Gooseberry Pushkin

Gooseberry Pushkin is the easiest and most unpretentious variety to care for. This plant is perennial, with a long yield period and usually bears fruit very abundantly.

Gooseberries are rich in vitamins A, B, C and contain other equally useful elements such as calcium, iodine, potassium and iron. Gooseberry fruits are consumed both fresh and they are used for making jam, making wine and preparing compotes. This article will focus on the characteristics of this variety, as well as on the simple rules for caring for it.

Gooseberry Pushkin: description of the variety

Gooseberry Pushkin photo

The gooseberry variety Pushkinskiy is very good in that it does not have thorny thorns that complicate the harvesting process so much. And also the plant has a high immunity to various diseases.

Gardeners are very fond of this culture and leave only positive reviews about the Pushkin gooseberry. And all then, that he does not require much attention to himself. But still, some peculiarities should be taken into account. Before you buy and grow this plant on your site, you should familiarize yourself with it theoretically. Because here you will know for sure whether this variety is suitable for growing specifically in your region or not.

The history of the gooseberry variety Pushkin

Gooseberry Pushkin was created by scientists I.S. Studenskaya and N.M. Alekseeva. Breeders have been working on breeding the variety since 1947 in Leningrad. So, by crossing two varieties of Green Bottle and Pavlovsky Green, this beautiful sweet berry was obtained, which, moreover, is invulnerable to common diseases. And also characterized by good cold resistance and high yield.

The variety has not yet been officially recognized in the state register. However, experts see great prospects for this. And they recommend this plant for growing in the Central and North-Western zone of Russia.

The bush of this plant is quite tall. It can grow in length up to one and a half meters. There are no thorns on this plant, or, if there are, very few.

The following are some of the differences between this type of gooseberry and other representatives:

• a small presence of thorns and a semi-spreading form of a bush;
• the fruits are oval;
• the peel is covered with a waxy coating. The color of the berries is light green;
• the shrub has beautiful, medium, dark green leaves of a characteristic shape;
• fruits ripen, as a rule, closer to August. They differ in sweet taste and juicy pulp. From one bush, you can collect about 9 kg of berries.

For this variety, there are a lot of positive reviews from gardeners who have already grown a shrub on their site. As a rule, they have a very high resistance to frost.

Advantages and disadvantages

If you list all the advantages of this plant, then the most important of them will be self-fertility. The plant does not require various insect pollinators. Because it can do it on its own. Moreover, if you follow all the rules of agricultural technology, the plant can grow and bear fruit in the same place for more than 10 years.

Also, the advantages include the plant's high immunity to diseases such as powdery mildew and anthracnose. In addition, a high yield can be distinguished. Gooseberry Pushkin is very resistant to winter frosts.And also to return frosts in the spring. The absence of thorns on the plant is undoubtedly another advantage of the plant. The berries are very sweet in taste. They can be used to make dessert wines. The culture is easy to care for and grow. It also reproduces easily.

In addition to the advantages, there are also disadvantages:

• characteristic of all gooseberries, the tendency to overgrow the bush. What can damage neighboring plantings;
• the plant is unstable in front of the spheroteka. Also, the shrub will not grow on acidic soil. And where the soil is cold.

Since the plant has more advantages than disadvantages, the shrub is a favorite among gardeners. Even those who are just starting to grow various crops can grow it.

Agricultural rules

Plant care consists in the regular formation of the crown, in the prevention of the plant from diseases and pests. And also in watering and feeding the plant. Separately, here we can say about the choice of soil. Because Pushkin's gooseberry will grow well and bear fruit only in fertile soil, rich in essential elements. The plant will not take root at all in a wetland. Therefore, the place where you plan to plant a shrub should be treated very carefully.

If you have mostly clay soil on your site, then it is necessary to add sand to it when planting. In a proportion of about 30 kg per square meter. The mixture is dug up properly. Adding sand can not only make the soil looser, and water will not stagnate in it, but the earth will conduct heat better. If you have an acidic reaction of the earth on your site, then you should neutralize it by adding lime, at the rate of about half a kilogram of substance per square meter.

Gooseberries do not like excessive soil moisture at all, because because of this, the root system begins to rot, so the groundwater should lie as low as possible, no more than one and a half meters from the surface.

The gooseberry is very fond of an open, sunny, warm place. You cannot plant this variety in the shade, since such a plant will not bear fruit. In addition, the risk of various diseases, such as powdery mildew, will increase. This applies not only to this variety, but also to all gooseberry crops.

Planting and care rules

The optimal period to plant this plant is the autumn period, September-October. This time is optimal because the bush will just have enough time to adapt and prepare before the winter period. Gooseberries are planted in the spring, but you need to choose the moment while the buds on the bush have not yet swollen, because with recurrent frosts, they can freeze. If the seedlings already have new leaves, and the root system is closed, then it is permissible to plant it at the beginning of flowering. The bush will take root anyway.

In order to plant a plant, you must first dig a hole with a diameter of about half a meter in width and length. It is necessary to add a complex of mineral fertilizers to the pit, which will consist of humus and half a glass of ash. Everything is properly mixed and applied to the soil. Then ready-made seedlings are planted in the prepared pits, tilting them slightly and deepening them a little, then they are covered with soil.

After the seedling is already in place, its top must be cut off by about five buds, then the new plant must be well watered. The area around the bush should be mulched. Humus or peat is perfect as mulch.

And if you are planting several bushes, then here you should maintain a distance of about half a meter between the bushes.

The shrub will bear fruit abundantly if it has enough moisture. In addition, a lack of water will negatively affect the taste of the berries and their size.Thus, it is necessary to water the shrub once or twice every seven days, while sparing no water. Especially abundant watering should be carried out before preparing the shrubs for winter. So, about 50 liters of water is poured under each bush.

Gooseberry Pushkin: feeding

In order for the gooseberry to bear fruit well, it must be fed regularly. In the spring, urea should be added to the soil at the rate of 30 grams per square meter. Provided that the bushes grow well and stably, then organic fertilizers, potassium and phosphorus are applied no more often than once every two years. In the fall, the bushes are fed with rotted manure, superphosphate and potassium sulfate. In order to protect the shrub from diseases and insect pests, it is also necessary to add wood ash every three years, at the rate of two cans per one square meter.

Although this plant is self-pollinating, yields can be improved by creating cross-pollination. So, for this, other varieties of gooseberries are planted in one area, observing a decent distance between them.

Prevention of diseases and pests of the Pushkin variety

Despite the fact that this culture is resistant to common diseases and pests, trouble can still happen to it. Therefore, preventive measures should be taken regularly, and if signs of disease or pest attacks are detected, it is necessary to take decisive measures.

If you see signs of a disease such as American powdery mildew, then here it will be necessary to treat with one of the drugs: either oxychom, or phytosporin, or topaz. It is necessary to dilute the drugs according to the instructions. Processing is carried out using a spray gun twice with a break of two weeks.

The disease usually slows down the growth and development of the bush, and also has a negative effect on the leaves and branches of the plant. The cause of the disease can be excessive foliage thickening, as well as a small amount of lighting or a lack of nutrients. To protect the plants from this disease, it is also necessary to spray it with Bordeaux liquid from time to time. For the first time, plants are treated in mid-spring, until the buds have blossomed, and then closer to autumn. In addition, these preventive measures will also save the shrub from diseases such as anthracnose and septoria.

To prevent the bush from being attacked by such pests as spider mites, gooseberry sawflies, fireflies or aphids, it is necessary in the spring, after the first leaves appear, to treat the shrub with a natural preparation phytoverm.

It is prepared according to the instructions: 2 ml of the drug for half a liter of water. This solution is once again diluted in a bucket of water before processing. One and a half lira funds must be spent on one shrub.

The following processing procedure should be carried out after the crop has been harvested. If you did not notice the pests in time, and the bush is badly damaged, then you need to use a stronger chemical, Fufanon. It also needs to be bred according to the instructions. Typically, this is 10 ml of the drug in a bucket of water. Each shrub is sprayed with this solution.

Gooseberry Pushkin: pruning

The basic rules for care must include regular pruning. This not only rejuvenates the shrub, but also maintains high fruiting and the neatness of the crown of the plant. As mentioned above, during the planting of the seedling, the ends of the shrub are cut off. Your next pruning will be done in about two years. Pruning must be carried out in the spring, while the buds are not yet swollen, before the plant begins to flow.

Crown formation includes the removal of dry, old, frozen and diseased branches. After about five sufficiently strong, strong and powerful shoots have grown on the plant, they must be left. The rest of all branches are sawn off at the root. This is how the skeleton of the bush is formed.

In the third year, about three or five more strong and healthy branches are added to these shoots. All others are deleted in the same way. So, in the third year, a shrub will form, which will contain about 10 powerful main branches.

Closer to the middle of summer, it is necessary to carry out sanitary pruning. Here the tops of the lateral branches up to five leaves are cut off. This not only serves to support the neat crown of the shrub, but also protects the gooseberries from pests.

Preparing for winter

This variety has good frost resistance and can easily withstand temperatures up to 30 degrees below zero. But there are also sharp drops in temperature in other seasons. Root areas can freeze here, which will entail a decrease in yield.

The best preparation for winter is to collect the branches and cover them with some kind of special non-woven material, such as agrofiber or spunbond. In order for the plants to receive enough light during the daytime, the shelter is removed.

Harvest. Collection and storage of Pushkinsky gooseberries

Finally, gooseberry fruits ripen in about a month from the beginning of fruiting. Here you yourself control the harvest time, which will depend on the purpose of using the berries.

Technically, the berries ripen when their color turns light green and the berries themselves are oval. However, having eaten the fruits, you will feel a certain sourness, and the berries will also be denser. Harvested at this time in order to make jam, jelly, compote or other desserts.

If you prefer to eat the berries fresh, directly from the bush, in order to preserve the maximum of nutrients, then you should wait until the fruits become juicy, sweet, large in size.

Gooseberry fruits ripen at the same time, which simplifies their collection, which is enough to produce in one go. A good time to harvest is a quiet, calm morning or evening. It is not recommended to sprinkle the berries, since the fruits have a very thin peel, and they can crack, which will reduce their shelf life. Therefore, the collection is carried out immediately in a suitable container.

The crop can be stored for no more than 6 hours at a temperature of 18-25 degrees. If the temperature in the room where the berries are stored is no more than 5 degrees, then the fruits will be stored for 5 days, and if the fruits are immature, then two weeks.

If you store the berries in the freezer, then they will lie there for 2 months, and if the temperature in the freezer is below 15 degrees, then you don't have to worry about the harvest for up to six months.

Some people dry gooseberries and store them in a cool, dark place for about 2 years. Gooseberry fruits in the form of blanks such as jam, preserves, compote can also be stored for two years. If you have to transport the berries to another place, then you need to collect them even before they are fully ripe. So they will last for a week.

Gooseberry Pushkin: the benefits of berries

There is no need to talk about the benefits of fruits. The main medicinal properties of gooseberries are credited with lowering cholesterol and blood sugar. In addition, berries promote the elimination of toxins and protect the body from the onset of cancer.

Summing up, we can say that the Pushkin gooseberry variety, although not officially registered, has long won the love of many gardeners. The plant is loved for its abundant fruiting, good resistance to frost and common diseases. The berries are distinguished by a sweet taste, and the plant itself does not require special attention and a specific approach to itself.