The result of the tremendous selection work of German specialists in the last third of the twentieth century was the breeding of an interesting berry, which is a hybrid of blackcurrant and gooseberry.
It is called unusual - yoshta. But this name, unusual for Russian hearing, is already familiar to many. A new promising shrub conquered many domestic gardeners not only with the unconditional use of large tasty berries and a high degree of decorativeness, but also with a low culture in care and cultivation, as well as an excellent ability to quickly adapt to the proposed growing conditions.
Yoshta: features of the species
The fruits of yoshta perfectly combine the aroma of black currant with the musky notes of gooseberries.
Deriving this culture, breeders sought to improve the properties of both berries, increase productivity, resistance to traditional diseases and the absence of thorns. The gooseberry and currant hybrid is a powerful, sprawling, studless shrub that has significant growth force and is able to form strong shoots that reach a length of one and a half to two meters per season. An adult fruiting bush consists of 18-20 stems of different ages. The diameter of the crown reaches 2 meters, and the roots are no deeper than 0.5 m. Small dense green leaves adhere tightly to the stems and fall off just before the cold. The flowers are large, bright yellow in color, during flowering showered the bush completely.
Yoshta fruits
Large, black, with a purple tint, sweet-sour berries weighing 3-6 g each are collected in a brush of 5-6 pieces. Vitamin-rich fruits, even when fully ripened, do not crumble, and thanks to the dense skin, they are excellently transported.
Yoshta has a very high resistance to many diseases and pests, and its winter-hardy qualities make it possible to grow shrubs everywhere in Russia, practically without resorting to shelters for the winter, except for those moments when you have to insulate barely grafted cuttings. The gooseberry and currant hybrid is self-pollinated, gives the first crops three years after rooting and does not lose a high level of fruit production for 15-18 years. On average, up to ten kilograms of healthy, tasty and fragrant berries are harvested from one well-formed bush.
Gooseberry and blackcurrant hybrid: preferences and requirements
Like many berry growers, yoshta loves open, ventilated, well-lit areas, it responds with quick survival on fertilized with high-quality organic, cultivated soils of any structural type with neutral indicators. It is noticed that the plant bears fruit better if gooseberries with currants grow nearby.
The hybrid loves potash fertilizers, but you need to start using them when the crop enters the fruiting season. Until this time, any organic matter brought into the tree circle in autumn or early spring will be enough for the shrub. From the third or fourth year, 20 g of potassium sulfate and superphosphate are added to organic fertilizers in the spring, if this is required by the state of the culture.
Features landing yoshta
You can plant a hybrid of gooseberries and black currants in spring or early autumn. When buying a culture in a container, the planting time does not matter, since the protected root system of the seedling is not negatively affected by open air, the roots do not dry out and do not rot. You can plant such a plant at any time throughout the summer season. Since the bush is spreading, the minimum interval between seedlings should be at least 2 meters. This distance can be reduced to 60 cm if it is planned to arrange a hedge and we are not talking about getting the maximum yield.
Approximate dimensions of the landing pit - 0.4 m in all dimensions. After digging a depression, a third of it is filled with a soil layer removed from above, mixed with humus or good compost, generously watered with water and a seedling is placed. The roots are distributed so that they do not bend, close up with earth, condense and water again. The formation of air voids around the roots should not be allowed, this will significantly slow down the development of culture.
Breeding
The gooseberry and currant hybrid is excellently propagated by cuttings and offspring. To do this, in September, short-cut (15-20 cm) cuttings with 3-4 growth buds are cut from annual shoots and planted in the soil under a slight slope. Above the ground on the shoots should leave 2-3 growth buds. Landings are mulching. At the onset of cold weather, the cuttings are covered with spruce branches and left to winter. Rooting with this method of cuttings reaches 85-90%.
Landing care
Like any culture, a gooseberry-currant hybrid requires some care. It is better to immediately mulch the soil under the shrub after planting with peat, humus, wood chips, plant debris or straw. Mulch stabilizes the temperature of the soil, activates the formation of roots, facilitating the rooting of plants. With its use, there is no need for weeding and loosening. The layer of mulch should be periodically lined, as it “shrinks” and decomposes, giving the plant additional nutrition. Watering is necessary regular, but moderate.
Yoshting
Since the hybrid of currants and gooseberries (photo attached) is a powerful shrub and prone to the formation of numerous shoots, it is necessary to control their growth. Therefore, pruning is a must. The bush begins to form in the spring following the year of planting. Of the formed young shoots, 3-4 of the strongest are selected, the rest are removed at the base. If necessary, the tops of annual, excessively long branches are cut off in the fall.
Next spring, sick, broken and weak shoots are removed, leaving 3-4 one-year-olds and the same number of stems of the previous year. Thus, repeating this algorithm, they achieve the formation of a properly formed bush of 18-20 stems of different ages. It should be remembered that the fruit formation of the seven-year-old stem begins to decrease markedly, so it can be removed by replacing it with younger shoots.
Such an approach to growing this plant, which is still unusual for a Russian gardener, will help maintain a high yield of the bush and its excellent decorativeness. Yoshta not only gives wonderful berries that exceed currants in vitamins, but also decorates the garden, surprising in spring with a spectacle of bright flowering, and in summer with heavy, humbled black berries, branches. The uniqueness and originality will bring a hybrid of currants and gooseberries into the garden interior. Reviews of amateur gardeners agree: yoshta is an amazing plant that combines the best qualities of familiar berry bushes.