One of the sweetest gooseberry varieties - Candy
Gooseberry Candy is one of the sweetest varieties obtained by breeders relatively recently. We will analyze in detail the advantages and disadvantages, characteristics of the variety and the technology of its cultivation.
The content of the article
What is this gooseberry variety
Candy is an unpretentious and frost-resistant delicacy variety, which, if the recommendations for care are followed, gives an excellent harvest. It belongs to the mid-season, although some gardeners consider it to be a late crop. Ripening times may vary depending on the weather and region.
Brief history of origin and distribution
The variety was obtained at the South Ural Research Institute of Fruit and Vegetable Growing by a breeder from Yekaterinburg V.S.Ilyin. In 2008, the Candy variety was registered in the State Register of the Russian Federation. This gooseberry is intended for cultivation in Western and Eastern Siberia.
Characteristics and description of the bushes
Gooseberry bushes of the variety Candy grow up to 1.5 m in height, and the root system is located shallowly - up to about 30 cm. Branches and shoots stretch vertically and create a small, neat green shape. Small brown spines are present on the lower shoots. The leaves of the plant are five-lobed, shiny, of medium size.
The berries of the variety are very beautiful - pink-honey color with light streaks. Fruits are large, weighing up to 6 g, the pulp is tender, delicious taste with a slight acidity and an average seed content.
The variety is high-yielding - up to 6.5 kg of berries can be harvested from one bush.
Reference. Gooseberry Candy begins to bear fruit within a year after planting.
Resistant to temperatures
Gooseberries of this variety are frost-resistant, tolerate temperatures down to -29 ° C. The plant can survive short-term frosts below -30 ° C. The safety of the gooseberry depends on the quality of its preparation for winter.
Moisture and drought resistance
Variety Candy has a high drought tolerance and other unfavorable weather conditions. But gardeners need to remember that since the main part of the root system is shallow, prolonged drought will negatively affect the quality of the crop. Such conditions are especially undesirable during the gooseberry flowering period. Therefore, it is necessary to control the soil in the plant - it should be moderately moist and not overdried.
Prolonged rains can also affect the amount of ripe berries.
Disease and pest resistance
Gooseberry Candy is highly resistant to diseases and pests... But it is worth noting that this immunity is maintained under the condition of proper plant care.
Of diseases to a small extent, the variety is affected by powdery mildew and anthracnose; susceptibility to septoria is much higher.
Of insects, sawflies, moths and other garden pests can harm the plant. To prevent this from happening, but the gooseberry grows and bears fruit, every spring carry out preventive spraying with "Fufanon" or a solution of karbofos. The bush takes 1-1.5 liters of the drug.
Characteristics and description of fruits
Berries of the Candy variety are considered one of the most delicious and sweet.They are large and one-dimensional in size, rounded-oval, the average weight is 4-6 g. The skin is very thin and pubescent, the flesh is transparent-greenish, has an unusually sweet delicious taste and a persistent pleasant aroma.
Berries are rich in vitamins and iron.
Application area
Gooseberries are consumed not only fresh. Delicious homemade preparations are made from this variety - preserves, jams, marmalades and even compotes. The berries tolerate freezing well and are stored in the refrigerator for up to two months. After defrosting, they retain their appearance and taste.
Attention! Gooseberry berries of the Candy variety can be eaten at any stage of maturity.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
According to gardeners' reviews, the Candy gooseberry has a number of advantages:
- sweet gourmet taste;
- high productivity;
- resistance to weather conditions - frost and drought;
- good resistance to powdery mildew and anthracnose;
- does not require pollination;
- compact size of the bush;
- a small number of thorns;
- berries do not fall off when ripe;
- universal use of berries.
Of the disadvantages of the variety, only:
- exactingness to the composition of the soil;
- low resistance to septoria.
Growing technology
The quality and quantity of the crop depends on the correct observance of agricultural technology when planting and caring for a plant.
Optimal conditions
The gooseberry plot must meet a number of requirements:
- sunny and sheltered from the wind;
- slightly acidic loam;
- groundwater at a depth of at least 80 cm.
It is better to take a two-year-old seedling with elastic roots and undamaged shoots.
Terms and rules of landing
Experienced gardeners know that if you plant a gooseberry 1.5-2 months before frost, it will take root better and bear more fruit. But in regions where frosts start early, it is better to plant the plant in early spring, before bud break.
Before planting a seedling, it is recommended to cut off the top, leaving no more than five buds. The day before, it is necessary to soak the roots in sodium humate, a growth stimulator, for example, "Epine" for a day.
The selected site requires some preparation before planting - the soil must be enriched with nutrients. The gooseberry planting ambassador will absorb them along with the moisture.
Landing is performed according to the following algorithm:
- distance between holes - 1.5 m, row spacing - at least 2 m;
- the depth and diameter of the pit for the seedling - 50 cm;
- the dug soil is mixed with 50 g of superphosphate, 40 g of potassium sulfate, half a glass of ash and a quarter of a bucket of manure;
- the seedling is lowered into the hole, the root collar is deepened by 5-6 cm;
- sprinkle with soil and carefully compact so that there are no free cavities;
- the plant is watered and mulched with peat.
If you fertilize correctly when planting gooseberries, for two years it will not need additional feeding.
Further care
Follow-up care is not difficult, it includes standard measures: pruning damaged branches, watering and fertilizing.
In the spring, when sap flow has not yet begun and the buds have not swollen, it is necessary to cut off all damaged areas. In autumn, branches that are more than six years old are cut - there will be no harvest on them.
Pruning is carried out annually. By removing old and dead branches, the plant receives more light and air. The procedure stimulates the growth of new young shoots.
Attention! Cutting points must be treated with garden pitch.
For the bush, you need to build a circular support that will support the side branches.
Water the gooseberries as needed with settled warm water, the earth should be moderately moist.
In order for the culture to grow better, in May, you can enrich the soil with organic matter, potash or nitrogen fertilizers.
Possible problems, diseases, pests
To destroy the larvae of sawflies, moths and other pests, it is necessary to pour boiling water over the bushes at the beginning of spring. This is an effective folk method for preventing pests and diseases. This can be done only in early spring, until the buds wake up, so as not to ruin the plant. You cannot water the bush itself with boiling water - hot water is used either for spraying or for root watering. One bush takes about 3-4 liters of water.
After that, as needed, use special insecticides or biological products, such as "Aktara", "Akarin", "Entobacterin". When processing, you must strictly follow the instructions on the package.
Attention! Treatment with chemical insecticides can be carried out no later than a month before harvest, with biological products - two weeks.
If the plant is affected by fungal diseases, but before bud break, the gooseberry is sprayed with Bordeaux liquid or copper sulfate. The procedure is carried out in the spring, during the budding period, and in the fall, after leaf fall. A 1% solution is prepared at the rate of 1.5 liters per bush. A maximum of three treatments can be carried out per season. <
If folk methods do not help, you can switch to "heavy artillery" - chemical fungicides, for example, "Vectra", "Cumulus" or "Nitrafen No. 125". When using fungicides, it is important to strictly follow the instructions on the packaging so as not to ruin the gooseberries.
Features of growing varieties depending on the region
Gooseberry Candy adapted for cultivation in the East Siberian region. But it can be bred throughout Russia.
There are no special differences in the cultivation of gooseberries in different regions. In warmer climates, harvesting can begin as early as June, in northern climates from the end of July.
There are also minor differences in preparing the plant for wintering - in cold regions, a better shelter for gooseberries is required.
Pollinating varieties
A very important advantage of the Candy variety is self-fertility. No pollinating plants are required for this variety.
Wintering
It depends on the correct preparation of the plant for wintering whether it will withstand the winter or suffer from severe frosts.
In the fall, gooseberries must be shed abundantly - this will increase the plant's winter hardiness. An important point is feeding, for example, with the Osennee fertilizer. As a prophylaxis against diseases and pests, the culture can be shed with a weakly diluted solution of potassium permanganate.
Before wintering, old branches are cut off, and the trunk circle is mulched with humus or peat. For the winter, the gooseberries are wrapped in a covering material, and in the case of a snowy winter, they are covered with a snow pillow.
Reproduction
Gooseberry Candy multiply just like other varieties - cuttings, seeds, dividing a bush or layering.
The simplest and most popular propagation methods are cuttings and layering.
Cuttings are carried out in early spring. Young shoots with 5-7 buds are carefully cut and placed for a day in any stimulant of root formation, for example, "Kornevin". After that, they are planted in a substrate of peat and sand, mixed in a 1: 1 ratio, and periodically watered to keep the soil moist. By October, the cuttings have time to take root, after which they are transplanted into special mini-beds for growing.
Reproduction by layering is also carried out in the spring. The lower branches are attached to the ground and sprinkled with soil, leaving a small area with 5-6 buds on the surface. The place of contact with the ground is well spilled. By the fall, such a layer takes root, it can be carefully separated and transplanted into a school for growing.
Reviews of summer residents
Judging by the reviews of gardeners who have already harvested the gooseberry of this variety from their plots, Candy, although a young variety, is already loved by summer residents.
Elena, pos. Winter road: “On my site there are several different varieties of gooseberries, but my favorite is Candy. We eat it fresh, prepare delicious marmalade for the winter. "
“The taste of this gooseberry cannot be confused with any other. And the fact that it is resistant to disease makes it even more attractive. There are three different varieties on my site.Candy, unlike others, has never been affected by powdery mildew in so many years. "
Conclusion
Gooseberry Candy has already earned the trust and love of gardeners. Its unpretentiousness and wonderful taste attract many. But nevertheless, in order not to be disappointed, it is necessary to follow the simple rules of agricultural technology and crop care.