Content
Gooseberry Northern Captain stands out favorably in a wide variety of varieties for its unpretentiousness and productivity. It is rare to find a garden crop so immune to typical diseases and pests. Bright, fragrant berries of the Captain have not only culinary value, their beneficial properties are used to improve and restore the body.
Breeding history of the variety
The North Captain is a product of modern domestic breeding, obtained by experimental crossing of the Pink-2 variety. The culture has been listed in the State Register since 2007, as zoned specifically for the North-West region. The variety is distinguished by its vitality, the ability to consistently bear fruit in a damp, cloudy summer.
Description of gooseberry North Captain
Gooseberry Captain grows into a tall, bushy bush. Young green shoots are arched under the weight of the harvest. Adult branches are lignified and gray in color. Strongly branching stems without pubescence.
Short thorns (up to 7 mm) rarely grow on mature branches, and are completely absent on young shoots. Thorns are thin, straight, single, most often formed at the base of the branches. The overall degree of studding is assessed as weak.
Gooseberry leaves Captain are large, glossy, three-lobed. As well as on the buds and stems, there is no pubescence on them. The leaf plates of a rich green color are slightly wrinkled.
Large greenish flowers, collected in 2 or 3 in a brush. Each petal is marked with a reddish stroke along the edge.
Characteristics of the gooseberry North Captain:
- the size of the fruits on the bush is leveled, weight is within 3.5-4 g;
- color - from dark red to deep burgundy and black;
- veins stand out in a light shade;
- the rind is thick, covered with a waxy bloom;
- the seeds are small.
Sugars in ripe fruits accumulate up to 9%, but the significant content of vitamin C gives the berries a sour taste. An unpretentious crop can be grown both in the north of the western part of Russia and in warmer regions.
Characteristics of the variety
The self-fertile variety Kapitan can be grown in mono-plantings. The presence of other types of gooseberries in the garden increases its yield insignificantly. Re-pollination with other varieties is optional for the Captain.
The culture is distinguished by an increased ability to restore dead shoots, the roots are frost-resistant, the yield is stable, and with appropriate care, it is consistently high.
Drought resistance, frost resistance
As a rule, the North Captain bushes easily endure the cold season with extreme temperatures down to -30 ° C. Winters in northwest Russia are frosty and windy, and in recent years the snow cover is unstable. Therefore, gooseberries need hilling and mulching. Additional shelter of the aboveground part is not required.
The culture tolerates a slight drying out of the soil. But the roots of the gooseberry are shallow, so a prolonged drought can lead to the death of part of the bush. During periods when there is not enough natural rainfall, the North Captain requires wetting once a week. Do not allow the roots to dry out while laying or pouring fruits.Without watering at such a time, the berries become smaller.
Productivity and fruiting
Gooseberry variety Northern Captain in the regions where it is released, shows the best varietal qualities. The berries begin to ripen in unison at the end of July. The variety is medium late. Ripe berries are easily removed during harvesting, but do not tend to crumble on their own.
Gooseberry bush Captain is able not to lose yield up to 20 years. Proper maintenance and pruning will significantly prolong active fruiting. From an adult gooseberry bush, the Northern Captain, according to gardeners, on average, they get about 3 kg of berries per season. There is evidence of yields up to 4 kg per adult plant.
Scope of the fruit
In food production, Captain's gooseberry is used in the manufacture of wines, juices with pulp, and a natural dye is extracted from it. At home, berries are processed into jams, jellies, marmalades, compotes, tinctures. Gooseberry desserts are canned for the winter.
The dense skin and high content of natural preservatives provide the North Captain berries with a long shelf life and excellent transportability.
Gooseberry Northern Captain, according to the description of the variety, belongs to industrial crops. It is not considered a dessert, although reviews of amateur gardeners speak of its popularity as an independent delicacy.
Disease and pest resistance
The Capitan variety has increased resistance to most diseases. Plants do not get sick with powdery mildew, cases of septoria, anthracnose are rare. Dangerous gooseberry pests (sawer, moth) bypass the Northern Captain's bushes.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The main advantage of the North Captain over other varieties is its vitality and resistance in adverse conditions. Other advantages include:
- frost resistance;
- immunity to infections, pests;
- high nutritional value of berries, their keeping quality;
- the ability to reproduce in all vegetative ways.
Among the disadvantages is the high acid content in the fruits. Gardeners also note the tendency of the variety to form many shoots. Young stems strongly thicken the middle of the bush in one season.
Gooseberry planting rules
With only one gooseberry bush, the Northern Captain variety, it is easy to propagate it by any of the vegetative methods. Layers and cuttings take root well. Dividing the bush, grafting is applicable. To obtain all varietal traits and stable yields for decades to come, the green plant should be properly planted.
Recommended timing
Young plants are planted in the fall, calculating the timing so that at least a month remains before persistent cold weather. Gooseberry roots adapt to frost and begin growing earlier. In the spring, it is difficult to find the right time to keep the North Captain's young shoots from getting hit by the return frost.
Choosing the right place
For varietal gooseberries, sunny areas in the garden are chosen. From the north, plantings will well protect tall buildings, fences, dense plantings from cold winds.
The Northern Captain is unpretentious to the soil of the gooseberry. It shouldn't be too heavy, drained or sour. It is not desirable for gooseberries to have a close occurrence of groundwater, stagnation of moisture when snow melts.
Selection and preparation of planting material
A healthy varietal seedling of the Captain meets the following criteria:
- age - 2 years;
- lignified roots;
- shoots are healthy, flexible.
If root drying is found during transportation, the gooseberry seedlings should be soaked in water overnight. The addition of growth stimulants to the solution increases the survival rate.
Landing algorithm
Site preparation for the North Captain begins with weeding weeds, digging, adding necessary substances to the soil.Acidic soils are lime or dolomite flour is added for processing. On heavy soils, permeability is increased by adding sand, peat, compost.
Sequence of planting gooseberry North Captain:
- A pit 50x50 cm is prepared.
- Half of them are covered with fertile soil mixture.
- The seedling is lowered onto the planting place and the roots are spread, gradually adding the earth.
- The soil is slightly squeezed, tamping as the pit is filled.
- Watering the seedling abundantly, wait until the soil subsides completely.
- Check the height of the root collar: for the Captain gooseberry, it should be recessed 6–8 cm into the soil. If necessary, correct the planting depth.
After the end of planting, the soil around the gooseberry is mulched and the first pruning is performed. All shoots are shortened to 5-6 living buds.
Gooseberry follow-up care
Gooseberries The northern captain loves moisture, but can respond to swampiness with soreness. Constant watering is not required for the variety - in the zoned areas, natural precipitation may be enough for it.
In spring, gooseberries wake up early and manage to use the melt water for accelerated growth. At this time, the variety can be helped by introducing nitrogen fertilizers.
Before flowering, it is permissible to water the Northern Captain's bushes with a solution of chicken manure or well-rotted manure. Further nitrogenous feeding of the gooseberry is excluded. Potash and phosphorus mineral compositions are added twice a season under each bush.
In a rainy summer, caring for a North Captain can amount to periodic loosening and weeding. It is permissible to sprinkle fertilizers in granules around the bush, they will gradually soak with rain, and they will penetrate into the soil.
Pruning is a must-have for North Captain. Shoots grow not only on the outside, but also inward. A thickened bush can get a fungal infection, despite its varietal resistance. The overgrowth of the crown is especially dangerous in the rainy season.
The principles of pruning a young North Captain gooseberry are shown in the photo, where:
- pruning after planting;
- formation at the end of the first season.
Features of the formation of an adult fruiting bush of the North Captain:
- In autumn, all young shoots are cut to the ground, leaving 4–5 of the strongest stems. The tops of annual shoots are removed.
- The damaged and old branches are cut off, the remaining ones are shortened.
- An adult gooseberry bush should consist of 20–25 strong stems of different ages. All branches over 6 years old are removed on a ring at the soil surface.
Observing these principles, you can maintain the fruiting of the Northern Captain bush for more than 20 years.
Diseases and pests, methods of control and prevention
Gooseberry Captain, according to the description of the variety, belongs to resistant berry crops. It is not damaged by major infectious diseases.
The pests typical of gooseberries also do not threaten the Northern Captain bushes. To protect the plantings, preventive measures are sufficient. Pollination of the soil under the bushes with wood ash simultaneously repels insects and feeds the gooseberry with potassium.
Conclusion
Gooseberry North Captain has shown amazing endurance in the humid, cool climate of the northwest of the country. Its beneficial properties, due to the content of vitamins and organic acids, are superior to dessert, sweeter varieties.
