Gooseberry Harlequin

The Harlequin gooseberry variety appeared as a result of crossing the Chelyabinsk green and African varieties. It was approved for use in 1995. Its purpose is universal.

Gooseberry Harlequin belongs to medium-sized varieties. Shrubs are medium spreading, of medium density with thorns. At the same time, the spine is weak.

Shoots of plants are medium in thickness, straight, light green in color. The leaf plates are large, they are slightly shiny, green and slightly wrinkled.

The thorns on the bushes are short, straight and slender. Their color is brown. They are directed downward.

Ripe berries are of medium size, their shape is round-oval, one-dimensional. The color of the fruit is dark cherry, almost black. The skin is of medium thickness.

Ripe gooseberries have a sweet and sour taste. The fruit contains dry soluble components, ascorbic acid. The tasting score was 4.8 points.

The Harlequin variety belongs to the mid-season species. Fruits ripen by the middle of the summer season.

Harlequin has a high yield level. From one bush, you can collect from 2.4 to 6 kilograms of ripe fruits.

In the process of planting such a gooseberry, an interval of 1-1.5 m is left between the bushes, a distance of 1.5-2 m is made between individual rows.In addition, the distance from the bushes to buildings and trees should be at least 3 m.

Planting pits for plants should be prepared in advance. The diameter of each such hole should be 40-50 cm, depth - 60 cm.

Each planting pit will need to place 10 kg of a nutrient mixture consisting of rotted organic residues, ash and nitrophoska.

Fertilizers must be mixed with the ground before applying. If planting is carried out on heavy soils, then sand is also added.

A small mound is formed from the mixture. A young seedling is installed on it. The root system of vegetation is carefully spread over the slopes of this mound.

The soil should be tamped down a little. The planted plant is abundantly watered with clean water, and also mulched with peat or humus. Planting is recommended in late September or early spring.

The harlequin is considered a drought tolerant species. But still he will need periodic watering. This will facilitate quick and easy absorption of nutrients.

Watering is carried out as the top layer of the soil dries out. In this case, water must be poured only at the root of the vegetation. The liquid should not get on the leaves, otherwise it can provoke the appearance of burns.

Harlequin also needs formative pruning. In the process of this procedure, you need to shorten the long branches.All cut sites must be treated with disinfectants.

During the growing season, gooseberries should be fed regularly. In this case, the first time fertilizers are applied when the leaves are blooming. It is better to use urea or nitrophosphate.

Before flowering, the plant is fed with ash and potassium sulfate. When the ovaries are formed, nutritious organic compounds are introduced under the bushes. You can take manure or bird droppings.

This culture is considered thermophilic, therefore, it should be prepared before the onset of frost.

In the fall, all the fallen leaves are raked up and removed from the site. Humus and ash are scattered around the crown. All this goes a little deeper into the ground. After that, a layer of peat is laid, its thickness should be at least 10-12 centimeters. The peat layer is removed only in spring. Then the soil is loosened thoroughly.

The Harlequin variety is considered disease and pest resistant. But still, the plant can be affected by rust, white spot. In order to prevent the vegetation, it is recommended to treat it with a solution of copper sulfate.

If the gooseberry is already damaged, then it is better to treat it with Bordeaux liquid. Such treatment must be performed after flowering, the treatment is repeated twice a week.

If the bushes are too heavily infected, then they should be completely removed from the site and burned so that they do not start infecting other plants. And also the culture sometimes suffers from moths, sawflies and aphids. To destroy these pests, it is necessary to carry out treatment with a solution of karbofos. For 10 liters of water, there should be 5 grams of the substance.

Many gardeners have noted the excellent taste characteristics of this variety. Gooseberry has a pleasant taste with a strong sourness. And also the high yield has earned positive feedback, the variety allows you to get a bountiful harvest of berries every year. Some gardeners also spoke out separately about the resistance of this variety to various pests.