Thornless gooseberry Senator with high yield and excellent taste

The thornless gooseberry Senator is loved by many summer residents for its positive qualities. It bears fruit for a long time, is resistant to powdery mildew, and produces a rich harvest of tasty berries. The ability to withstand low and high temperatures allows it to be grown everywhere.

What kind of gooseberry is this?

The bush is vigorous, the crown is dense, of medium size. The branches are straight, green, of medium thickness. Closer to the root there are curved shoots of a brown hue.

History of origin and distribution

The second name of gooseberry is Consul. The variety is young. It was bred at the South Ural Research Institute of Horticulture and Potato Growing. V.S. Ilyin crossed the Chelyabinsk green and African varieties. The resulting Senator turned out to be practically thornless, with good frost and drought resistance. In 1995, the plant was included in the State Register of Russia.

Characteristics and description of bushes

Medium ripening variety. A bush with a large number of branches reaches a height of 1-1.5 m, a diameter of 2-3 m. Young branches are straight, green, without pubescence. Spikes are absent or small. The shoots are flexible and straight; by the time the fruit is harvested, they bend slightly.

The leaves are small and shiny. They have blunt teeth with distinct veins. Shape in the form of 5 blades of dark or light green color. Petioles with 3-4 leaves and 1 ovary grow on the shoots. Male and female flowers are collected in inflorescences of 2-3 - gooseberries do not require pollination.

Temperature resistance

Tolerance to low temperatures is determined by the cultivation area. In the southern regions, the shrub can withstand frosts down to -25...-30°C. The northern climate is characterized by dry winter air and temperatures of -28...-35°C.

Reference. In regions with cold winters, the shrub needs to be covered with leaves and hay.

Wintering in wet frosts of -25...-35°C leads to diseases, lack of harvest or death of gooseberries.

Moisture and drought resistance

The bush can withstand heat of +30...+35°C, but the fruits dry out or bake in the open sun. The favorable climate for growing thornless gooseberries Senator is moderate.

The variety does not tolerate drought well, so the soil must be kept moderately moist at all times.

Resistance to diseases and pests

The senator is resistant to damage by powdery mildew, but is not protected from attacks by sawflies, root canker, gray mold or septoria and requires preventive measures.

At the beginning of spring bushes are sprayed with insecticides and fed with phosphates. As feeding use phosphate rock at the rate of 2.5–3 tbsp. l./m² or double superphosphate in a dosage of 2–2.5 tbsp. l./m². The most popular insecticides: “Aktellik CE” (10 ml per 10 l of water) or “Bitoxibacillin P” (100 g per 10 l of water).

Characteristics and description of fruits

The berries are red or dark pink, round, practically without seeds. Green veins are clearly visible on the surface. The taste is sweet and sour, the aroma is delicate. Tasting score: 4.7 points. The fruits contain 6.7% sugars, 3.1% acids, 25.7 mg% ascorbic acid. The thin skin does not crack when ripe due to its high strength.

The weight of one berry is 3-4 g. Up to 4 kg of crop is harvested from young bushes.As the number of shoots increases, the yield also increases - up to 7-8 kg of berries are harvested from an adult Senator gooseberry per season.

Application area

Senator gooseberries are used in winter preparations. They are prepared from:

• jams;
• jam;
• juices;
• jam.

Gooseberry pulp is well suited for the production of ice cream, desserts, and yoghurts.

Application in cosmetology:

• Hair growth is promoted by rinsing in a decoction of gooseberry leaves;
• to remove age spots, fruit juice and pulp are added to creams and masks;
• Gooseberry seed oil is applied to the hair roots to prevent graying.

Freshly squeezed gooseberry juice normalizes metabolism and strengthens the cardiovascular system. The fruits have restorative and anti-inflammatory properties.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

The main advantages of the Senator:

• high productivity;
• absence of thorns;
• self-pollinating;
• frost resistance;
• immunity to powdery mildew;
• long life span (18–20 years);
• excellent fruit taste.

Flaws:

• due to the thin peel, the berries are not suitable for transportation;
• the variety does not tolerate wind and drafts;
• The plant needs constantly moist soil and does not tolerate drought.

Growing technology

Despite the unpretentiousness of the bush, its development should not be left to chance. With this approach, low yields are observed.

Optimal conditions

For Senator gooseberries, a sunny area with no drafts and protection from the wind is optimal. The soil needs to be loose, fertile, enriched with humus and nutrients. Groundwater should not touch the gooseberry roots to avoid waterlogging of the soil and not cause fungal diseases.

Landing dates and rules

Spring planting is carried out after the last snow has melted. In autumn, gooseberries are planted a month before the onset of frost.

Landing algorithm:

1. A day before the procedure, soak the seedlings in a growth stimulator.
2. Maintain a distance of at least 1.5 m between bushes. The depth of the planting hole is 50–60 cm.
3. Cover the bottom with peat or humus. Apply fertilizers: 50 g of potassium salts and superphosphate per hole.
4. Remove dead shoots from the seedling, cut the rest by 1/3.
5. Having straightened the roots, plant the plant. Deepen the root collar no more than 6 cm.
6. Cover the remaining space in the hole with soil and compact it.
7. Cover the ground with straw, sawdust, and pine needles.
8. Sprinkle the bush generously with water.

Further care

During the adaptation period it is important:

1. Protect the bush from direct sunlight, stagnant water, drafts and strong winds.
2. Watering is carried out 3 times per season: during flowering, when fruits ripen, after harvesting.
3. Young shoots that have grown during the season should be pruned next spring, shortened by 1/3 or 1/4 of their length. Fruiting branches from the previous season should not be pruned for next year.
4. Do not apply fertilizers in the first year of planting. From the second year, use nitrogen mixtures (infusion of manure or nettle) every 2 weeks, until mid-August. When forming buds, add 40 g of superphosphate per bush.

When the first signs of infection of the bush appear, preventive measures are taken.

Possible problems, diseases, pests

Resistance of culture to a number pests and diseases does not cancel additional protective measures:

1. Spraying with a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture before flowering and after harvest helps against columnar rust and anthracnose.
2. In the fight against moth and gooseberry aphids, use Karbofos at a rate of 60 g/10 l of water or 1-2 Inta-Vira tablets per 10 l of water.
3. Spider mites are removed with Actellik. For processing take 2 ml of the drug per 2 liters of liquid.
4. Iskra works well against sawflies in a dosage of 60 ml per bucket of water, Aktara in a dosage of 1 ml per 5 liters of water.
5. Root cancer has no cure. The diseased plant is dug up and burned, and the soil is disinfected with 2% bleach.
6. Fruits affected by gray rot are removed along with the branches. For prevention, bushes are treated against weevils, moths, and caterpillars with Iskra or Actellik.
7. Septoria is combated with Bordeaux mixture. A bucket of water will require 100 g of the drug. Spray the bush until the buds open.

Regular removal of diseased shoots and pests will prevent mass infection of gooseberries.

Wintering

Next year's harvest directly depends on the success of wintering.

Reference. The frost resistance of the variety makes it possible not to additionally cover the shrub. The exception will be regions where there is a lot of snow.

Work before winter:

1. Carry out sanitary pruning of the bush.
2. Treat against pests, water abundantly, add 200 g of ash to the soil.
3. Collect all leaves and debris from around the plant.
4. Apply fertilizer under the root, for example, a urea solution in a dosage of 1 tbsp. l. for 1 bucket of water or a mixture of 1 kg of ash and 1 kg of humus.

Features of cultivation depending on the region

Its unpretentiousness to temperature conditions makes it possible to grow Senator gooseberries in the Far East, the Urals, Siberia and the southern regions. The variety is resistant to high temperatures in hot regions and cold winters in the northern regions of the country.

In hot areas, gooseberries will need to be protected from high temperatures by creating partial shade (for this, walls are erected on the sunny side). In areas with cold winters, bushes are additionally covered, protecting roots and shoots from freezing.

Pollinator varieties

Thanks to the presence of male and female flowers in Senator, there is no need to attract pollinating varieties. This is a self-pollinating plant landing other varieties nearby will not affect the yield.

Reproduction

Get new gooseberry bushes in 3 ways:

1. By layering. To do this, a powerful thick branch is pressed to the ground, covered with soil. The earth is kept moist. After some time, roots form on the shoots and shoots appear. They are separated next season.
2. Stem petioles. As a mother base, take a thick healthy branch and cut it into petioles with 4-5 buds. Each is placed in a container with soil, leaving 1 bud above the surface of the earth. Rooted cuttings are planted in open ground in a permanent place.
3. Dividing the bush. A large overgrown gooseberry is carefully divided into several new ones, removing old dried branches.

Reviews from summer residents

Gardeners are happy to share their experiences, achievements and failures in growing this variety.

Natalya, St. Petersburg: “I purchased a Senator seedling from O’Key.” At the same time I took another variety, with thorns. I planted it in open ground at the end of April. Arriving at the dacha a week later, I noticed that the Senator was frail and lethargic and was not settling in well. Watered the plant fed, treated it for pests - it seemed to help. The bush took root and began to grow. Despite the unpretentiousness of the variety, it was not possible to grow it by planting alone.The culture definitely requires attention and care.”

Elena, Samara: “I like the Senator gooseberry for the taste of its fruit - the berries are much sweeter than those of other varieties. The plant safely survives winter with severe frosts. The children fell in love with this bush because it has no thorns.”

Conclusion

Gooseberry Senator has earned attention due to its sweet and sour fruits, the absence of thorns on the shoots, resistance to low temperatures and ease of care. Due to the self-pollinating nature of the variety, it is not necessary to plant other plants nearby.

It is not always possible to save a crop from pest attacks and protect it from diseases. Despite its resistance to powdery mildew, the variety is susceptible to insect attack, gray fruit rot, root canker or septoria. It is important to carry out preventive measures on time, not to over-moisten the soil and prevent drought, and to disinfect the soil before planting.