Gooseberry – the popular bush which is grown up in gardens is often called northern grapes. On the content of useful substances and minerals the gooseberry does not concede to blackcurrant – the champion on vitamin C content.
Advantage of gooseberry
Regular consumption of berries of gooseberry will mobilize the hidden reserves of organism, stimulates blood formation, saves from slagging of organism, contributes to blood formation normalization. Besides jam and jams, gooseberry compotes are very tasty. Inconveniences are represented only by abundance of thorns which lead to numerous damages of integument during gathering berries.
Earlier gardeners for this reason quite often refused cultivation of gooseberry. But these times long ago in the past, thanks to selectors the set of the grades of gooseberry deprived of thorns is removed now. Besides such grades have the increased resistance to fungal diseases and perfectly transfer the lowered temperatures. At the same time the content of vitamins and useful substances in them has remained the same.
Popular grades
Among besshipy and slaboshipovaty grades it is possible to pay attention to the following grades: "The northern captain" – this grade has the large oval berries of burgundy color with black outflow covered with the wax raid, sweet-sour taste. Fresh berries suit for preparation of jam, jam, home-made tinctures. This grade vysokourozhayen, differs in good resistance to diseases, cold and is unpretentious to cultivation conditions. Grade "Malachite" – slaboshipovaty, silnorosly bush. The berries of green color tasty with specific smack. It is popular, is more often than others it is used for preparation of jam and compotes. One more popular grade - "Kolobok", is appreciated large berries, good restoration after damages, resistance to the lowered temperatures. It is possible to carry its sprawling bush, tendency to perishing to shortcomings of this grade during spring thaw. Besides listed, there is big variety of the early, average and late grades of gooseberry having different quality characteristics.
Care for gooseberry
The gooseberry is better to have on the open, well lit sites having optimum structure of the soil. Easy supechany and loamy soils with low level of underground water will be suitable for cultivation of this bush. Before landing the site should be freed from weeds, to introduce mineral fertilizers, if necessary to improve structure of the soil introduction of lime, sand, peat or humus. Bushes of gooseberry it is necessary to land 3х0.8 m according to the scheme. Optimum term for landing – the end of September - the beginning of October or in the spring, prior to the beginning of sokodvizheniye. Plants are capable to grow on one place quite long time therefore it is necessary to treat responsibly preparation of landing holes and introduction of mineral fertilizers. Saplings easily take root. After landing the escapes need to be cut off on 1/3 part of their length to stimulate branching of bush. During filling in of berries the gooseberry needs watering 1-2 times a week and fertilizing twice during the season. The soil at roots of bush has to be free from weeds, is covered by mulch layer. From diseases and wreckers the gooseberry is processed special chemical medicines – insecticides. It is possible to manage also recipes of traditional medicine: from wreckers infusion of garlic and wood ashes with addition of laundry soap helps. It is necessary to spray with this solution bushes for prevention of outbreak of diseases. Annually it is necessary to carry out cutting of gooseberry for its rejuvenation in the spring: to cut the old, affected with diseases branches, leaving instead of several fresh escapes. It is not recommended to thicken bushes extremely to avoid the outbreak of mushroom diseases.