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Gooseberry is a shrub plant of the Gooseberry family, belonging to the genus Currant. There are a huge number of varieties of this crop, differing in fruiting time, thorniness, yield, color and taste of berries, so choosing to your taste is not difficult. Gooseberry Sirius is a variety of medium-late ripening, popular among gardeners in Our Country due to its low thorniness.
Description of gooseberry Sirius
The Sirius variety was bred as a result of crossing two types of gooseberries: Captivator and Shipless. Introduced into the State Register of Our Country in 1994, it is recommended for cultivation in the Central Black Earth region.
Gooseberry Sirius forms a straight-growing bush of medium density. The height of the culture is about 1 m. The branching of this variety is vertical, strong, without pruning the bush is prone to crown thickening.
Young shoots of the Sirius gooseberry are straight or with a slightly curved top, the color is light green, there is no pubescence. Old (lignified) branches are thickened, light beige. There are practically no thorns on the branches of this variety. Occasionally found spines are located in the lower part of the shoot. The spines are single, shortened, of a dark shade, directed downwards.
In gooseberries of the Sirius variety, leaf buds are enlarged, have an ovoid shape with a blunt top, the color is dark brown or brown, pubescence is not observed.
The foliage is matte, light green. When palpated, wrinkling and slight pubescence are noticeable. The leaves are convex with large blunt denticles along the edges. The leaf has 3-5 lobes with deep cuts. The veins do not differ in color from the main color of the foliage.
The leaflets are attached to branches at an angle of 45° with elongated petioles of medium thickness.
The flowering of the gooseberry Sirius is pale, the flowers are medium in size, inconspicuous. The brush is formed by 1-2 flowers. The ovary of this variety has a slight pubescence.
The diameter of the berries in the Sirius variety is different, the weight ranges from 3,5-4 g. The dark red berries are round in shape, they have a noticeable wax coating, and there is no pubescence. The peel covering the berries is of medium thickness and quite dense, which is a plus during transportation. Seeds are present in the berries, but not in excessive quantities. Light streaks are visible on the fruits, they differ in color from the main color.
The taste of gooseberries of the Sirius variety is dessert, after ripening it is sweet with a pleasant sourness. Evaluation on a five-point scale – 4,3 points.
Gooseberries are self-fertile crops, but with cross-pollination, it is possible to significantly increase the yield, so it is advisable to plant 2-3 varieties on the site that bloom simultaneously with Sirius. In addition, gooseberries are pollinated by bees, but in cold weather and high humidity during flowering, there is a risk of partial shedding of flowers, which affects the yield.
Drought resistance, frost resistance
Gooseberry Sirius is a drought-resistant variety, but watering is necessary during prolonged drought. Moisturizing is especially important during the period of the appearance of ovaries and after harvest. Young seedlings need regular watering (2-3 times a month).
The Sirius gooseberry variety has good frost resistance, in snowy winters it can withstand up to -32 ° C, but if the growing region is not snowy, it is recommended to insulate the roots of the seedlings with mulching materials.
fruiting, productivity
Variety Sirius refers to medium-late in terms of ripening. The first crop on the bush can be harvested 3-4 years after planting. The ripeness of gooseberries occurs 1,5-2 months after flowering, i.e., approximately in the first half of August.
The yield from each bush depends on the growing conditions and weather in the region, the average is 3-3,5 kg.
Berries of this variety have a pleasant sour-sweet taste. They have a universal purpose. The harvested crop can be processed or used fresh. Jams, preserves, compotes are made from berries. Due to the strong peel, the Sirius variety is well transported and stored.
The variety is resistant to sintering of berries. In the southern regions, under direct sunlight, the bush may suffer from leaf and fruit burns. In this case, shading is necessary.
Advantages and disadvantages
Gooseberry Sirius inherited the best parental characteristics. The advantages of the variety include:
- tallness;
- a small number of spikes;
- good keeping quality of berries;
- transportability;
- frost resistance;
- drought tolerance;
- dessert taste of fruits and their versatility.
Among the disadvantages are:
- poor resistance to powdery mildew;
- sintering of berries in a hot period.
Proper care, fertilizing, shading from the scorching rays of the sun, preventive treatment for diseases will help increase the yield of Sirius gooseberries.
Features of reproduction
Reproduction of the Sirius gooseberry variety is carried out in various ways. The seed method is considered economically impractical, because as a result, you can get a bush that does not match the characteristics of the mother plant. Effective breeding methods for Sirius gooseberries:
- layering;
- lignified and green cuttings;
- dividing the bush (over five years of age).
If you choose between lignified and green cuttings, then the latter show the fastest survival rate in all gooseberry varieties.
The main breeding method of the Sirius variety is the layering method. To do this, choose powerful annual growths or two-year shoots with good growth. Procedure algorithm:
- soil preparation in spring. The earth under the bushes is dug up, fertilized;
- groove formation. Grooves are made in the ground from the mother gooseberry bush;
- escape fixation. The selected branches are bent to the ground, placed in the furrows and fixed with the help of improvised materials.
After that, the shoots are covered with earth, watered, and the tops are pinched.
The shoots that appear are spudded with humus or moist soil. In early autumn, Sirius gooseberry layers are ready for transplanting. They are separated from the mother plant and transplanted to a prepared place. Young layering will definitely need shelter for the winter.
Planting and care
The best time to plant a gooseberry seedling is early autumn. The growing season is already over, but there is time for rooting before frost. If planting in the fall is carried out too late, there is a risk of freezing the seedling.
For good fruiting, gooseberries need to choose a place to plant. This may be a fairly lit area with fertile soil.
The choice of planting material is carried out according to the following criteria:
- root system. It should be well developed, branched;
- aerial part. The seedling must have at least two strong shoots.
It is better to buy gooseberries in a peat pot, in which case the risk of damage to the root system during transplantation is reduced to zero.
Landing technology is as follows:
- The landing hole is prepared in advance. The size depends on the dimensions of the root system. Approximate size of the pit: diameter 40 cm, depth 60 cm.
- Drainage is poured into the pit, then a nutrient soil mixture consisting of 1 bucket of compost (humus), 200 g of superphosphate and 200 g of wood ash. The last component can be replaced with 50 g of potassium sulfate. Add 50 g of limestone.
- A seedling is installed, the roots are straightened along the mound with the ground.
- Fill the hole with the remaining soil mixture.
- Watered with water, each bush will need 5 liters.
- To avoid rapid loss of moisture and prevent the growth of weeds, the trunk circle is mulched.
Growing rules
Gooseberry variety Sirius is sensitive to drying out of the soil, especially during the period of fruit setting and ripening, therefore it is recommended to carry out drip or subsurface irrigation. The soil during irrigation should be wetted by 20-30 cm. The amount of irrigation depends on precipitation. During the season, 3 to 5 waterings may be required. Young seedlings are watered more often, they need more moisture for rooting.
Sirius gooseberry pruning is carried out in spring or autumn. Before the start of sap flow, weak, frozen and broken branches are removed, in the fall they get rid of thickening shoots. If the procedure is planned once a year, then preference is given to autumn pruning.
Top dressing is carried out several times per season:
- spring two top dressings are needed – before bud break (March) and before flowering (May). During this period, organic matter (rotted manure, bird droppings, compost) or minerals (urea, superphosphate, potassium nitrate) are used;
- in summer (June-July) make phosphorus-potassium compounds or organic matter (liquid manure);
- in autumn the earth is loosened around the bush, humus, compost, wood ash are introduced, and the near-trunk circle is mulched from above.
Sirius gooseberry branches can bend to the ground under the weight of berries, so many gardeners arrange props. Gooseberries of this variety can be grown on a trellis or use a hoop to support the branches. You can make a welded structure from pipes or buy a special bush holder.
To protect the gooseberry from rodents, it is necessary to place poisoned baits on the site. Spruce needles treated with creolin can be poured into the near-stem circle. A mousetrap will be an effective tool. It is made from a plastic bottle and buried in the ground (see photo).
Young gooseberry seedlings Sirius need shelter for the winter. After pruning, the gooseberries are tied with soft twine and wrapped with agrospan or other insulating material. In early spring, the shelter is removed. For adult shrubs, it is enough to increase the layer of mulch in the near-stem circle.
Pests and diseases
For gooseberries of the Sirius variety, the following insects are dangerous: aphids, moths, sawflies, moths. To prevent the invasion of pests, crown treatment with copper sulphate is used. It is obligatory to dig the soil around the seedlings. Eliminate insects will help: Chlorophos, Karbofos, Fitoverm. Damaged shoots are pruned and burned.
Of the diseases on the Sirius gooseberry variety, you can find:
- powdery mildew. For preventive purposes, bushes and soil are sprayed early with a 2% Nitrofen solution. The crown is treated with a soap-soda solution (for 10 liters of water, 50 g of soda and laundry soap each);
- anthracnose. To eliminate using copper oxychloride or Bordeaux mixture;
- white spotting. Bordeaux liquid (1%) is suitable for processing;
- rust. The bushes are treated with Bordeaux liquid three times (after 8-10 days).
Conclusion
Gooseberry Sirius can be grown in various regions of Our Country. In areas with cold winters with little snow, bushes will need shelter. Gooseberries of this variety are distinguished by dessert taste and beautiful colors. Used in the food and cosmetic industry.