The old currant is growing: the bush is large, and there is a mug of berries!
And in order to receive big harvest, currants need to be constantly rejuvenated
Most berry plants do not require very close attention. But among them there are two species that require constant care. These are strawberries and currants.
Summer residents, as a rule, devote quite a lot of time to the first: planting, watering, fertilizing, mulching the beds, renewing the plantation. But currants are most often forgotten for many decades. And then they wonder why the bush produces only a cup of berries, while you can actually harvest half a bucket from it.
What’s most interesting is that many gardeners attribute crop failure to an unfavorable summer or harsh winter. Meanwhile, the problem is care. In order for blackcurrants to bear fruit well, the bush must be constantly updated!
Most currant berries ripen in the center of the shoots. The majority of fruiting branches are located in this zone, but they do not bear fruit for long, only 2–3 years. And after 6-7 years the harvest disappears completely. That is why the bush must be rejuvenated annually.
When pruning, 2-3 new shoots are left. Everything over 5 years old is cut flush to the ground. With this formation, the currant bush will always have up to 10–15 branches of different ages.
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In the magazine “Garden and Vegetable Garden” (No. 5, 2006), in the article by I. Uryupin “How I increased the size of black currant berries,” the statement was made that it is impossible to get 10 kg of berries from one bush, because in this case the height of the plant should reach 2.5 m. In fact, the yield of black currant can be above 10 kg per bush, this depends on the spatial freedom of the bush and to a very large extent on the care of the plant.
Yes, indeed, the height of the bushes greatly affects the currant yield. On my site, almost all the red currant bushes (varieties Asya, Jonker van Tets, Early sweet) and black (Belorusskaya sweet, Vologda, Green Haze, Nara, Sevchanka, Selechenskaya, Exotica) are significantly taller than average human height. Only the Summer Resident does not want to grow higher than 1.3 m. The Nara variety gave me 13-14 kg of berries per bush for several years in a row. Belarusian sweet has the same high stable yield, but Exotica produces unstable yields: only once (in 2004) it was possible to collect 2 buckets (12 liters each) of berries from one bush.
And now about caring for currants. I place the bushes as shown in the picture. When planting seedlings, I deepen the root collar by 5-10 cm, and after leveling the ground, I cut off all the shoots so that each has 2 buds above the soil surface (I stick the cut cuttings side by side into the ground for rooting and also leave 2 buds above the surface- I generally do this with all shrub plants whose branches take root easily: gooseberries, honeysuckle, Chinese lemongrass). I make sure to water it even if it rains. When landing in each landing hole I pour out 3-4 buckets of humus, then for the first 2-3 years I feed the young plants with a solution of nitroammophoska (1 matchbox per 10 liters of water for 1 plant). This promotes rapid growth of shoots, so the branches of 5-year-old bushes are already beginning to close.
Every summer I take measures to protect plants from aphids. I usually use dandelion infusion: I keep 400 g of finely chopped leaves and rhizomes in a bucket of water for 2 hours at 40°C, then spray it. In very rare cases, when the plant is severely oppressed by some pest, I use fufanon (karbofos). In this case, I do not spray the entire bushes, but only dip the branches into a basin with a protective solution.
I grow bushes using the so-called accelerated renewal. In all gardening books, when forming a blackcurrant bush, it is advised to leave 5 branches of different ages. I leave 10-12 shoots with a difference of 1 year. But at the age of 7-8 years I uproot the bushes, and by this time the bushes of later planting are already beginning to bear fruit, because I root the cuttings every year. This is how my currant bushes are constantly renewed, while all the fruit-bearing bushes are at the peak of their productivity.
There is no point in keeping bushes for longer than 8 years, since even when cutting out old shoots, the plants begin to suffer greatly from powdery mildew, bud mites, glasswort, and scale insects. With my method of accelerated renewal of currants over the past 10 years, I have not found a single bud affected by the bud mite (however, I had to immediately abandon varieties that were not resistant to the mite, for example, Green Haze and Ursa, on which the mite appears in large numbers already at 3 years old bushes).
Another important “secret” of black currant: it is very sensitive to nitrogen deficiency. The influence of nitrogen is especially noticeable on fruit-bearing bushes. If there is a shortage of it at the end of flowering, small yellow leaves begin to appear on the branches, which soon fall off, and then begin to turn pale and large leaves. Even if in such conditions it is possible to obtain the current harvest, the laying of the future harvest is undermined. In 1975, in the Kirovskaya Pravda newspaper, I read advice to feed currant plants during this period with urea (dissolve 3 matchboxes in a bucket of water and pour this volume over 1 bush from above from a watering can). Since then I have used this “tip” every year. In addition, in the summer, as an additional fertilizing with nitrogen, I use the remainder of the nitroammophosphate solution, which I prepare for tomatoes in a barrel (at the rate of 1 matchbox per 10 liters of water).
This is how my powerful, productive currant bushes grow!
R. Chechetkin , amateur gardener, Kazan
(Garden and vegetable garden No. 5, 2008)
Saplings the best varieties black currant in the section "Nurseries. Seedlings"
Blackcurrant in the country... What does a novice gardener need to know about it? How to grow black currants in the country? This berry bush widespread in almost all regions of our country because of its tasty and healthy fruits. Black currants can be grown without any difficulty in sandy loam soil, which retains moisture well and is drained. It does not tolerate heavy clays, but can produce good yields in all types of moist soil, provided it contains sufficient organic matter.
It should be noted that chokeberry requires a lot of nitrogen when growing, prefers soil with acidity - the pH range is from 6.7 to 7, and cannot tolerate acidic soil. In addition, it produces a small harvest if grown in areas exposed to the wind. This plant has the ability to tolerate temperatures down to -20°C. But the flowers are damaged when the temperature drops to -1°C. Fruits with such damage do not set.
Blackcurrant in Kuban begins its growing season very early. The buds awaken in early March. Flowering occurs in the first or second decade of April, when the air temperature exceeds +8-10°C and lasts 7-12 days. It depends on the characteristics of the currant variety, weather conditions. Flowering can be shifted to earlier or later dates by 8-15 days.
Good preservation of flowers and their pollination is one of important conditions getting the harvest. Black currant flowers correct form bisexual, with a five-part calyx, five petals, 5 stamens and pistils. Fertilization occurs when pollen enters from bursting anthers on the stigma. Productivity depends on normal pollination. Very often, currants bloom profusely, but there is no harvest. The ovaries fall off 2-3 weeks after flowering, that is, fertilization does not occur. What is the reason?
It turns out that currant varieties are self-fertile and cross-pollinating. Self-fertile ones are well pollinated by their own pollen or pollen of their own varieties. Although the variety is self-fertile, cross-pollination is also possible. Moreover, with cross-pollination on self-fertile bushes, large berries are obtained and the yield is higher.
Self-sterile varieties (cross-pollinating) are not pollinated by their own pollen. They are pollinated only by pollen from other pollinating varieties. They require certain conditions: the presence of pollinating varieties planted nearby, the attraction of bees and other pollinating insects. To do this, during flowering it is necessary to spray the bushes with a honey solution (100 g of honey per 1 liter of water). The aroma of honey attracts bees, bumblebees, and other insects that work even in windy weather. This promotes better cross-pollination of flowers and berry set.
Spraying is also effective for complete pollination. flowering bushes currants with potassium permanganate solution 1.5 g + boric acid 1.5 g per 10 liters of water. Very important on garden plots have self-fertile varieties that are able to pollinate and set berries in unfavorable weather conditions during flowering. All varieties of chokeberry ripen in June. Only very late varieties sometimes ripen in the first ten days of July. The weather conditions for the growth and ripening of berries in May-June are quite favorable, that is, obtaining a harvest depends on the gardeners, on their carrying out care and protective measures on their plots.
Most varieties of black currant are highly winter-hardy, can withstand frosts of 40 degrees, even lower, without damaging the buds. But during its flowering period in the Kuban there are often unfavorable weather conditions: rainy, windy weather, which makes it difficult for pollinating insects to fly; low positive air temperatures during the day; recurrent spring frosts at night, which damage flowers and young ovaries in unstable varieties.
To increase the resistance of currants to such unfavorable conditions, it is necessary to prepare the bushes in the fall. When digging or loosening the soil, phosphorus-potassium fertilizers and ash should be applied. If autumn is dry, water. Plant several varieties. Close to low self-fertile varieties place their pollinating varieties. Instead of varieties not resistant to relapse spring frosts, for example, Belarusian sweet, plant highly resistant ones that can withstand temperature drops during the flowering period to -5°C. Such varieties were developed by Russian breeders; there are many of them in Kuban. Here are some of them: Altayanka, Vinogradnaya, Dobrynya, Izyumnaya, Lyubava, Nara, Gift to Kuminov, Sevchanka, Selechenskaya-2, others.
Black currant is a winter-hardy berry plant. New varieties bred with the participation of Siberian wild species, have higher winter hardiness. It tolerates air temperatures down to -40°C and below. In the conditions of Kuban, currants suffer not from frost or low temperature, but from its changes in winter. That is, when the air temperature first rises to +10°C degrees, and then sharply drops to -10°C and below. Such temperature changes can cause freezing of flower primordia in mixed buds.
During the flowering period, currants suffer from recurrent spring frosts in some years. Its growing season begins at a temperature of +6°C, and in some varieties at +2°C. Optimal temperature for bush growth +18-22°C. In hotter weather, their growth slows down or even stops completely.
Where to plant black currants in the country? When grown, chokeberry is quite demanding in terms of lighting conditions. In the shade it gives a very low yield and is more damaged by diseases and pests. But new shade-tolerant varieties have been developed that grow well and bear fruit in shaded areas. So when choosing a place to plant currants in your dacha, be guided by the characteristics of your variety.
In Kuban, black currants do not tolerate heat, dry air, or strong solar radiation, especially in July-August. In extreme heat and dry weather, the leaves begin to burn at the edges, and the tops of the bushes of many varieties can dry out completely. In hot weather, the root system suffers greatly from overheating of the soil and lack of moisture. Its active activity decreases sharply, shallow roots in top layer soils die or dry out. Currant bushes are attacked by pests, diseases (aphids, mites, powdery mildew, other). At the same time, the laying and formation of buds on the shoots takes place. Naturally, without the intervention of gardeners and summer residents to reduce the impact of adverse weather conditions on the life of the bushes, very few buds are formed on the shoots, they are weak, and the harvest for the next year is low.
To reduce overheating of the soil, preserve the root system and leaves from drying out in July-August, it is necessary to systematically water the bushes and mulch the soil with any materials (humus, straw, grass, cardboard, etc.). It is necessary to use natural protection from hot rays, place currant bushes in partial shade behind buildings and trees, so that during lunch hours (from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.) they are protected from the sun.
In southern conditions, black currant grows well and bears fruit in partial shade; most varieties suffer from excessive solar radiation and heat. In Kuban, despite the fact that the day is shorter than in many other regions of Russia, the amount of light reaching the leaves is greater, that is, the total physiologically active solar radiation is higher. Therefore, even in partial shade, the currant leaves receive enough light rays for photosynthesis. And excessive solar radiation, heat enhance the respiration process, evaporation of moisture from the leaves occurs faster than it is supplied by the roots. The leaves burn, the currant bushes are depleted during the crucial period of laying and forming flower buds. Therefore, there is a need to look for various techniques, protect the bushes from the hot sun, create a chill for them, and reduce the evaporation of moisture from the leaves.
Good results in protecting currant bushes from direct sun in July-August are provided by tall plants - tomatoes, corn, sorghum, and others. They are planted on the southern side of the bushes at a distance of 40-50 cm from the crown. By July they grow up to 2 meters tall, so they protect currants well and take on all the heat of the sun. You can make temporary (for July-August) sunscreens. Stretch a rope or wire onto high stakes of 2.5-3 meters, hang black film or old sheets. Screens must be placed near the crown of bushes on the south side. All these techniques allow you to save active life bushes in July-August, reduce the adverse effects of heat and drought on the formation of next year’s harvest.
Many new varieties of black currant are drought- and heat-resistant, tolerate the Kuban heat and drought well, grow in open sunny places, and do not require protection. For example, Altayanka, Gulliver, Grape, Venus, Harmony, Shadrikha, Dessertnaya, Olkhinoy, Grace, Green Haze, Black Pearl, others. For many gardeners in Kuban, such varieties of black currant are simply necessary, especially when there is a lack of water for watering the bushes.
Currants are very healthy berry, most often it is used for preparing various compotes and juices; it is also included in various jams and preserves.
Grow such a plant on summer cottage quite simple. Also, red currant is a fairly unpretentious plant.
In order for red or black currants to develop well and bring abundant and annual harvests, it is necessary to choose the right place for planting so that the bush is comfortable:
If it is impossible to plant a shrub in a dry place, you can make drainage using expanded clay. This product perfectly retains excess moisture.
Currants grow well in almost any soil, the exceptions are:
Also, this crop prefers neutral soil, so if there is acidic soil, it must first be limed. For this one square meter soil add 400 grams of crushed limestone or 300 grams of slaked lime.
Currants can be planted both in spring (late March - early April) and autumn (mid-September - early October). But experienced gardeners recommend autumn planting, because it has big amount pros:
For the southern and central regions, autumn planting is more suitable, and in the North or the Urals, red and black currants are planted in the spring so that the root system can properly become stronger, but at the same time, all buds must be removed in a timely manner so that there is no foliage on the seedling.
The initial stage of planting currants is timely preparation of the soil:
It is best to buy seedlings a few days before planting and follow all transportation rules. To do this, the roots of the plant are first moistened, then wrapped in burlap and the resulting structure is strengthened with a plastic bag.
With such planting, currants bring greatest number harvest and lives much longer than with other methods. Experienced gardeners It is recommended to plant plants at a distance of at least two meters from other trees and shrubs.
This method is suitable for those gardeners who want to collect the maximum number of berries from the minimum areas. Typically, row planting is used for commercial cultivation of red currants. The only disadvantage is the rapid wear of the plants and, accordingly, their rapid death.
Using this method, the characteristics of each variety should be taken into account and shrubs with a lush crown should be planted at a distance of 120-150 centimeters, and plants with a more compact arrangement of shoots at a distance of 70-110 centimeters.
To achieve the desired effect, shrubs are planted at a distance of 50-100 centimeters from each other. After 2-3 years, the currant branches are fixed on installed trellises. In this case, you can get a continuous fruiting plane.
Instead of special trellises, you can use a fence enclosing the area.
The technology for planting black currants is as follows:
For such a procedure, in no case should you use mineral fertilizers and fresh manure, because they can cause burns on the root system and the plant will die in the first year.
Proper implementation of the planting procedure is the main key to success in growing healthy shrubs and obtaining a rich harvest.
So that the bush gives as much as possible more harvest you need to take proper care of it and not neglect even the most insignificant procedures at first glance.
The ground around the bush must be periodically loosened so that the root system receives the necessary amount of moisture and oxygen. In the root zone, loosening is carried out to a depth of 5-6 centimeters, gradually increasing the depth to 15 centimeters as it moves away from the base of the plant.
Currants can tolerate short-term drought, but to obtain abundant harvests, it is necessary to maintain 80 percent soil moisture. To check this indicator, you can dig up the soil located at a depth of 30 centimeters; when compressed into a lump, it must retain its shape.
During watering, you need to saturate the ground with moisture by 40-50 centimeters; for this, a young bush will need 2 buckets of water, and an adult 4-5. There are several methods of watering:
In order for the bush to produce abundant and large harvest It is necessary to timely apply various fertilizers that nourish the soil. There is no need to fertilize the soil for the first 2 years after planting., the plant has enough nutrients introduced during planting.
To avoid the appearance of diseases and pests, it is necessary to treat the shrub with special preparations and carry out sanitary and thinning pruning.
In spring:
At the beginning of the leaves blooming, currants are fertilized with 50 grams of urea and 500 grams of wood ash. The fertilizer is scattered under the bush and then carefully buried. It is worth remembering that moisture is needed to dissolve fertilizers, so if the soil is dry and there has been no precipitation for a long time, then the procedure should be carried out after abundant watering.
During flowering, red currants are fertilized with complex mineral fertilizer and bird droppings.
Currants do not tolerate chlorine, so you need to be very careful when choosing fertilizer and use sulfate instead of potassium chloride.
Also in spring, the bush needs to be fed with organic fertilizers(humus, compost, manure, etc.). On fertile soils This procedure is carried out once every 3 years, but on poor lands it will have to be repeated annually.
In summer:
Autumn:
Black currant, although it is a fairly winter-hardy crop, still needs additional protection in winter. To do this, you can use one of the following methods:
All branches of the bush must be carefully bent to the ground and the required number of bricks must be placed on top, which will serve as a load. When carrying out such a procedure, it is very important not to harm the branches of the plant. Snow is a natural protection against harsh temperatures, so using this method is only possible during a snowy winter.
You can also wrap each branch of the bush in a special agrofibre, and it is advisable to add insulation in the form mineral wool. This product helps a lot with severe frosts or at a time when there is no snow cover.
Red and black currants are wonderful berries, the juice or compote from which can easily quench your thirst on a hot day, and the jam prepared using these fruits has a pleasant and unusual sourness. Currants bring bountiful harvests, and growing it in the countryside will allow you to collect a huge amount of ingredients for processing from one bush.
And in the end short video on the topic of how to grow currants:
Middle zone currants in the second half of May for ten to twenty days. Pollen is sticky and does not travel well with wind. To attract pollinating insects to the plantings, the bushes are sprayed with a solution prepared from a tablespoon of honey and a liter of water.
It has a positive effect on currant yield and cross-pollination with pollen of another variety. To make this possible, two or three varieties of currants, differing in ripening time, are placed on a plot of land intended for planting this crop. In order to prevent shading of plants with such diversity, varieties whose bushes have a spreading shape are planted less frequently than varieties with a compact crown. Unlike black currants, red currants do not require cross-pollination to increase yield.
Due to a lack of moisture in the soil, currants can shed already formed ovaries. To prevent this and increase future harvests, plantings are watered if necessary. In a dry year, after the currants have finished flowering, four buckets of water will be required per square meter of soil. After moisture is absorbed, the ground is mulched. The same operation is performed during the formation of berries.
Currants consume enough a large number of nutrients. To obtain high yields of this berry, it is necessary to replenish the loss of compounds taken out of the ground by the plant. As experiments show, good result can be achieved if one hundred grams of soil contains at least thirty milligrams of phosphorus pentoxide and twenty-five milligrams of potassium oxide accessible to the shrub. To bring the content of necessary compounds in the soil to the required concentration, thirty grams of ammonium nitrate, eighty grams of superphosphate and twenty-five grams of potassium sulfate are added per square meter of soil every year. Ammonium nitrate plantings are fertilized in early spring when the soil is damp. In the fall, other substances are scattered into furrows dug along the border of the crown of the bush.
The main blackcurrant harvest is concentrated on two- or three-year-old shoots. Older branches produce fewer berries, and therefore the plants are shaped by pruning in such a way that three to four one-year-old shoots remain on the bush annually, which will gradually replace the six-year-old branches that are removed. For red currants, the productive age of the shoot increases to seven years. Gradual pruning can restore the productivity of a bush that has not been shaped. To do this, all old branches are removed from the currant over the course of two to three years. Plants are usually pruned in the fall, after leaf fall.
