Young but very promising gooseberry variety "Sadko"

The gooseberry variety Sadko was bred quite recently, but many gardeners have already been able to appreciate its advantages. The article presents the features of the variety, the rules for planting, care and reviews of summer residents, which will help decide whether to plant Sadko on your own site.

What is this gooseberry variety

Gooseberry Sadko is a young and promising variety, which was bred for planting in the regions of the central part of Russia... However, he showed himself on a good side and in areas with less favorable climatic conditions. The variety does not need pollinators, has strong immunity and tolerates cold well.

Brief history of origin and distribution

Sadko was obtained by crossing two parental bushes belonging to the varieties Lada and Seedling 329-11. The research was carried out by the All-Russian Institute of Horticulture. The hybrid is still in the phase of variety testing, but the results obtained suggest the success of the experiment. If initially it was bred for areas with non-arid summers and warm winters, now experts safely recommend the variety for planting in more severe regions.

Characteristics and description of the bushes

The height of an adult shrub rarely exceeds 1.2 m... Slightly spreading bush, compact, erect, with strong branches. Over time, does not lean to the ground. The formation of new shoots is a distinctive feature of the variety. They grow straight, of medium thickness and long. There are practically no thorns on the branches. Thin needles are found only at the base of young shoots.

Attention! The bush grows slowly. A plant is considered an adult from the age of 5. It is by this age that a sufficient number of shoots grow to collect the maximum yield.

The variety has bright green saturated foliage, which in autumn takes on crimson hues... Each leaf looks like a corrugated plate with a serrated edge, its surface is rough, velvety.

Resistant to temperatures

One of Sadko's parents, Lada variety, is characterized by increased frost resistance... This feature passed on to the hybrid. Sadko tolerates frosts down to -30 ° C, as well as all seasonal and daily temperature drops. It quickly restores damaged parts of the bush that are above the ground, so the main responsibility of the gardener is to provide a comfortable wintering for the root system.

Moisture and drought resistance

The variety also performed well in dry summer conditions.... Even with strong heat, the fruits will not wilt or bake under the sun. But gooseberries do not like wetlands, therefore, when planting, it is important to take into account the location of groundwater.

Disease and pest resistance

Strong immunity to the most common diseases is noted: spotting and powdery mildew... When shoots and foliage are damaged by pests, it quickly recovers.

Characteristics and description of fruits

Medium-sized oval or pear-shaped fruits, weighing 4-5 g... On young shoots they can weigh up to 8 g. Berries have a beautiful reddish hue with a waxy bloom. The skin is dense, with a distinct sourness; veins are visible along the berry.

Fruit color does not change during heat treatment... The dense skin does not burst when heated and perfectly tolerates transportation.

Tasting assessment of specialists - 4 points... The fruit has a sweet and sour taste. It is noted that the berries that grow with an excess of sunlight have much more sweetness in the berries. On average, sugar is 7.5%, and acid is 2.2%. The berries of this variety are an excellent immunostimulating agent - there are 25 mg of vitamin C per 100 g of fruit.

By the timing of ripening, the variety is medium late... In the south of Russia, the harvest begins in mid-July, in the Moscow region - 2-3 weeks later. In cold regions, the fruits ripen until the end of August. From one bush, you can get up to 6 kg of gooseberries, and on an industrial scale - up to 1.5 kg per 1 sq. m.

Areas of their application

The variety is universal... It is consumed fresh, freeze, they cook compotes, juices, jellies, preserves and jams, make wines and liqueurs.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

Benefits:

1. Easily tolerates drought, frost and seasonal / daily temperature changes.
2. Bushes are compact in size, without thorns that make harvesting difficult.
3. Good immunity to common diseases and pests.
4. The universal purpose of berries.
5. Suitable for industrial cultivation.
6. Excellent indicators of presentation, keeping quality and transportability.

Among the disadvantages are the following:

1. The maximum yields are reached only 5 years after planting.
2. Thick skin, sour taste.
3. For the first planting, it is better to use 2-year-old seedlings from the nursery, since the variety is quite young and little studied.

Growing technology

By observing the simple rules for planting the Sadko gooseberry variety, you can get strong, healthy bushes with maximum yields.

Optimal conditions

For this variety choose a well-lit area, protected from strong winds and drafts... According to experienced gardeners, the location of groundwater should be no higher than 1.5 m to the ground. Best for a rich harvest loamy soil is suitable with a neutral pH.

To prevent stagnation of water, it is worth doing soil drainageusing crushed stone, sand or expanded clay. If the bushes are planted in large quantities, then it is necessary to mark the rows. The interval between the bushes is 1 m. In the row spacing, trenches are made for passages of 2 m. Planting in a checkerboard pattern is allowed.

Terms and rules of landing

A seedling purchased in a container can be planted in any warm season... Otherwise, planting is done in early spring or autumn. When disembarking in autumn it is important that there is enough heat for rooting, but the abundant foliage did not have time to form.

Basic actions:

1. They dig up the soil, remove all the garbage, weeds and branches. If it is necessary to reduce the acidity, lime is added.
2. The rows are marked. The depth of the holes for planting is about 50 cm. The diameter of each hole is 2 times the root system.
3. The soil is mixed with compost fertilizer and humus, wood ash and a complex mixture are added.
4. The bush is placed in the central part, the roots are covered with earth, leaving a root collar about 5 cm to the soil surface. Otherwise, the plant will develop more slowly.
5. Watering and pruning is carried out, leaving 5 buds on each shoot.

Further care

The Sadko variety is unpretentious, but needs minimal care:

1. Watering is carried out as needed: with rapid drying of the soil, during flowering, during the filling of berries and when the leaves fall in autumn. The bush is not watered if the fruits are ripe. Berries can become watery, sour, as there is not enough sugar accumulating.
2. Top dressing is carried out annually, from the moment the first fruits appear. 1 part of completely rotted manure is mixed with 10 parts of water. The procedure is carried out 3-4 times during the spring-summer period every 15-20 days, except for the first days of June.This will extend the fruiting period of the shrub to 15 years.
3. Sadko is pruned when the bushes are dormant - in early spring or late autumn, after the foliage has fallen off. In the middle of the season, if necessary, weak or diseased shoots are removed to a healthy area or under the root.

Possible problems, diseases, pests

The variety has strong immunity and is not very susceptible to diseases and the invasion of pests... Sadko's spotting and powdery mildew are not scary. For prophylaxis, in the spring, the bushes are sprayed with a 2% solution of Bordeaux liquid or "Fitosporin".

Important! Foliage, branches, dry grass, old mulch are removed and burned in autumn. They do this off-site to prevent the risk of infection from diseased plants.

Sadko can be affected by spider mites, aphids, sawflies and moths... To prevent this, it is necessary to spray the bushes with the drug "Fufanon" before opening the kidneys. When the bushes are damaged by pests, Sadko is treated with "Aktellik", "Karbofos", "Vofatox".

Gooseberry variety Sadko does not tolerate stagnant water, so frequent watering can harm the bushes... It is also important to regularly remove weeds and make sure that the gooseberry foliage does not thicken too much.

Wintering

In the southern regions, Sadko tolerates winter easily and does not need shelter, but in areas with less favorable conditions, it is necessary to properly organize wintering. To do this, carry out the mulching procedure, the layer should not exceed 10 cm. Spruce branches are laid around the shrub. The crown is covered with breathing agromaterial and bandaged. It is important not to pull the stems too tightly; they need air to keep them from melting.

Reproduction

To obtain planting material without losing the characteristics of the variety, use vegetative propagation... Both cuttings and cuttings root equally well.

Divide only the bush that is older than 6 years of age... The procedure is carried out only if the bush is transferred to another area. An adult plant is not dug up exclusively for reproduction because of the risk of its death.

Features of growing this variety, depending on the region

In the process of variety testing Sadko performed equally well in various climatic conditions... Due to frost and drought resistance, it is suitable for growing in many regions of Russia and the CIS countries.

It is noted that the amount of harvest is the same for the north and southhowever, in the south, the fruits ripen earlier. In cold regions, it is important to properly organize wintering.

Pollinating varieties

Gooseberry Sadko does not need pollinating varieties.

Reviews of summer residents

Reviews about this variety are very encouraging. Sadko inherited extremely positive qualities from his parents, which make it possible to grow this gooseberry in different climatic conditions without losing yield indicators.

Elena Markova, Moscow region: “Sadko appeared on my site 7 years ago. The variety is really unpretentious, does not require much attention and at the same time pleases with the harvest. I prune the bushes in the spring and again after the ovaries have formed. This technique increases the number of fruits harvested from each shrub. ".

Oleg Torin, Krasnodar region: “Sadko's fruits are sour, we cook compotes from them. We store the harvest in the cellar. If the conditions of humidity and temperature conditions are observed, the berries picked a couple of weeks before ripeness will last up to 1.5 months ".

Evgeniya Manukyan, Ural: “The variety tolerates winter well in the Urals, but mice are very fond of settling in the roots of Sadko, so spruce branches around the bushes are a must. Even if the bush freezes under severe frosts, it is enough to remove damaged stems in spring. We collect the crop at the end of August and put it in conservation. Because of its dense skin and sour taste when fresh, this variety is not liked by everyone. ".

Conclusion

The gooseberry variety Sadko is suitable for cultivation both in the south and in the north of Russia.It tolerates frost and drought well, has a strong immunity to major diseases, and quickly recovers if damaged. Sadko fruits are versatile and suitable both for fresh consumption and for freezing or preservation.