Description and characteristics of the gooseberry variety Yantarny, cultivation and propagation

Gooseberries are popular among many gardeners. The features of this plant include ease of cultivation, protection from diseases and the taste of the crop. One of the best varieties of such berries is considered to be the Amber gooseberry variety.

general information

This plant was obtained in the fifties of the last century by the Soviet breeder M.A.Pavlova. When creating Amber, the English yellow variety of berry was used. Within a few years after its creation, the variety spread throughout agricultural farms located in Ukraine, Belarus and Russia.

The bushes of the plant grow up to one and a half meters if you care for them properly. Greenish leaves appear on the branches of shrubs at the end of spring.

Also on the branches there are a small number of sharp thorns, which are colored light brown.

The variety is unpretentious to soil, and therefore it grows well in any conditions. The only place where Yantarny can bear fruit poorly is in swampy and oxidized soil with high humidity. It is better to grow the plant outside, as it is protected from frost.

Amber is classified as an early-ripening variety of gooseberry, which bears fruit in early summer. With proper care of grown shrubs, the yield reaches 10-15 kilograms per bush. Ripe fruits do not rot and can hang on plants for a long time. Ripe berries turn reddish after ripening, the weight of each of them reaches 5-7 grams.

Pros and cons of the Amber variety

When studying the description of this berry, you must be sure to familiarize yourself with its disadvantages and advantages. The main advantages of such a plant include the following:

• Early harvest ripening. Gardeners growing Yantarny note the rapid ripening of the berries. A ripe harvest has time to fully ripen before mid-July.
• Speed ​​of fruiting. Some varieties of gooseberries begin to produce their first harvest 3-4 years after planting on the site. However, in Yantarny, fruiting begins the next year after the seedlings are planted.
• Self-pollinating.The shrub is classified as a self-pollinating plant that begins to bear fruit without the use of additional pollinators. This greatly simplifies growing bushes in greenhouses.
• Productivity. Many gardeners consider Yantarny to be a high-yielding type of berry, since several bushes can produce about 30 kilograms of harvest.

However, the berries also have disadvantages that anyone who plans to grow gooseberries should become familiar with:

• Huge thorns on the stems. The branches of Yantarny are covered with powerful, sharp thorns, which make it difficult to harvest a mature harvest and prune.
• Cracking of berries. If you grow bushes in high humidity conditions, the skin of ripe berries will begin to crack.

How to grow gooseberries

Before you start planting Yantarny, you need to familiarize yourself with the main features of growing this variety.

Selecting a location

To get a lot of tasty berries, you need to choose the most suitable place for growing gooseberries. This plant is recommended to be cultivated in areas with fertile soil. At the same time, it should not be waterlogged, since high humidity can cause rotting of the rhizome. Therefore, experts do not advise planting berries in areas where groundwater is located too close to the top layers of soil.

When choosing a place for planting, you should pay attention to the level of lighting. It is necessary to choose a place so that the bushes are illuminated by the sun throughout the day.

Soil composition

The yield and growth rate of shrubs depends on the soil in which the plants are planted.

It is better to plant gooseberries in medium-loamy, light soil, as the root system develops quickly in it. However, some gardeners do not have this opportunity, and they have to grow berries in heavy clay soil.In this case, you will have to add sand and clay to it. If the acidity level is high, the area is fertilized with lime. 200-300 grams of the substance are consumed per square meter.

Well preparation

Gooseberries are planted in pre-dug round holes, the diameter of which is 50-60 centimeters. The depth of each hole should be about 10-15 centimeters. When digging a hole for shrubs, you need to throw the underlying layer of soil in one direction, and the fertile layer in the other.

Mineral fertilizers with fresh compost must be added to the dug hole. The soil is also mixed with potassium sulfate and superphosphate.

Selection of seedlings

It is necessary to familiarize yourself in advance with the recommendations for choosing seedlings for further planting in the garden. Experienced gardeners advise using two-year-old seedlings that have a developed root system. The length of each young bush should be at least 20 centimeters.

When selecting a seedling, pay attention to the surface of the leaves. They should not have dark spots or be covered with a white powdery coating. The leaf blade should have a rich green color.

Planting seedlings

During planting, the selected seedlings are carefully placed in pre-dug holes. They are placed in a vertical position and go 15 centimeters into the ground. Then the holes are filled with soil, compacted and watered.

Nuances of crop care

The thorny gooseberry must be properly cared for so that it bears fruit well.

Watering and fertilizers

Amber gooseberries, like many other berries, need to be watered regularly. The first watering is carried out immediately after planting the seedlings in the garden. Moisten the soil 1-2 times a week in spring and summer. For irrigation, use warm water heated to room temperature.

To feed shrubs use:

• Potato peelings. When creating a feeding mixture, 700-800 grams of potato skins are soaked in boiling water. Then the mixture is cooled and poured under the roots.
• Vermicompost. This mixture is used during the fruiting period. To prepare a solution, add a glass of vermicompost to 10 liters of warm water. Before use, the feeding composition is infused for 15-20 hours.

Trimming

When forming bushes, the classical method is most often used. In the first year of cultivation, all young stems are cut in half so that no more than five buds remain on them. The shoots located in the lower part are cut off completely. Also, when pruning, they get rid of all the branches that have begun to dry out or are growing inside the bush. They will never bear fruit and are therefore absolutely useless.

Pruning is carried out annually, at the end of April, when the first buds swell on the branches.

Strengthening bushes and preparing them for wintering

Shrubs are prepared in early autumn, before frosts begin. The area is cleared of fallen leaves and weeds, which are considered the main carriers of dangerous diseases. The soil under the bushes is carefully dug up and mixed with fertilizers. Experts advise using phosphorus-potassium mixtures. Nitrogen fertilizers cannot be used, as they may cause young stems to begin to grow.

Prevention and control measures for pests and diseases

The amber gooseberry variety is sometimes infected with viral and bacterial diseases. Therefore, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the basic recommendations for preventing the development of such ailments.

To prevent the bushes from hurting, you need to:

• follow basic agrotechnical rules for growing berries;
• regularly trim the stems so that the bushes are not too dense;
• periodically dig up the area;
• plant plants near the berries that would repel dangerous insects;
• spray the bushes with boiling water to destroy pathogens of fungal infections;
• feed the bushes so that they do not suffer from a lack of nutrients.

Breeding the variety

There are various methods for propagating gooseberries, but most often they use vertical layering.

In March, old shoots are removed from the bushes, after which young branches are also shortened. Thanks to this pruning, young shoots will quickly begin to appear on the bushes. When their height reaches 10-15 centimeters, they are covered with fertilized soil. In the second half of July, the upper part of the shoots is pinched so that they take root. By autumn, the cuttings will be firmly rooted and can be transplanted to a new location.

Collection and storage of berries

Most often, the harvest is carried out in July, but the Amber variety is considered early, and therefore its berries ripen a little earlier.

All berries ripen at the same time, so the fruit is collected only once. The collected fruits are not stored for too long and therefore they must be used immediately after collection. Ripe berries can be stored at room temperature for 4-5 days. In order for the crop to be stored for 3-5 months, it will have to be placed in food containers and frozen.

Conclusion

Gardeners who grow berries often plant Amber gooseberries. Before purchasing such a variety, you need to familiarize yourself with its characteristic features and recommendations for planting, growing and harvesting.