Black gooseberry: description of varieties, reproduction, cultivation and care with photo

Gooseberries are valued by consumers for their benefits and excellent taste. The only drawback, due to which not every summer resident undertakes to grow it, is the large number of thorns that make it difficult to pick berries. Among the wide variety, experts especially single out the black gooseberry variety, comparing it with grapes in terms of taste characteristics. Let's see why it is so useful, and in what conditions it is necessary to grow black gooseberries.

Peculiarities of culture

The main feature of the culture that distinguishes it from other varieties is not its appearance or taste, but its useful properties.Especially black gooseberries are appreciated by nutritionists and recommend its use to their patients. Its berries have an unusual appearance, and the peel is more like black velvet. Breeders have bred many black gooseberry hybrids that have unusual properties. The general virtues of culture include:

• nice appearance;
• weather resistant;
• strong immunity.

Technical description and external parameters

The external parameters of the black gooseberry differ from the usual. The bush grows in width by about 1.5 meters, and in some cases, with proper care, up to 2 meters. The branches of the black gooseberry are thick and strong, covered with a large number of thorns. The size of the berries and their appearance vary depending on the variety chosen, but they have one thing in common:

• pleasant, strong fragrance;
• bright taste.

Pay attention! Black gooseberries do not fall off after ripening and stay on the branches for a long period of time.

How different from regular gooseberries

From the more common varieties of gooseberries, black differs in the following properties:

• the proportion of vitamin C contained in one berry of dark varieties is several times higher than the standard indicators;
• natural antioxidant;
• systematic use allows you to cleanse the body, ridding it of unnecessary toxins and harmful substances;
• long-liver among other cultures. Bush lives quietly for twenty years or more;
• contains a large amount of minerals that enrich the body.

How to plant and grow bushes

Gooseberry bushes are not very capricious, and even a novice gardener can grow them. However, it is necessary to adhere to the general rules of breeding, without which no culture grows. These include:

• disembarkation on time;
• soil matching;
• proper landing site preparation;
• Using basic seating patterns that help gooseberry bushes develop harmoniously.

Follow these rules, and your gooseberries will take root on the site without any problems.

Disembarkation dates

Planting dates are common for all crops. Highlight:

• autumn landing;
• spring landing.

Autumn is considered a more auspicious time. The bush manages to build up the root system, and next spring it already begins to bear fruit. This method is suitable for regions with warm or moderately cold autumn.

In cool regions, planting begins in the second half of August, in warm regions - from late September to early October.

In the spring, gooseberries are planted by those gardeners who did not have time to do this during the fall. The main thing here is to choose the right moment. The fact is that the culture is sensitive to sudden changes in temperature. An unexpected spring thaw or severe frosts will destroy a fragile seedling. The best time is when the buds have not yet begun to swell, and the ground has thawed from winter frosts.

Ground requirements

The plant has no special preferences for soil, showing good growth dynamics under any conditions. If you highlight the preferred soil compositions, choose places:

• loamy soils;
• slightly acidic or neutral.

Otherwise, there are no special preferences, and the gardener chooses a place based on his own preferences.

Preparation of plants and planting pit

Plant requirements before planting:

• sapling roots are soaked in a solution with organic fertilizers for a day before planting;
• if the root system looks packed, gently run your fingers along the border of the earthy coma, straightening the small roots.

Pit Requirement:

• foreign plants and weeds are removed at the planting site;
• the soil is dug up and enriched with fertilizers with a high content of potassium;
• pit for landing - not less than 50 centimeters wide;
• the depth of the pit is at least 40 centimeters.

Pay attention! After planting, the bush is irrigated with a moderate amount of water.

Scheme and distance of planting gooseberry bushes

The landing pattern and distance are calculated depending on the desired result:

• if there is a lot of free space on the plot, and the gardener plans to harvest a large crop, the distance between the rows should be at least 2 meters. The distance between the bushes is from 1 to 1.5 meters;
• in the case where there is little space, the plantation is formed as follows: the distance between bushes is from 60 to 80 centimeters, the distance between rows is from 1 to 1.2 meters.

Conditions for good growth and fruiting

Positive growth dynamics and a bountiful harvest are achieved by observing optimal growing conditions. These include:

• choosing the right place;
• frequency and abundance of watering;
• amount of fertilizer applied;
• bush formation;
• carrying out preventive procedures aimed at combating pests and diseases.

A plant that will be given comfortable growing conditions will form a strong bush that will grow a decent harvest. Neglecting the above points will result in the death of the crop or a small number of berries at the end of the season.

Optimal place to grow

When choosing a landing site, pay attention to the following things:

• the site should be flat, without sharp changes in height;
• Shaded places are a bad choice. The gooseberry loves sunlight, and without it grows weak. Plantings organized in shady areas are more likely to get powdery mildew;
• in case the summer resident wants to plant a crop next to the fence, leave a gap between the plantation and the hedge. During growth, the plant grows strongly, and if you plant it back to back, the fence wall will not allow the bush to grow normally;
• if possible, place plantings near drainage channels. So excess water will be removed from the roots, preventing them from rotting.

Irrigation and feeding frequency

The irrigation process is divided into several stages, depending on the season and growth stage. Young plants planted on the site for the first year are watered abundantly and systematically. Determine soil moisture as follows:

• dig a small hole at the place of growth, 20 centimeters deep;
• part of the soil is removed from it, which is compressed in the hand;
• a compressed clod of earth is dropped down from a height of one meter;
• the lump remained intact or fell apart into several large segments - the humidity is sufficient;
• if the earthy lump crumbled into small pieces, watering is required.

Adult, mature plants are intensively watered until the berries begin to swell, after which watering is reduced to a minimum. Thus, the fruits will become sweet in taste, gaining a sufficient amount of sugar. Otherwise, when eating, sour notes will be clearly felt.

Feed preferably with complex mineral fertilizers containing a balanced amount of nutrients. Seasonal top dressings are divided into:

• spring. The first feeding is done in March-April, before bud break. The second - in May, before flowering;
• summer. Due in June;
• autumn feeding is carried out in the second half of September-early October.

Hub formation technology

The correct and timely formation of a bush is an important process that requires special attention from the summer resident. The thing is that the gooseberry bush grows intensively, and there are a lot of thorns on its branches.

If you do not cut it in time, then getting to the harvest will be extremely problematic.

Pruning is done in autumn. All old or damaged branches are removed from the bush. In the end, there should be several strong shoots with branches, the length of which should not exceed 50 centimeters.

Pay attention! Special long-handled scissors are used as a tool, otherwise you risk injuring your hands.

Treatment from diseases and insects

Gooseberry has good immunity, which allows you to effectively deal with pests. However, planting will not interfere with the attention of the gardener. As preventive measures apply:

1. Spring spraying of bushes with boiling water, in which a small amount of manganese is diluted. The dosage depends on the number of bushes, and recipes for preparing such a solution are easy to find on our portal.
2. If infected or damaged branches are found, they are removed and burned as far as possible.
3. In autumn, in preparation for the winter season, leaves and other debris are removed around.

Methods of propagating chokeberry crop

The chokeberry culture, like all its other representatives, reproduces in standard ways:

1. Reproduction by layering. This method is considered one of the most effective, since along the entire length of the shoot, in the area of \u200b\u200bbudding, a root system is formed, which is in its infancy.
2. Shoots. To implement it, it is enough to cut off the shoots that form close to the base of the bush. The only condition for using this method is the limited age of the mother bush. It must not exceed 9 years.
3. Branches. A powerful, well-formed branch is selected and separated from the main plant along with part of the root system. The branch is buried in a new place, and after a while it grows into a full-fledged bush.
4. Division, when the old bush is dug up and divided into two parts. The old, non-viable part is thrown away, and the new one is transplanted to another place.
5. Cuttings. Pruning shoots are made from the mother bush, which are planted in a new place. The cuttings take root well and show intensive growth with proper care.

Popular varieties and their characteristics

There are quite a lot of chokeberry varieties, and among the popular, in great demand among gardeners, there are:

1. Black Prince Gooseberry.
2. Gooseberry variety Black Negus.
3. Grape gooseberry.
4. Isabella.
5. Black velvet.

Black Prince

The Black Prince gained popularity due to the following positive qualities:

• forms a large number of berries;
• long fruiting period;
• berries are juicy, soft;
• has a pleasant fragrance.

It owes its appearance to the breeding activities of Michurin I.V.

Negus

Gives a bountiful harvest that stays on the branches for a long time without falling to the ground. In the process of growth, it grows strongly and, if you do not take care of it, picking berries will turn into a painful process. The berries are medium in size, but pleasant in taste, and many compare it to grapes. Berries are formed abundantly and systematically.

Grape

Wine variety, the berries of which contain a large amount of sugars and vitamins. It is used both fresh and as a basis for making wine, compote or marmalade. Berries have different colors. There are dark purple or dark blue tones.

Isabella

It has medium dimensions, which does not prevent it from forming large, juicy berries. There are thorns on the branches, but not as many as others. The peel of the berries is strong, but thin, and the weight of one fruit can reach 3.5 grams. Berries ripen in the first half of August. It is important not to miss this moment, as ripe fruits tend to crumble to the ground.

Black velvet

Fruits on the branches begin to ripen very early. The berries are very large, and the weight of one varies from 5 to 8 grams. Thorns on the branches practically do not form, and the collection of fruits turns into a real pleasure. Black velvet endures environmental influences. The bush needs active formation, otherwise it starts to age quickly.

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