When choosing a gooseberry variety to grow on their plot, summer residents first read the characteristics of the variety and its requirements for growing conditions. The most popular crops among gardeners are those bred by domestic breeders and adapted to the changing climate. Of the early gooseberry varieties, it is recommended to pay attention to Nugget, a completely thornless variety that is resistant to disease and frost.
Description and characteristics of gooseberry Nugget
The gooseberry variety Nugget was created at the Chelyabinsk fruit and vegetable station by domestic breeders. Thanks to the crossing of several varieties, Nugget received high immunity to crop diseases, in particular powdery mildew.
The first fruits ripen on the bushes in mid-late June, so the variety is recommended for cultivation in northern regions where summers are cool and short. Gooseberry bushes are low and form few shoots, but this factor does not affect their productivity. At the age of 5, up to 8 kg of sweet and sour berries are harvested from one plant. When fully ripened, the fruits are amber in color and weigh about 5 grams.
In addition to frost resistance, the Nugget variety is characterized by low susceptibility to dry periods, however, to obtain high yields, the bushes will have to be watered frequently.
Positive and negative aspects of the variety
Gardeners who planted Nugget bushes on their plots note several advantages of the variety. They listed the following as the advantages of culture:
- annual stable yields once the bushes reach 5 years of age;
- strong immunity to fungal diseases that attack gooseberries in damp and cool weather;
- high winter hardiness and drought resistance;
- compact size of the bushes, which allows them to be grown even in small garden plots;
- early ripening of berries;
- The fruits have a universal purpose - they are consumed fresh and processed into jam.
The variety has few disadvantages; among the disadvantages of Nugget they note:
- the need to quickly harvest when the berries ripen, otherwise they begin to crumble;
- poor transportability - ripe fruits are soft and quickly crush during transportation.
Growing and care
In order for the Nugget variety to fully demonstrate its characteristics and advantages, it is necessary to properly plant the bushes and provide the crops with full agrotechnical care, which includes regular irrigation, the addition of nutrients, pruning and preparation for winter. Also, despite good immunity, preventive treatments are periodically carried out, especially if the weather is damp and cool.
Landing
You can plant young gooseberry bushes both in spring and autumn - in September or early October, it is important that there is at least a month left before the onset of cold weather, otherwise the plant will not have time to fully take root and will die from frost. Since the root system of the crop is quite long, you should not choose a place for gooseberries in the lowlands, where water stagnates after the snow and rain melt. The area should be well lit by sunlight; in the shade the fruits will be very sour and small.
The preferred soil for Nugget is loamy or sandy loam, with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction. It is also important that the land is fertile, otherwise fertilizers are applied in advance.
Planting of crops is carried out according to the following algorithm:
- 2-3 weeks before planting, they dig up the selected area with one and a half shovels, selecting the roots of weeds and breaking up clods of earth.
- On poor soils, humus or compost is immediately added; per square meter of land you will need from 8 to 10 kg of fertilizing.
- Before planting, the roots of the seedlings are dipped in water for half an hour; you can add a few drops of a root formation stimulator.
- Dig holes about 50 cm deep, maintain a distance of 1 meter between them, and at least 2 meters between rows.
- On clay soils, pour a bucket of river sand into the bottom of the hole, install the seedling so that the root collar is several centimeters below the soil level, and cover it with fertile soil.
- After this, water the plants abundantly and mulch the root space.
Watering and fertilizers
Gooseberries of the Nugget variety are sensitive to a lack of moisture in the soil, so they are watered several times throughout the season, especially often during flowering and fruiting. To do this, use settled water with a temperature of at least 20 degrees. The frequency of irrigation is adjusted according to the weather; if there is sufficient precipitation, one moistening every 10-12 days is enough; in extreme heat and drought, this is done more often. Drip irrigation is preferred.
The second feeding is carried out during the flowering period of the bushes - at this time organic fertilizers - mullein, bird droppings or humus - will be useful. The plant also needs potassium and phosphorus to form berries.
The third time the gooseberries are fertilized after the end of fruiting to help the plant regain its strength. They use store-bought complexes based on phosphorus and potassium. It is not recommended to add nitrogen, so as not to provoke the growth of greenery before the cold weather.
Trimming
Gooseberries are pruned several times throughout the year. In the spring, remove all frozen branches and those that are more than 3 years old.After harvesting, cut out broken, diseased and dry shoots.
Preparing for winter
Due to its frost resistance, the variety does not require special preparation for winter and the creation of shelters. In the fall, the bushes are sprayed with Bordeaux mixture and a mulch layer 8 cm thick is laid around the plant.
Reproduction
To propagate gooseberries, amateur gardeners usually use two methods - cuttings and layering.
Diseases and pests
If the rules of care are followed, diseases rarely affect bushes of the variety. As a preventive measure, copper-based preparations are used - copper sulfate or Bordeaux mixture, carried out treatments in early spring and autumn. Also, to destroy pest larvae, it is useful to water the bushes with hot water with the arrival of the first warm days.
Cleaning and storage
The Nugget berries will ripen by the end of June; it is important to immediately pick them from the bushes, since the variety is prone to shedding. When fresh, the fruits are stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, and gooseberry jam is also made.
