Gooseberry Commander: all about growing varieties

Variety description

A plant of this variety forms a bush of medium height, about 1,5 m. The description of external characteristics is as follows: branches and side shoots grow densely, have a slightly sprawling nature, a curved shape and a light green color.

Variety Commander is characterized by the absence of thorns, sometimes individual single thorns may appear, but they are extremely thin, therefore they are not dangerous. The variety has a glossy surface of foliage, and the leaves themselves are quite large and dense. Gooseberry Commander has green petioles of medium thickness. The plant forms medium-sized flowers, slightly yellowish. The bushes of this variety are characterized by high resistance to various diseases, including fungal, as well as to low temperatures. Variety Commander has excellent taste, but not too large berries.

Video “Description of varieties”

From the video you will learn about the features of gooseberry varieties.

Features of landing

For bushes of this variety, it is better to select those places where there is enough sunlight, the wind does not walk. The variety does not like excessive moisture either – do not plant bushes in wetlands or lowlands. Soil with high acidity is not suitable either.

The description of the optimal conditions for planting is as follows: seedlings planted in spring before the leaves begin to bloom, or in autumn, until mid-October, take root best. This choice of periods is due to the fact that, like any plant, the Commander gooseberry must have time to take root before the onset of cold weather or the active growth phase.

Immediately before planting, the seedling must be cut so that no more than 5 buds remain on it. In order for a bush of this variety to take root faster, before planting in a permanent place, the roots of the seedling are soaked for 24 hours in a solution of potassium humate – 1 tablespoon of the substance will be needed for each liter of water.

Care of the plant

The description of the process of caring for a developing seedling is not much different from the generally accepted rules of agricultural technology regarding shrubs:

• regular hilling – the variety prefers loose soils, due to which air circulation and its access to the root system are improved, and weeds are also destroyed;
• high-quality watering – gooseberry bushes of this variety are not able to develop normally if they are not provided with a sufficient level of moisture. So, if the weather is dry, it is better to water the gooseberries weekly;
• mineral supplementation is also required. Variety Komandor shows itself well with three times feeding: as soon as the first leaves appear, during the flowering period and at the time of the formation of the ovary;
• shaping cut. This procedure for bushes of the Commander variety will be needed from the second year after planting. At the same time, it is carried out twice: in the spring before the buds begin to swell, and in the fall, when all the foliage has already flown around. For this variety, two methods of forming a bush are applicable – standard and trellis. In the first case, the bush takes the form of a tree, but its life expectancy decreases, in the second, the gooseberry does not look so aesthetically pleasing, but it bears fruit better and lives longer;
• preparation for wintering. Due to its frost resistance, the variety does not need to build a protective shelter, but it is still worth preparing the bush for the cold. Around each bush, they carefully dig up the ground and mulch it with a layer of humus or peat. Some gardeners prefer to play it safe and still cover the plant with agrospan.

Diseases and pests

The variety is considered low-vulnerability to the most common problems – sawfly, powdery mildew and anthracnose, but can suffer from other problems:

• drying of the stems – the bark cracks and dies on the bushes. A diseased plant, unfortunately, cannot be saved. To prevent the development of the problem, be sure to treat the cuts of seedlings with a weak solution of Bordeaux mixture;
• rust – in this case, the flowers and ovaries on the underside are covered with peculiar yellowish pads. As a preventive measure, young bushes, at the stage of leaf blooming, are sprayed with a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture;
• aphid. Pest colonies that have settled on gooseberry bushes can completely stop the development of the plant and provoke its death. As a control measure, the bushes are sprayed with Decis solution, treated with wood ash or tobacco solution;
• scab. In the process of life of an insect, characteristic spots are formed on plants, resembling splashes of lime mortar. Good results in the fight against scabies are brought by Actellik.

Harvesting

The variety begins to actively bear fruit by mid-July – on average, it is possible to collect about 5 kg of berries from each bush. Berries must be plucked along with the stalk, otherwise the peel may be damaged.

Harvesting work is best done in dry weather, in the morning or in the evening, when dew has not fallen on the plants.

Video “Growing”

From the video you will learn about the secrets of growing gooseberries.