Content
One of the relatively new varieties of gooseberries, Candy, is resistant to drought and low temperatures. This name was entered in the State Register in 2008. With proper care, the bush can produce about 6 kg of berries per year. It is recommended to grow Candy gooseberries in eastern and western Siberia.
Features of the development of the bush
Before you decide to buy a gooseberry bush for your garden, you should read its description. Variety Candy is a plant of medium height, erect and dense. Dark brown buds appear on the shoots. The bush cannot be called thornless, rare thorns are found on the lower branches.
General characteristics of the variety
Gooseberry Candy is resistant to low temperatures. From a bush with a height of about 1 meter, you can expect from 2 to 6.5 kg of yield, therefore the variety is classified as high-yielding. Gooseberries begin to bear fruit in the second year after planting.
The Candy variety is quite picky about the composition of the soil. According to the descriptions, loam enriched with vitamins is suitable for planting it. Sandy and sandy loamy soils will not be able to provide the plant with the necessary nutrients due to its superficial root system. The largest part of the root is at a depth of up to 30 centimeters.
The description of the variety can be reflected in the following list:
- Ripening period is average.
- The shrub is medium in size, with a small crown and thin branches.
- Thorns are thin, present only in the lower part of the branch.
- One or two flowers are formed in the inflorescence.
- The fruits are red in the form of a ball.
- Pleasant, sweet and sour taste.
- The berry mass ranges from 3-6 g.
- The chemical composition includes sugars and acids, including ascorbic acid.
- The yield of the variety is 2.4-6.5 kg from one shrub.
The plant forms a shrub of small height with rather dense shoots of medium thickness. Variety Candy is resistant to drought and frost. The branches appear curved, with sparse brown thorns. In the upper part of the bush, the thorns are not visible.
Medium-sized Candy bush leaves. They are divided into 5 sectors, slightly pointed or rounded. The leaf is smooth, shiny, with a slightly concave central vein. The central sector is elongated and pointed, surrounded by ledges. The middle blades are at an angle to each other. The leaf is formed on a green petiole, of moderate length and thickness.
Gooseberries Candy
The main feature of Candy Gooseberry berries is that they are suitable for consumption at any stage of ripeness. They are used to make jams, marmalade, compotes and other dishes and drinks. Gooseberries can be eaten directly.
As you can see in the photo, the ripe fruit of the Candy gooseberry has a rather large size, and by weight it reaches from 3 to 6 g. The skin of the berry is thin, pink in color, has a slight roughness. The number of seeds in the fruit is moderate.
Gooseberry contains vitamins, sugars, acids, and iron. Shrub Candy bears sweet and sour fruits with a pleasant aroma. Possesses high taste.
Ripening period
Ripening of the first berries begins in mid-June. When the fruits are soft, you can start picking them. In a cool place, they will lie for about 14 days. In industrial refrigerators, the shelf life of ripe gooseberries reaches a month.
The ripe berries do not have to be immediately removed from the branch. They can hang for another two to three weeks without losing their characteristics. Harvesting usually ends in August.
Choosing a place for a seedling
In order for the Candy Gooseberry to bear fruit in the same way as in the photo, it must be planted in a suitable place. In doing so, attention should be paid to a number of factors, including:
- soil composition;
- illumination;
- proximity to groundwater;
- the presence of persistent pests.
Loamy soil will be ideal for the growth of Candy gooseberries. In order for the bush to bear fruit well, you need to plant it in an area where there is enough sunlight. In the shade, it will produce smaller berries. However, the bush should be sheltered from the winds.
Another important condition for the growth of gooseberries is the occurrence of groundwater at a depth of about 75-90 cm. If the soil moisture is higher, the root will begin to rot and the plant will die. It is worth noting that the main root mass of the shrub is located at a depth of up to 30 cm, therefore, if there is a lack of rainfall, the gardener needs regular irrigation of the plant and the application of fertilizers.
How to prepare the soil for planting
To achieve high yields, you need to start preparing in advance for moving the seedling. Even a year before the expected planting of Candy gooseberries, the soil should be freed from persistent weedsthat impair the survival rate of plants.
The land needs to be enriched with nutrients. Subsequently, the shrub will absorb them along with the water. To determine the types of fertilizers and dose sizes for this variety, you need to prepare a description of the soil pH. For this:
- soil samples are taken from two levels - at a depth of about 20 and 40 cm;
- received samples are sent to the nearest laboratory;
- on the basis of the data obtained, recommendations are given on the types and doses of fertilizers for the Candy gooseberry.
Not all types of fertilizers interact with each other. For example, if, according to the research results, calcination is recommended, you should not use phosphorus preparations or organics at the same time. But magnesium would be a suitable supplement.
Candy gooseberry seedlings should be chosen according to a number of parameters: the absence of areas infected with mold and dry roots. After purchase, the shoots also need to be regularly moistened both during delivery to the summer cottage and during storage.
When to plant gooseberries
The following periods are favorable for planting Candy gooseberries:
- spring is the time before the buds swell, when the earth is already well warmed up;
- autumn (about a month and a half before the first frost).
The best results are obtained by planting gooseberries in the fall. The optimal time is the end of October - November. If the weather is favorable, during this period the plants have time to put down new roots. Then, in the spring months, their development will accelerate.
Planting process
Two weeks before the scheduled transplantation date, you should dig up the selected place, free it from weeds and remaining roots. Young seedlings (2-year-old) of the Candy shrub with a well-developed root system will be ideal for planting.
The second stage is the preparation of the gooseberry seedlings themselves. Dried shoots are removed from the root. It is also recommended to cut the tops of the shoots, it is enough to leave only 5 buds. Another useful tip: before planting, leave the roots in a solution of sodium humate for a day (proportion: 3 tablespoons of the product for 5 liters of water).
Then you can proceed directly to planting in the soil. They act in the following sequence:
- Dig a bucket-sized gooseberry planting hole.
- 50 g of superphosphate, 40 g of potassium sulfate and half a glass of ash are mixed with the extracted soil.
- A seedling of the Candy shrub is immersed in the pit, making sure that the root collar remains 2 cm below the soil level.
- Place the roots in the groove and begin to bury the hole.In this case, the earth is periodically compacted so that cavities do not form.
- Water the seedling.
- In order to avoid the formation of a crust, it is recommended to mulch the bush 3-4 cm with peat.
If the gardener plans to plant several Candy gooseberry bushes on his site at once, a distance of about one and a half meters should be left between them.
How to care for a shrub
In the spring, pruning is carried out before the juice begins to move along the branches. Old, dry branches, as well as frostbitten parts of the shoots are removed. It will not be superfluous to eliminate the basal processes. All sections are treated with garden pitch.
There are several more recommendations for caring for a shrub:
- From May to August, loosening to a depth of about 7 cm.
- At the very beginning of the snow melt, spray hot water onto the bush. Such a measure will prevent the emergence of pests.
- To accelerate the development of new shoots, enrich the soil with organic matter, nitrogen or potassium fertilizers in May.
- To clear the ground around the bush from weeds.
- If necessary, moisten the soil with gooseberry and Candy, pour over standing warm water.
Often, the lower branches of the bush begin to slope to the ground. To prevent them from drooping, you can use nets or props.
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