Gooseberry Northern Captain: variety description, cultivation

The article presents the Northern Captain gooseberry: a description of the variety, recommendations for planting, care, protection.

Gooseberry Northern Captain: variety description

Gooseberry Northern Captain: photo of the variety

The gooseberry variety North Captain appeared on the market relatively recently thanks to domestic breeders. The North Captain was obtained by crossing with the Pink 2 variety. This variety was registered in the State Register of the Russian Federation in 2007. The northern captain is recommended for growing in the North-West regions of Russia. This gooseberry is quite persistent and bears fruit well in unfavorable conditions.

Gooseberry bush Northern Captain is quite tall and dense. Bending under heavy berries, young stems begin to bend to the ground. Young shoots are green in color, as for adult shoots, they are gray. Shoots branch rather strongly, do not have pubescence. The spines are not too long, about 7 mm. They are not often found on aged shoots, and are practically not present on young stems. The thorns, as a rule, are not thick, grow straight, and are located one by one. Thorns usually grow near the base of the shoots. On average, the number of spines is not too large.

Gooseberry North Captain has large leaves that have a glossy texture, three-lobed leaf structure. Pubescence is also absent on the leaves. The leaf has a rich green hue, the texture is slightly wrinkled.

The flowers of the North Capitina gooseberry variety are large enough in size, have a greenish tint, as a rule, are grouped in two or three clusters. The petals have a dash of red along the edges.

Fruits are evenly distributed on the bush, one berry in its weight usually reaches from 3.5 to 4 grams. The color varies depending on the degree of maturity. It can be dark red, burgundy, and even black. Light-colored veins are visible in the berries. The skin of the fruit is not too thin, has a noticeable waxy coating. The seeds in such fruits are not too large. Ripe berries contain about 9% sugars, a sufficiently large amount of vitamin C makes the berries slightly sour. These gooseberry varieties are not too whimsical in their care, they feel great in the northern part of the country, and they also show good results in the south.

The North Captain gooseberry variety is self-fertile. Produces good yields even when growing alone. If there are other varieties of gooseberries in the neighborhood, then the yield increases, but not too much. For this reason, it is not necessary to specially plant other varieties next to the North Captain. These gooseberries are good at restoring damaged shoots, the root system is able to withstand fairly low temperatures. Gives an excellent harvest if you follow the basic rules for caring for the plant.

Gooseberry Northern Captain survives cold weather very steadily, can withstand temperatures down to -30 degrees. Winter in the North-West region of Russia is rather cold, with strong winds. For this reason, it is better to spud your plantings, and also lay a mulching layer in the area of ​​the trunk circle. It is not necessary to additionally cover the aerial part of the plant.

Also, the North Captain gooseberry survives dry ground quite well.The root system of this culture is not located too deep, for this reason, too long drought can destroy part of your plant. If there is little rain, then the gooseberries must be additionally watered at least once every 7 days. When berries are forming, you need to closely monitor the moisture level in the soil. Drying out of the root system of a plant is unacceptable. Otherwise, the berries will become too small and sour.

In terms of yield, the North Captain gooseberry shows a fairly stable result. The fruits ripen fairly evenly, as a rule, this time falls on the end of July. In terms of ripening, this variety is medium late. Fruits during harvesting are removed quite easily, while being able to stay on the bushes for a long time, without crumbling to the ground.

In the same place, the shrub of this gooseberry can bear fruit well for 20 years. If the basic rules for the care and pruning of the plant are followed, then the shrub will delight you and your family with delicious berries for a long time. One adult plant is capable of producing about 3 kg of berries, sometimes about 4 kg of fruits can be harvested. This gooseberry variety is quite life-loving, since without any care, it can still bring about 2 kg of berries.

Gooseberry Northern Captain: benefits and harms, the use of the variety

Gooseberry Northern Captain: photo of the variety

As for the purpose of gooseberry berries, it is universal. The Northern Captain gooseberry makes delicious wine and juice. You can make delicious jelly, compote, jam and other desserts from which berries. Berries are also good for various preparations. The fruits tolerate transportation well, and are also able to be stored for a long time. This is due to the fact that the peel of the berries is quite thick, and the pulp contains many natural preservatives.

The gooseberry variety Northern Captain is technical, it hardly reaches the dessert one, but many gardeners praise the taste of such berries very much.

Such a gooseberry has a fairly strong immunity against various diseases and harmful insects. This is especially true for diseases with septoria, anthracnose, powdery mildew. Rarely enough, the North Captain is attacked by a gooseberry firefighter and a sawfly.

The gooseberry variety Northern Captain has a lot of positive qualities. Among which gardeners note especially the ability of the plant to adapt even to unfavorable growing conditions. In addition, gooseberries tolerate low temperatures. The North Captain almost never suffers from various diseases and is not attacked by pests. The berries have a fairly high taste, and are also able to maintain a marketable appearance for a long time. This gooseberry variety can be propagated by all vegetation methods.

The disadvantages include too high acidity in the taste of berries. In addition, too high shoot formation is noted. Young shoots too actively make the central part of the bush too dense in just one year.

How to plant the North Captain gooseberry variety

Gooseberry Northern Captain: photo of the variety

Even if only one gooseberry of this variety grows on your site, then there will be no problems with its reproduction. Such a gooseberry reproduces perfectly with the help of cuttings, layering, you can also divide a bush, and propagate plants using grafts. If you want to preserve all the characteristics of the variety, as well as get a good harvest, then you need to know some rules regarding planting a plant.

As a rule, young seedlings are planted in the autumn, but the onset of frost should remain for about one month. The root system of the shrub must have time to adapt before the onset of cold weather.Springtime is not very good for planting gooseberries. This is due to the fact that frosts may return.

When choosing a site for a given gooseberry, give your preference to well-lit areas, in addition to this, the land must be protected from drafts and gusts of wind. Gardeners often plant gooseberries next to fences, fences, or other tall crops. This variety is not very picky about the composition of the soil. However, in order for the plant to please you with a good harvest, it is better to choose a light enough, fertile soil with a neutral acidity index. If the groundwater on the site is too close to the surface, then you need to make good drainage for your gooseberry plantings.

It is also necessary to take seriously enough the choice of planting material. It is better to give preference to seedlings that are at least 2 years old. The root system must be lignified. The stems should be free from damage and traces of fungal diseases, they should be flexible and strong enough. If the root system becomes dry during long-term transportation, then soak the planting material in water for one night. Plants will take root better if a growth stimulant is added to the water.

Before planting a plant on a site like, it is necessary to remove all weeds, dig up the soil, and also add the necessary nutrients to the ground. If the soil has a too high acidity index, then additional lime must be added. If the soil is too heavy, compost, peat and sand should be added.
When the soil is ready, you can start planting your seedling directly.

The planting hole should be 50 by 50 cm in size. Half of such a hole should be covered with a fertile layer. Then the seedling must be lowered into this hole and the root system is well spread, while slowly adding soil. As the planting hole fills up, the soil needs to be tamped down a little. After these procedures, you need to thoroughly shed your plant, while the soil should completely settle. The root collar of the plant should be at a depth of 6 to 8 cm. If there is a need, then the depth of planting of the seedling can be corrected. Fertile mixture, as a rule, consists of phosphorus and potash fertilizers, compost, humus. It will be useful to add wood ash in the amount of 250 g to this mixture, as well as a small amount of sand. This amount is consumed per plant. After planting is over, cover the soil near the bushes with a mulch layer, and then cut the plant for the first time. In this case, each stem must be shortened to the fifth or sixth living bud.

Care rules

The gooseberry variety Northern Captain responds well enough to wet soil, but the area should not be swampy, otherwise the plant may get sick. Watering the plant too often is not necessary, especially in areas with sufficient rainfall. In spring, gooseberries wake up very early, and melt water is used to start development. During this period, it is necessary to apply a nitrogen-based fertilizer. Before the North Captain gooseberry blooms, you can fertilize the shrubs with a solution of chicken manure. Rotted manure is also suitable for these purposes. During the rest of the growing season, nitrogen-based feeding is not necessary. Twice a season, each plant needs a certain amount of mineral dressings, which contain phosphorus and potassium in their composition. If it is too rainy in summer, then there is no need to water the plants; it is sometimes necessary to loosen and weed the area. At the same time, it is better to use fertilizing in the form of granules, which are scattered around the plant. Over time, wetted by raindrops, they will fall into the ground.

It is imperative to periodically prune gooseberries.The stems sometimes grow inside the bush, because of this, too thick bush can get a fungal infection, even though the North Captain has strong immunity. In no case should the thickening of the bush be allowed during a period when there is especially a lot of rain. It is imperative to prune the shrub after the plant has been planted in the soil. It is also necessary to form the crown of the bush at the end of season 1. In the autumn, you need to remove all young stems to the ground, while leaving about 4 strong shoots. As for the shoots of 1 year old, the upper part must be removed from them. It is imperative to cut off aged and deformed shoots, those stems that remain must be shortened. An adult plant should contain from 20 to 25 strong shoots, they should be of different ages. Branches that are more than 6 years old must be removed on a ring near the top of the ground. If you follow the above rules, then you can achieve that the gooseberry will bear fruit in the same place for more than 20 years.

About diseases and pests of this gooseberry

Gooseberry Northern Captain has a fairly strong immunity to major diseases and harmful insects. To protect your planting, sometimes there is enough preventive measures. Many experienced gardeners use wood ash for this purpose; they do not pollinate the soil under the bushes with it. Wood ash is unpleasant for harmful insects and is also a good source of potassium.

After the North Captain gooseberry crop is harvested, it is necessary to get rid of all the remnants of the foliage, parts of the branches. All this must be removed in the autumn, there should be no plant debris next to the gooseberry bushes. After everything is collected, you need to burn it away from your garden. Such a measure will help get rid of the larvae, as well as adults, and prevent them from wintering in your garden.

Gooseberry Northern Captain: video about the variety