Gooseberry Grushenka

Gooseberry is a shrub from the currant family; it can hardly be called a popular berry crop. Harvesting is impeded by thorny shoots, the berries have a specific taste and not everyone likes it, the shrub is easily exposed to various diseases. Nevertheless, gooseberry fruits are quite useful, and breeders have been working on improving its properties for a long time. The unpretentious universal variety Grushenka (synonym for Ribes uva-crispa Gruhenka) is one of such results with excellent characteristics. Berries have medicinal properties, excellent transportability, attractive appearance, are suitable for fresh consumption, for cooking preserves, jams, confitures, compotes and deep freezing.

The authorship in the appearance of the variety belongs to I.V. Popova, a breeder from the All-Russian Selection and Technological Institute of Horticulture and Nursery. The varieties Moskovsky Krasny, Severny Kapitan and Form 595-33 were used as parent varieties.

A medium-sized shrub with thornless shoots has a slightly spreading shape and dense foliage. Branches of medium thickness have close internodes. The leaves are bright green, flowers and ovaries successfully resist recurrent frosts, the shrub itself is characterized by a strong shoot-regenerating ability. The bushes are capable of fully bearing fruit from 16 to 19 years. The variety has a high self-fertility, the ability to rapidly build up young shoots with a large number of fruit buds, while the ovaries are formed on annual and adult branches.

Medium-sized round-pear-shaped berry weighing 4.3 grams is purple-colored and covered with thick skin, which contributes to its transportability. The fruits are not prone to shedding and have excellent properties that largely contribute to the restoration of health:

• accelerate metabolism;

• normalize blood pressure and liver function;

• promote the activation of the gastrointestinal tract functions;

• increase the level of hemoglobin, act as a laxative;

• the berry is used in the treatment of skin diseases (eczema, psoriasis);

• gooseberry inhibits the development of cancer cells, slows down the aging process in the body.

Chemical composition:

• vitamins A, B (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9), PP, H, K, C, 30 mg / 100 g of berries, E (0.5) and B3 (0.3);

• macroelements - potassium (260 mg / 100 g), phosphorus (28), sodium, calcium, sulfur, magnesium, silicon (18–23);

• trace elements - copper (130 μg / 100 g of berries), aluminum (33.6), rubidium (19), 18 positions in total.

The fruits are low in calories (43-46 kcal / 100 g) and are used in dietary nutrition.

Juicy fleshy pulp has a sweet and sour balanced taste. Berries are not prone to cracking, shedding, they are stored for a long time in appropriate conditions.

The variety belongs to the mid-late category - the harvest takes place from late July to mid-August. Fruiting is extended, occurs 2-3 years after planting. Two-year-old seedlings begin to bear fruit the next year.

The yield is average - 5-6 kg are harvested from the bushes, but with ideal agricultural technology, the indicators can be increased.

Excellent winter hardiness and the ability to successfully survive hot and dry periods allowed Grushenka to master almost all regions of the country.

For planting, choose sunny, or with little shade, areas with protection from northern winds and drafts. The unpretentiousness of the variety allows it to be planted on soils of any type, but swampiness or the proximity of groundwater will have a detrimental effect on the plant. The landing time is early spring or autumn, the latter being considered the most favorable. Planting 1.5-2 months before the onset of frost will allow the seedling to take root. In the spring, Grushenka will begin her vital functions in a strengthened state.

When choosing a site, it must be borne in mind that adult bushes do not tolerate transplantation, so the place must be permanent. The ideal location is along the fences that cover the bushes from the north and west. Currant and gooseberry plantings are considered bad predecessors, since they have the same enemies among diseases and pests.

The site is dug up with the simultaneous introduction of humus, dolomite flour, wood ash, superphosphate and 0.4 g of potassium salt per sq. m. The optimal size of the planting pit for gooseberry seedlings is 50x50x50 cm. The distance between the holes is 1-1.5 meters. If the selected site has not been enriched, then the removed soil is mixed with organic matter, mineral fertilizers and wood ash. The root collar is deepened by 5-6 cm. The near-trunk circle is abundantly watered and mulched with peat, seasoned sawdust.

Further care consists in timely watering, weeding, loosening the near-trunk circle, sanitary and shaping scraps. Watering is carried out weekly in hot weather, adult bushes do not need additional irrigation with a standard rainfall. In the southern regions with a small amount of rain, gooseberries are watered 4 times per season, during periods:

1. flowering;

2. ovary formation;

3. ripening of the crop;

4. in the fall.

Gooseberries require the organization of supports for branches drooping under the load of pouring berries. Special fences are sold in stores, many make them on their own. Additional application of nutrients begins from the third year after planting:

• early spring - nitrogen preparations;

• ripening period - potassium-phosphorus compositions;

• autumn - application of organic fertilizers.

The intensity of the growth of shoots forces the gardener to thin out the crown, achieving free air circulation and the penetration of sunlight. At this time, remove all lateral, old, deformed shoots, as well as those growing inside the bush. A properly formed adult bush should have 5 main and up to 20 lateral branches of different ages. If you neglect sanitary and formative scraps, the berry will begin to shrink, lose sweetness, and become more and more sour. In the spring, be sure to remove frozen and broken branches. Weak shoots must also be removed, otherwise the bush will waste energy on them. In late autumn, the trunk circle must be covered with a thick layer of humus - during the spring thawing of snow, nutrients will naturally enter the ground.

The variety has a strong immunity that allows it to resist most viral and fungal diseases. For gooseberries, pests are more dangerous - spider mites, moths, aphids. Preventive treatments with insecticides and fungicides help maintain the health of the shrub and the quality of the crop.

Grushenka shows excellent results in frost resistance and drought resistance. The gooseberry is not afraid of the intense heat, which has become a common guest in the middle lane and even Siberia. It resists sub-zero temperatures with the same success, enduring frosts down to -30ºC, thanks to which it lives in the gardens of the northern regions.