Gooseberry Commander

The article presents the Commander gooseberry: description, all information on how to grow the variety correctly.

At the end of the 20th century at the Scientific Research Institute of Horticulture, thanks to the work of the scientist V. Ilyin, a new variety of gooseberries without thorns Commander was bred. To create it, such varieties as African and green Chelyabinsk were crossed. From their parents, the Commander gooseberry received its black hue, resistance to the most severe frosts and to many different diseases.

Gooseberry Commander: description of the variety and characteristics

Gooseberry Commander: photo of a besshorny variety

Gooseberry Commander is a perennial plant belonging to the genus Currant and to the gooseberry family. Its bushes are dense, not spreading, the height of the plant is no more than one and a half meters. The diameter of the shoots does not exceed 5 centimeters, they look to the sides, slightly upward and slightly curved at the base. The bark has a beige color with a greenish tint, but in the case of a long stay in the scorching sun, it changes its shade to pink.

The Komandor gooseberry variety differs from others in the complete absence of thorns, which cannot but please those who love its fragrant and tasty fruits. Very rarely, small and completely non-prickly thorns can be found on young branches at the base, which does not at all interfere with picking berries and caring for the bushes.

The leaves on the branches of the Thornless gooseberry Komandor consist of five lobes, with a small notch at the base. They are wide, glossy, of bright green color, with deep cuts on the sheet plate, and can be large or medium in size. Their arrangement is alternate. Their petioles are slightly inclined downward, slightly lighter than the leaf itself and of short length.

The buds are oval in shape with a tapered tip.

The flowers of the Commander gooseberry resemble the shape of a small bowl. The inflorescences are arranged in groups of 3. The petals are yellow with a green tint, which changes to pink with a long stay in the sun.

The fruits of the Komandor gooseberry variety are not large in size, as a rule, one berry does not weigh more than 7 grams, have a thin skin of a rich burgundy color. Their flesh is incredibly juicy and sweet of a dark raspberry color. Inside there are small quantities of black seeds.

Gooseberry Commander: important features

Gooseberry Commander: photo of the variety

The yield of the Komandor gooseberry is very high, from one such bush you can collect up to 7 kilograms of berries. But here it should be noted that the more berries there are on the bush, the smaller they are in size. However, the taste does not change from this. These are sweet berries with a slight sourness and a pleasant spicy aroma. In the process of tasting, the fruit of the Comandor thornless gooseberry variety was given an estimate of 4.5 points out of a possible five. They contain no more than 13% sugar and more than 50 mg per 100 grams. vitamin C.

Ripening period

The Commander gooseberry has an average ripening period, usually during the first summer month. If the weather was good, sunny, then in July you can enjoy the great taste of berries. If you decide not to eat the berries right away, but want to store them for some time, then you should harvest two weeks before the berries are fully ripe.

Pay attention, when harvesting the Komandor gooseberry variety, remove it together with the stalk in order to preserve the integrity of the skin. Harvesting is best done when there is no rain outside and the sun is shining in the morning or evening.

Transportability

Gooseberry without thorns Commander has thin and very fragile skin, so it is difficult to transport berries. The transportation of berries of this variety is difficult, first of all, because of their delicate thin skin.

Drought resistance and frost resistance of the gooseberry Commander

Due to the fact that the plant was bred by Russian scientists, taking into account our very different climatic conditions, the Komandor gooseberry is highly resistant to drought and prolonged severe frosts.

Resistance to diseases and harmful insects

Thornless gooseberry Commander is a very resistant plant to many diseases that occur in other varieties. Very rarely they can get sick late blightis a fungal disease and anthracnose is also a fungal disease.
Among the pests, there can be many insects that can harm the plant. In this case, it is important to take action as soon as possible after their detection.
Among them can be found: gooseberry moth, aphid, moth, mites, glass, currant gall midge.

Gooseberry Commander: planting varieties

Gooseberry Commander prefers light, loose, well-drained and low to medium acid soil. If the acidity level in the soil in your area is higher than 6, then you will need to add 200 grams of dolomite flour or 100 grams of lime per 1 sq. meter. If on your site groundwater passes closer than 1 meter from the surface or you have swampy soil, then make an embankment and add river sand, pebbles or rubble to the bottom of the hole, this will help ensure good drainage and prevent water from stagnating.

When planting, keep in mind that the Commander gooseberry will grow well in open sunny areas protected from strong winds and drafts. To protect the plant from the winds, it will be enough to plant them near a fence or wall.

If in winter there is little or no snow, but at the same time there are frosts, cover your plant with non-woven materials.

Thornless gooseberry Komandor, like other gooseberry varieties, can be planted in spring and autumn. If you decide to plant it in the spring, then your plant will adapt much better and it will have time to form a strong root system. When planting gooseberries in the fall, it will harden well, give new shoots faster and will be most resistant to cold weather.
Before planting your bushes, prepare the site in advance. For example, if the planting will be in the spring, then do it in the fall, and if in the fall, then 7 days before planting.

The holes should go into the ground to a depth of 30 centimeters, and their width should be about 60 centimeters. At the bottom of the hole, you need to put a mixture of rotted mullein, wood ash, lime and urea. To do this, it is necessary to mix all these components at the rate of 10 kg. х300gr. х350gr. X30gr .. Such fertilizers must be applied if the planting is done in spring.
The day before planting, dip the roots of the plant in a weak solution of manganese.

Place the Commander Gooseberry Sapling at a 45-degree incline to help the plant form shoots. Lowering the roots into the hole, spread them out and gradually fall asleep. Then pour generously with one bucket of water. Cover the ground with humus mulch and water again. Mulching will help protect the plant from weeds and retain the moisture it needs.

Make the holes in such a way that the distances between them along the row are at least one meter, and between the rows 2 meters. The distance between plants, buildings or trees must be at least 2 meters.

Sapling selection

When choosing a gooseberry seedling Commander, pay attention that it has a closed root system.The root should be about 10 centimeters long with at least three branching off the main roots and well-developed lobular roots. If you choose an annual plant, then it will have one shoot. If it is two years old, then there should be from 2 to 3 shoots.

Gooseberry Commander: variety care

Watering
Gooseberry Commander needs regular watering for good development and fruiting. If the weather is hot outside, then it is necessary to water the plant at least once every two days. If it is cool, cloudy outside, then one time will be enough. To give the plant the required amount of water, it will take 5 liters for one adult plant, and 3 liters for a young plant. If autumn is not rainy, then watering should also be continued.
In order for the peel on the berries not to have a sour taste, two weeks before the expected harvest, watering must be reduced, and then resumed in the same volume.

Support
The support will not allow the branches of the Komandor gooseberry variety to bend or even break under the weight of the fruit. To do this, place one beam at the edges of the row, stretch a strong thread and fasten the bushes to them. If the plants are single, then next to each place small posts and tie the plant to them.

Top dressing
Top dressing is an integral part of the care of Komador gooseberries. Fertilization is necessary throughout the life of the bush three times a season.
In the first year of a plant's life, it is necessary to use fertilizers containing nitrogen, as it is an excellent assistant in the development and growth of green mass.

Further, feeding for the Komandor gooseberry is made in the spring using a mixture of 25 grams of potassium, 50 grams of superphosphate, half a bucket of compost and 25 grams of ammonium salt. The next top dressing is done when flowering ends and again after three weeks. In this case, cow dung is used diluted with water 1 to 5. One bush is watered with 10 liters of such a solution.

In order for fertilizers to quickly penetrate the soil and supply more nutrients to the plant, they must be applied after watering.

Variety pruning rules

Pruning the Commander gooseberry is necessary so that the bushes can renew and bear more fruit. The best time for this would be March or November.

The first pruning is done after the seedling has been planted in the ground. At this time, it is necessary to shorten the branches so that their length does not exceed 25 centimeters.

A year later, the next pruning is done. This time, as in the following, it is necessary to reduce the number of new shoots, it will be sufficient to leave only 5 of the strongest ones. After 6 years after planting, it is necessary to remove 4 shoots, choosing the weakest and leave the same number of strong and young ones. After the plant turns 6 years old, the bushes begin to be cut twice a year. Once in the spring, forming a bush, the second in the fall, removing all diseased and damaged areas. The main thing to remember is that you don't have to cut more than 1/3 at a time, so as not to harm the Commander.
With proper development, bushes that have reached 6 years of age have at least 10 shoots of different ages.

How best to prepare a plant for winter

Before the onset of winter, you need to carefully dig up the ground around the trunk of the Commander gooseberry, this will help get rid of the larvae of harmful insects and fungal spores.
If the winters are snowy in your region, it is better to bend the bushes to the ground by tying them without damaging the branches. This method will protect them from breaking due to the thickness of the snow. If the winters are very frosty and with a small amount of snow, then the gooseberry must be protected by covering it with a non-woven material.

Diseases and pests

• Cytoporosis - this disease can be identified by rounded distant brown spots. If this disease is detected, it is necessary to treat the bush with Bordeaux liquid.This disease can be avoided by using sterile instruments during pruning.
• Rustis a very dangerous fungal disease that can be easily identified by stripes, spots or bumps of orange color. If found, it is necessary to treat the plant with fungicides. It must be sprayed twice, before flowering, after the harvest is harvested.
• White spot - a fungal disease that can be identified by gray spots on the leaves. To combat it, it is necessary to use a solution of copper sulfate before bud break and after the harvest is harvested.
• Gray rot - a fungal disease that affects the entire plant as a whole. If this disease is detected, it is important to immediately remove and burn all damaged areas. Prevention of this disease is regular pruning and control so that there is no stagnation of water in the soil.
• Mosaic diseaseis a viral disease that manifests itself as alternating green or white spots on the leaves and stems. There is no cure for this disease, the only way to protect gooseberries from it is through preventive action. When pruning, use only sterile tools, carefully select seedlings, if any plants become ill with this disease, immediately remove and burn them.

Harmful insects, from which the Commander gooseberry variety most often suffers:

• Aphid- this harmful insect sucks juices from plant cells, thereby weakening it and preventing it from developing. To combat it, it is necessary to treat the plants with insecticides. In addition, infusions of bitter pepper are considered an effective remedy.
• Moth - these are caterpillars that feed on leaf juices like aphids. To get rid of it, you need to collect it by hand and treat the plant with insecticides.
• Currant kidney mite - this pest eats the kidneys while inside. If you see a deformation on the buds, then they must be immediately removed and the plant should be sprayed with fungicides.
• Spider mite - this pest can be found on the inside of the leaf, it enmeshes it with white cobwebs and sucks out all the juices. To combat it, you need insecticides.
• Currant glass - it is capable of destroying the entire crop entirely. It settles in the bark and eats the tree from the inside. This is a very dangerous pest, and if it is detected, it is necessary to immediately treat the plant with insecticides, and also sprinkle the ground with wood ash around it.
• Currant gall midge - harmful brown mosquitoes drinking juices from the plant, because of which it dries up, and the shoots crumble. In case of detection, it is necessary to treat with insecticides. For prevention, you can use an infusion of wormwood, treating bushes with it.

Gooseberry Commander: reviews of gardeners about the variety

Gooseberry Commander: photo of the variety

• Anastasia Alexandrovna, Moscow region: “The Commander gooseberry is the plant that always pleases us with large yields of delicious berries that we can enjoy for many years. Due to the absence of thorns, harvesting does not give me any problems, and caring for the plant is much easier. It is also pleasing that the Commander-free gooseberry is frost-resistant and resistant to many diseases. "
• Ekaterina Mikhailovna, Leningrad region: “Gooseberry Commander has been growing in my garden for a long time. Therefore, over the long years of cultivation, they discovered both undoubted advantages and some disadvantages. So, the obvious advantages of the Commander gooseberry for me are the absence of thorns, excellent taste, high yields, strong immunity, the ability to bear fruit for a long period, strong fruits, good drought resistance and frost resistance.As for the disadvantages of the Komandor thornless gooseberry variety, they include not transportability, short shelf life, the need for good care, and low resistance to pests. "

Gooseberry Commander