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Gooseberry Sadko is one of the most promising young varieties created for the middle lane. His tests show excellent results in climates far from temperate. Gardeners from Uralado of the Far East note the resistance of the variety to diseases, frost, quick adaptation in unusual conditions. Sadko pleases with an abundance of red berries even in the most unfavorable seasons and is able to fully recover from severe damage.
Description of gooseberry Sadko
The young hybrid is still at the stage of variety testing, but is already known among gardeners and has managed to become one of the popular crops in the Moscow region and central Our Country. Growing a crop in a more severe climate has already proven its ability to develop and bear fruit in extreme conditions from the hot south to the northern regions.
Compact gooseberry bushes Sadko do not exceed 1,2 m in height and are distinguished by erect branches that do not droop with age. The variety belongs to weakly prickly gooseberries: rare, thin needles cover the bases of young shoots and are completely absent on adult stems.
A self-fertile bisexual variety is capable of producing good yields when planted alone, does not require the presence of pollinators on the site. Fast-growing, vigorous stems are covered with bright foliage, with characteristic corrugated plates and serrated edges. The green part changes color, acquiring a burgundy color by autumn.
Sadko berries are red with a coral tint, densely cover the branches every year. Both young and adult shoots are capable of fruiting. Old stems are subject to culling, the yield of which is gradually reduced, and the fruits become smaller.
With proper care, the first berries can be expected already in the second season after planting, but only bushes over 4 years old are considered adults. By this age, Sadko grows the optimal number of shoots, and the yield of fruits reaches varietal values.
Drought resistance, frost resistance
Experts attribute Sadko to gooseberries with medium winter hardiness and do not recommend testing it in regions with severe winters. Gardeners claim that the young hybrid of the Lada variety, which is characterized by increased resistance to cold, inherited the ability of the mother crop to easily tolerate low temperatures. The ability of rapid growth allows Sadko bushes to completely restore the damaged aerial part, subject to good wintering of the roots.
The drought resistance of the Sadko variety gooseberry, according to the description and reviews of gardeners, allows the culture to easily acclimatize in the heat, the berries do not wither and do not bake in the sun.
fruiting, productivity
Variety Sadko stably bears fruit after 5 years of age. The average yield from a bush is about 6 kg per season, which, with mass plantings, provides an output of 1 to 1,5 kg of fruit per 1 sq. m.
Varietal characteristics of Sadko berries:
- the weight of an average berry is from 3,5 to 4,5 g;
- large specimens grow up to 8 g (mainly on young shoots);
- the shape of the berries is oval, sometimes pear-shaped;
- longitudinal venation of fruits is distinct;
- the peel is dense, sour;
- abundant wax coating.
The gooseberry variety Sadko belongs to sweet and sour table species, it officially received 4 points for taste. In practice, the accumulation of sugars in fruits is highly dependent on illumination and rainfall. Commodity qualities of ripe fruits of Sadko are high. The content of sugars reaches 7,5%, acids – 2,2%, the concentration of vitamin C – about 25 mg per 100 g of berry mass.
The use of gooseberries Sadko is universal: they use fresh berries, in compotes, jams, jams, jelly. Wines and liqueurs are made from the fruits. The high content of useful substances allows the use of Sadko gooseberries in the treatment of diseases associated with a lack of vitamins, essential micro- or macroelements, and a decrease in immunity.
A feature of the Sadko variety is the ability to retain color during heat treatment and conservation. The dense, elastic skin of the gooseberry does not burst when heated and allows the fruits to easily endure transportation.
Advantages and disadvantages
The positive qualities of the Sadko variety when grown in different climatic zones:
- Resistant to heat and frost. Gooseberries tolerate both seasonal and daily temperature fluctuations well.
- The compactness of the bush and low thorn make it easier to care for, pick berries and allow you to place a large number of bushes in a limited space.
- Increased resistance to typical gooseberry diseases – spotting and powdery mildew.
- Excellent presentation, keeping quality, transportability of berries. Sadko fruits tolerate canning and freezing well.
Among the disadvantages of the Sadko variety, only a sour taste, the density of the gooseberry peel and the need to expect full fruiting for about 5 years from the moment of planting are noted.
Features of reproduction
Vegetative propagation allows you to get the necessary planting material without losing the performance of the variety. Gooseberry cuttings and layering root equally well. The erect stems of Sadko make it somewhat difficult to fix them in the soil, but this method gives stronger and already adapted seedlings without additional work.
The division of the bush is carried out only in plants older than 6 years. This procedure can be carried out if it is necessary to transfer the gooseberries to a new place. It is not worth digging Sadko specially for reproduction – an adult bush recovers for a long time after transplantation.
Planting and care
Gooseberries Sadko are planted in open ground in early spring or autumn, calculating the time so that the seedling has time to take root, but does not begin to grow green mass. When buying seedlings in containers, work can be done at any warm time of the year.
A place for Sadko is chosen sunny, well protected from drafts and winds that prevail in winter. The best yield of the variety was noted on loamy soils with a neutral reaction. If there is a risk of moisture stagnation in spring or autumn, crushed stone, expanded clay, sand or broken brick should be prepared as drainage.
During mass plantings, rows are marked, leaving about 1 m between plants (at least 80 cm), passages up to 2 m are arranged between rows of Sadko bushes, or plants are staggered.
Sequence of work:
- The soil is dug up, removing weeds and adding lime if necessary to deoxidize the soil.
- Mark out the rows. Dig planting holes at least 50 cm deep. The diameter of the recess should be at least twice the size of the root system of the seedling.
- The soil removed from the pit is mixed with compost or other fertile substrate, adding a glass of complex fertilizers and wood ash per plant.
- The Sadko seedling is installed vertically in the center of the pit, and the roots are carefully covered with soil.
After planting, Sadko gooseberries are watered abundantly and pruned, leaving no more than 5 buds on each shoot.
Growing rules
Gooseberry Sadko is unpretentious, but gratefully responds to care. The main activities necessary for bushes in a temperate climate:
- top dressing;
- formation;
- weeding and loosening.
Watering is done only when necessary, if the soil dries up during flowering, fruit filling or at the beginning of leaf fall. You should not irrigate when the berries are ripening, otherwise the taste may become watery, and the fruits will not accumulate enough sugars.
The gooseberry bush is able to bear fruit abundantly for more than 15 years, so the plant needs annual top dressing. Starting from the year the first berries appear, Sadko is fertilized with a solution of completely rotted manure, diluted 1 to 10 with water. Such top dressing can be repeated several times a season, every 15-20 days, stopping work in early July.
Nitrogen fertilizers can be applied under the gooseberry in a dry form, scattering 20 g of urea or 30 g of ammonium nitrate per bush in the near-stem circle in the spring. After harvesting, phosphorus and potassium compounds are acceptable to prepare the plant for winter.
Foliar top dressing with special complex fertilizers prevents leaf chlorosis. Once every 3 years, in the fall, Sadko’s gooseberry should be plentifully fed, adding rotted manure (up to 5 kg), superphosphate (25 g), potassium sulfate (50 g) under each bush.
The main methods of forming bushes of the Sadko variety:
- Immediately after planting, all shoots are shortened: strong up to 3-4 buds, weak up to 1-2.
- The following year, the 5 strongest growths are selected, the rest are cut to the soil level.
- Further pruning is done annually in the dormant phase: in early spring or autumn after leaf fall.
- Old, frozen or dried stems are cut to healthy wood or removed completely.
- All sections larger than 1 cm must be treated with garden pitch.
An adult formed Sadko bush consists of 8-10 strong stems, forming a compact vertical crown without deviating branches.
In the southern regions, the Sadko variety winters without shelter. In a more severe climate, the bushes are mulched with a layer of up to 10 cm. In case of danger of damage by rodents, spruce branches are laid. The crown is freely covered with breathable garden material and tied without tightening – the more air is under the shelter, the less the danger of the branches rotting.
Pests and diseases
Sadko is a variety resistant to spotting and powdery mildew; according to gardeners, the culture is very rarely sick. Most often, diseases are provoked by improper agricultural practices: excessive watering, the presence of weeds on the site, thickening of the crown.
To prevent garden infections in early spring, Sadko’s gooseberries are sprayed with Bordeaux mixture (2%) or Fitosporin. All plant residues (leaves, branches, dry grass, old mulch) are removed and burned outside the site in the fall.
Most often, the Sadko variety is threatened by such typical gooseberry pests:
- spider mite;
- shoot aphid;
- sawfly;
- flamethrower.
To prevent attacks of any insects, even before bud break, gooseberry plantings are sprayed with Fufanon solution. When an infection is detected, special preparations are used, selected according to the type of pests: Actellik, Karbofos, Vofatoks, Hostakvik.
Folk methods are used to scare away dangerous insects: gooseberries are sprayed with infusions of horseradish, pollinated with ash, aphids are washed off with soapy water. Tomatoes, garlic, mint are planted in the aisles. Protects bushes from pests neighborhood with elderberry.
Conclusion
Gooseberry Sadko is a new improved variety that, as a result of selection, has received resistance to the most dangerous diseases of horticultural crops. Powdery mildew, which affects berry plantings in any climate, can destroy the crop and the entire bush, does not threaten healthy, well-groomed plants. The bright fruits of the Sadko gooseberry are not only tasty, but also have a high concentration of vitamins, which puts it among the most promising crops for cultivation in the middle lane and northern regions.
