Today, almost no garden plot can do without at least one gooseberry bush. There are so many varieties of this berry that they number in the hundreds. Gooseberries grow everywhere, from Vladivostok to St. Petersburg. Today we suggest recalling for a long time already familiar to many, many forgotten gooseberry variety "date". In this article you can learn the rules of planting and care, read the description.
Grade Features
Gooseberries have long been a favorite berry of many people. It contains many minerals and vitamins, and the taste can not be compared with any other culture. Gooseberry variety “date” is one of the oldest representatives of this culture. It is believed that it was bred by Holland breeders, but in Russia it has long been listed as a popular variety, as it has been cultivated in the country since the Soviet era.
A feature of the "date" is its continuous fruiting. Its fully ripened fruits can be on the shrub for up to three weeks, not crumbling, which is very convenient for gardeners, areas of which are located outside the city, and they do not live there permanently.
Gooseberries "dates" can serve as material for the preparation of jam, compote, jam. It can be frozen to enjoy the taste of fresh fragrant berries in winter and make up for the lack of vitamins.
Bush description
This plant is quite sprawling, it has strong branches. The height of individual representatives of the gooseberry "dates" can reach two meters. The variety is endowed with the ability to grow quickly and give new shoots, it has a dense green mass of foliage.
Each twig is richly covered with sharp long spikes. This weapon is not only in annual shoots. The foliage is large, glossy, its ends are rounded. In older bushes, foliage can be wrinkled, it is larger than that that grows on young plants.
The ovaries of the flowers are light green, down. The bush blooms with small flowers, the color of which is white, but a greenish tint is noticeable.
Fruit
Gooseberry "date", a description of which is presented in this article, is distinguished by its harvest. The berries are massive, some specimens can weigh up to twenty grams. Their shape resembles a pear, but there are also round ones; there is no edge.
The skin color is almost brown, the core is green, one side of the berry is painted almost purple. The berries are quite dense, juicy inside, but the peel protects against cracking, and they are well stored and transported without losing their shape, without breaking. Presentation is maintained for a long time. Even when making jam, whole berries are observed in it.
The taste of gooseberries
Variety "dates" is distinguished by its taste characteristics. The berries of this gooseberry are very fragrant, unusually sweet, the peel complements the taste of acidity. These are refreshing fruits, they will quench your thirst in the hottest time, give strength.
Sugar is contained in the variety on average ten percent, this is with stable rains and sunny days. If there is a lot of rains in the season, then the amount of sugar decreases, if the summers are dry and hot, on the contrary.
Advantages of the "date" variety
No wonder this gooseberry was so fond of gardeners, and it has been grown for several decades without changing the variety. Many species of this culture have been forgotten, but gooseberries "dates" are still popular. What is his secret? It:
- excellent taste;
- the possibility of long-term storage of fresh crops;
- the variety is resistant to droughts, and frosts (up to -35 degrees), and to waterlogging;
- long life of the bush and stable fruiting.
A separate point is to highlight the high productivity of the variety. From an adult plant, gardeners annually collect at least 25 kilograms of healthy and tasty berries. Young shrubs are considered champions in fruit size, they are the largest of all varieties of gooseberries.
Another indisputable advantage of gooseberry "dates" is its long "service life". Almost all other varieties must be rejuvenated every seven years, as the yield decreases or the bush stops bearing fruit; in such cases, young plants are planted in their place. Gooseberry “dates” may not lose fruiting ability, and yield will remain stable for at least fifteen years.
disadvantages
The variety is considered late, and the first crop can be removed in mid-July, but the ripening peak will be in mid-August. This can be considered some inconvenience, but there is still the opportunity to correct this minus by growing earlier ripe varieties. What else do gardeners in gooseberries "dates" not like? It:
- exactingness to soil saturation, stable top dressing is needed;
- poor resistance to certain diseases, for example, powdery mildew, sferoteku, therefore, preventive spraying is necessary.
The perfect place to grow
Gooseberry "dates" will grow only in neutral soil, it does not tolerate acidity. Before planting a bush in a pit, it is necessary to pour lime (slaked) or dolomite flour. During planting, mineral and organic fertilizers are applied to the soil. After the bush is in place, the soil around it must be laid with good humus. Fruiting can be expected in the third year after planting a bush.
The main thing that a gardener who is going to plant a gooseberry "date" should remember, is that the variety does not like the growth of currants next to it. He also needs space, as the root system is powerful and grows around. The distance between the bushes should be at least one and a half meters. If these rules are not observed, the yield will decrease, the berries will be smaller and sour.
Gooseberry Care
It is necessary to stably cut branches, remove excess shoots. Feeding is made phosphoric, potash, humus can be used. If the bush is planted in fertile soil, then before the fruiting begins, that is, within three years after planting, fertilizers do not need to be added.
Disease prevention is mandatory. If powdery mildew is noticed, you can spray with milk whey (one part of the serum is mixed with ten parts of water) or with a special preparation.
Gooseberry "date": reviews
Despite the fact that the variety is endowed with shortcomings, many people grow it. Gooseberry care, according to gardeners, is uncomplicated, the main thing is to cut, thin out, and treat it from diseases on time. They praise the taste of berries, high and stable productivity, and the longevity of the bushes.