Thornless gooseberry variety Prune from Russian breeders

Gooseberries are very popular due to their unpretentiousness and tasty fruits. The Prune Plum variety has become a worthy representative of the culture. Its fruits have good taste and are universal in use. We'll tell you how to grow the common prune gooseberry in this article.

What kind of gooseberry is this?

Prune - domestic variety of thornless gooseberryand a medium ripening period with excellent berry taste and good yield indicators.

History of origin and distribution

The variety was bred by breeders of the All-Russian Research Institute of Horticulture named after I.V. Michurin in 1979. The varieties Plum and Plum 259-23 were used as a basis.

After successful variety trials in 1992, the sample was registered in the State Register. Recommended for cultivation in the Ural, Middle Volga and Central regions of Russia.

Characteristics and description of bushes

Prune bushes are distinguished by thick and strong shoots, forming a sparse but spreading crown. They grow up to 1.5 m. Young shoots have light green bark, older shoots have brown bark.

The plant has medium-sized leaves that are lacy and glossy, with a rich emerald color. The flowers have white petals and are bisexual, so the bushes do not need pollinating varieties. The first flowering occurs in early May. The harvest is harvested within 2 years after planting. The branches below have short thorns.

Temperature resistance

The variety is not afraid of sudden changes in temperature during spring or autumn frosts and tolerates frosts down to -35°C.

Moisture and drought resistance

The variety does not like drought; if there is a lack of moisture, it stops growing and yields decrease. Due to stagnation of water, the root system begins to rot and the plant dies.

Resistance to diseases and pests

It is immune to powdery mildew, but can suffer from other fungal diseases. It is often attacked by gooseberry sawfly and shoot aphids.

Characteristics and description of fruits

Prune has large or medium oval berries weighing up to 5 g. As they ripen, their color changes from green to black. There is a small waxy coating on the thin skin, underneath there is juicy and tender pulp with two small seeds. The taste of the berries is rich, sweet, with a slight sourness. Ripening begins at the end of June and lasts until August. Productivity increases every year; 3-4 kg of berries can be harvested from one bush.

Application area

Fruit Prunes are suitable for fresh consumption, freezing, home canning (compotes, jams), and are used in the preparation of wine and tinctures.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

Among the advantages of the variety they note:

• small, compact bushes;
• good yield indicators;
• high taste of berries;
• low maintenance and cultivation;
• frost resistance;
• adaptability to unfavorable conditions;
• self-pollinating;
• small number of thorns;
• versatility of application.

The disadvantages are the variety of sizes of berries (3-5 g) and gradual ripening, which excludes one-time harvesting.

Growing technology

In relation to Prunes, agrotechnical methods for growing and caring for them do not require much effort.

Optimal conditions

For this gooseberry plant, select the southern part of the site with good lighting. There should be no tall trees or buildings nearby, as the plant does not like shading and does not develop well in such conditions. It is worth avoiding soil prone to waterlogging; the variety does not like excess moisture, which is why it often gets sick. Close proximity of groundwater to the surface (80-120 cm) is not allowed.

The best conditions are loamy or sandy loam soil with neutral acidity (5-7 pH).

You cannot plant gooseberries in an area where currants or raspberries were previously grown. The root systems of plants have a similar structure and size, so there will be a lack of nutrients in the soil. In addition, crops have common pests and diseases.

Reference. The bushes are planted in one line along the fences, which will later serve as a support for tying.

Landing dates and rules

The variety is planted in early autumn so that the sprouts have time to take root and adapt to open ground. Planting is also carried out in the spring, but only if cuttings were used.

Landing rules:

1. The root system of seedlings is soaked for 24 hours in Kornevin, a root formation stimulator.
2. The holes for planting are prepared with a width and length of 50 cm, and a depth of 40 cm. Maintain a distance between neighboring bushes 120-150 cm, and between rows - 2 m.
3. Pour 5 kg of compost or humus mixed with 1 tbsp into each hole. ash. Fertilizers are added to part of the excavated soil and filled with a bucket of water.
4. A seedling is placed in the center of the hole, deepening the root collar by 5 cm. The soil is compacted and mulched with peat, sawdust, film or agrofibre.
5. The shoots are trimmed, leaving 4-5 buds on each.

Further care

Basic techniques for caring for a plant:

1. Watering. Young seedlings are watered once a week until the bushes take root. Adult plants need watering 3-4 times per season (1-2 buckets): before and after flowering, during the berry-filling period and in the fall. If the summer is rainy, watering is carried out less frequently, and during drought, on the contrary, it is increased.
2. Pruning Produced in the spring for sanitary purposes. Remove diseased and dry branches. The fruits are formed on two- and three-year-old stems, so older shoots are cut off so that the plant does not waste energy.
3. Fertilizers brought in for the third season. Before this, the bushes have enough nutrients from the fertilizing during planting, otherwise they will grow but will not begin to bear fruit. Gooseberries love liquid organic matter, for example, mullein solution (1:10) or chicken droppings (1:20).

Possible problems, diseases, pests

In early spring, the variety can be affected by goblet rust and anthracnose, so before the buds open, the bushes are treated with Bordeaux mixture, and the soil around them is disinfected with “Topaz” or “Agromedicine”.

Every autumn, leaves and branches must be removed, the soil must be dug up or the top layer must be replaced.

Dangerous insects:

1. Shoot aphid. Every 2 weeks, the bushes are sprayed with a solution of tobacco, dandelion or a soap-ash mixture.
2. Ognevka. From the moment the snow completely melts until mid-June, gooseberries are mulched with oilcloth so that hatched butterflies cannot get out of the ground.
3. Gooseberry sawfly. Before the sap begins to flow, in early or mid-March, the bushes are watered with boiling water, destroying the larvae overwintering in the ground.

If pests do appear, the affected branches and leaves are cut off and burned, and the bushes are treated with a solution of soap and ash or ready-made preparations are used: “Karbofos”, “Aktellik”, “Nitrophen”.

Wintering

In the fall, potassium fertilizers are applied to increase immunity, and the gooseberry stems are covered with sawdust or hay. An oilcloth is pulled over the top, preventing the stems from being pinched.

Features of cultivation depending on the region

In arid regions, provide regular watering and ensure that the soil does not dry out.

In the northern regions, it is necessary to cover the bushes with agrofibre, especially if the winter turns out to be little snow, with strong winds.

Reproduction

Prune gooseberry is propagated by:

1. Dividing the bush. In the fall, an adult plant is divided into 2-3 parts, disconnecting the lateral roots and placing it in open ground.
2. By layering. These are young and strong shoots near the mother bush. They are prepared in the spring, watered during the season, and separated and replanted in the fall. to a permanent place.

Pollinator varieties

The prune gooseberry variety is self-fertile, so it does not need pollinators.

Reviews from summer residents

Gardeners praise this variety, noting its taste and unpretentiousness.

Lyudmila Smirnova, Moscow region: “As in the descriptions of the variety in reference books, Prune Plum tolerates long winters and spring frosts well, and is not afraid of severe frosts. Thanks to the minimal number of thorns, it is easy to harvest the crop, which we eat fresh. We remove the berries gradually, so we eat gooseberries throughout the summer.”

Ivan Lotyshin, Ural: “I was pleased with the frost resistance of the variety; the gooseberry tolerates frosts of -30°C without problems. I make wine from the berries and mix them with grapes.In 5 years of cultivation, the bushes have never gotten sick; I water the soil with boiling water in the spring, and in the fall I remove the top layer of soil and replace it with a new one mixed with wood ash. This repels insects and fungus.".

Conclusion

The Prune gooseberry variety is easy to grow even for an inexperienced gardener. The gradual ripening of sweet and sour berries provides fresh fruit throughout the summer. Thanks to its good frost resistance, the variety is successfully grown in the northern regions of Russia.