Gooseberry Ural emerald - features and characteristics of the shrub

Gooseberries are extremely healthy. At the same time, gardeners strive to find a variety that would give a good harvest with large and tasty berries, and at the same time so that the maintenance of the crop was minimal. Gooseberry Ural emerald meets all of the above requirements. It produces a good harvest and does not require too much care.

Origin story

The full name of this productive and very tasty variety is the Ural Emerald early gooseberry. Sometimes they also add - dark green, which, however, is more related to its leaves, and not to berries. The variety was bred by crossing varieties such as Nugget and Pervenets Minusinsk.

Gooseberry Ural emerald: general view

The gooseberry variety Ural Emerald was created directly in Chelyabinsk, and it was bred specifically for the conditions of Western Siberia with its harsh winters. But in other regions, such a variety will feel great.

Characteristics of the bushes

Gooseberry Emerald Ural is distinguished by medium-sized bushes. They give a large number of shoots, but are considered sparse. Although, in general, these plants tend to thicken the crown, so seasonal pruning is indispensable.

In spring, large pink flowers open on the bushes. This happens early enough that flowering gooseberries attract early pollinators to the garden. These are not only bees, but also bumblebees.

Important! The branches of the bushes are covered with rather sharp thorns along the entire length. So gardeners for harvesting have to think over a very thorough protection against these thorns. Experienced farmers advise using plastic bottles for this purpose, cut off on both sides for convenience.

The bushes of this variety are covered with five-lobed leaves of various sizes, most often dark green in color. They have a glossy surface and look quite attractive.

Characteristics of berries

Gooseberry Emerald is another name for the Ural Emerald variety. It is famous for the fact that it gives a solid harvest - up to 6 kg of berries. At the same time, the berries are large, the weight of one fruit is on average 7.5 g. The fruits are distinguished by an elongated shape and smooth skin. In addition, they have the characteristic green tint from which they get their name.

Features of the variety

Gooseberry Commander - features and characteristics

The main advantages of the variety are its high yield and resistance to adverse environmental factors.

Ripening period and yield

The first fruiting occurs 3-4 years after the planting of the bush. The plant will give large yields for 15-20 years after that. This variety is characterized by early ripening - this happens in early July, and a little earlier in the south.

Gooseberry

Even in the harsh and unfavorable northern conditions, the yield of this variety is from 2 to 5 kg per bush. But in a warmer climate, for example, in the Moscow region, it can reach 6 kg.

Important! To get the maximum yield, experienced gardeners are advised to plant nearby gooseberry bushes of the Beryl or Commander varieties.

Taste qualities

The berries of this variety have a pleasant sweet and sour taste; gardeners and breeders usually call it such a dessert.

Drought resistance and frost resistance

This variety tolerates drought well. But the most valuable feature is its high winter hardiness, since it was bred for the Urals and Western Siberia with its harsh climate. It can easily withstand winter temperatures down to -37 ° C.

Disease and pest resistance

Gooseberry Ural emerald has an important feature - it is resistant to diseases typical of many gooseberry species, such as anthracnose and powdery mildew. In addition, this variety is not affected by pests such as the pine sawfly and the moth butterfly.

Using berries

These berries are good raw too. But the so-called "royal jam" is also made from this variety.

Gooseberry jam

Gooseberry Emerald, the description of which was presented above, also has many useful properties. The composition of its berries is considered the most balanced in terms of carbohydrates - it contains only 9.3% sugars, but the fruits still have a pleasant taste. In addition, they contain up to 2.2% organic acids, as well as pectins, which have a beneficial effect on the digestive process, tannins, vitamins and minerals.

Interesting! Research confirms the ability of this variety to remove toxins and radionuclides from the body.

Advantages and disadvantages of the Ural emerald variety

Gooseberry Grushenka - features and characteristics

This variety has many benefits:

early ripening, which is very important for the northern regions;
good yield, and its fruits are easily removed, do not fall off the branches for a long time;
pleasant refined taste of the berries themselves;
self-fertility, which means that it is not necessary to select specifically pollinating neighbors for it;
resistance to diseases and pests common for this type of shrubs.

The main disadvantages of the variety are the rapid thickening of the crown, which requires rather laborious care, as well as an abundance of sharp thorns. On the other hand, the thornless variety may not show such drought and frost resistance.

Planting young seedlings on the site

In general, planting is done in the same way as planting other varieties, but there are several nuances that you should know about in advance.

Selection and preparation of seedlings

Gooseberry Consul - features and characteristics of growing

For planting, you need to select high-quality healthy seedlings. It is best to purchase them in centers or large farms specializing in breeding this variety.

Landing time and pattern

Since this variety is considered medium spreading, you can plant several bushes next to each other in one area, they will not interfere with the development of plants. Moreover, along with self-pollination, cross-pollination will occur, and this will increase yields.

Interesting! Autumn is considered the best time for this, and in central Russia this is the period from late September to mid-October. But, of course, you need to focus not only on the calendar, but also on the weather forecast. The bushes should be planted before the first frost (about three weeks). Then they will have time to take root well and survive the winter perfectly.

Choosing a landing site

This gooseberry variety prefers open and well-lit areas. At the same time, it is resistant to temperature extremes and wind, so choosing a suitable site for it is not so difficult. The only difficulty is that this gooseberry is picky about the soil, and a good harvest can be obtained only on loose loam.

But the humidity level should be moderate. Therefore, it is not recommended to plant bushes in the lowlands. At higher elevations, the plant may not have enough moisture, but it all depends on the specific conditions.

Site preparation

No special preparation is needed for planting. Unless the groundwater is too high on the site. In such cases, if it is not possible to plant a bush on a mound, you have to arrange something like a flower bed 40-50 cm high and square - 70x70 cm or even more, 80x80 cm.

You do not need to dig a deep hole, unless we are talking about an area with poor soils. Then part of the pit (about a third of it) is filled with compost mixed with humus and the top layer of soil. But ash when planting will not hurt to bring in regardless of the richness of the soil.

Planting process

The seedling is lowered into a prepared hole, its roots are straightened and covered with earth from above. The root collar should sink 5-7 cm under the ground, only then the adventitious roots can form normally. After planting, the bush is watered with water.

Features of seasonal care

Since this variety is resistant to diseases and pests, the main care is associated with watering, mulching and loosening the soil, removing weeds growing around the bush, periodic fertilization and seasonal pruning.

Watering and feeding

This variety needs moderate watering as it is drought tolerant. Seasonal feeding is very important, but the use of fertilizers has its own nuances. For example, in the spring, nitrogen fertilizers are applied to the soil, you can use urea, which is simply scattered under the bush even before the snow has completely melted.

Interesting! During the flowering period of the bush, you need to inspect its leaves, and if they are large enough, then you can not apply nitrogen fertilizers, only potassium-phosphorus fertilizers. If the growth of the shoots is small, then you can add a little nitrogen, but this is done with care so that the berries do not accumulate nitrates.

Top dressing in the fall will help the bushes survive the winter better. At this time, potash and phosphate fertilizers are used.

Mulching and loosening

The bush is mulched with hay and sawdust. Loosening of the soil is carried out regularly, as well as weeding of weeds, which only spoil the appearance and take away nutrients from the plant.

Using supports

As a rule, supports are not used, since the bushes grow slightly spreading, with strong branches that are resistant to the wind.

Preventive treatment

Since this plant is resistant to diseases and pests, additional processing is not necessary, it is enough to follow the basic rules of care.

Pruning

Since this variety is particularly prone to crown thickening, pruning is needed. Periodically remove those basal shoots that can be called superfluous. In addition, you need to prune old branches, which have a darker shade. Such procedures should be carried out in early spring, since the growing season for this variety starts very early.

Interesting! Alternatively, you can postpone pruning until late summer.

Preparing for winter

Since this is a frost-resistant variety, it is not necessary to cover it for the winter, it already tolerates such conditions perfectly.

Reproduction

There are several main ways to propagate gooseberries, including cuttings, dividing the mother bush, layering, even seeds and perennial branches. The simplest options are cuttings and propagation by layering.

Gooseberry cuttings

By cuttings

This method is not as popular as layering, but you can use it as well. For cuttings, the time is chosen when the growth of shoots stops. This happens around mid-July, rarely later. If cuttings are carried out too early or closer to the end of summer, then new plants will take root much worse.

Layers

The most popular option is horizontal layering. It is considered the best way for three or four year old shrubs. Its advantage is that up to 10 layers can be obtained from one bush, suitable for its propagation. It is best to attend to the selection of material in March in order to have time to do this before the buds bloom.

Reproduction by layering

One-year basal shoots are chosen as layering, they are taken symmetrically from all sides of the bush, and then they are placed in pre-arranged grooves, the depth of which is 10 cm.In this case, the branches of the shoot should be in contact with the ground, including at the base, where they are attached to bush.

Important! They are sprinkled with earth only when buds appear on the shoots.

Pest and disease control

The variety is not susceptible to fungal diseases and is resistant to pests. All the problems that arise when growing it are associated either with an incorrect irrigation regime or with a lack of nutrients.

Subject to agricultural technology, the Ural emerald gooseberry will delight the gardener with a good harvest for a long time.