Gooseberry Commander: description and characteristics of the variety, planting and care with a photo

The miracle of Soviet selection, the gooseberry of the Komandor variety, came from the famous parents Afrikaner and Chelyabinsk green. Under the leadership of Vladimir Ilyin, in 1995, a long-awaited bush without thorns was born.

External description of the variety Commander (Vladil)

The unforgettable taste of crunchy berries is familiar and loved by every summer resident. Jams and compotes made from gooseberries rightfully occupy the central places of the festive table. But the thought of harvesting this prickly stubborn will discourage even the most pragmatic owner.Ilyin brilliantly solved the problem of this plant by developing a thornless gooseberry, for which he was immortalized in the first name of this variety Vladil, which is made up of the first syllables of his name and surname.

Gooseberry Commander cannot be confused with any other species. The high growth of bushes, the compact forms of the plant, the berries of a rich dark color are features that are unique to him. But for those who have not yet met Vladil, the following description will help to identify him at the site.

Bush, shoots and leaves

The bushes of this variety have a serious growth, sometimes reaching 1.5 m.

The twigs of the Commander are covered with a thin green-brown bark, shimmering in the sun with a pleasant pink color.

The foliage of this variety has a dense structure with characteristic deep cuts and is located on the branches of a beautiful ladder. At the base of the leaf there is a notch inherent in all gooseberries.

Root system

The root system of this variety traditionally does not spread beyond the boundaries of the bush itself, preferring to grow in depth. The depth of the longest shoots of the system reaches 1.5 m, but most of them are not lower than 15-50 cm. Every year, the Vladil variety grows new roots. The oldest roots gradually die off, making room for young shoots.

Yield and berries

Noble, burgundy with a hint of brown color of the berries is very similar to dark grape varieties. Fruit size is average, not exceeding 7 grams, with a thin, smooth skin. The juicy sweet pulp of this plant has very little black seeds.

The ripening of berries occurs already in the middle of summer, for which the Komandor variety has the status of a mid-ripening species. Due to the abundant presence of ascorbic acid in the skin of the fruit, the berries have a sour taste. The weight of the crop harvested from the bush per season is 6-8 kg.

Specifications

Although the Commander belongs to the gooseberry family, he has individual traits that are not inherent in this agriculture. For the most part, the plant has a whole list of positive qualities, but not without its cons.

Dignity of the variety

The absolute advantage of this gooseberry variety is the absence of thorns. Harvesting and caring for the plant is now becoming commonplace, no more difficult than caring for currants. The first berries of the gooseberry Vladil begin to ripen early, gradually turning into mass ripening of the entire crop. Therefore, there will be a great opportunity to enjoy the berries taken directly from the bush, almost until the end of July.

The palatability of this variety is rated at 4.7 on a five-point tasting scale, which is objectively an excellent rating. Despite the exquisite taste, gooseberries are not uncommon, as harvests are quite plentiful - up to 8 kg from one bush.

On top of everything else, the Commander variety took all the best from its parents, providing itself with strong immunity to many diseases.

Disadvantages of the variety

They are not so many, but they must be taken into account. The thin delicate skin of the berries, so pleasant to the taste, creates problems during transportation. Therefore, it is better to take the berries unripe from the bush and place them in a container with low sides, tightly closing it with a lid Good packaging will not shake the valuable cargo during transportation.

With such tenderness of berries, they are stored for a very short time. Therefore, after harvesting, it is immediately processed. The removed fruits of the gooseberry Vladil will lie no more than 5 days in the refrigerator, and even less without it. If it is not possible to immediately process the crop, freezing is an excellent option. With such processing, it will last up to six months, without much loss of taste.

Frost and drought resistance

Despite the love of water, the plant tolerates short-term droughts thanks to its deep enough root system.

Although long, hot summers can kill a crop, this can easily be prevented with regular watering.

The creators of the Commander variety are especially proud of its frost resistance. It has been experimentally established that frosts reaching -30 degrees are painlessly tolerated by this plant. But a caring owner will cover the bushes, because short-term frosts below the estimated temperatures are not new for Russia.

Crop-damaging diseases and pests

The Commander variety has good he alth and the usual diseases inherent in the culture bypass it. Even sawfly and powdery mildew are not afraid of this species. But there are weaknesses in the Vladil variety:

1. A fungal disease commonly called "rust" affects this variety often. Foliage, flowers, ovaries, and sometimes the fruits themselves begin to become covered with yellowish growths, which subsequently darken. Such a plant must be treated with a solution of Bordeaux mixture at a concentration of 1%.
2. Drying of branches - usually it is enough to remove dying shoots. But if this operation does not help, then this is a sign of a fungal disease of the root system. Such a plant must be uprooted and burned, otherwise there is a risk of spreading to other bushes. Be sure to take into account that even one remaining cut can spread the infection to neighbors.

How to grow a bush: planting and caring for gooseberries

Planting and caring for the Commander is a simple job. Basically, all recommendations come down to operations that are universal for all gooseberries. Of course, there are nuances.

Fitting technology

Preparation begins with thorough weeding, the earth must be cleared of unnecessary plants. The cleared soil must be dug up on the bayonet of a shovel, carefully breaking all the lumps. If you plan to plant several Commander bushes, then you need to keep a distance between them of 0.8-1.5 m. It is very important to inspect the rhizome for the removal of diseased and dead shoots.

The plant is immersed in a hole with a slope of 45 degrees, later this will help with the growth of young shoots. You need to carefully straighten the roots and fill the hole first with loam, and then with a prepared mixture of fertilizers and black soil. After completion of work, the bushes are carefully watered.

When is it worth planting the Commander in open ground

Despite the love of the Commander variety for water, it is not worth planting it in a lowland. The nature of gooseberries is such that they prefer the sun first of all, and only then drink with pleasure.Therefore, it is preferable to plant on a hill with sod-podzolic or sandy loamy soil.

Planting is best done in early or mid-autumn, then the bush will have time to strengthen the root system and give beautiful shoots in the spring.

Required soil composition

When digging a planting hole, it is necessary to separate the upper fertile layer from subsequent soil layers. Variety Komandor prefers soft and sandy soil compositions, but will also take root in loam. The top layer needs to be mixed with fertilizer, as needed with sand, and with this composition, fill the roots of the planted plant.

Dimensions of the landing pit and the scheme of planting bushes

The pit for planting should be at least 40 cm deep. Each side of the pit should exceed 50 cm. When planting, the bottom of the pit and the roots of the plant should be sprinkled with the lower layers of the excavated soil.

When planning a site in several bushes, there are the following rules. If you want to get the maximum from each bush, make a distance of 1 m between them, and 2 m between rows. The number of branches of each plant in this configuration should be 16-20.

If you want to get the maximum from the area, then the distance between the bushes is reduced to 60-80 cm, and the row spacing is up to 1.2 m. The size of the bush should now consist of 10-14 branches.

Care for young and adult bushes

Caring for the Komandor variety is simple, although it has its own characteristics. This species is picky about soil moisture, so wet soil should not be watered at all. If the humidity is normal or low, you will need 5 liters of water per bush. There is an easy way to check the saturation of the soil with moisture.

A pinch of soil is blown in the direction of the wind, lumps of wet soil will immediately fall to the ground, while dry soil will turn into dust and continue to move, picked up by the air flow.

Regular watering and fertilizing

Commander variety loves water, but in this case the main thing is not to overdo it. Watered land should not become swampy, that is, water should not stagnate on the surface. On average, one bush takes 3-5 liters per day.

Before preparing for winter, gooseberries Commander are watered until the moisture stops being absorbed. Such abundant watering will increase the frost resistance of the plant. Variety Vladil loves chicken manure, although superphosphates will also work. The owner feeding the gooseberry expects a large number of large berries and a he althy plant appearance. However, this procedure should be carried out only after harvest.

Shaping and pruning bushes

In autumn, the bush must be subjected to the circumcision procedure. Branches affected by pests and diseases must be removed without fail. Although the Commander variety is not sensitive to cold, it is better to play it safe and cover it for the winter.In frost, the elastic gooseberry branches become brittle, so it makes sense to install props and frames.

Treatment from pests and diseases

White plaque on the foliage, similar to lime spots, these are signs of the appearance of a scale insect. A small pest, similar to an ant, is almost invisible to the eye, but can do a lot of trouble. In addition to specialized means of struggle, they can be defeated with Decis or Aktara solutions.

Aphid colonies can slow down growth or even destroy the plant, so the fight against them is extremely important. In addition to the above means of dealing with the past pest, Cesar and Aktofit will additionally help. For people who do not want to use chemistry, it can be advised to use wood ash or concentrated tobacco solution.

Features of flowering and fruiting varieties

Vladil's gooseberry blossom begins in mid-May. Small yellow-green flowers shower the entire bush, giving it elegance. The warm spring sun, heating the inflorescences, causes them to change color to a pale pink hue. Buds are grouped on branches of 2-3 pieces, from which the bush at this time looks soft and fluffy. In shape, the flowers resemble a bell with 4 petals turned outwards. The flowering period does not last long, and the petals completely fall off by the end of May.

After a couple of weeks, the ovary appears, quickly turning into small green berries. Harvest ripening occurs 6-8 weeks after the start of flowering. Commander is a very grateful gooseberry variety, and with proper care, it will regularly produce up to 8 kg of juicy sweet and sour berries from one bush.

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