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 propose to recall the long-familiar, forgotten gooseberry variety "date". In this article, you can study the rules of planting and care, read the description.
Features of the variety
Gooseberry has long been a favorite berry of many people. It contains many minerals and vitamins, and the taste cannot be compared with any other culture. The gooseberry variety "date" is one of the oldest representatives of this culture. It is believed that it was bred by Dutch breeders, but in Russia it has long been considered a folk variety, as it has been cultivated in the country since Soviet times.
The peculiarity of the "date" is its long fruiting. Its fully ripened fruits can be on the bush for up to three weeks without crumbling, which is very convenient for gardeners whose plots are located outside the city, and they do not live there.constantly.
Gooseberry "date" can serve as a material for making 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.
Description of the bush
This plant is rather spreading and has strong branches. The height of individual representatives of the gooseberry "date" 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 branch is richly covered with sharp, longish thorns. Only annual shoots do not have this weapon. The foliage is large, glossy, its ends are rounded. Older shrubs may have wrinkled foliage and are larger than those found on younger plants.
The ovaries of flowers are light green, lowered down. The bush blooms with small flowers, the color of which is white, but a greenish tint is noticeable.
Fruits
Gooseberry "date", the 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 color of the peel is almost brown, the core is green, one side of the berry is colored 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 bursting. The trade dress is kept for a long time. Even withmaking jam, whole berries are observed in it.
Taste of gooseberries
The variety "date" is distinguished by its taste characteristics. The berries of this gooseberry are very fragrant, unusually sweet, the peel complements the taste with sourness. 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 rain in the season, then the amount of sugar decreases, but if the summer is dry and hot, the opposite is true.
Virtues of "date" variety
No wonder this gooseberry is so loved by gardeners, and it has been grown for several decades without changing the variety. Many species of this culture have been forgotten, but the date gooseberry is still popular. What is his secret? This is:
- excellent taste;
- possibility of long-term storage of fresh crops;
- the variety is resistant to both drought and frost (up to -35 degrees), and waterlogging;
- long bush life and stable fruiting.
A separate item is the high productivity of the variety. From an adult plant, gardeners annually collect at least 25 kilograms of he althy and tasty berries. Young shrubs are considered champions in terms of fruit size, they are the largest of all gooseberry varieties.
Another indisputable advantage of gooseberry "date" is its long "service life". Almost all other varietiesit is necessary to rejuvenate every seven years, as the yield drops or the bush stops fruiting altogether, in such cases young plants are planted in their place. Gooseberry "date" may not lose the ability to bear fruit, and the yield will remain stable for at least fifteen years.
Flaws
The variety is considered late, and the first harvest can be taken in mid-July, but the peak of ripening will be in mid-August. This can be considered some inconvenience, but it is still possible to correct this minus by growing earlier ripening varieties. What else do not like gardeners in the gooseberry "date"? This is:
- demanding to soil saturation, stable top dressing is needed;
- weak resistance to some diseases, for example, powdery mildew, sferoteka, so you need to carry out preventive spraying.
Perfect place to grow
Gooseberry "date" will grow only in neutral soil, it does not tolerate acidification. 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 its place, the soil around it must be laid with good humus. Fruiting can be expected in the third year after planting the bush.
The main thing that a gardener who is going to plant a "date" gooseberry should remember is that the variety does not like growing next to currants. Also to himspace is needed, since the root system is powerful and grows on the sides. The distance between the bushes should be at least one and a half meters. If these rules are not followed, the harvest will decrease, the berries will be smaller and sour.
Gooseberry care
It is necessary to stably cut branches, remove excess shoots. Top dressings are made with phosphorus, potash, humus can be used. If the bush is planted in fertile soil, then before the start of fruiting, that is, within three years after planting, you do not need to add fertilizer.
Disease prevention is mandatory. If powdery mildew is noticed, you can spray with whey (one part whey is mixed with ten parts water) or a special preparation.
Gooseberry "date": reviews
Despite the fact that the variety is endowed with flaws, it is grown by many people. Caring for gooseberries, according to gardeners, is simple, the main thing is to cut, thin out, treat for diseases in time. They praise the taste of berries, high and stable yields, and the durability of bushes.
