Large-fruited tasty gooseberry Serenade

The large-fruited gooseberry variety Serenade has gained popularity due to its characteristics: high yield, resistance to frost, drought, diseases, as well as high taste. In addition, the weak spikiness of the shoots greatly simplifies the care of the crop, which thanks to large and aromatic berries.

Description of the gooseberry variety Serenade

Gooseberry Serenade is a high-yielding, late-ripening variety. It is a slightly spreading, tall, medium thickened bushes with large dark red fruits, which are well preserved during transportation.

History of origin and distribution

As a result of crossing gooseberry varieties Kaptivator 0-271 with a rich berry color and high yield and Besshipnoy, which is distinguished by high winter hardiness and the absence of thorns, at the V.N. IV Michurin received a new variety Serenada. Authors - K. D. Sergeeva and T. S. Zvyagina. Since 2004, the variety has been included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements admitted for cultivation in the Central Black Earth Region.

Characteristics and description of the bushes

Growing young shoots near the bush are straight, of medium thickness, with a light green bark, without edge. As lignification progresses, the branches acquire a lighter tone. There are few spikes on them. Thorns are single, short, dull, concentrated mainly in the lower part of the bush. They are perpendicular to the shoot. Generative buds are round-oval. Over time, they release pale, medium-sized flowers.

The leaves of the Serenade are light green, large, convex, with small slightly curved teeth and a blunt apex. The surface is dense, matte or with a slight sheen. This type of leaf has 3 or 5 straight blades separated by deep notches.

Resistant to temperatures

Lignified branches of the variety can easily tolerate low temperatures down to -40 ° C. There is a high resistance of fruit buds to frosts down to -30 ° C.

Moisture and drought resistance

Serenade is a drought-resistant plant, and this saves it in hot weather, when watering is delayed for some reason. But during the period of flowering and ripening of fruits, it needs additional irrigation.

Disease and pest resistance

Culture resistant to American powdery mildew.

Characteristics and description of fruits

Gooseberry berries grow medium and large - from 4.0 to 6.1 g. Although the ripening period is extended (lasts from late July to mid-August), there is no tendency to shedding.

The fruits are pear-shaped or elongated-conical in shape and have a very pleasant lilac color. They are not pubescent, with a slight waxy coating. The skin is dense, of medium thickness, with a slight venation. Veins are pink, lighter than the main color of the fruit. The pulp is dense, juicy, with a small amount of seeds, the taste is sweet with a slight sourness. Tasting score - 4.5 points. Up to 5 kg of fruits are harvested from the bush.

Areas of use

Fresh berries are used for dessert. Juices are squeezed out of ripe, wine, marmalade, filling for sweets are made.Unripe fruits are used for preserves, jams, compotes, etc. Berries with a beautiful original color are great for decorating desserts and other dishes.

To improve health, not only fruits rich in vitamins and microelements are used, but also all parts of the shrub. Berries have astringent properties, roots and seeds - laxatives, leaves have a diaphoretic, expectorant, sedative effect.

The valuable properties of the plant are used:

1. In folk medicine... Decoctions of berries are used as a laxative, leaves - to relieve the symptoms of osteochondrosis, arthritis. Infusion of fruits has a diuretic and choleretic effect.
2. In cosmetology. Thanks to vitamin C, the pulp of fresh berries is effective in masks for whitening the skin of the face, improving its color. Decoctions of leaves, stems and roots strengthen hair.
3. In dietetic food. Gooseberry is a low-calorie product: 100 g of fruit contains only 44 kcal. Fresh berries normalize metabolism, which is important in the fight against excess weight.

The berry eliminates depression and bad mood due to the presence of the hormone of joy - serotonin.

Advantages and disadvantages compared to other varieties and hybrids

The Serenade gooseberry variety is prized for a number of reasons:

• large-fruited;
• high productivity;
• versatility in application;
• immunity to powdery mildew;
• resistance to drought and low temperatures (up to -40 ° C);
• good transportability of fruits;
• spines are rare and soft.

There were no significant shortcomings in the variety. The only thing is that, like any kind of gooseberry, it does not tolerate sudden changes in temperature during the flowering period.

Growing technology

In order for the gooseberry bush to develop well and bear fruit stably, it is necessary to create suitable conditions for it.

Optimal conditions

Serenade prefers well-lit areas. In the shade, the yield of the bush decreases, the berries do not collect enough sugar, they become smaller, the variety degenerates.

The culture does not tolerate swampiness at all - the root system begins to rot, the shoots dry out quickly, therefore, when planting, it is advisable to avoid areas with a high groundwater table.

Attention! In lowlands with high humidity and cold air, a favorable environment is created for the development of fungal diseases.

Bushes thrive on loose soil with good water and air permeability, with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction.

Terms and rules of landing

The best time to plant gooseberries is mid-September. In this case, the seedlings take root better and safely endure the winter. Experienced gardeners follow certain rules:

1. The stalk is planted in a new place at an air temperature of + 8 ... + 10 ° С.
2. Choose a strong 1-2-year-old seedling with a developed root system and shoots in the lignification stage.
3. It is pre-soaked for 1-2 hours in "Epin" or "Heteroauxin" to stimulate rooting and growth.
4. Dig a hole 50 × 50 cm in size.
5. The top layer of earth is removed from the planting site and set aside, then mixed with fertilizers: 5 kg of organic matter, 40 g of potassium sulfate and 40 g of superphosphate. If the soil on the site is clay, add 5 kg of sand.
6. When planting a bush, part of the soil mixture is poured into a hole and forms a hill.
7. Having set the plant on a hill, the roots are straightened, directing them to the sides.
8. The rest of the soil is covered in parts and tamped so that there are no voids left.
9. The growth point is deepened 7 cm from the soil level. After planting, the first watering is carried out - up to 10 liters of water.
10. Shoots are pruned, leaving a length of 50-60 cm with 5-7 buds.

Further care

The gooseberry is watered as the soil dries up and always in the trunk circle of the bush. With sprinkler irrigation, the crop is susceptible to disease.

Despite the plant's resistance to drought, constant drying out of the soil is unacceptable - the fruits grow small and sour. In total, during the season, watering is carried out 3-4 times, 20 liters each under a bush.They take warm and settled water.

For a good growing season, the soil is regularly dug up or loosened. If there is no time for this, the trunk circle is mulched with any organic material (peat, straw). Mulch retains moisture and inhibits the growth of weeds.

Gooseberry Serenade is a highly productive crop, so it needs annual abundant feeding, especially if it grows on poor soil. Fertilization time is early spring. Standard complex of dressings for one bush:

• 10 kg of humus or compost;
• 60 g superphosphate;
• 40 g of saltpeter;
• 20 g of potassium chloride.

The first pruning is done in the spring to shape the shrub and lay fruit-bearing branches. To do this, leave 4-6 of the strongest shoots coming from the root, the rest are removed.

From the age of 4, they carry out sanitary thinning of the crown: they cut out weak, dried up and improperly growing shoots in order to provide lighting and uniform heating of ripening berries.

At the age of 9-10 years, the bush is rejuvenated - they remove all old lignified shoots, leaving only new vegetative buds at the root.

Possible problems, diseases, pests

Serenada is resistant to powdery mildew, but other fungal and viral diseases sometimes affect it. Among them:

1. Anthracnose. It manifests itself as small dark brown spots on the leaves, sometimes on the petioles and young shoots. Gradually they grow and merge, the leaf dries up and falls off. For the purpose of prevention and treatment illness use spraying with "Nitrofen", copper sulfate.
2. Rust. Symptoms appear as rusty spots with yellow spore pads on the leaves and ovary, less often on the shoots. Sites of infection are clearly visible on the underside of leaves or against the background of a green ovary. Affected leaves dry out prematurely and fall off. The fruits remain underdeveloped and quickly crumble. Over time, the bush dies. For the prevention and control of the fungus, the bushes are sprayed with a solution of the biological agent "Gamair" (2 tablets per 10 liters of water).
3. Viral mosaic... Most often, the infection is carried by sucking insects - aphids, whiteflies and ticks. In infected plants, the leaves are covered with a mosaic yellow-green pattern, located mainly along the veins. Sick bushes lag behind in growth and development, bear fruit poorly, leaves wrinkle and shrink. Viral diseases are incurable. The plant affected by the mosaic is dug up and burned.

Wintering

To get rid of from harmful insects and causative agents of fungal diseases that are going to winter on the plant and in the soil, the near-stem circle is cleaned of fallen leaves and fruits, the gooseberry is treated with fungicidal and insecticidal preparations. Then the bush is watered abundantly and fresh mulch is applied. As soon as snow falls, it is thrown over the bushes in a thick layer.

An adult plant with lignified shoots is not threatened by freezing, but the shrub is sometimes attacked by rodents. A shelter will help to avoid damage: the bush is tied into a bunch, covered with lutrasil and spruce branches. Sprinkle with soil along the edge, then a layer of snow.

Reproduction

Large-fruited gooseberry Serenade multiply vegetatively: by layering, dividing the bush, green and lignified cuttings. For rooting and cultivation, they choose pure-bred, high-yield bushes that are not affected by pathogenic bacteria. Seed propagation is used to develop new varieties. In most cases, the culture is bred by rooting cuttings (lower branches of the mother bush), followed by transplantation to a permanent place of growth.

Pollinating varieties

Since the Serenade variety is self-fertile, it does without pollinating neighbors. It is perfectly pollinated by bees, so the plant is considered one of the most productive honey plants. But if congenial bushes grow nearby, the harvest will be even more plentiful.

Features of cultivation depending on the region

Large-fruited gooseberry Serenade is proposed by breeders for cultivation in the Central Black Earth Region. When recommending a variety, experts focused on the characteristics of the soil, climate and possible temperature drops. The climate of the Chernozem region is characterized by not cold winters and moderately hot summers. The average temperature in January is -12 ° C, in July - + 18 ° C. Since the region is located in the steppe zone, the moisture coefficient is less than 1, so droughts are possible. The variety is successfully cultivated in the region, collecting high yields of large-fruited berries - up to 5-6 kg from 1 bush.

Due to the indisputable advantages - resistance to drought and low temperatures - gooseberries are successfully grown in areas with more severe changeable weather and climatic conditions in our country.

Gardeners reviews

Gardeners speak positively about the Serenade gooseberry, noting the good presentation of the berries and transportability, strong immunity and the absence of thorns.

Ivan Andreevich, Voronezh: “Serenade planted 8 gooseberry bushes in his garden. I bought everything at a local nursery. The plant has almost no thorns, which makes it easy to care for. For 4 years, not a single bush got sick. The berries are dense and do not wrinkle, they are great for sale. "

Irina Nikolaevna, Moscow region: “Serenade brought gooseberries from Krasnodar to the Moscow region 5 years ago. The seedling tolerated the road well and took root without any problems. In my opinion, the main advantage of this variety is the absence of thorns. The bush is easy to cut and the berries are easy to pick. Because of the aphids, last year it was necessary to cut it off, and this season it has already given a big increase. We collected 3 kg of crop from the bush ”.

Conclusion

Gooseberry Serenade is chosen by many gardeners for planting in their plots. He pleases with his harvest - plentiful and tasty, unpretentious in care and tolerates both dry summers and cold winters. They love it for its large-fruited nature, versatility and immunity to powdery mildew.