Description and characteristics of the Komandor gooseberry variety, planting and care
A miracle of Soviet selection, the Komandor gooseberry variety, originated from the famous African and Chelyabinsk green parents. In 1995, under the leadership of Vladimir Ilyin, a long-awaited bush without thorns was born.
External description of the variety Komandor (Vladil)
The unforgettable taste of crispy berries is familiar and loved by every summer resident. Jams and compotes made from gooseberries rightfully occupy the central places of the festive table. But the thought of harvesting from this thorny stubborn will discourage even the most pragmatic owner. Ilyin brilliantly solved the problem of this plant by breeding a thornless gooseberry species, for which he was immortalized in the first name of this variety Vladil, which is composed of the first syllables of his name and surname.
Gooseberry Commander cannot be confused with any other species. High growth of bushes, compact plant forms, berries of a rich dark color - these are features inherent only in him. But for those who have not yet met Vladil, the following description will help to identify him at the site.
Bush, shoots and leaves
The bushes of this variety have a serious growth, sometimes reaching 1.5 m. Thin stems are located rather closely, due to which the plant occupies compact areas in the garden.
The branches of the Commander are covered with a thin green-brown bark, which shines in the sun with a pleasant pink color.
The foliage of this variety has a dense structure with characteristic deep cuts and is located on the branches with a beautiful ladder. At the base of the leaf there is a notch inherent for all gooseberries.
Root system
The root system of this variety traditionally does not spread beyond the boundaries of the bush itself, preferring to grow in depth. The depth of the longest shoots of the system reaches 1.5 m, however, most of them are at least 15-50 cm. Every year the Vladil variety grows new roots. The oldest roots gradually die off, making room for young shoots.
Productivity and berries
The noble, burgundy color of the berries with a shade of brown is very similar to dark grape varieties. Fruit size is average, not exceeding 7 grams, with a thin, smooth skin.The juicy sweet pulp of this plant has very few blotches of black seeds.
Ripening of berries occurs already in the middle of summer, for which the Komandor variety has the status of a mid-season species. Due to the abundant presence of ascorbic acid in the skin of the fruit, the berries have a sour taste. The weight of the crop harvested from the bush per season is 6-8 kg.
Specifications
Although the Commander belongs to the gooseberry family, he has individual traits that are not inherent in this agricultural culture. For the most part, the plant has a whole list of positive qualities, but not without its drawbacks.
Advantages of the variety
The undoubted advantage of this gooseberry variety is the absence of thorns. Harvesting and caring for a plant is now becoming commonplace, no more difficult than caring for currants. The first berries of the Vladil gooseberry begin to ripen early, gradually turning into mass ripening of the entire crop. Therefore, it will be a great opportunity to enjoy the berries taken directly from the bush until almost the end of July.
The taste qualities of this variety are rated at 4.7 on a five-point tasting scale, which is objectively an excellent mark. Despite the exquisite taste, gooseberry berries are not uncommon, as the harvests are quite abundant - up to 8 kg per bush.
In addition, the Commander variety took all the best from its parents, providing itself with strong immunity to many diseases.
Disadvantages of the variety
There are not so many of them, but they must be taken into account. The thin delicate skin of the berries, which tastes so good, creates problems during transportation. Therefore, it is better to remove the berries from the bush unripe and place them in a container with low sides, tightly closing it with a lid.... Good packaging will prevent valuable cargo from shaking during transportation.
With such tenderness of the berries, they are stored for a very short time. Therefore, after harvesting, it is immediately processed. The removed fruits of Vladil gooseberry will lie no more than 5 days in the refrigerator, and even less without it. If it is not possible to immediately process the crop, freezing is an excellent option. With this processing, it will last up to six months without losing much of its taste.
Frost and drought resistance
Despite the love for water, the plant easily tolerates short-term droughts due to a fairly deep root system.
While long, sultry summers can kill crops, this can be easily prevented by regular watering.
The special pride of the creators of the Komandor variety is its frost resistance. It has been experimentally established that frosts reaching -30 degrees are painlessly tolerated by this plant. But a caring owner will cover the bushes, because short-term frosts below the design temperatures are not new for Russia.
Diseases and pests that damage crops
The Komandor variety has good health and the usual diseases inherent in the culture bypass it. Even the sawfly and powdery mildew are not scary of this species. But the Vladil variety also has weaknesses:
- A fungal disease in the common people called "rust" often affects this variety. Foliage, flowers, ovaries, and sometimes the fruits themselves begin to become covered with yellowish growths, which subsequently darken. Such a plant must be treated with a solution of Bordeaux liquid at a concentration of 1%.
- Drying of branches - usually it is enough to remove the dying branches. But if this operation does not help, then this is a sign of a fungal disease of the root system. Such a plant must be uprooted and burned, otherwise there is a risk of spreading to other bushes. It is imperative to take into account that even one remaining scrap can spread the infection to neighbors.
How to grow a bush: planting and caring for gooseberries
Planting and caring for the Commander is not a difficult job. Basically, all the recommendations are reduced to universal operations for all gooseberries.Of course, there are also nuances.
Landing technology
Preparation begins with careful weeding, the land must be cleared of unnecessary plants. The cleared soil must be dug onto the bayonet of the shovel, carefully breaking all the lumps. If you plan to plant several Commander bushes, then you need to maintain a distance between them from 0.8-1.5 m. It is very important to inspect the rhizome to remove diseased and dead processes.
The plant is immersed in a hole with an inclination of 45 degrees, subsequently this will help with the growth of young shoots.It is necessary to carefully spread the roots and fill the hole first with loam, and then with a prepared mixture of fertilizers and black soil. After the end of the work, the bushes are thoroughly watered.
When to plant the Commander in open ground
Despite the love of the Komandor variety for water, it is not worth planting it in the lowlands. The nature of gooseberries is such that they prefer the sun first, and only then drink with pleasure. Therefore, planting is preferable to make on a hill with sod-podzolic or sandy loam soil.
Planting is best done in early or mid-autumn, then the bush will have time to strengthen the root system and will give excellent shoots in the spring.
Required soil composition
When digging a planting hole, it is necessary to separate the upper fertile layer from the subsequent layers of soil. The Komandor variety prefers soft and sandy soil compositions, but it will also take root in loam. The top layer must be mixed with fertilizer, as needed with sand, and fill the roots of the planted plant with this composition.
Dimensions of the planting pit and the scheme for planting bushes
The hole for planting should be at least 40 cm deep. Each side of the depression should exceed 50 cm. When planting, the bottom of the hole and the roots of the plant should be sprinkled with the lower layers of the excavated soil.
When planning a site in several bushes, there are the following rules. If you want to get the most from each bush, a distance of 1 m is made between them, and between the rows 2 m. The number of branches of each plant in this configuration should be 16-20.
If you want to get the most from the area, then the distance between the bushes is reduced to 60-80 cm, and the row spacing to 1.2 m. The size of the bush should now consist of 10-14 branches.
Care of young and adult bushes
Caring for the Komandor variety is not difficult, although it has its own characteristics. This species is picky about soil moisture, so it is not worth watering wet soil at all. If the humidity is normal or low, you need 5 liters of water per bush. There is an easy way to check the moisture saturation of the soil.
A pinch of soil is waving in the direction of the wind, lumps of wet soil will immediately fall to the ground, turning into dust in dry soil, they will continue to move, picked up by the air flow.
Regularity of watering and feeding
The Komandor variety loves water, but the main thing in this matter is not to overdo it. Watered land should not become waterlogged, that is, water should not stagnate on the surface. On average, one bush takes 3-5 liters per day.
Before preparing for the winter, the Commander gooseberry is watered until the moisture ceases to be absorbed. Such abundant watering will increase the frost resistance of the plant. Vladil loves chicken droppings, although superphosphates will do too. A host feeding a gooseberry expects a large number of large berries and a healthy look. However, this procedure should be carried out only after harvesting.
Forming and pruning bushes
In the fall, the bush must be subjected to the cutting procedure. Branches affected by pests and diseases must be removed without fail. Although the Komandor variety is not sensitive to cold, it is better to play it safe and cover it for the winter. In the cold, elastic gooseberry branches become fragile, so it makes sense to install supports and frames.
Treatment against pests and diseases
White bloom on foliage, similar to lime spots, are signs of the appearance of a scale insect. A small pest, similar to an ant, is almost invisible to the eyes, but it can do a lot of trouble. In addition to specialized means of struggle, they can be defeated with solutions of "Decis" or "Aktara".
Aphid colonies can slow down growth or even destroy the plant, so fighting them is extremely important. In addition to the above means of fighting the past pest, Cesar and Aktofit will additionally help. For people who do not want to use chemistry, it is advisable to use wood ash or a concentrated tobacco solution.
Features of flowering and fruiting varieties
The bloom of Vladil gooseberry begins in mid-May. Small yellow-green flowers shower the entire bush, giving it grace. The warm spring sun, heating the inflorescences, makes them change color to a pale pink hue. Buds are grouped on branches by 2-3 pieces, from which the bush at this time looks soft and fluffy. In shape, the flowers resemble a bell with 4 petals turned outward. The flowering period does not last long, and by the end of May, the petals completely fall off.
After a couple of weeks, an ovary appears, which quickly turns into small green berries. Crop ripening occurs 6-8 weeks after the start of flowering. The commander is a very grateful gooseberry variety, and with proper care it will regularly produce up to 8 kg of juicy sweet and sour berries from one bush.
