Early ripe gooseberry variety "Dzintars Kurshu"

Gooseberry is a culture that can be found in almost every vegetable garden or garden in all regions of our country. Kursu Dzintars is a mid-early, yellow-fruited gooseberry variety, well adapted to the realities of the Russian climate. It is intended for cultivation in summer cottages and backyards.

What is this gooseberry variety

Kursu Dzintars was bred by Latvian breeders. It was obtained by crossing two other Baltic varieties Pellervo and Stern Razhig.

It is not listed in the register of breeding achievements of the Russian Federation, but successfully passed tests in the Republic of Belarus (1997) in conditions corresponding to the climate of central Russia.

Characteristics and description of the bushes

The bush is tall and compact, decorative, has a medium spreading. Straight and thin shoots are dotted with many small and sharp brown thorns, located mostly singly, occasionally double and triple. The leaves are medium in size, rounded, divided into 3-5 lobes. The upper surface of the leaves is covered with shallow wrinkles, has a faint matte sheen.

Normally, one bush consists of 15-20 shoots of different ages. The flowering period begins in mid-May and lasts until early August, when the first berries are formed. During the season, 4-6 kg of fresh berries are harvested from one bush or 5-7 tons from 1 hectare of area. Harvest weight depends mainly on the quality of care.

Characteristics and description of fruits

The crop consists of medium-sized berries of approximately the same size. The mass of ripe berries is about 2.5 g, the shape is oval, the color is yellow with clearly visible veins.

Reference. Gooseberry fruits are rich in vitamin C. Their regular consumption helps in the treatment of obesity, anemia and hypertension. Delicious compotes, wines and liquid liquors are prepared from them.

The berries are sweet in taste, juicy, have a pronounced aroma, do not fall off the branches, are well transported and stored. They are eaten fresh or harvested: they make jam, preserves, compote and marmalade, and are also added to fillings for pies and muffins. Overriding, the berries lose their taste.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

The advantages of the variety:

• stable yield (the ability to bear fruit for years and decades in a row without losing the volume of the harvested crop);
• pleasant, decorative look of the bush;
• pleasant taste of berries;
• resistance to harsh winter conditions;
• good immunity to common gooseberry diseases.

There are fewer cons:

• relatively small berries;
• a large number of sharp thorns.

Growing technology

The planting site should be illuminated by the sun and have space with a margin for an adult bush, at least a meter from the nearest walls and fences. Despite the fact that gooseberries love moisture, they do not feel well in places where moisture accumulates. Ideal soil - with a lot of humus and sand.

Terms and rules of landing

The seedlings are rooted in the fall (September-October) at least two weeks before the start of the frost or in the spring, after the final frost leaves. If spring comes late, cuttings can be rooted in a greenhouse or greenhouse by placing them in a container with a mixture of sand and peat in half. In order for the cuttings to take root, they are immersed in an aqueous solution of heteroauxin (3 parts of heteroauxin to 20 parts of water).

On a plot of land that has previously been treated against weeds, planting pits are prepared, the volume of which should be twice the volume of the roots of the seedling. A small mound is made at the bottom of the pit. The distance between adjacent bushes is at least 1.5 m.

Before planting, the roots of the seedling are cleaned of old soil and straightened, put on a mound. The removed soil is mixed with fertilizers and poured into a pit with a seedling, the neck of the root is not buried. After planting, the seedlings are watered at the rate of two buckets of water per plant, mulched with peat, compost or hay. Excess shoots are cut off.

Further care

Young gooseberries need a garter. The stem is tied to a vertically driven peg to prevent bending and breakage by gusts of wind.

Gooseberries are watered directly into the tree trunk circle, without using sprinkling. Do not pour water on the leaves to prevent burns (in sunny weather) or diseases (in cloudy weather).

If the summer is dry, gooseberries are watered more often, especially in July and August - at a time when buds are actively being laid. The bush does not tolerate excess moisture in the soil, especially at the root collar: this makes it more vulnerable to diseases and can lead to root rot.

After the first application of fertilizers, the subsequent ones are carried out no earlier than three years later. Gooseberries are fertilized with rotten manure or mineral additives (superphosphate, potassium sulfate) in late May and early June. You should not apply top dressing in late summer and autumn: this will awaken the growth of fresh shoots that cannot survive the winter. Consider the soil type when calculating the fertilizer dosage.

Kursu Dzintars gooseberry shoots vigorously, therefore, to obtain large berries, you need to regularly remove excess branches. Make sure that both young and old branches remain on the same bush.

The bush is pruned in early spring (weak and dead branches) and in late autumn (old, diseased branches growing near the ground). From bushes over seven years old, dry and infertile branches should be removed every year, partially cut off the oldest shoots. The optimal number of young shoots on one bush is 5-6 pieces. All shoots are cut to the base with a well-sharpened and clean tool.

Important. Shoots with growing berries may sink to the ground due to weight. On contact with the ground, the berries rot, so it is recommended to prop up or tie up especially heavy branches.

Possible problems, diseases, pests

Kursu Dzintars is resistant to anthracnose and powdery mildew, subject rust and septoria. All diseases are treated with Bordeaux liquid and 3% copper sulfate solution, if necessary with special preparations, for example, "Agrolekar".

Treat like a plant, and the soil around it, if desired - neighboring gooseberry bushes for prevention. Alarming symptoms are drying of leaves, the appearance of spots, midges, etc.

Gooseberries are vulnerable to pests:

• shield;
• fire flare;
• sawflies;
• aphids.

To prevent insects from encroaching on the plant, every autumn the ground under it is removed from plant debris, dug up and treated with insecticides "DNOK" (from the scabbard), "Karate", "Iskra" (from the moth), "Aktar" and the same "Iskra" (from sawfly, aphids). In the spring, it is permissible to spray young foliage with pest preparations.

Wintering

In autumn, the ground around the plant is spud, the bush itself is tied, covered with spruce branches or non-woven covering material. If there is little snow in the winter, additional snow is added to the bush so as to protect it from frost, but not damage it.

Reproduction

The Kursu Dzintars variety is propagated vegetatively. the fastest and most effective method is layering. To do this, the shoot is taken away, tilted to the ground and fixed with metal hooks in a horizontal position or in the form of an arc. In the first case, the shoot is fixed in several places (several new shoots grow), in the latter - only in one, in the middle (one strong shoot grows).

For old plants that do not have plastic shoots, vertical layering is preferable. To prepare the bush, in the fall, it is completely removed from old branches. The next year, fresh shoots grow (to help them, the plant is fertilized and spud), after rooting they are planted.

For shrubs under five years old, another method of vegetative propagation is also suitable - using cuttings, lignified, young or combined. When grafting, the shrub is carefully dug up together with the roots and divided into several parts. Gooseberries have a good ability to regenerate and, in particular, rooting, which makes the method very effective.

Regional features of cultivation

Curšu Dzintars, like other "thorny" gooseberry varieties, is well adapted to the cold, therefore it can be grown in the vast majority of regions of Russia.

Kursu Dzintars is frost and drought resistant, belongs to the fourth climatic zone. This variety has high adaptive abilities and is unpretentious to environmental conditions. In winter, even being uncovered, it can withstand frosts down to -32 ° C.

Pollinating varieties

Kursu Dzintars belongs to self-fertile varieties: up to 20% of flowers are pollinated with their own pollen from the bush. Therefore, other pollinating bushes are not required for it.

However, cross-pollination improves not only the number of berries, but also their size and flavor. To increase the yield of a variety, it is recommended to grow it alongside other varieties with similar flowering times.

Reviews of summer residents

It is difficult to find negative reviews from Russians about the variety.

Marina, Balakovo: “Kuršu Dzintars gooseberry bushes have been growing with me for several years. The bush looks beautiful, especially when covered with yellow, shiny berries. The berries are sweet, they contain a lot of vitamins, the only drawback is that they are inconvenient to pick, the branches are too prickly. "

Pavel, Dimitrovgrad: “Kuršu Dzintars is the best gooseberry of all varieties that I have ever tasted. I use its sweet berries to make excellent homemade wine and beautifully colored jam. "

Conclusion

Gooseberry variety Kurshu Dzintars is one of the best varieties for growing in Russia. It adapts well to climatic conditions, it does not require much work to care for, and the sweet yellow berries are delicious and have many uses in cooking. The life expectancy and fruiting of a bush with reasonable care is more than 30 years.