Description of gooseberry variety Hinnomaki and its varieties, planting and care

Gooseberries, which are accepted as standard even in Europe, where the fruit bush was cultivated many centuries ago, have just begun to attract Russian summer residents and gardeners. A plant strewn with berries looks very interesting; in the southern regions it winters well in the yard; in the northern regions, placed in a container, it is brought into a greenhouse and placed in a loggia. For growing on a gooseberry trunk Hinnomaki, which has several varieties, is used to grow tall shrubs.

General information about the variety

The plant, bred by Finnish breeders, has a rounded shape. Hinnomaki gooseberry forms many thin shoots studded with thorns, but attracts with large berries and high yield. At the beginning of July, bushes growing up to one and a half meters in height will bear about 7 kg of oval fruits, delighting with a sweet taste and delicate aroma. Overripe gooseberries do not crack, but the slightly pubescent berries fall to the ground.

They are rich:

• organic acids;
• saccharides;
• vitamins;
• microelements.

The fruits make excellent desserts, candied fruits, wine, and juice. Hinnomaki is rarely affected by spheroteca. Spider mites, mole crickets, and whitefly larvae do not pose a particular danger to the variety.

Advantages and disadvantages of culture

Gooseberries, created in Finland, are hardy, grow very quickly, and do not require special care. The advantages of the Hinnomaki variety include:

• immunity to powdery mildew;
• high resistance to frost;
• possibility of growing on a trunk;
• excellent fruit quality.

On fertile lands illuminated by the sun's rays, the bush produces a rich harvest. The shoots of the plant are densely covered with thorns, which can easily be pricked when cutting branches or picking berries. And this is probably the only drawback of the bush.

Variety varieties

Finnish breeders who were breeding the productive Hinnomaki gooseberry did not stop, creating a bush with fruits of the same color.

The variety has several varieties that differ not only in the color of the berries, but also in the ripening period and some other characteristics.

Hinnomaki Green gooseberry loves the sun, grows in an area closed from drafts, and can withstand frosts up to 30 ° C. Weakly spreading bushes rarely reach a height of 1.2 m. The shoots are covered with thorns, which complicates harvesting. In July, oval berries with sweet and sour flesh of a rich green color ripen. Up to 5 kg of fruits are plucked from two-year-old plants that need to be tied up. The variety is not affected by mildew and is immune to spheroteca.

One of the types of gooseberries, Hinnomaki - Red, forms bushes about one and a half meters high, which are characterized by amazing endurance. The plant does not suffer from powdery mildew; on loam it produces a yield of almost 9 kg. The berries ripen in the middle period, some specimens weigh 7–8 grams, and when ripe they acquire a dark red hue.

The Hinnomaki Yellow bush cannot boast of its mighty size; its height is 70 cm. The plant takes root and bears fruit abundantly on sand and loam, but does not tolerate swampy acidic soils. Gooseberries bloom very beautifully and, with regular pruning, produce a high yield of sweet and aromatic golden-colored berries.

Another variety of gooseberry, Hinnomaki Gelb, can withstand both frost and drought, is immune to some diseases, and prefers fertile soil. On the shoots of the compact shrub, covered with thorns, green male and female flowers appear in May. They are formed in the axils of the leaves in several pieces.

Yellow berries that ripen in July have:

• weak pubescence;
• sweet and sour pulp;
• pleasant aroma.

The variety is undemanding to moisture and does not survive in acidic, damp soil. In areas illuminated by the sun, the shrub develops quickly.

Growing Hinnomaki gooseberries

The description of the characteristics of a berry crop variety bred in Northern Europe was of interest to gardeners from regions with frosty winters and cool summers. Hinnomaki gooseberry develops well and bears fruit if the right site is chosen for it. The shrub should be planted on a flat area, sheltered from the wind. Do not place the plant near trees.

With a lack of light, gooseberries lose immunity to fungal infection and are affected by spheroteca.

Preparing the landing site

The Hinnomaki variety takes root better in the fall. Young plants manage to get stronger before frost, and in the spring they begin to actively develop. About 2 weeks before planting, the area is dug up, leveled, weeds are removed using herbicides, organic matter or mineral fertilizers are scattered, and holes are made. The best predecessors for shrubs are green manure in the form of rye and mustard.

Soil for gooseberries

The Hinnomaki variety cannot be planted in swampy areas where water comes to the surface. The plant is uncomfortable on podzolic and heavy soils. Loams and black soils are best suited for gooseberries.

Planting scheme

The holes that are dug in the fall should have a depth and diameter of about half a meter. Seedlings are placed every 1.5 m, leaving 2.5 between rows. The pit is filled 2/3 with soil, which is prepared by combining:

• bucket of manure;
• a glass of superphosphate;
• 50 g of lime and potassium sulfate;
• 300 g of ash.

At the bottom of the hole, a mound is made from fertile soil. A seedling is placed on it, deepening the root collar by 6 or 7 cm. The soil around the gooseberry is trampled down, half a bucket of water is poured into the groove and covered with humus. The shoots are shortened, which allows for increased branching.

How to care for culture

The Hinnomaki variety is quite easy to care for.Growing such gooseberries is not difficult even for summer residents who have no experience in gardening. To make a plant happy with berries, you need:

1. Form bushes in time.
2. Apply fertilizers.
3. Conduct disease prevention.

The shrub bears fruit for a long time. The variety produces a stable harvest, but in regions where frosts exceed 30 °C, it is recommended to insulate the plant for the winter.

Watering

Gooseberries can withstand drought normally, but when it lasts for a long time, the bush requires irrigation. However, excess moisture in the soil should not be allowed, as this can lead to root rot. Water the plant when the ovary is set, the fruits ripen and in the fall in preparation for winter. It is not recommended to irrigate gooseberries with a hose; it is better to dig a hollow and supply water into it.

Fertilizers

If, during planting, the holes were filled with humus and mineral complexes, the gooseberries can be fed only after a year. The variety needs a lot of potassium. In the fall, it is recommended to add:

• compost - half a bucket;
• superphosphate - 2 tablespoons;
• wood ash - 0.5 cups.

During flowering and fruit growth, organic matter is used. Every year the bush is fertilized with ammonium nitrate. After watering, rain and fertilizing, the soil under the plant is loosened, since the earth is covered with a crust and does not allow air to pass to the roots.

Formation

One of the conditions necessary to obtain a harvest of large berries is regular and proper pruning of gooseberries. In the spring, until the buds open, or in the fall, 1.5–2 months before the onset of frost, branches 5–6 years old that bear little fruit are shortened to stumps or removed completely.

Every year, up to 5 shoots are left from new root growths, which are evenly spaced, all others are cut out. Be sure to get rid of diseased and damaged gooseberry stems.

Treatment against diseases and pests

The Hinnomaki variety is immune to various types of powdery mildew. Under unfavorable weather conditions and lack of care, fungi are activated, which cause:

• anthracnose;
• white spotting;
• gray rot;
• glass rust.

Gooseberries suffer from mosaic. The causative agent of the disease is a virus that is transmitted by aphids, as well as when grafting a shoot from an infected bush.

To prevent the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms, in early spring, plants and the ground around them are sprayed with Nitrafen or treated with copper sulfate.

In autumn, the leaves are raked and burned along with dry branches. Anthracnose and white spot are treated using Bordeaux mixture, Cuprozan, and colloidal sulfur.

To combat rust, gooseberries are treated with fungicides three times. Bushes infected with mosaic are dug up and immediately destroyed. Measures in the form of acquiring strong and healthy seedlings help to avoid infection with the virus, gooseberry processing insecticides that kill insects.

Attracts bush spider mites, moths, sawflies, and is affected by currant gall midge and glass midge, attacks young shoots of aphids. In order not to fight parasites using chemicals, the gooseberries are poured with boiling water, then the leaves are raked and burned. The ground under the bushes is covered with roofing felt, which is not removed until the plants bloom. During the period of bud formation, the bushes are treated with karbofos, which protects against aphids and gall midges.Bud mites are destroyed by spraying the shoots with colloidal sulfur.

Reproduction methods

Hinnomaki gooseberries are propagated by cuttings and by dividing the bush. Seeds are used to create a new variety. To propagate a plant with layering, before the buds open, select 3 or 4 basal shoots, cut off the tops, dig furrows 20 cm deep on both sides of the bush. Branches are laid in them. The cuttings are attached with pins; when the buds sprout, they are sprinkled with soil. The young shoots that have formed, 15 centimeters long, are covered with soil.

Bushes for propagation are divided into parts along with roots in October or early spring and planted on the site.

Harvesting and storing gooseberries

Gardeners pick the berries of the thorny bush along with the stems with their bare hands or wearing long mittens and suede gloves. The work is carried out only on a dry day, so that there is no dew. Gooseberry fruits are scattered in a thin layer, but they remain for no more than 10 days. At 0 °C, the berries do not spoil for 2 months; in low frost they can be stored for up to 12 weeks in a sealed container.