Amber Gooseberry: variety description and characteristics, cultivation and reproduction

Gooseberries are popular among many gardeners. The features of this plant include ease of cultivation, protection from ailments and taste of the crop. One of the best varieties of such berries is the Amber gooseberry variety.

General information

This plant was obtained in the fifties of the last century by the Soviet breeder M. A. Pavlova. When creating Amber, the English yellow variety of berries was used. Within a few years after its creation, the variety spread to farms located on the territory of Ukraine, Belarus and Russia.

The bushes of the plant grow up to one and a half meters, if properly cared for. Greenish leaves appear on the branches of shrubs in late spring.

Also, the twigs have a small number of pointed thorns, which are colored light brown.

The variety is unpretentious to soil, and therefore it grows well in any conditions. The only place where Amber can bear fruit poorly is swampy and oxidized soil with high humidity. The plant is best grown outdoors as it is protected from frost.

Amber belongs to the early-ripening varieties of gooseberries, which bear fruit in early summer. With proper care for grown shrubs, the yield reaches 10-15 kilograms per bush. Ripe fruits do not rot and can hang on plants for a long time. Ripe berries after ripening turn reddish, the weight of each of them reaches 5-7 grams.

Pros and cons of Amber variety

When studying the description of this berry, you must definitely familiarize yourself with its shortcomings and advantages. The main advantages of such a plant include the following:

• Early harvest. Gardeners who grow Amber note the rapid ripening of berries. A ripe crop has time to fully ripen until mid-July.
• Speed of fruiting. Some varieties of gooseberries begin to produce their first crop 3-4 years after planting on the site. However, in Amber, fruiting begins the next year after planting seedlings.
• Self-pollination. The shrub is classified as a self-pollinating plant that begins to bear fruit without the use of additional pollinators. This greatly simplifies the cultivation of bushes in greenhouses.
• Yield. Many gardeners classify Amber as a high-yielding type of berry, as it is possible to get about 30 kilograms of harvest from several bushes.

However, the berry also has disadvantages that everyone who plans to grow gooseberries should be familiar with:

• Huge thorns on the stems. The twigs of Amber are covered with powerful sharp thorns, which make it difficult to harvest a mature crop and pruning.
• Cracking berries. If you grow bushes in high humidity conditions, the peel of ripe berries will begin to crack.

How to grow gooseberries

Before you start planting Amber, you need to familiarize yourself with the main features of growing this variety.

Choosing a seat

To get a lot of delicious berries, you need to choose the most suitable place for growing gooseberries. This plant is recommended to be cultivated in areas with fertile soil.At the same time, it should not be waterlogged, since high humidity can provoke rotting of the rhizome. Therefore, experts do not advise planting berries in areas where groundwater is too close to the upper layers of the soil.

When choosing a place to plant, you should pay attention to the level of lighting. It is necessary to choose a place so that the bushes are lit by the sun throughout the day.

Soil composition

The yield and growth rate of shrubs depends on the soil in which the plants are planted.

Gooseberries are best planted in medium loamy light soil, as the root system quickly develops in it. However, some gardeners do not have this option and have to grow berries in heavy clay soil. In this case, sand and clay will have to be added to it. With an increased level of acidity, the site is fertilized with lime.200-300 grams of the substance are consumed per square meter.

Preparation of wells

Gooseberries are planted in pre-dug holes of a rounded shape, the diameter of which is 50-60 centimeters. The depth of each hole should be about 10-15 centimeters. When digging a hole for shrubs, it is necessary to discard the underlying layer of soil in one direction, and the fertile one in the other.

Mineral supplements with fresh compost must be added to the dug hole. The soil is also mixed with potassium sulfate and superphosphate.

Selection of seedlings

It is necessary to familiarize yourself in advance with the recommendations for choosing seedlings for further planting in the garden. Experienced gardeners advise using two-year-old seedlings that have a developed root system. The length of each young bush should be at least 20 centimeters.

When selecting a seedling, pay attention to the surface of the leaves. They should not have dark spots or be covered with a white powdery coating. The leaf plate should have a rich green color.

Planting seedlings

During planting, the selected seedlings are carefully placed in pre-dug holes. They are placed in a vertical position and go deep into the ground by 15 centimeters. Then the pits are covered with soil, rammed and watered.

Nuances of culture care

The prickly gooseberry must be properly cared for so that it bears fruit well.

Irrigation and fertilization

Amber gooseberries, like many other berries, should be watered regularly. The first watering is carried out immediately after planting the seedlings in the garden. Moisturizing the soil is done 1-2 times a week in spring and summer. For irrigation use warm water, heated to room temperature.

For feeding shrubs use:

• Potato Peels. When creating a feed mixture, 700-800 grams of potato skins are soaked in boiling water. Then the mixture is cooled and poured under the roots.
• Biohumus. This mixture is used during the fruiting period. To prepare the solution, a glass of biohumus is added to 10 liters of warm water. Before use, the feed composition is infused for 15-20 hours.

Cutting

When forming bushes, the classical method is most often used. In the first year of cultivation, all young stems are cut in half so that no more than five buds remain on them. The shoots located at the bottom are cut off completely. Also, when pruning, they get rid of all the branches that have begun to dry or grow inside the shrub. They will never bear fruit and are therefore completely useless.

Pruning is carried out annually, at the end of April, when the first buds swell on the branches.

Strengthening the bushes and preparing them for wintering

Shrubs are prepared in early autumn, before the frosts begin.The site is cleared of fallen leaves and weeds, which are considered the main carriers of dangerous ailments. The soil under the bushes is carefully dug up and mixed with dressings. Experts advise using phosphorus-potassium mixtures. Nitrogen top dressings should not be used, as young stems can begin to grow because of them.

Pest and disease prevention and control measures

Amber gooseberry variety is sometimes infected with viral and bacterial diseases. Therefore, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the basic recommendations for the prevention of the development of such ailments.

So that the bushes do not hurt, it is necessary:

• observe the basic agrotechnical rules for growing berries;
• regularly prune the stems so that the shrubs are not too dense;
• periodically dig up the site;
• plant plants near berries that would repel dangerous insects;
• spray the bushes with boiling water to kill pathogens of fungal infections;
• feed the bushes so that they do not suffer from a lack of nutrients.

Cultivar Breeding

There are various methods of propagating gooseberries, but most often they use vertical layers for this.

In March, old shoots are removed from the bushes, after which the young branches are also shortened. Thanks to this pruning, young shoots will begin to appear quickly in the bushes. When their height reaches 10-15 centimeters, they are covered with fertilized soil. In the second half of July, pinch the top of the shoots so that they take root. By autumn, the cuttings will be firmly rooted and can be transplanted to a new place.

Collecting and storing berries

Most often harvested in July, but the Amber variety is considered early, and therefore its berries ripen a little earlier.

All berries ripen at the same time, thanks to which the fruit is harvested only once. Harvested fruits do not keep for too long and should therefore be used immediately after harvest. Ripe berries can be stored at room temperature for 4-5 days. In order for the crop to be stored for 3-5 months, it will have to be placed in food containers and frozen

Conclusion

Berry gardeners often plant Amber Gooseberries. Before purchasing this variety, you should familiarize yourself with its characteristic features and recommendations for planting, growing and harvesting.

Recommended