What is the name of the hybrid of gooseberry and black currant, why do gardeners love it?

Yoshta is the name of a hybrid of currants and gooseberries. The berry bush combines the properties of both parents. There are completely conflicting opinions about its cultivation. Some gardeners like the hybrid plant, others are disappointed in it. In fact, a lot depends on where exactly the yoshta is planted and what kind of care it is provided with.

Description, characteristics, varieties

When breeding yoshta, breeders used black currant and gooseberry plants. Scientists have set themselves the goal of obtaining a hybrid resistant to various diseases, with no thorns and large berries, rich in vitamins. The development involved the method of genetic engineering. The breeders received the first successful results in the 70s of the last century.

Yoshta is a powerful plant, reaching 1.5–2 m in height, with thornless shoots. The berries are more similar in appearance to black currants than gooseberries. The leaves look the same as those of a gooseberry bush. The plant has a spreading crown. Its roots go 50 cm deep. Yoshta enters the fruiting period very early - in 1-2 years after planting the seedlings, the first harvest will already be obtained.

The shrub is capable of bearing fruit for up to 30 years. Yoshta blooms in April, during this period small inconspicuous flowers appear on the bushes. The hybrid easily tolerates frost, is resistant to viral and fungal diseases, and pest attacks. The only attack that often threatens Yoshta is the glass case.

Today, several popular varieties of yoshta are known, which have not yet been included in the State Register, but are already popular with gardeners:

• Yohini;
• "Crown";
• "Rext";
• "Moro";
• EMB.

The quality characteristics of yoshta berries strongly depend on the growing region, growing conditions and care for the shrub. The less sun and heat the plant gets, the more acidic and smaller the fruits will be, and the harvest will be very small. When planting a hybrid in a southern region in a sunny area, the yield can reach 10-12 kg of berries from one bush, especially if it is well looked after.

Dates and scheme of planting, choice of neighbors

Yoshta's agricultural technology is not much different from the requirements for growing currants and gooseberries. In the southern regions, it is better to postpone the planting of a hybrid plant until autumn (no later than a month before the arrival of frost). In cold climates, seedlings are planted on site in early spring.

Based on the size of an adult plant, a planting scheme is chosen.

• For tall bushes, the spacing should be 2.5 meters.
• For more compact plants, the distance can be reduced to 1.5 meters.

A gap of 2.5–3m should be left between the rows. If yoshta is used to build a hedge, the plants are planted more densely - with an interval of 0.8-1 m.

Tall plants should not be placed near the shrub. Nearby, you can plant only undersized vegetables and herbs. If possible, shading of the yoshta bushes should be completely excluded.

It should be borne in mind that the hybrid does not grow very well in the vicinity of gooseberries, red currants, junipers and raspberries. Yoshta itself negatively affects the growth of some fruit trees (apricot, pear, cherry, sea buckthorn).

Landing rules

The planting hole is prepared a month before planting the seedling. The step-by-step procedure is as follows:

1. Using a shovel, make a hole 40x40x40 cm in size.
2. The pit is filled with a nutrient mixture of equal amounts of humus, chernozem and peat.
3. 40 g of superphosphate, 30 g of urea and 20 g of potassium monophosphate are added to the soil mixture.

On the day of planting, a mound is formed at the bottom of the hole and a seedling is placed on it at an angle of 45 degrees so that the root collar is 10-15 cm below the soil level. The roots and the lower part of the trunk are covered with earth, lightly tamped. The branches located above the ground are pruned, leaving 2-3 buds on each of them. After planting, abundant watering is performed.

An adult bush is planted vertically, without tilting. The dimensions of the pit in this case should correspond to the size of the root system. The plant, just like a young seedling, is buried by 8-10 cm.

Bush care

Like other cultivated plants, yoshta needs some care. It consists of watering, dressing, sanitary and rejuvenating pruning, preventing the appearance of glass.

The easiest way to propagate a hybrid of gooseberry and currant is by horizontal layering, propagation by cuttings and dividing the bush is used less often.

Irrigation rates

Yoshta has a significant need for moisture. The shrub should not be allowed to experience a water deficit during flowering, ovary formation, active growth and ripening of berries. When watering, it is necessary to apply such an amount of water to wet the soil to a depth of 30–40 cm.

The frequency of irrigation depends on the climatic zone of cultivation and weather conditions. As a rule, in warm dry weather, the bush is watered 1-2 times a week. An adult bush uses approximately 3 buckets of water.

After watering, the soil is loosened and the weeds are weeded, then the root zone can be mulched with cut grass, humus or peat. In this case, the soil will remain moist longer, it will be possible to avoid overheating of the root system, and there will be no need for weeding.

Fertilization

If the shrub is used as an element of landscape design, for example, as a hedge, feeding is not necessary. In the event that you want to get a harvest, yoshta is fertilized with organic matter and mineral compositions.

During the season, the plant should be fed 5-6 times:

1. when digging the soil in the spring, add ammonium nitrate or urea (20-30 g per m2²);
2. at the beginning of summer, watering is carried out with a solution of potassium monophosphate (20 g per 10 l of water);
3. starting from July, 2 or 3 times a week, organic fertilizers are applied based on mullein (2 liters per 10 liters of water), chicken manure (1 liter per 10 liters of water) or freshly cut grass (4-5 kg ​​per 10 liters of water); the resulting concentrated infusion is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10 before use;
4. in the fall, when digging into the ground, add 40 g of superphosphate and 2 buckets of compost or humus per 1 m².

In the event that humus was used for mulching, it is not brought in in the fall.

In clay soil, it is better to replace nitrogen fertilizers with 3 liters of wood ash in spring. In the first year, the shrub is not fertilized: it has enough nutrients introduced into the soil before planting.

Pruning procedure

Yoshta does not need formative pruning. The procedure is carried out only for sanitary purposes, removing sick, broken, curved shoots. At the same time, thinning the crown is done. This event is usually carried out in the spring, before the budding begins, at the same time unnecessary growth is removed. The base of each bush should be 3-4 powerful shoots.

From the third year of life, minting is carried out annually, shortening the growth by 10-15 cm. This technique is used to improve fruiting. At 4 years old, the bush should already consist of 20 productive shoots. After reaching 5 years of age, rejuvenating pruning is carried out annually, removing the branches that have borne fruit and giving growth to new shoots.

Pest control

Since the shrub has a stable immunity to various diseases, there is no need to fight them. The plant has enough routine care to keep it healthy.

The biggest nuisance that can happen to a yoshta is an attack by a glassy (a small butterfly with transparent wings). Insect larvae cause serious damage to the plant. They gnaw through young shoots, penetrate the stems and settle there, feeding on the tissues of the core. In a short time, the larva can make a stroke up to 40 centimeters long. The shoot begins to dry out and eventually dies off. You can detect the presence of a pest during pruning. On the cut, black hollow passages will be visible.

Butterfly years begin towards the end of June. It is at this time that insecticide treatment should be carried out.

• Such preparations as "Fufanon", "Iskra M", "Kinmiks" and others effectively fight against glass.
• If the glassware appeared at the time when the fruit ripened, it is better to use biological insecticides (Fitoverm, Iskra Bio, Agravertin).

Gradually, yoshta is gaining the attention and interest of summer residents. This became possible due to its excellent frost resistance, unpretentiousness, disease resistance, early onset of fruiting. The berries are slightly sour, but they can be used. Yoshta makes a delicious marshmallow, it can be frozen and added in winter to compotes, pastries, cottage cheese, cereals. Shrub fruits are a natural source of vitamins, and this should be appreciated.