries, as well as currants, need timely care in the open ground. Planted it more often in the fall, but it is possible in the spring.
He prefers:
- Sunny places, high places, where there are no north and east winds.
- Neutral or low acid soil.
- The distance between the bushes is at least a meter, in rows - up to three meters.
To avoid fungal diseases, it is not recommended to place gooseberry shrubs in a lowland. For planting, take annual or biennial seedlings with roots up to 30 cm. Soak them in a growth stimulator. In the fall, they plant a month or a half before the first frosts appear. Thus, the plant will take root and young roots are formed.
Humus 10 kg, superphosphate 150 g, potassium salt 60 g are poured into the landing hole. The seedling is deepened by 6 cm, the aerial part is previously cut, leaving 3-4 buds.
The plant propagates by layering, cuttings, dividing the bush. In early spring, the gooseberry growing season begins. It blooms in May, berries appear depending on the growth band, in July-August.
Recommendations for spring work:
- Pruning is carried out every year to obtain a plentiful crop and to prevent bush thickening. Cardinal pruning is not done in a single dose, so as not to destroy the bush. Cut in spring and autumn, if young leaves have already appeared, you need to postpone until autumn.
- From above, the bushes are not watered, they provide drip (this is necessary to avoid rot) or watered into grooves, grooves up to 15 cm deep.
- Loosen the earth with a hoe, a rake.
- In the early years, feeding is not done if the bushes are sufficiently fertilized during planting. Then, every three years, they are sure to feed the plant without mixing organic and inorganic fertilizers. For depleted soil, nitrogenous fertilizers are needed every year, fertile once every two or three years.
- Shelter is removed on time, otherwise the bushes will rot due to overheating.
With proper cultivation, the plant bears fruit for about 20 years.
Gooseberry Care in Spring
Timely spring activities to care for fruitful in the future will lead to a large crop. Experienced gardeners recommend doing them before the formation of the first buds. For this:
- Remove winter shelter - the timing depends on the region, in the central and southern areas in early March, northern - later. Then they mulch out the mulch, the remains of last year's vegetation, branches. After all the garbage is burned, as fungal spores and insect larvae winter in it. If the bushes are not covered, but simply bent to the ground, they need to be raised.
- When the snow melts, cover the ground with dense material for several weeks so that the pests do not put offspring.
- They treat it from pests and diseases - they water the plant and the soil around with boiling water, but only until the buds appear. To do this, use a metal watering can. Sprayed with copper sulfate, Bordeaux liquid, fungicides: Fitosporin, Actofit. In this case, the treatment is carried out at an air temperature not lower than +14 ° C.
- Watered under the root or using a drip system during flowering. The topsoil is moistened with 30-40 cm, but not with cold water. Because of this, immunity is reduced, there is a risk of infection with fungal diseases.
- Sanitary pruning is done in early March - dried, frozen, damaged, diseased, weak, twisted branches, crossed shoots located too close to the ground are removed. A section is made over the kidney, 6 mm back from the eye, at a slope of 50 °.
- In early May, the earth around the bush is loosened to a depth of 8 cm. Then they are mulched with straw, hay, peat, sawdust. This will reduce evaporation and prevent weeds. Between the rows they dig 10-15 cm.
- Feeding is done from the second year of planting. At the beginning of the growing season, urea or ammonium nitrate is added. Sprinkle under the bushes, close up into the soil by 5 cm, watered. For adult bushes - 40-60 g, young - 30-40 g. Apply potato peeling - one kilogram per 10 liters of boiling water. After cooling, add 200 grams of wood ash or bird droppings 1:20. A bucket is poured under each bush. Manure and humus. Before flowering, potassium sulfate is added - 40-50 g under the bush. This is provided if the plants are not fertilized in the fall.
Gooseberry care in summer
In the summer, work continues in the garden:
- The topsoil is loosened regularly not more than 6 cm, weeds are removed. During hot and dry summers, the soil is mulched so that moisture lasts longer.
- Watered with warm water after sunset.
- If the bush is tall, tied to a support so that the branches do not break due to the weight of the berries.
- Fertilized with organic matter during fruiting (in equal amounts compost and peat, manure with soil, chicken manure with water 1:15), mineral fertilizers after harvest, in August with potassium and phosphorus (25 g per bush).
Gooseberry care in autumn
In order for the plant to normally winter, care for the bushes in autumn is necessary. Spend several events.
- The root zone is treated - they are cleaned of foliage, debris, rotten, crushed berries. Weeds and wheat grass are harvested. Then burned.
- Prevention of diseases and pests is carried out - after harvesting, plants, soil are sprayed with Bordeaux liquid, copper sulfate. They also use Topaz, Fundazole. If the plant is affected by the disease, it is destroyed or all damaged parts are removed.
- They cut from mid-October to frost. Sharp disinfected secateurs. Branches are cut underdeveloped, broken, non-bearing, located too close to the ground. Long shorten by 1/3. Then the bushes are thinned out and the places of cuts are sealed with garden var. If the bush is an adult, more than five years old, old stems are cut. Leaves strong shoots, up to 6 pieces, evenly spaced throughout the crown.
- They feed - for autumn top dressing you need: phosphate, potash fertilizers.
- Watered - in dry and warm weather from late September to mid-October. A groove dug around is poured with water. After soaking, fall asleep with earth.
Gooseberry Pest Treatment
So that diseases and pests do not hit gooseberry bushes, in the spring they do prophylaxis according to all the rules. Appear when ignoring preventive actions:
- Currant tick - the kidneys do not open, they die. Spray with the infusion of garlic during the flowering period, after it ten days later. Take 50-100 g per bucket of water.
- Spider mite. Leaves turn yellow, die off. Spray onion husks, infusion of tobacco, wormwood, garlic, Metaphos.
- Blackcurrant aphid - there are red thickenings on the plant, shoots are deformed. Before the appearance of the kidneys, they are sprayed with a 3% nitrophene solution. Treated with infusion of garlic during the budding period and then after 10 days. Or apply Wofatox, Metaphos.
- Glass-maker - it crashes into shoots, makes moves there. Damaged branches are removed. Sprayed with 10% malathion.
- Gooseberry sawfly - eats leaves to veins. During budding, after flowering, they are sprayed with Karbofos, Actellik.
- Ognevka is a butterfly. Berries turn yellow, rot, crumble. Destroy the affected parts, dig up the soil, spray with mustard infusion, Etaphos.
- Powdery mildew - white coating on shoots, berries, leaves. Use drugs Hom, Topaz.
- Verticillin wilting - foliage turns pale, withers. Spray and pour under the root a 2% solution of Fundazole.
- Butterfly - ognevka - leaves twist, fall off. Apply Actellik, Fufanol.
- Anthractosis, spotting, rust - gooseberry fungal diseases. Spray with copper sulfate, Kuprozan, Phthalon, Nitrofen.
- Mosaic cannot be treated. Bushes are destroying.
Gooseberry preparation for winter
After autumn work, depending on the climatic zone, gooseberries need shelter. To prepare for the winter, the bushes are tied with twine, bent to the ground, covered with dry leaves, peat. Top is covered with non-woven material.
