The Commander is a vivid representative of the shipless gooseberry varieties, which is especially popular with domestic gardeners. It has a pleasant sweet and sour taste and high productivity. In the article we will consider the characteristics of the variety, its main advantages and disadvantages, as well as the features of agricultural technology.
gooseberry variety "Commander"
gooseberries "Commander" are in demand among experienced gardeners, as the absence of spikes facilitates harvesting
ripe fruits of the Commander variety are fragrant, have high palatability
Gooseberry Description Commander
Gooseberry Commander is also known as Vladil, which he received from his creator V. Ilyin. The variety was bred in 1995 by crossing the Chelyabinsk green and African. The studless self-pollinating variety inherited winter hardiness, disease resistance and high flavoring characteristics of berries from its ancestors.
The commander is recommended for cultivation in Central Russia, the Middle Volga region, the West Siberian and Ural regions. The culture is a dense compact bush with bright green foliage and almost black berries. Fruiting occurs in late June and lasts until August. The yield from one adult bush is about 5-6 kg.
Variety Characteristics
This gooseberry belongs to the II group of varieties, as it is a hybrid. The commander is considered dessert, but the taste of its fruits is still inferior to the "classical" varieties of gooseberries of group I. The assessment of the tasting commission is 4.6 points out of 5 possible. Although the taste of the Komandor berries does not reach the “standard”, this variety has not lost popularity for several decades due to its non-bearing and high yield.
The main characteristics of the hybrid:
- medium early ripening period;
- bush thickening;
- lack of thorns;
- small berry size; no pubescence;
- resistance to fungi;
- low transportability.
Bush
The height of an adult bush usually does not exceed 1.5 m. Young shoots are slightly curved, slightly spreading, and have an average thickness. The commander is highly thickened, which in the absence of regular pruning can lead to lower yields and shredding berries.
The stems are not downy, when exposed to sunlight, they acquire a pinkish tint. Modified spikes can be found near the root of the shoots, but they are soft and do not interfere with the harvest.
The leaves on the bushes are large, light green, slightly shiny. A rounded sheet plate with pointed teeth along the edges, dense. The kidneys are medium sized, elongated with a sharp tip. Gooseberry blooms yellowish-green, with a slight pinkish bloom in the flowers in the second half of May.
Berries
The main feature of the variety is a burgundy-brown hue of the fruit, which becomes almost black by the end of the ripening period. Depending on the agricultural technology, Commander berries can be either small or large. The average weight is 5-7 g. They differ in the correct round shape and one-dimensionality, do not have pubescence.
Sugar content in the range of 13.1%, acid - 3%. The flesh is sweet and sour, quite juicy, burgundy color. Berries have a delicate, pleasant aroma. The skin is delicate, glossy, and bursts easily. The stalks are rather thin, but durable. The seed bag is small, the average number of seeds in the berries.
Productivity
Gooseberries of the Commander variety have a high stable yield throughout the life of the bush. With good care and competent dressing, an adult plant can annually bring up to 8 kg of berries. But even having abandoned the bush, you can get about 2 kg per season.
The commander is a self-pollinated variety, so you do not need to plant other gooseberry bushes in your area to get the crop. However, experienced gardeners note that the presence of several bushes of this crop increases the yield of the Commander by almost a third. If the area in the garden is limited, this problem can be solved by planting a bush near the neighboring gooseberry plantings.
Ripening period
Under favorable weather conditions, the first gooseberries of this variety can be tasted in early June. However, during this period, the berries still do not gain sweetness, so they seem too sour. The main crop is usually harvested in the second decade of July.
If you plan to use fresh gooseberries or use it for processing, it is advisable to wait until the harvest fully ripens. During this period, the berries become burgundy brown and acquire a special sweetness. For storage, the crop is harvested in mid-June a few weeks before the fruit is fully ripe.
Transportability
This variety is characterized by low transportability. The thin peel during transportation easily bursts, the berries are deformed and let the juice. You can minimize losses by stacking the fruits in wide cardboard boxes in 3-4 rows. For transportation, the crop is harvested at the stage of technical ripeness.
When harvesting the berries should be torn off the stem, as the delicate peel is easily damaged even with light pressure. To make the berries easier to transport, you should not pick them after rain or in the morning along the dew. Wait for the fruit to dry completely. This will not only protect them from damage during collection, but will also increase the shelf life.
Drought and winter hardiness
Gooseberries are a moisture-loving culture. In hot periods before the appearance of berries, the bush must be watered every day, spending at least 3 liters of water. As soon as the berries begin to change their color to brown, you need to water the Commander every other day.
If for some reason such frequent watering cannot be organized, the trunk circle of the bush should be mulched with hay or peat. This will protect the plant from excessive evaporation of moisture in the root area.
A significant advantage of Komandor gooseberry over other varieties is its winter hardiness. In winter, the plant can withstand a drop in air temperature to -30 degrees, which allows it to grow in the middle lane.
Late blossoming of flowers is also a big plus, as spring return frosts will not damage the future crop.
Disease and pest resistance
This variety is resistant to most common diseases. Powdery mildew - a problem from which all the "classic" varieties of group I suffer, is almost not afraid of the Commander. Rarely, bushes are affected by fungi, but competent preventive treatments reliably protect plants from them.
Under adverse weather conditions, septoria and columnar rust may occur. Of particular danger is the mosaic disease, since effective methods for its treatment do not yet exist. The commander is not attacked by sawflies, but occasionally can be affected by aphids and gall midges.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
The commander is considered to be one of the best non-studded gooseberry varieties, so he can be found in many suburban areas of our homeland.
Its main advantages include:
- high productivity;
- ease of harvesting due to the absence of spikes;
- good frost resistance;
- pleasant taste;
- extended fruiting;
- Immunity to powdery mildew;
- undemanding care;
- universality of the use of berries;
- compact bush.
The benefits include the unusual dark color of the fruit. If you plan to grow gooseberries for sale, be sure that glossy black berries will attract buyers.
However, some cultural advantages entail certain difficulties. So, a long fruiting period allows you to get a crop throughout the summer. This is a definite plus. But at the same time, you will have to constantly monitor the maturity of the berries and collect them regularly until they crumble.
When planning to land the Commander in your own area, it is useful to know not only the positive qualities of the hybrid, but also its cons.
Gardeners distinguish the following disadvantages of the variety:
- small berry size;
- low transportability;
- short shelf life of the crop;
- spotting instability.
Landing Features
In order for the gooseberry to successfully take root in the new area and quickly begin to bear fruit, it is necessary to choose a good seedling and plant it correctly. Buy planting material only from reputable sellers or specialized nurseries. An infected or damaged plant may be sold to you on the market.
After purchase, it is advisable to plant a seedling with an open root system as early as possible so that the plant does not dry out. The plastic bag and burlap (newspaper) with which the roots are wrapped should be removed immediately before disembarkation.
A plant with a closed root system is planted with a lump of earth. Before planting, gooseberries in a container should be kept in a diffused shade in the open air for about a week for hardening.
Choosing the right place
Gooseberries of the Commander variety are demanding on the lighting of the territory, therefore, for planting, you should choose sunny areas protected from drafts. You can plant a hybrid in a diffuse shadow, but you should not expect a good harvest. With a lack of light, the berries become smaller and tasteless.
Although the Commander is hygrophilous, areas with a high groundwater location are also not suitable for planting crops. With excess moisture, there is a high risk of rotting of the root system, which leads to the death of the plant. For gooseberries, territories with loamy, sod-podzolic or loamy soil are best suited.
Landing time
Experienced gardeners note that plants planted in the first weeks of October show the best survival rate. In this case, before the frosts begin, the young roots will have time to grow stronger and grow, and the soil will condense and settle.
In each region, frosts come at different times, so it is better to focus on weather conditions. In the southern regions, the landing can be delayed until the beginning of November, and in the northern regions it is better to postpone to September.
Gooseberry bushes planted in the spring have a much worse survival rate. The fact is that the fouling roots of the crop grow better at lower positive soil temperatures. During spring planting, the root system grows slowly, and the plant suffers from malnutrition.
In the spring, gooseberries are planted after thawing the soil. This usually occurs in early to mid-April. It is important to have time to plant a plant in a permanent place before it has yet left the state of rest. If you notice that the buds on the seedling have begun to bloom, it is better to postpone the planting until the fall.
Soil preparation
Plant Commander seedlings in light, loose soil. It is possible to improve the structure of heavier clay soil by digging a site with sand at the rate of 10 kg per 1 sq. Km. m
The procedure is carried out a week before planting bushes:
- Prepare a pit 50x60 cm.
- Leave the upper darker part of the soil to backfill the seedling, and remove the light.
- In order for young gooseberries to have enough nutrients for growth, you need to properly fill the pit. Add half a bucket of compost, 100 g of superphosphate, a glass of ash and mix.
Landing pattern
Plant seedlings on a cloudy, windless day. Follow these steps:
- Set the seedling vertically in a pre-prepared hole and carefully sprinkle with soil set aside when digging.
- Pour plenty of warm water.
- Mulch with peat and cut the seedling, leaving no more than 5 cm of the aboveground part.
Since the Commander is compact in size, the bushes plant a small distance from each other. Gooseberries are planted on the production plantations according to the scheme of 0.8x3 m, and in the suburban areas there is enough distance of 0.7x1.5 m
Do not plant the bushes closer than recommended, as young shoots will intertwine and create a shadow, which will negatively affect the quality of the berries.
Gooseberry Care Rules
Gooseberries are not a capricious culture, so you don’t need to spend too much time on agricultural technology. The main works fall in the spring and autumn, since it is during this period that pruning and preventive spraying are carried out.
For active growth and good fruiting, the bush requires:
- regular watering;
- loosening the soil, removing weeds;
- competent feeding;
- mulching the soil.
Watering
The commander does not tolerate drought - the leaves turn yellow, grow smaller, the berries fall. In the summer heat, gooseberries are watered daily, in cool weather - a couple of times a week. To determine the need for watering, you need to monitor the condition of the pericarp circle. If the soil under the bush is completely dry, then the roots also lack moisture.
Reduce watering a couple of weeks before the fruit ripens, as excess moisture adversely affects the taste of the berries. After harvesting the main crop, watering is continued with the same intensity. Loosen the soil regularly so that there is no stagnation of water in the root zone.
Support
High yield of the variety contributes to the fact that the lower branches under the weight of berries fall to the ground. The fruits get dirty and begin to rot from contact with damp earth.
The presence of supports will help avoid this problem:
- Old pipes, stakes or high poles can serve as a support.
- At a height of 50-80 cm, tie a wire to them, and you get a kind of vertical trellis.
- From each bush to the support, tie 4-5 branches at a distance of about 15 cm.
This design allows you to keep the berries of the lower branches clean.
Top dressing
For a harmonious development, the gooseberry Commander needs complete balanced top dressing. In the spring, berry bushes require strength for the development of young shoots and budding. Organic fertilizers such as rotted manure and compost are well suited for these purposes. They are introduced into the soil between the bushes immediately after the snow has thawed.
In early May, the bushes are best fed with nitrogen-containing mineral fertilizers: urea, superphosphate, ammonium sulfate.
During the fruiting period, the bush spends a lot of strength, and its ability to resist diseases decreases. Strengthen the immunity of the Commander can be autumn dressings. They are usually carried out at the end of September:
- Dig around the bushes and scatter compost over the surface.
- Then add 100 g of potassium salt with wood ash (1 cup per bush).
- After fertilizing, loosen the soil and mulch.
Pruning
Pruning is carried out both in autumn and spring. The formation of the crown of the bush must be carried out from the moment of planting. Inspect the planted bush for broken, diseased and weak shoots. If any, cut them off. In the first year, up to 4 healthy kidneys should be left on the gooseberry. For 2-4 years in the winter, the bush leaves with 5 healthy shoots, which should be shortened by a third.
After 5 years, the Commander will be fully formed. From now on, only remove damaged, dried and non-fruiting shoots. Before winter dormancy, the remaining healthy branches are cut off, leaving 10 cm of the aerial part.
Breeding
Gooseberry Commander can be easily propagated at home. There are 3 most popular ways:
- cuttings - in June, long healthy cuttings are cut from young shoots and planted in fertile soil at an angle of 45 degrees;
- layering - 10-15 cm from the bush make a hole in which a bent young shoot is placed, pin it and sprinkle it with earth;
- bush division - young bushes are carefully separated from the mother bush and transplanted to a new place.
Winter preparations
An important step in the care of the Commander bushes is the preparation of gooseberries for winter:
- In late autumn, provide the plant with a sufficient supply of water. To do this, pour up to 3 buckets of water under each bush and mulch the trunk circle with soil. Such a water-charging irrigation will enhance the growth of roots and help gooseberries easier to tolerate frost.
- Be sure to feed the bushes with fertilizers with a high content of phosphorus and potassium. It is not recommended to use complex feeding with a high nitrogen content.
- Perform sanitary pruning, leaving only strong healthy shoots.
- Due to the high winter hardiness, there is no need to cover the Commander with an agricultural span or spanbond, but with the advent of winter it is advisable to throw as much snow as possible under the bush.
We recommend reading our article on how to care for gooseberries in the fall after harvest.
Pest and Disease Control
The commander is rarely affected by diseases and is attacked by pests, but if this still happened, you need to correctly identify the problem and know how to deal with it.
The following are the diseases that can occur in a hybrid, and their main symptoms:
- stem drye - cracks in the cortex, the presence of fungal spores in them;
- Septoria - grayish spots on the leaves;
- rust - orange and copper bulges on the wrong side of the leaves;
- gray rot - falling and decay of berries, leaves and shoots;
- mosaic disease - wilting of leaves, the appearance of pale green spots along the inner veins of the leaf plate.
Gooseberry Treatment:
- Stem drying and septoria respond well to treatment with Bordeaux fluid. Prepare the product according to the instructions and treat the affected bushes before the leaves bloom.
- Copper oxychloride, which needs to be sprayed with gooseberries before flowering, will help get rid of rust.
- To cure the bush from gray rot, remove leaves and shoots affected by the disease from the bush.
- There is no cure for viral mosaic.
Almost all of these diseases arise from improper care of the bushes. Careful selection of planting material, regular pruning, removal of weeds - the best prevention of gooseberry diseases.
Also, the hybrid can be affected by some pests. The following are drugs that can help you fight them:
- aphid - Aktara, Actellik, foam treatment of laundry soap;
- moth - Spark, Actellik, infusion of chamomile;
- spider mite - infusion of wormwood, Bankol, Sunmayt;
- gall midge - Fufanon, Karbofos;
- glass box - Actellik, Spark.
To prevent damage to gooseberries by pests, use systemic and contact chemicals. Spraying should be carried out in the spring on a green cone and repeat after 2 weeks. For these purposes, suitable preparations: Karbofos, Aktara, Actellik.
Reviews
Marina, 48 years old, summer resident, Rostov-on-Don. The commander is a good gooseberry, I use for making jam and jams. Unlike other varieties, I have never been sick.
Ivan, 60 years old, gardener, Moscow. I love the Commander for his unpretentiousness. I have 3 bushes growing, never had problems with pests or diseases. The only thing is that the berry is much smaller if the bush is not cut.
Boris, 41 years old, gardener, Voronezh. The commander left for a change. The taste is mediocre, do not like sour peel. We practically do not use it for fresh consumption, we process it for jam.
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Gooseberry Commander has no thorns, is famous for its productivity and frost resistance. The skin is thin, with acidity, the flesh is juicy, sweet and sour. With regular pruning, the berries do not grow smaller. Due to poor keeping quality, ripe fruits are recommended to be consumed immediately.