Gooseberries "dates": a description of the variety, features of cultivation, reviews

Today, almost no garden plot can do without at least one bush of gooseberry. The varieties of this berry are so many that they are numbered in the hundreds. Gooseberries grow everywhere, from Vladivostok to St. Petersburg. Today we propose to recall the long-forgotten familiarity of gooseberries "date". In this article, you can learn the rules of planting and care, read the description.

Features of the variety

Gooseberries have long been a favorite berry of many people. It contains many minerals and vitamins, and the taste does not compare to any other culture. The gooseberry variety "date" is one of the oldest representatives of this culture. It is believed that it was bred by breeders of Holland, but in Russia it has long been listed as a national variety, as it has been cultivated in the country since the times of the USSR.

Feature of the "date" is its long fruiting. Its fully ripened fruit can be found on the bush for up to three weeks without crumbling, which is very convenient for gardeners whose plots are outside the city, and they do not live there permanently.

Gooseberries "dates" can serve as a material for the preparation of jam, compote, jam. It can be frozen to enjoy the taste of fresh fragrant berries and fill the lack of vitamins in the winter.

Bush description

This plant is rather sprawling, it has strong branches. The height of individual gooseberries "dates" can reach two meters. The variety is endowed with the ability to grow rapidly and give new shoots, it has a thick green mass of foliage.

Each branch is richly covered with sharp longish spines. This weapon is not only in annual shoots. The foliage is large, glossy, its ends are rounded. In older bushes the foliage may be wrinkled, it is larger than the one that grows on young plants.

Ovaries of flowers are light green, they are lowered downwards. The bush flowers with small flowers, the color of which is white, but a greenish tinge is noticeable.

Fruit

Gooseberries "dates", 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 are no edges.

The color of the peel is almost brown, the core is green, one side of the berry is almost violet colored. The berries are quite dense, inside are juicy, but the peel protects from cracking, and they are well kept and transported, without losing its shape, without bursting. The presentation is saved for a long time. Even in the manufacture of jam, whole berries are observed in it.

Taste of gooseberries

The variety "date" differs in its taste characteristics. The berries of this gooseberry are very fragrant, unusually sweet, the peel complements the taste with sourness. This is a refreshing fruit, they quench their thirst in the hottest time, give strength.

Sugar is found in an average of ten percent, this is for stable rains and sunny days. If there are many rains in the season, then the amount of sugar decreases, if the summer is arid and hot, on the contrary.

Advantages of the "date stamp"

It is not for nothing that this gooseberry is so fond of gardeners, and it has been grown for several decades without changing the variety. Many species of this culture have forgotten, but gooseberry "date" is still popular. What is its secret? It:

• Excellent taste qualities;
• The possibility of prolonged storage of fresh crops;
• The variety is resistant to droughts, to frosts (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 harvest at least 25 kilograms of useful and tasty berries. Young bushes are considered record holders in terms of fruit size, they are the largest of all varieties of gooseberries.

Another indisputable advantage of gooseberries "dates" - its long "service life". Almost all other varieties need to be rejuvenated every seven years, since the yield decreases or the bush stops the fruiting, in such cases young plants are planted in their place. Gooseberries "dates" may not lose the ability to fructify, and yields will remain stable for fifteen years minimum.

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 a certain inconvenience, but there is still a possibility to correct this minus by growing earlier varieties. What else do gardeners dislike in gooseberries "dates"? It:

• Exacting to the saturation of the soil, we need stable top dressing;
• Weak resistance to certain diseases, for example, powdery mildew, spherotheca, therefore it is necessary to carry out preventive spraying.

The ideal place to grow

Gooseberries "dates" will grow only in neutral soil, it does not tolerate acidification. Before planting a bush in the pit, it is necessary to pour lime (slaked) or dolomite flour. During the planting, mineral and organic fertilizers are introduced into the soil. After the bush was in its place, the soil around it should be laid with good humus. Fruiting can be expected for the third year after planting the bush.

The main thing that a gardener who is going to plant gooseberry "dates" should remember, is that the variety does not like the growth of a number of currants. Also, he needs space, as the root system is powerful and grows to the sides. The distance between 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.

Care for gooseberry

It is necessary to cut the branches stably, to remove excess shoots. Top-dressing is made phosphoric, potassium, can be used humus. If the bush is planted in fertile soil, then fertilization is not necessary before the beginning of fruiting, that is, within three years after planting.

Prevention of diseases is mandatory. If powdery mildew is seen, it can be sprayed with milk whey (one part of the whey is mixed with ten parts of water) or a special preparation.

Gooseberries "dates": reviews

Despite the fact that the variety is endowed with flaws, it is grown by a lot of people. Care for gooseberry, according to gardeners, simple, most importantly - in time to prune, thin out, handle from disease. They praise the taste of berries, high and stable yields, durability of bushes.