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Sweet, frost-resistant gooseberry "English Yellow"

English yellow is an unpretentious gooseberry variety. Due to its frost resistance and the ability to adapt to different climatic conditions, the crop is grown almost everywhere. In the article you will find a detailed description of the English yellow gooseberry variety, information on its pros, cons and cultivation features.

What is this gooseberry variety

This is a mid-season gooseberry variety - the berries reach technical maturity in mid or late July. Bushes bear fruit annually for 10-12 years, starting from 3-4 years after planting. Productivity - 8-12 kg per bush or 15 t / ha. Sweet, frost-resistant gooseberry English yellow

The crop is harvested in 2 stages. Fully ripe berries are stored at + 2 ° C for 5 days, and fruits harvested a week before full ripening are stored for a month at 0 ° C and 3 months at -2 ° C.

Brief history of origin and distribution

The history of the origin and selection of the English yellow gooseberry is unknown. At the same time, there is information that in the middle of the 20th century this variety was one of the most popular in the territory of the former USSR.

Characteristics and description of the bushes

The bushes are medium-sized (up to 1.5 m high), slightly spreading, with thin, erect shoots, along the entire length of which soft, long, single thorns are located... The bark on young shoots is gray with a purple tinge, and brown on branches older than 2 years.

Leaves are medium (up to 3 cm in length and width), leathery, dark green, at the end of summer they acquire a purple hue. The leaf plates are 3- or 5-lobed with obtuse teeth along the edges.

The flowering period occurs at the end of May and lasts 5-7 days. At this time, small, narrow, yellowish-white bisexual flowers appear on the bushes.

Resistant to temperatures

Bushes tolerate air temperature drops down to -20 ° C. When grown in regions with more severe and less snowy winters, they need shelter.

Moisture and drought resistance

The variety tolerates drought well, but does not tolerate waterlogging of the soil - because of this, rotting of the root system and cracking of berries is possible.

Disease and pest resistance

The variety is characterized by persistent immunity to diseases and pests... But if the rules for caring for plants are violated, the bushes affect the following diseases:

anthracnose;
American powdery mildew (spheroteka);
columnar rust;
sawfly larvae;
spider mites;
shoot aphid;
moths.

Characteristics and description of fruits

The berries are medium in size, weighing 3-5 g, but some specimens reach a mass of 8 g, oval, covered with a dense, glossy skin of a bright yellow color with slight pubescence, which becomes amber after full ripening.

The pulp is yellow, juicy and sweet, with a slight acidity and a subtle, barely perceptible aroma.

Areas of their application

The fruits of English yellow are consumed fresh, used for making sauces, fruit salads, preserves, compotes, marmalade, juices and making liqueurs and amber dessert wine.

In folk medicine, a decoction of gooseberry leaves is used to treat pneumonia, and berries are used as a choleretic agent.

Important! The gooseberry of this variety is not frozen, since after defrosting its taste deteriorates.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety compared to other varieties and hybrids

The main advantages of English yellow:

high productivity;
excellent taste and beautiful color of berries;
drought and frost resistance;
good keeping quality and transportability;
good immunity;
compactness of bushes, facilitating harvesting;
lack of tendency to shedding.

Disadvantages of the variety:

cracking of berries in case of high humidity;
the presence of thorns;
unsuitability for freezing;
almost complete absence of aroma;
low resistance to American powdery mildew.

Growing technology

Growing this gooseberry is not difficult. The main thing is to choose the right seedlings, as well as the time and place for planting them.

Optimal conditions

For planting English yellow, choose a well-lit place protected from gusty winds and drafts with a ground depth of at least 1 m.

The variety prefers fertile, light soil with a neutral acidity level, good moisture and air permeability. The best option is black soil and loam.

A month before planting, the site is cleared of weeds and plant debris, dug onto a shovel bayonet and for every 100 sq. m, 20 kg of compost or rotted manure, 5 kg of potassium salt and 20 kg of phosphate rock are added.

Reference. Lime, ash or dolomite flour is added to the acidic soil at the rate of 15 kg per 1 hundred square meters.

When buying seedlings, choose 1- or 2-year-old specimens with 1-2 shoots 30-50 cm long, homogeneous bark without cracks, strong, developed and branched roots 12-17 cm long without rot and dry areas.

Immediately before planting, the roots of the seedlings are soaked for a day in a solution of growth stimulants (Kornevin, Heteroauxin, Vympel, Zircon) for better rooting and protection from diseases and pests.

Terms and rules of landing

English yellow is planted in the spring (late March) or fall (late September).

Landing rules:

2 weeks before planting seedlings on a prepared site, every 1-1.5 m, dig planting holes 50 × 50 cm in size.
Fill them by a third with a nutritious soil mixture - 3 parts of fertile soil, 2 parts of complex mineral fertilizers and 1 part of sand.
Form a hill from the nutrient mixture in the center of the hole, place a seedling on it, carefully spreading its roots.
Cover the seedling with earth so that there are no voids, and the root collar is at the same level with the ground or is 1-3 cm higher.
Water the seedlings abundantly at the rate of 10 liters of water each.
Cover the soil with compost or rotted manure.
Cut off the shoots so that 5-6 buds remain on each.

Further care

The bushes are watered into a special ditch 10-15 cm deep, dug around the bush 60-70 cm from the roots 3 times per season: in late May - early June, in mid-July and in late September (before frost).

Reference. Water consumption for a bush under 3 years old is 20 liters, for an adult plant - 30-40 liters.

Fertilizers are applied three years after planting the bushes according to the scheme:

early spring - 5 kg of manure or compost, 15 g of potassium sulfate and carbamide and 25 g of superphosphate per 1 sq. m;
before flowering - 20 g per nitrophosphate per 1 sq. m;
during fruiting (June - early July) - watering with slurry;
after 7-15 days - 1 kg of ash in the trunk circle.

The bushes begin to form from the first year, when planting, cutting off the shoots to 5-6 buds, and after the leaves fall off, leaving up to 3 branches on the bushes. A year later, 6 shoots are left, the branches of the current year are shortened by a third. For 3 years, 4 young basal shoots are selected, the young are shortened. Bushes aged 7 years should consist of 20 branches of different ages.

During sanitary pruning, all broken, damaged, frozen and showing signs of disease are removed.

To prevent the development of diseases and pest attacks before flowering, the bushes are sprayed:

wood ash - dissolve 450 g in 10 liters of hot water and insist for 2 days;
ash and soap solution - dissolve 50 g of soap and 1.3 kg of ash in 10 liters of water, leave for 48 hours.

Possible problems, diseases, pests

Diseases and pests that affect English yellow are presented in the table.

Disease / pest	Description	Treatment
Shoot aphid	The insect feeds on shoots and leaves. The leaf plates curl, the tops are deformed, new shoots are practically not formed, burgundy seals appear on the leaves.	With a small amount of insects, the bushes are treated with infusion of garlic, tansy, tomato tops. In case of severe damage, use chemical agents: "Aktara", "Fufanon", "Fitoverm", "Sumicidin", "Karbofos", "Actellik".
Spider mite	Light spots appear on the leaves, and cobwebs appear on the lower part of the plates.	Bushes process acaricides ("Akartan", "Cydial", "Tedion"), sprayed with a solution of colloidal sulfur.
Fire	The moth caterpillars eat flowers, ovaries, and berry pulp. They turn yellow and dry prematurely. A thin web forms on the fruits.	Plants are sprayed with ash water, infusion of tomato tops or mustard solution. If folk methods do not help, use drugs "Karate", "Iskra", "Kinmiks".
Anthracnose	Small brown spots appear on the leaves at the bottom of the bushes, the leaves fall off, new shoots do not grow, the yield drops.	The bushes 4 times (before and after flowering, 2 weeks after the end of fruiting and after harvesting) are sprayed with Bordeaux liquid, preparations "Kuprozan", "Phtalan".
American powdery mildew	A powdery bloom forms on the leaves growing on the tops of the shoots, which eventually transforms into brown spots with black dots, the bushes develop slowly, the berries crack and crumble.	In early spring, the bushes and the soil under them are poured (+ 50 ° C) with water, before and after flowering, the plants are sprayed with Topaz, Skor or Fundazol.
Columnar rust	Yellow spots appear on the inside of the leaves, the foliage withers and falls off, the berries are deformed and dry.	The bushes are treated three times with Bordeaux liquid or sprayed twice with Bayleton.

Wintering

At the end of September, the bushes are watered abundantly (60-70 liters of water for each) and treated with Bordeaux liquid. The land is cleared of plant debris and loosened.

In the northern regions, the shoots are tied in 1 bundle with twine or twine, bent to the ground, secured with special brackets or boards, covered with dry leaves and covered with spruce branches or burlap.

Reproduction

English yellow multiply in several ways:

Cuttings. Mature lignified shoots are cut into several parts and germinated. The method allows you to get an unlimited number of seedlings.
Layers. Use horizontal layers older than 3 years. From one mother bush, they get from 5 young seedlings that do not lose varietal qualities.
Division of the bush. In autumn or early spring, an adult bush is dug up and divided into 2-3 parts.

Features of growing this variety, depending on the region

When growing the variety in the northern and eastern regions, characterized by long, frosty (with temperatures below -20 ° C) and little snowy winters, the bushes must be covered. This is not necessary in milder climates.

Pollinating varieties

English yellow is a self-fertile gooseberry variety that does not need additional pollinators.

Reviews of summer residents

Gardeners leave positive reviews about the English yellow gooseberry.

Vera, Suzdal: “When I was choosing which variety to plant on the site, I chose English yellow because of the beautiful color of the berries. Harvested already 3 years after planting the seedlings and was pleasantly surprised by the taste of the fruits - they are very sweet, honey. The bushes did not hurt at all, although I do not carry out preventive treatments. "

Andrey, Vladikavkaz: “The main value of this variety for me personally is its unpretentiousness, because I often do not have enough time to take care of the garden. I cut English yellow in the spring, then water it 2-3 times and that's it. The bushes develop well and bear fruit, the yield is high. The berries are delicious, we eat them fresh, we use them to make jam and wine. "

Conclusion

English yellow is a popular gooseberry variety among gardeners. Among its advantages are high yield, excellent drought and frost resistance, pleasant taste, keeping quality and commercial qualities of berries.