Content
Sadko gooseberry is one of the most promising young varieties created for the middle zone. Its tests show excellent results even in climates far from temperate. Gardeners from the Uralado Far East note the variety’s resistance to disease, frost, and rapid adaptation to unusual conditions. Sadko pleases with an abundance of red berries even in the most unfavorable seasons and is able to fully recover from severe damage.
Description of gooseberry Sadko
The young hybrid is still at the stage of variety testing, but is already known among gardeners and has managed to become one of the popular crops in the Moscow region and central Russia. Growing the crop in a more severe climate has already proven its ability to develop and bear fruit in extreme conditions from the hot south to the northern regions.
Compact Sadko gooseberry bushes do not exceed 1.2 m in height and are distinguished by erect branches that do not droop with age. The variety belongs to the weakly thorny gooseberries: sparse, thin needles cover the bases of young shoots and are completely absent on adult stems.
The self-fertile bisexual variety is capable of producing good yields when planted alone and does not require pollinators on the site. The fast-growing, powerful stems are covered with colorful foliage, with characteristic ruffled plates and jagged edges. The green part changes color, becoming burgundy in autumn.
Sadko's berries are red with a coral tint and thickly cover the branches every year. Both young and adult shoots are capable of bearing fruit. Old stems are subject to culling, the yield of which is gradually reduced, and the fruits become smaller.
With proper care, the first berries can be expected already in the second season after planting, but only bushes older than 4 years are considered mature. By this age, Sadko’s optimal number of shoots increases, and fruit yield reaches varietal values.
Drought resistance, frost resistance
Experts classify Sadko as a gooseberry with average winter hardiness and do not recommend testing it in regions with harsh winters. Gardeners claim that the young hybrid of the Lada variety, characterized by increased resistance to cold, has inherited the ability of the mother crop to easily tolerate low temperatures. The ability of rapid growth allows Sadko bushes to completely restore the damaged above-ground part, provided that the roots have been well wintered.
The drought resistance of gooseberries of the Sadko variety, according to the description and reviews of gardeners, allows the crop to easily acclimatize in the heat, the berries do not wither or bake in the sun.
Fruiting, productivity
The Sadko variety bears fruit consistently after 5 years of age. The average yield per bush is about 6 kg per season, which, with mass plantings, provides a yield of 1 to 1.5 kg of fruit per 1 sq. m. m.
Varietal characteristics of Sadko berries:
- the weight of an average berry is from 3.5 to 4.5 g;
- large specimens grow up to 8 g (mainly on young shoots);
- the shape of the berries is oval, sometimes pear-shaped;
- the longitudinal venation of the fruit is distinct;
- the peel is dense, sour;
- abundant waxy coating.
The gooseberry variety Sadko belongs to the sweet and sour table species; it officially received 4 points for taste. In practice, the accumulation of sugars in fruits is highly dependent on lighting and rainfall. The commercial quality of Sadko's ripe fruits is high. The sugar content reaches 7.5%, acids - 2.2%, vitamin C concentration - about 25 mg per 100 g of berry mass.
The use of Sadko gooseberries is universal: the berries are consumed fresh, in compotes, preserves, jams, jellies. Wines and liqueurs are made from the fruits. The high content of nutrients allows the use of Sadko gooseberries in the treatment of diseases associated with a lack of vitamins, essential micro- or macroelements, and decreased immunity.
A special feature of the Sadko variety is its ability to retain color during heat treatment and preservation. The dense, elastic skin of gooseberries does not burst when heated and allows the fruit to easily endure transportation.
Advantages and disadvantages
Positive qualities of the Sadko variety when grown in different climatic zones:
- Resistance to heat and frost. Gooseberries tolerate both seasonal and daily temperature fluctuations.
- The compactness of the bush and low thorniness make it easier to care for, pick berries and allow you to place a large number of bushes in a limited space.
- Increased resistance to typical gooseberry diseases - spotting and powdery mildew.
- Excellent presentation, keeping quality, transportability of berries. Sadko fruits tolerate canning and freezing well.
Among the disadvantages of the Sadko variety, only a sour taste, the density of the gooseberry peel and the need to wait for full fruiting for about 5 years from the moment of planting are noted.
Features of reproduction
Vegetative propagation allows you to obtain the necessary planting material without losing the characteristics of the variety. Gooseberry cuttings and layering root equally well. Sadko's erect stems make it somewhat difficult to fix them in the soil, but this method produces stronger and more adapted seedlings without additional work.
The bush is divided only in plants older than 6 years. This procedure can be carried out if it is necessary to transfer the gooseberries to a new place. There is no need to specifically dig up Sadko for propagation - an adult bush takes a long time to recover after transplantation.
Planting and care
Sadko gooseberries are planted in open ground in early spring or autumn, timing the time so that the seedling has time to take root, but does not begin to grow green mass. When purchasing seedlings in containers, work can be done at any warm time of the year.
The place for Sadko is chosen to be sunny, well protected from drafts and winds that prevail in winter. The best yield of the variety was noted on loamy soils with a neutral reaction. If there is a danger of moisture stagnation in spring or autumn, crushed stone, expanded clay, sand or broken brick should be prepared as drainage.
During mass plantings, rows are marked, leaving about 1 m between plants (minimum 80 cm), passages of up to 2 m are arranged between rows of Sadko bushes, or plants are arranged in a checkerboard pattern.
Sequence of work:
- The soil is dug up, removing weeds and adding lime if necessary to deoxidize the soil.
- Mark the rows. Dig planting holes at least 50 cm deep. The diameter of the recess should be at least twice the size of the root system of the seedling.
- The soil removed from the pit is mixed with compost or other fertile substrate, adding a glass of complex fertilizers and wood ash per plant.
- Place the Sadko seedling vertically in the center of the hole and carefully cover the roots with soil.
After planting, gooseberries of the Sadko variety are watered abundantly and trimmed, leaving no more than 5 buds on each shoot.
Growing rules
Gooseberry Sadko is unpretentious, but gratefully responds to care. The main activities necessary for bushes in temperate climates:
- feeding;
- shaping;
- weeding and loosening.
Watering is carried out only as necessary if the soil dries out during flowering, fruiting or at the beginning of leaf fall. You should not irrigate when the berries are ripening, otherwise the taste may become watery and the fruits will not accumulate enough sugars.
The gooseberry bush can bear fruit abundantly for more than 15 years, so the plant requires annual feeding. Starting from the year the first berries appear, Sadko is fertilized with a solution of completely rotted manure diluted 1 to 10 with water. This feeding can be repeated several times a season, every 15-20 days, stopping work at the beginning of July.
Nitrogen fertilizers can be applied to gooseberries in dry form, scattering 20 g of urea or 30 g of ammonium nitrate per bush in the trunk circle in the spring. After harvesting, phosphorus and potassium compounds are acceptable to prepare the plant for winter.
Foliar feeding with special complex fertilizers prevents leaf chlorosis. Once every 3 years, in the fall, Sadko gooseberries should be fed generously by adding rotted manure (up to 5 kg), superphosphate (25 g), and potassium sulfate (50 g) under each bush.
Basic techniques for forming bushes of the Sadko variety:
- Immediately after planting, all shoots are shortened: strong to 3-4 buds, weak to 1-2.
- Next year, the 5 strongest growths are selected, the rest are cut down to soil level.
- Further pruning is carried out annually in the dormant phase: in early spring or autumn after leaf fall.
- Old, frozen or dried stems are cut back to healthy wood or removed completely.
- All cuts larger than 1 cm must be treated with garden varnish.
An adult formed Sadko bush consists of 8-10 strong stems, forming a compact vertical crown without deviating branches.
In the southern regions, the Sadko variety overwinters without shelter. In more severe climates, the bushes are mulched with a layer of up to 10 cm. If there is a risk of damage by rodents, spruce branches are laid. The crown is loosely covered with breathable garden material and tied without tightening - the more air there is under the cover, the less danger of the branches dampening off.
Pests and diseases
Sadko is a variety resistant to spotting and powdery mildew; according to gardeners, the crop gets sick very rarely. Most often, diseases are provoked by incorrect agricultural practices: excessive watering, the presence of weeds on the site, thickening of the crown.
To prevent garden infections in early spring, Sadko gooseberries are sprayed with Bordeaux mixture (2%) or Fitosporin. All plant residues (leaves, branches, dry grass, old mulch) are removed in the fall and burned outside the site.
Most often, the Sadko variety is threatened by the following typical gooseberry pests:
- spider mite;
- shoot aphid;
- sawfly;
- Firefly
To prevent attacks by any insects, even before the buds open, gooseberry plantings are sprayed with Fufanon solution. When an infestation is detected, special preparations are used, selected according to the type of pest: Actellik, Karbofos, Vofatox, Hostakvik.
To repel dangerous insects, traditional methods are used: gooseberries are sprayed with horseradish infusions, pollinated with ash, and aphids are washed off with soapy water. Tomatoes, garlic, and mint are planted between the rows. Neighborhood with elderberry protects bushes from pests.
Conclusion
Gooseberry Sadko is a new improved variety that, as a result of selection, has received resistance to the most dangerous diseases of garden crops. Powdery mildew, which affects berry plantings in any climate and can destroy the crop and the entire bush, does not threaten healthy, well-groomed plants. The bright fruits of the Sadko gooseberry are not only tasty, but also have a high concentration of vitamins, which puts it among the most promising crops for cultivation in the middle zone and northern regions.
