Content
Ural thornless gooseberry has excellent taste. It is widespread in the northern regions due to its frost resistance and unpretentiousness. This culture has its disadvantages, but they are compensated by many advantages.
History of variety selection
The Ural thornless gooseberry variety was obtained at the Yuzhnouralsk Research Institute of Horticulture and Potato Growing by crossing Ural Green and Slaboshipovaty-2. The author of the selection is Ilyin V.S.
Description of the gooseberry variety Ural thornless
The gooseberry bush of the Ural thornless variety is vigorous, characterized by slight spreading and density. It can be grown in almost all climatic zones of Russia, including the regions of Siberia. The branches are directed vertically, but the side shoots can grow with a slight slope. The bark is yellow-gray in color. Annual branches are powerful, green, not pubescent.The buds are colored light brown. Thorns are absent or present, but in small quantities.
The leaves of the Ural thornless variety are three-lobed, the middle lobe is strongly pronounced. They have a glossy surface and dark green color. The leaf blade is concave, wrinkled in structure, with light veins. The petiole is about 2 cm in size, slightly pubescent.
The Ural thornless variety blooms in the second half of April or early May. The buds are painted bright crimson. The flowers are pink, but fade over time.
The Ural thornless gooseberry is a large-fruited variety - the berries weigh 8–9 g. They are oval in shape, bright green in color with a matte surface without pubescence. The fruits come off the branches easily. The skin is thick with a sour taste, the flesh inside is sweet and juicy. The veins are lighter than the color of the berry and are therefore clearly visible. The peduncle is green.
Characteristics of the variety
The description of the Ural thornless gooseberry variety contains mainly positive characteristics. It is endowed with properties that help withstand harsh climatic conditions and various diseases. There is no inconvenience during harvesting.
Drought resistance, frost resistance
According to the description of the variety, the Ural thornless gooseberry has high frost resistance and tolerates drought well. Withstands temperatures down to -30 °C.
Productivity and fruiting
The Ural thornless variety shows good yield. Young plants produce 5 kg, and bushes over 5 years old - 7–9 kg. Gooseberries have the highest performance when they are 6–7 years old.
Thanks to the sweet taste of the berries, Ural thornless is classified as a dessert variety. It is characterized by an average ripening period, but the berries are harvested a little earlier because they are prone to shedding.
Area of application of fruits
The dessert taste of the Ural thornless fruit allows them to be used both fresh and for various preparations. Most often, jam is made from gooseberries. Since the berries are picked a little earlier, they tolerate transportation well and can be stored.
Ural thornless gooseberry is shown in the photo:
Resistance to diseases and pests
The Ural thornless gooseberry variety is resistant to septoria and powdery mildew. But the bush can be attacked by harmful insects.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
Advantages of the Ural thornless gooseberry variety:
- a large amount of useful substances in berries;
- dessert taste;
- absence of thorns;
- large fruits;
- disease resistance;
- frost resistance;
- high productivity;
- drought resistance.
The main disadvantage of the Ural Thornless variety is the significant shedding of the berries, which requires starting the harvest before they are fully ripe.
Rules for planting gooseberries
When planting gooseberries, it is recommended to follow certain rules. This will allow the young plant to take root better and subsequently produce larger yields. Failure to follow these rules can cause harm to the gooseberry bush.
Recommended timing
Gooseberries of the Ural thornless variety are planted in the fall, which allows you to get a harvest next year. Recommended dates are the end of September and the entire first half of October. It is also worth focusing on the onset of frost in a particular region so that the gooseberries have time to take root and survive the winter normally. Some gardeners also practice spring planting, but then you need to do it before the buds open.
Choosing a suitable location
For planting, choose a flat, sunny area.Gooseberries can tolerate slight shade. It is necessary to ensure that groundwater does not pass near the surface of the earth in this place.
Gooseberries are undemanding when it comes to soil, but they cannot be planted next to paths because the roots cannot tolerate compaction. In Siberia, it is recommended to plant bushes where more snow cover forms.
Selection and preparation of planting material
It is better to purchase gooseberry seedlings that are 1–2 years old and have 3–4 shoots at least 20 cm long. The root system of the bush should be well developed.
It is recommended to plant gooseberries immediately after purchase. If this cannot be done, then it is better to carry out a number of preparatory measures:
- the roots are wrapped in a damp cloth and placed in a bag;
- if transportation is needed, the seedling is given a strictly vertical position;
- to avoid drying out the roots, they should be dipped in a clay mixture or sprinkled with wet sawdust;
- immediately before planting in the ground, it is necessary to remove leaves, damaged and dry parts of the roots, and also shorten the shoots to 20 cm.
Landing algorithm
The area for planting is prepared in advance - 2 months. If the soil is loamy, add sand. The landing algorithm looks like this:
- Dig a hole measuring 50x70 cm, while laying the top layer of fertile soil and the lower layers in different directions. If planting is done on black soil, then the dimensions can be reduced to 40x40. Manure, humus, and potassium salt still need to be added to the less fertile land.
- Wood chips are placed at the bottom of the pit, which will serve as drainage, and water is poured in the amount of one bucket.
- If there are several bushes, then maintain a distance of at least 1 m between them, because the feeding area of the gooseberry root system is 2 square meters. m.
- A circle is formed around the bush for watering. And after a day, the soil is mulched with peat or sawdust.
Follow-up care for gooseberries
In the first year after planting, no fertilizer will be required. In the second year, fertilizing with organic matter is necessary. In the third year, wood ash and superphosphate are used. Next, you need to feed the gooseberries once every 2-3 years.
The plant requires the following care measures:
- watering;
- deletion weed;
- loosening;
- feeding;
- treatment against pests and diseases;
- pruning;
- mulching.
When watering under a bush, it is enough to pour a bucket of water as the soil dries out, even if the plant has recently been planted.
The next year after planting the bush, pruning is carried out. In this way, the productivity of the plant can be increased. First, zero shoots are removed, leaving the 5–6 strongest ones. The bush should have branches of different ages, with the exception of those that are more than 7 years old. Old and diseased parts of the plant must be removed. Anti-aging pruning is carried out when the crop reaches 10 years of age.
In Siberia, gooseberries must be covered for the winter by bending the branches to the ground. In warmer climates it will survive cold weather without problems.
Diseases and pests, methods of control and prevention
The Ural thornless gooseberry variety has strong immunity to most diseases, but can be attacked by pests. Preventive measures are carried out twice per season - in spring and autumn.
There are many pest control products on the market, but experienced gardeners also recommend using traditional methods.It will be effective to quickly pour water on the bush at the beginning of April, heated to a temperature of +80 ° C. After this procedure, all debris from under the bush should be collected and burned.
At the beginning of budding, gooseberries should be sprayed with Rovikurt. This will protect the bush from aphids, gall midges and sawflies. A solution of colloidal sulfur will be effective against pests that damage buds.
In autumn, sanitary treatment of gooseberry bushes is mandatory. Sick and damaged leaves and shoots are removed. The plant itself and the ground around it must be treated with nitrophen, then watered abundantly and mulched with a thick layer of peat.
Conclusion
Ural thornless gooseberry is an unpretentious crop suitable for almost all climatic zones of our country. The dessert taste of the fruit allows it to be used not only for preparations, but also fresh. Large fruits and the absence of thorns are among the qualities due to which the Ural thornless gooseberry retains its popularity and collects positive reviews from gardeners.
