Common gooseberry - either European or rejected

01/16/2020 Irina Malinina 0 comments

Common gooseberry (northern grape) is one of the most common fruit and berry bushes in our country, along with cherries, sea buckthorn and currants. And such popularity is not surprising - from each bush you can get a rich harvest of fruits. And their taste and delicate aroma will delight any gardener and gardener.

But in order to enjoy tasty and healthy berries for a long time, you need to know how to plant gooseberries in open ground and how to properly care for the plant. We will tell you about all the intricacies and nuances of care, as well as describe all the useful properties of incredibly tasty berries.

Description and characteristics of common gooseberry

Common gooseberries (aka European gooseberries, rejected gooseberries) belong to the Gooseberries family. It is represented by a small shrub that grows up to 1.2 m in height. Young shoots are green, but with age they become covered with dark brown bark. Small thorns grow along their entire length. The root system is well developed; it extends 2 m deep into the soil.

The appearance of the common gooseberry

The gooseberry leaf type is 3-5-lobed, ovoid or round in shape. The foliage is dark green with slight downy hairs on the inside. Red or green flowers grow singly or in pairs.

For your information! The flowers of the gooseberry are bisexual. This means that the variety does not need additional pollinating plants.

Flowering occurs in the first half of May and lasts 2-2.5 weeks. Insects are necessary in the pollination procedure, since the sticky pollen is not able to be carried by the wind. Harvesting season begins 40-55 days after flowering ends.

In the question, gooseberry is a berry or fruit, you can independently answer by examining its fruits. They are represented by oval or spherical berries 10-12 mm long. They can be both bare and roughly bristly.

Note! Descriptions of various varieties of gooseberries indicate the presence of yellow, red, purple and green fruits.

Classification of varieties by maturity

When choosing a shrub, take into account the early ripening of fruits, it can be different, there are species that bear fruit early, but there are others that will delight you with sweet berries not right away.

When carrying out the classification, the following indicators are taken into account:

• the origin of culture;
• indicator of productivity and ripening speed;
• average parameters of berries;
• taste characteristics, color and characteristics of the pulp;
• indicators of plant resistance to major pests and diseases.

Early

The following types differ by similar characteristics:

Three varieties from the list have already been described earlier, so we will pay attention to 2 other varieties:

1. Russian - ripens in mid-July, gives large-sized fruits that have a bright, red tint.
2. Vladil - despite its popularity, does not differ in large berries, they are medium in size, up to 5 grams. The branches are practically devoid of thorns.

Average

The list of similar ones should include:

1. Krasnoslavyansky - the mass of the fruit reaches 7 grams, the pulp is pleasant, dense, with sweetness and sourness. Bushes and twigs of medium size, studded with thorns.
2. Beryl - the fruits of this variety of gooseberries reach 7.5 grams, they are greenish, with a pleasant sweetness in taste. Dessert taste is indicated as the main advantage.
3. The North Captain is a self-fertile, large bush that has good immunity. Dark-burgundy berries reach a mass of 5 grams.

Mid late

The list should include the following varieties of gooseberries:

Late

Such plant varieties often have a strong immune system and rarely get sick, however, everything is relative. It is believed that berries that ripen late are not afraid of frost. Let's consider several varieties:

1. Date - a sprawling and large bush attracts gardeners with the size of fruits - they can reach 15 grams. But at the same time, you will have to regularly thin out the gooseberries, removing the shoots.
2. Grushenka - we have already written about this variety, the following qualities are its advantages: frost resistance, disease resistance, lack of thorns.

Distribution area

Nivyanik ordinary - planting and care in the open field

Under natural conditions, the gooseberry family Gooseberry grows in Western Europe and North Africa. It is often found in the forests of Tver, Oryol, Samara, Ryazan and other regions of the Russian Federation.

Also, a wild gooseberry variety is found in Central Asia, Ukraine, the Caucasus, Transcaucasia and in European countries. Gooseberries grow where there is rocky soil - on the slopes of mountains and at their foot, often found in deciduous forests, along river banks, in meadows.

The chemical composition of berries

Gooseberry Commander - features and characteristics

Everything about gooseberries can be recognized by the composition of its berries. They contain:

• up to 13% sugars;
• up to 2% malic, citric and other free acids;
• vitamin A, B, C and P;
• from 1% of pectin substances;
• iron, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, potassium, copper.

Wild gooseberry fruit

Important! The benefits of the fruit lie not only in fresh consumption, but also as jam, jam, jelly and marmalade. Gooseberry harm has not been identified.

Features of seasonal care

In order for the common gooseberry to give a good harvest for many years, it is necessary to follow the recommendations for caring for this crop.

Watering and feeding

The fruit bush, in the process of its development and fruiting, takes all the necessary substances from the soil, therefore feeding is an important procedure for its care. The shrubs require organic and mineral fertilizers annually. In total, it is recommended to carry out several stages during the season:

• in the spring, a composition of 10 liters of compost, 50 g of superphosphate, 25 g of ammonium sulfate and potassium sulfate is prepared for one bush. If the bush is spreading and large, the recommended concentration can be doubled;
• upon completion of flowering, a mullein solution is introduced under the bush, prepared in a ratio of 1: 5. For one fruit shrub, 5-10 liters of this composition will be enough;
• 3 weeks after the second feeding it is repeated. A solution of mullein is also used in a previously determined volume.

Watering the gooseberry plentifully

Despite the fact that the gooseberry is an unpretentious crop, the lack of moisture negatively affects the quality of the fruit. The soil should be moistened abundantly so that the moisture penetrates to a depth of about 0.5 m. For this, the first watering is done in a small amount, and when the earth absorbs the moisture received, the hole is poured with a large volume of water.

Note! A properly organized procedure allows moisture to penetrate to the root system, and not evaporate in the upper layers.

Mulching and loosening

Loosening should begin in early spring, otherwise caked clods of earth will prevent air from penetrating to the root system.It is recommended to repeat the process in the first half of June, when the ovaries are actively developing, and in early September after harvesting.

You can reduce the frequency of watering by using mulching. This procedure involves placing a layer of peat, rotten grass or straw around the bush.

Preventive treatment

Considering that gooseberry is a hardy plant that has strong immunity, it also needs preventive treatment. It involves several stages:

• during the growing season, the bushes are treated with a solution of Bordeaux liquid or nitrofen;
• at the end of flowering, as a prevention of the appearance of powdery mildew and other fungal diseases, the culture is treated with a weak solution of Bordeaux liquid;
• in the summer, you can spray the bushes with a soap and soda solution;
• when at the summer cottage all the gooseberry fruits are collected, the treatment with Bordeaux liquid is repeated.

Pruning

Gooseberries and other shrubs require regular pruning. It can be carried out for healing or giving a compact look. This procedure should be started already from the beginning of spring; dry, diseased and damaged branches should be removed.

Formative bush pruning

For your information! In the fall, the procedure is repeated. This time, old branches and young growth are removed. Thinning will have a beneficial effect on the future harvest.

Preparing for winter

From the beginning of autumn, to prepare the shrub for frost, its abundant watering is carried out, which is called moisture-charging, and by the end of the fall, the ground under the gooseberry is dug up and fertilized. Young plants are covered with coniferous branches or special material. Adult bushes do not need shelter.

Success secrets

For the Gooseberry, you need to find a well-lit and sheltered place from the winds. It is very important to leave free space not only between the bushes, but also to "distance" the plant from the trees. Otherwise, the powerful root systems of neighbors will take away food from the shrub.

When growing Gooseberries, you need to monitor the condition of the soil. In the fall, the soil must be carefully dug up so as not to damage the roots, and in the spring it must be loosened. Additional 3–4 loosening may be needed during the summer.

Although the plant can tolerate short-term drought, it should not be subjected to such tests. Water the bush at least three times a season: during the growth of shoots (May), during the formation of berries (June) and for a favorable wintering (October). Water is poured under the root or into the grooves dug around the bush.

Gooseberries are very responsive to fertilizing, the frequency of which depends on the quality of the soil. Plants growing in poor soil require annual fertilization. For those who are fortunate enough to grow in fertile land, it is enough to receive additional nutrition every three years. Nitrogen fertilizers are applied in spring, phosphorus and potash fertilizers - in spring and autumn.

Reproduction

Propagation of common gooseberry is possible in several ways:

• by cuttings. To obtain cuttings in June, a cut is made in the upper part of the branch. The cut is processed with growth enhancers or placed in a potassium permanganate solution for several hours. Next, the cuttings are planted in a separate container and covered with polyethylene;
• dividing the bush. The bush is dug out in late summer or early autumn, divided into several parts, after which each of them is planted. The benefits of this method are presented in plant rejuvenation;
• layering. The procedure takes place in mid-spring. A young shoot bends down to the ground, cuddles and slightly dips in. After the procedure, the upper edge of the branch should remain. The seedling obtained in this way can be cut from the mother bush at the beginning of the next season.

Reproduction of common gooseberry

For your information! To rejuvenate the plant, it is covered with earth to a height of 2/3. When new roots grow from the shoots, the old ones are cut out, and the plant is transplanted to a new place.

Pest and disease control

Most often, common gooseberries are susceptible to powdery mildew - a dangerous fungal disease. Less common:

• mosaic;
• rust;
• anthracnose.

As for pests, gooseberries are attacked by aphids and moths. You can protect the plant with the help of regular preventive treatments and adherence to agricultural practices.

Many questions have accumulated around the gooseberry: where does its wild variety grow, gooseberry - a berry or a fruit, what harm do these berries have and many others. But, despite them, this culture grows in every garden and is appreciated for its taste and beneficial properties of the fruit.

Healing recipes

The main homemade gooseberry preparations are infusion and decoction of fruits, as well as infusion of leaves. The medicinal properties of gooseberries are especially pronounced when fresh berries and juice from them are ingested.

Decoction

Features. It is used as a mild diuretic and choleretic agent to eliminate puffiness, as well as to improve digestion and the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract: with constipation, a feeling of heaviness in the stomach, flatulence.

Preparation and application

1. A tablespoon of dried or fresh gooseberries is poured into a glass of boiling water.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to a minimum and heat for 10 minutes, filter.
3. Drink one glass four times a day.

Infusion

Features. They are used for fragility of blood vessels, heavy menstrual bleeding, severe manifestations of menopause, with anemia, varicose veins, for the prevention of colds, as well as for the treatment of allergic dermatitis.

Preparation and application

1. Two tablespoons of gooseberry berries are poured into a glass of boiling water in a thermos.
2. Insist for five hours, then filter.
3. It is taken orally in half a glass, twice a day.

Leaf drink

Features. The infusion is used in folk medicine to treat lung problems: pneumonia, bronchitis, tuberculosis. It has choleretic, diuretic, tonic properties. The recipe for cooking without cooking allows you to save more nutrients in the resulting medicine.

Preparation and application

1. 20 dry gooseberry leaves are poured with half a liter of freshly boiled water.
2. Leave to infuse for an hour.
3. Take a third of the glass three times a day.

The juice

Features. Ripe berries are used for cooking. It is used for intestinal disorders, pancreatitis, for general strengthening of the body, as a tonic, antidepressant, antiallergic agent. Can be used for atopic dermatitis in children.

Preparation and application

1. Ripe gooseberries are ground in a mortar or with a blender.
2. The resulting substance is placed in cheesecloth, folded several times, squeezed thoroughly.
3. Take 50 ml juice, three times a day.

Fresh gooseberries can be consumed by adults in unlimited quantities. It is used to saturate the body with vitamins, as an immunostimulant, and also to speed up metabolism.