One of the most common crops that grow on personal plots is gooseberries. This is an unpretentious plant that attracts with delicious fruits and high yields. To collect quality products, you need to know the basic rules for planting and care.

Botanical description and characterization of culture

Gooseberries are shrubs that grow to a height of 120 cm. Outwardly, they look like currants. The bark is a dark gray or deep brown hue. Over time, it exfoliates from the branches. All branches have large spikes that cause discomfort when harvesting. The characteristic of the shoots indicates a cylindrical shape. The hue is gray.

The sheet plate consists of 3 teeth. The shade of foliage is saturated green. The kidneys are brown. Their surface is covered with scales of a red tint. The kidneys are located in the axil sinuses.

Gooseberry flowers are green or red. They are bisexual, so the culture has the characteristics of self-pollination. Based on the description, the fruits are oval or spherical in shape. Coarse bristles are found on the surface of the peel. Ripe fruits come in a variety of shades: from green to yellow or purple.

Did you know? Some experts in the field of traditional medicine recommend eating fresh gooseberries to cleanse the body of radiation. Also, the fruits belong to dietary products, since 100 g of the product contains only 44 kcal.

Outdoor cultivation technology, care features

Outdoor cultivation is carried out in spring or mid-autumn. Planting technology should be based on the selection of seedlings and the selection of a seat. You should also take into account the seasonal characteristics of your region in order to choose the permissible time for planting in open ground. Or you can use the gardener's calendar.

Features of care are in standard procedures:

1. Watering.
   

2. Top dressing.
   

3. Trimming and bush formation.
   

4. Loosening the soil and removing weeds.
   

5. Garter on trellis.
   

6. Protection of cure against diseases and pests.
   

How to choose the right variety

The first thing to consider when choosing the right variety is the climate of your region. There are certain varieties that are intended for planting in the northern regions of the country. If you ignore this indicator, then you will plant a bush on the site, which will die after the first frosts.

Resistance to drought and other adverse factors should also be considered. Usually, the higher the sustainability indicators, the higher the cost of the seedling. Buying a quality product, you will be sure that it will grow and give a bountiful harvest.

Did you know? Gooseberries contain a large number of pectins. These are substances that help remove toxins from the body and protect cells from environmental factors.

Outdoor Landing, Seasonal Features

Before planting planting material, it is necessary to prepare the site. First they dig it up, removing all foreign objects and weeds. After this, fertilizers are applied. Both organic and mineral substances can be used. On 1 m² 10 kg of humus, 1 kg of superphosphate and 2 kg of urea are added. Substances are left on the surface, and after 2 weeks they dig the earth again. After digging, it is necessary to level the ground, removing all lumps. To do this, it is advisable to use a small rake, as they cope better with uneven soil.

After 2 days, you can begin to prepare the seat. Wells should be 50 cm in diameter and 40 cm deep. The excavated earth is mixed with 100 g of potassium sulfate to make it more nutritious. If you live in a region with clay soil, then 6 kg of river sand is poured into each pit. This will allow moisture to not linger and not create a threat to the deformation of the root system. The distance between the seedlings should be 1.5 m, and between the rows 4 m. Thanks to this planting scheme, the bushes will not create a shadow to each other. You may be interested in information about when the gooseberry begins to bear fruit after planting seedlings.

Further planting technology consists of the following steps:

1. A sapling is mounted vertically inside the hole.
2. The roots are straightened so that there are no tangles.
3. Sprinkle the well with prepared soil and ram.
4. Pour 10 liters of warm water.
5. The trunk circle is mulched with straw or leaves.

Seat selection

To plant a bush, you need to choose a high-quality site. All its parameters must correspond to the agrotechnical features of gooseberries. Given that the root system of the shrub reaches a length of 50 cm, you can not plant plants in the lowlands. In such places, groundwater comes close to the surface of the earth, so the root system will be constantly in conditions of high humidity. As a result, there is a risk of developing permanent diseases and, as a consequence, the death of gooseberries.

It is best to plant planting material on the plains or hills. The site should be well lit by sunlight.

The duration of lighting should be at least 10 hours per day. Gooseberries are grown near fences or buildings. The distance between the building and the bush should be 3-4 m. This will protect the plants from draft and windy weather and prevent the appearance of shade. Considering that snowdrifts form near structures, this will create additional protection in winter. Choose places where loamy, super sandy or sandy lands. If your region has only clayey lands, be prepared for frequent loosening of the top layer.

Important! The optimum acid-base soil level is 6%. Low and high rates negatively affect crop yields.

Selection and preparation of planting material

The secret of a quality gooseberry crop is a careful approach to the selection of planting material. The main factors to pay attention to include:

1. Age. It should be from 1 to 2 years.
2. Root system. Length from 25 to 40 cm.

Buy seedlings in nurseries, as they monitor the quality of products.

A week before planting, the plant is placed in a solution of manganese (20 g per 10 liters of water) and incubated for 5 hours. After that, the seedling is immersed in the growth stimulator "Epin" (100 g per 5 liters of water) so that it is rooted faster in the soil. The next stage in the preparation of planting material is soaking in a solution of potassium humate (3 tbsp. In a bucket of water). The procedure is carried out the day before the alleged planting in open ground.

Video: Planting gooseberries

Care Rules

After fulfilling all the rules of agricultural technology, it is necessary to take care of the care of the crop. All procedures should be performed on time, taking into account the quality and appearance of the plant. The future harvest depends on how you care for the bushes. Watering and top dressing are the most important procedures.

Watering, top dressing

The need for watering is indicated by the quality of the soil. If you pick up a lump of earth and it will crumble, it means that the amount of water is not enough. The first time you need to water, under the condition of arid conditions, at the stage of formation of the ovaries. The second, plentiful watering, should be carried out during the mass ripening of berries.

Abundant watering is the use of 20-25 liters of water per 1 plant. Between these periods, standard planned irrigation of the soil is carried out, with an interval of 2 weeks. Under each bush, 10 liters of warm water are poured.

In spring and summer, fertilizing should consist of organic substances. It is best to use a solution of mullein (1 kg per 10 liters of water) or bird droppings (1 kg per 20 liters of water). 5 l of solution is poured under the root of each plant. In autumn, plants are fed a mixture of mineral and organic substances. To do this, mix 80 g of potassium, 10 g of urea and 30 g of superphosphate. All these substances are diluted in 10 liters of water and poured into 2 liters of solution under 1 bush.

Loosening, weed removal

It is better to feed the plants after watering, so after irrigation of the soil you need to wait 3 days and loosen the top layer of the earth. The depth of cultivation should be 30 cm. After a few days, fertilizers can be applied. Loosening the soil is necessary, since under the influence of moisture and the sun, a crust forms on its surface. It does not allow nutrients and air to penetrate the root system.

Try to carry out the procedure carefully so as not to damage the roots of the plant.

A large number of weeds appear in all suburban areas, so they need to be ennobled. This not only enhances the aesthetic appearance, but also is the prevention of pests. Some farmers use chemicals that inhibit their appearance. However, such treatments adversely affect the quality of the bush and yield indicators, so weeds must be removed manually.

Try to tear out unnecessary plants along with the roots to increase the interval between treatments. Weeds take nutrients from the soil, which impedes the normal development of the plant (growth slows down, and the berries become smaller). They also contribute to the fact that the bush stops growing.

We offer you to get acquainted with how to make a bush holder for a gooseberry bush.

Pruning in spring and autumn

The most important thing in caring for gooseberries is pruning in the spring. With its help, you can perform the following tasks:

• formation before landing . It consists in shortening the shoots. If the branches are strong, then 5 buds are left on them. On the weak enough 1-2 pcs.;
• pruning for the second year. It consists in the removal of weak basal shoots. Leave no more than 3 pcs. Thanks to this procedure, branching becomes more abundant, and productivity indicators increase;
• in the third year of life, each bush should have several shoots of different ages. For this reason, all young shoots that form on developed skeletal branches are removed;
• removal of all branches that make the crown dense;
• pruning of frozen branches, up to the last bud.

In the autumn period, the so-called sanitary pruning is carried out. Dry and disease-damaged branches are removed in the fall. After trimming, you need to tie the branches on a vertical trellis to protect against breaking off.

When gooseberry matures

If we consider the issue when the gooseberry matures, then the time depends on the conditions of a certain region:

1. In the southern regions of the country, the first berries appear by early July.
2. In the Moscow, Leningrad regions and Moscow region, the crop ripens in mid-August.
3. In Siberia and the Urals, crops are harvested in late August.

Important! If you live in the northern regions of the country, give preference to early varieties of gooseberries. So you have time to harvest before the onset of frost.

How to increase fruiting

Many gooseberry farmers are considering how to increase the fruiting of the bush. Fulfill a desire to help a few simple but effective ways. First you need to do thinning the crown of the bush.

The more sunlight that enters, the more berries will form on the branches.

The second rule is to make timely and high-quality feeding. For the entire growing season, shrubs need to be fertilized 5 times:

• at the stage of leaf blooming (200 g of nitrophoska per 10 l of water). Under each bush, pour 15 liters of solution;
• during flowering (100 g of potassium sulfate per bucket of water). The bush accounts for 5 liters;
• when the fruit ovaries form (200 g of potassium humate in 5 l of water). Each bush is watered with 3 liters of solution;
• at the end of September (200 g of superphosphate per 20 l of water). The prepared volume is poured under 1 shrub;

• at the end of October (5 kg of humus is poured under each bush).

Harvesting and storage

There are several ways to harvest, but the most common is the manual method. It is considered safe for berries, as they remain intact. The advantage of this method is the long shelf life of products compared to other types of cleaning.

The bottom line is to hold the branch with one hand and pick the berries with the other stem with the other.

The second method is to use a vibrator. You need to hand support the branch and a vibrator to walk along it. The disadvantage is the fall of all berries, even green ones. The third harvesting option is with a comb. The device is put on the thumb. With one hand you need to raise the branch vertically, and with the other, where the comb, draw along the stalks. Berries will crumble into the container at a good speed.

Shelf life depends on many factors:

1. If you picked ripe fruits, you can store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
2. Harvested in dry weather, the crop is stored for up to 2 weeks.
3. Not fully ripened fruits are stored for 3 weeks.

If the berries are laid out in small plastic containers and refrigerated, the products will be stored for up to 4 weeks. To preserve the products until winter and enjoy it in the cold, it is enough to freeze the berries.

Video: Harvesting gooseberry harvester.

Winter preparations

To preserve the bushes and yield for the next season, you need to take care of preparing the shrub for the winter. In the northern regions, it is required to cover the near-stem circle with a layer of mulch (a mixture of straw, leaves and humus), after watering the bushes with a solution of superphosphate (50 g per 10 l of water). After 2 days, they cover the bushes with a plastic film, which not only protects the plants from frost, but also preserves the necessary moisture level in the soil.

If you are engaged in the cultivation of gooseberries in the central or southern regions of the country, then it is enough to cover the soil with a layer of mulch. If the bushes are additionally covered with a film, they can die due to high temperatures.

Also, information about what kind of soil gooseberries love will be useful to you.

Breeding methods

There are several common methods for reproducing gooseberries:

• layering. To do this, you need to choose a mother bush, whose age is up to 5 years. The procedure is carried out in the spring. Branches bend to the ground and drip. When roots appear on new shoots, they are cut and transplanted to a permanent place;
• cuttings. The procedure is carried out in early September. A part of the stem is selected, the length of which is 20 cm. An even cut is made under the lower kidney. The seedling is grown in a pot, and in the spring transplanted into the open ground;
• division of the bush. The essence of this method is to divide the root system into 5-7 parts. The most developed (where there are more buds) are transplanted as a separate plant;
• with vaccinations. To plant branches need in the fall. Cut 2 branches from the bush. In each of them make a small incision. Connect 2 parts and put in a container with water. By spring, roots will form, after which young bushes begin to plant in open ground.

Diseases and Pests

Most often on the bushes there are signs of diseases such as powdery mildew, anthracnose and septoria. Powdery mildew refers to fungal infections. Symptoms are dry leaves and rotting fruits. To prevent its occurrence, timely removal of weeds will help. Powdery mildew cannot be cured, so you have to destroy the entire affected bush.

Signs of anthracnose include dryness and leaf decay. Prevention consists in treatment with copper sulfate (10 g per 10 l of water). Treatment is carried out using Bordeaux fluid (20 g per 5 liters of water).

We suggest reading about how to deal with lichen and moss on gooseberries.

Septoria is manifested in the form of rot, which forms on branches and fruits. You can prevent the onset of the disease if you follow all the recommendations for care. Every week, inspect the bushes for disease. If you see the affected area, cut it out and burn it. The treatment consists in spraying with Hom (100 g per 5 l of water). The processing interval is 10 days.

Among the pests, aphids, glassware and caterpillars are secreted. Prevention consists in removing weeds, since a large number of larvae are formed on them. The fight against aphids is to use a solution of antibacterial soap (1 piece is rubbed on a grater and diluted in 5 liters of warm water). Fighting caterpillars is carried out by spraying a solution of tobacco and mustard (100 g of each ingredient in 10 liters of water). Against the glass, it is advisable to use a solution of "Lepidocide" (50 g per 5 l of water). All spraying against parasites is carried out 1 time in 2 weeks.

Important! To prevent pests, tomatoes are planted next to gooseberries. Thanks to the rich aroma, tomatoes will deter parasites. Raising gooseberries is not difficult if you know all the basic rules of agricultural technology and care. The gardener must carefully monitor the condition of the bushes, since only the shrubbery is able to talk about what he lacks.