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Obtained by breeding research in a Moscow fruit and berry nursery, Smena gooseberry was entered in the State Register of the Russian Federation in 1959. For many decades, the popularity of the variety has not decreased at all. Today this berry culture is appreciated by gardeners for its unpretentiousness to the climate and growing conditions, as well as for the incomparable taste of juicy, healthy fruits.
Description of the gooseberry variety Smena
The gooseberry variety Smena, medium late in terms of ripening, is a medium spreading shrub with strongly branching shoots. Light green young shoots turn gray with age, single thorns are located along their entire length. There are no thorns on the top of the head. Medium and large green leaves have a three-lobed shape and a smooth surface on both sides, with slight pubescence. The leaves are serrated at the edges and have a rounded top. Flower brushes of the variety are light green, collected from 2 - 3 flowers, which, after pollination, turn into burgundy-red berries. The berries are medium-sized, weighing up to 2.2 g, abundantly shower the branches of the bush, which lean to the ground under the weight of the harvest. The taste of the fruit is pleasant, sweet and sour. The thorns of the bush are weak, rare, thin thorns are located on the branches one by one, not capturing the crown. This makes caring for and harvesting convenient and easy. The Smena variety is self-pollinated, self-fertile, that is, it does not need pollinating neighbors for active fruiting.
Gooseberries of the Smena variety, a visual photo is presented below, are zoned throughout Russia, except for Eastern Siberia and the North Caucasus.
Drought resistance, frost resistance
The frost resistance of the Smena variety is good; without shelter, the gooseberry is able to tolerate up to 25 degrees of frost. Young seedlings at this temperature in winter require shelter. The gooseberry adapts to short periods of drought, but in order to get a good harvest, it is necessary to provide the shrub with regular watering during flowering and fruit setting.
Fruiting, productivity
Gooseberry Smena is a fruitful variety: about 6 kg of berries are removed from one bush per season, which hold for a long time and do not crumble when the harvest is delayed. The fruits of this medium-late variety ripen in early to mid-July. The fruiting period lasts until the end of August.
Advantages and disadvantages
The advantages of the Smena gooseberry variety are in the following features:
- resistance to diseases, in particular, to powdery mildew;
- high frost resistance;
- excellent yield;
- long-term retention of ripe berries on the branches without shedding and cracking;
- self-fertility;
- versatility of fruit use.
However, the Smena variety also has disadvantages:
- the rapid growth of young growth;
- instability to pests;
- small fruits.
The description of the characteristics of the gooseberry Smena is fully consistent with the reviews of experienced gardeners who grow it to obtain consistently high yields, despite the weather conditions and care.
More detailed, visual information about the Smena gooseberry variety can be found in the video:
Breeding features
Gooseberries of the Smena variety can be propagated:
- layering and cuttings;
- dividing the bush.
For layering, strong branches are chosen, which in the spring are laid with fixation in shallow trenches dug around the bush. Sprinkle soil on top, watered. Gooseberry cuttings are taken care of all summer, and in the fall they are planted in a permanent place. For cuttings, shoots of 2 years old are chosen and 20 cm long shoots are cut off, which are then planted in separate ridges under a film, looked after and aired. With successful survival, young leaves appear on the processes.
The division is carried out on old gooseberry bushes of the Smena variety, when you need to rejuvenate them. After abundant watering, the bush is dug up, its roots are divided into parts with a sharp knife and seated.
Planting and leaving
Planting gooseberries Change is timed to fall or spring. In the southern regions, it is advisable to plant plants in autumn - early October. During the warm autumn period, the seedlings have time to take root and prepare for winter. In regions with colder climates, planting is carried out in early spring - in early or mid-April. An ideal place for gooseberries would be a sunny, well-lit and protected area from cold winds. A small hill is perfect, where the occurrence of groundwater is deep. The further development of the plant depends on the correctly selected planting material. Therefore, seedlings for planting are chosen strong, with a developed root system, without mechanical damage. For better survival, before planting, young gooseberries are placed in a special bio-solution to stimulate root formation.
The landing algorithm is as follows.
- The preparation of planting holes begins 2 weeks before planting.
- Pits are dug 40x40 in size at a distance of about 1 m from each other.
- The soil from the pit is mixed with compost or humus, mineral fertilizers are added - 50 g each of superphosphate and potassium sulfate.
- After that, the soil is poured into the pit with a slide and a gooseberry seedling of the Smena variety is placed vertically.
- Carefully, in layers, pour the earth and make sure that the root collar does not turn out to be too deep.
- The soil is compacted, abundantly watered and mulched with fallen leaves or humus.
Growing rules
Despite the fact that the Smena gooseberry variety is an unpretentious shrub that does not require special care, standard agricultural techniques should be used for good yields. According to them, leaving consists of:
- in regular watering with warm water at the root;
- mulching the trunk circle with humus - to exclude rapid evaporation of moisture and additionally fertilize the soil;
- fertilizing with mineral fertilizers from the age of 3;
- pruning - sanitary and formative.
After planting, for the first 2 years, the Smena gooseberry variety does not need fertilization, since it has enough nutrients in the soil. In the future, a complex mineral fertilizer with nitrogen is applied annually in early spring. Top dressing is done before the start of sap flow, immediately after sanitary pruning. When the ovaries begin to appear, the rotted compost is introduced directly into the soil. During fruiting, the Smena gooseberry variety responds well to phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, which add 2 tbsp. for every adult bush. In late autumn, after the foliage has fallen, the mineral fertilizing of the bush is repeated.
Sanitary pruning of Smena gooseberries is carried out in early spring with the removal of dry, broken, damaged branches. Shoots with signs of disease, cracked and old are also cut out. Formative pruning consists of trimming the tops 2/3 of the length, if necessary.Bushes over 7 years old require rejuvenating pruning, which consists in removing all shoots, leaving small trunks with healthy buds.
Before the onset of winter, all the foliage of the trunk circle is raked and burned, while the soil is weeded and loosened. For preventive purposes, the crown is treated with fungicides. In regions with a small amount of snow, gooseberry branches are slightly bent and covered with non-woven material. To protect the gooseberry from rodents, spruce branches are used, with which the skeletal trunks are tied so that the needles are located inside the bush. In addition, skeletal branches near the ground are wrapped with sacking, spunbond or nylon.
Pests and diseases
Gooseberry Smena is a variety that is quite resistant to diseases that are characteristic of this crop. With proper agricultural technology, the plant is not exposed to even the most common disease for gooseberries - powdery mildew. However, it is less resistant to anthracnose - the appearance of dark brown spots on the leaves. The fight against it consists in processing a solution of copper sulfate (50 g per 10 liters of water). Of the pests that prefer to settle on cultivated plants, the Smena gooseberry is most susceptible to caterpillars and aphids. Get rid of them with insecticides.
Conclusion
Gooseberry Smena for its properties and versatility of fruit use is widespread among amateur gardeners. Strong, with a dense skin, berries are resistant to mechanical damage, which provides them with an attractive appearance in jams and compotes, as well as good transportability.
