Suburban areas are replete with berries of various kinds, and currants are not the last among them in terms of prevalence. Both white and red varieties can be found, but the large blackcurrant is the most common. This is due to its resistance to cold and available forms of reproduction in a variety of conditions. In the process of growing, blackcurrant quickly enters the fruiting period, and with proper care brings a rich harvest.
What should a beginner gardener know about blackcurrant?
Before you start buying seedlings or seeds of this type of currant, it will be useful to familiarize yourself with some of its features:
- The plant belongs to the gooseberry family and belongs to shrubs.
- The formation of the root system occurs on the basis of fibrous branched roots that lie 20-40 cm into the soil.
- Kronethe bush is formed by many twigs of different ages, which are located at different levels. A highly branched system allows currants to produce good yields for 10-15 years.
- The first fruiting should be expected only a year after planting. As experienced farmers note, the most fruitful period falls on the 6th-7th years.
- Although compared to other shrubs, this plant is frost-resistant and does not need pollinators, it is recommended to grow blackcurrant in dense rows in several bushes. This will increase the chances of producing large and he althy fruits.
- In spring, currant buds swell at 5-6 °C, and bloom at 10-16 °C.
Choosing the right blackcurrant variety
Characteristics of a particular variety determine the behavior of the plant during the growing process, the requirements for care and the quality of fruiting. Therefore, it is advisable to select in advance the most suitable variation of the plant, which will allow you to more accurately choose the tactics of care. In Russia today, about 200 varieties of blackcurrant are grown. The most popular and profitable in terms of yield are presented below:
- "Dachnitsa". One of the earliest maturing varieties, which is recommended for cultivation in the European part of the country. The plant is famous for its high yield, as well as large and fragrant fruits weighing up to 3.5 g. During the cultivation of blackcurrant seedlings of this variety, you can not worry about the appearance of powdery mildew, rust andanthracnose. Under the condition of good nutrition, the "cottage resident" shows resistance to these diseases.
- "Dubrovskaya". An average variety in terms of flowering time, which is most resistant to frost. It is also immune to terry and bud mites. As for productivity, the average bush brings about 3 kg.
- "Raisin". Medium in terms of ripening variety, also related to dessert. The berries are medium and large, weighing up to 3 g. The bushes are resistant to drought and spring frosts, which expands the geography of this plant. The peculiarities of the variety include the fact that the berries do not crumble and dry right on the branches.
- "Vigorous". Late term currant, which has, perhaps, the largest berries - up to 7 g, and one brush contains up to 8 berries. But her taste is average - the pulp of the fruit is dense, and the taste is sour. But the cultivation of blackcurrant of this variety is fast, although this is most dependent on the quality of care. On the other hand, the formation of young shoots is also rapidly reduced.
Rules for planting currants
Seedlings with an open root system can be prepared for planting in autumn and spring, but preferably in autumn - in mid-October. In winter, the soil will settle and become denser, and by spring the bush will begin active growth. As already noted, the planting is tight, but with the preservation of space for free growth. The optimal distance is about 70-80 cm. It is advisable to avoid excessive shading. The place is selected moist and lit, as well asprotected from the wind. Wetlands with high groundwater are not suitable, as are heavy acidic soils. Preferably - light fertile loam.
The soil cover is being leveled at the future planting site. It is necessary to eliminate not only pits and depressions, but also the rhizomes of perennial weeds. According to the technology of growing blackcurrant, planting pits should have a depth of about 35-40 cm with a diameter of 55-60 cm. Backfilling is carried out at 3/4 of the depth of the soil with the inclusion of fertilizer. For initial nutrition, you can use compost, superphosphate, wood ash and potassium sulfate.
For planting, it is desirable to prepare seedlings with a lignified root system - about 4-5 shoots up to 15-20 cm long. As for the ground part, there should be 2-3 branches 30-35 cm high. The seedling is buried in the prepared hole 7-8 cm higher relative to the neck of the root - its immersion in the future will create conditions for the formation of basal buds and a developed multi-stem bush.
Growing blackcurrant from cuttings
When the first fruitful bushes appear, seedlings for propagation can be made independently from their own cuttings and shoots. Cuttings should be taken from the ends of branches in early May. Donors are last year's growths, about the length and thickness of a pencil. The lower end is cut off at an angle, and a straight cut is made on top. All leaves are removed. For planting, a special stalk is used, where you can plant a seedling at an angle, deepening its budsinto the sand. The cuttings are covered with a film stretched along an arc. The young shoot should not be under the direct rays of the sun, but at the same time it is necessary to ensure stable air circulation with soil moisture. Covers can be removed as soon as the plant has established itself and the first leaves appear.
Full-fledged cultivation of blackcurrant from cuttings on the street can be started in the fall by transplanting into a hole in the garden. But even in this case, in the first season, it is advisable to use a mound of washed sand diluted with compost and manure.
Growing from seed
This method of propagation of currants is usually used in breeding farms, where the goal is to develop new varieties. But for an amateur gardener, seedlings may be of interest, since in this case he gets the opportunity to experiment with the economic and biological properties of the plant - another thing is that the quantitative, taste and size parameters of the berries can change both for better and for worse.
So, first you need to select large he althy berries and dry them until seedlings form (preferably in a natural way, without the use of dryers). In spring, the cultivation of blackcurrant from seeds is done in a box with moist soil. It is placed in a warm place and covered, and when the first shoots appear, the container is moved closer to the light, for example, on the windowsill. When the seedlings grow up to 15 cm, they will need to dive into separate pots. In conditions of stable warming, plants become stronger. During this period theycan be transplanted into open ground. In the future, young seedlings will need regular and abundant watering until they take root completely. And again, it is worth emphasizing that the method is risky in terms of crop quality, but as an experimental planting for the season it is quite suitable.
Blackcurrant care
Water the plant should be all spring with the capture of the first weeks of June. In dry windy weather, the volume of water should be increased - about 2-3 buckets per week are spent on a bush. Watering sessions should be scheduled in the evening so that the moisture does not dry out and soaks the soil well to the roots. Moreover, you need to direct the jet not in the center to the main stems, but along the perimeter of the crown. As blackcurrants grow, they will need less and less watering, and at some point, excessive moisture will become harmful. Usually, the strengthening of the ovaries and the coloring of the bush are considered a transitional moment. At this time, due to watering, the berries can crack from excess moisture in the cell sap.
Blackcurrants also require loose soil. Directly under the bushes, it should be carefully cultivated with the mulching technique. To do this, use sphagnum moss, peat, or just leaves with sawdust or waste paper. As for specialized nutrition, immediately upon planting, you can apply a complex fertilizer like Aquadon or AVA system granules, which will stimulate the process of growing black currants. Leaving in the fall and especially closer to winter is mainly reduced to loosening with the turnover of the reservoir. Avoid chemicals during this period. Can be used for foodlight organic and mineral fertilizers, designed for pest control. Also, experienced gardeners recommend using starch dressing, which currants love very much. Potato peel tincture is used, diluted with boiling water in the following ratio: a liter jar with peel to 10 liters of water.
Blackcurrant pruning rules
The most favorable time for pruning is the second half of spring and early summer. In late summer and early autumn, doing it is dangerous for new shoots, which will only begin to develop as winter approaches. Also, late autumn is not the best time to expose blackcurrants when growing. Pruning and care are performed in one procedure. After the cut, it is immediately necessary to treat the wounds, protecting them from pests and other undesirable influences. The very need for pruning is determined by a simple rule: the thicker the bush from the branches that grow inside the crown, the lower the efficiency of its resource consumption. That is, the splendor of the crown does not always have a positive effect on fruiting.
Cross branches are removed, as well as shoots that do not produce a crop for several seasons. If the root shoots do not grow, then it is necessary to cut several branches at once, shortening them by a third of the length. Do not avoid cutting at the root. There is a well-known principle of maintaining a balance between the root system and the crown, but there is no point in observing it if weak branches do not bear fruit even after the first pruning. They are completely cut off, and in the future it will beactive growth of new basal shoots is expected. A balanced cultivation of black currant on a personal plot in 5-6 years should lead to the development of adult bushes with 10-15 powerful shoots. This result is achieved precisely in the process of regular spot pruning of old or insufficiently strong branches.
Plant diseases and their control
Even with the basic rules of care in the form of watering, cultivating the soil and pruning, summer residents do not always manage to get the expected yield. As a rule, this is due to the lack of preventive measures aimed at protecting plants from pests and diseases. When growing blackcurrants, care in this part should include the following methods:
- In early spring, before the ground cover thaws, it is recommended to do a hot douche. Plants from above through a watering can with a sprayer are irrigated with boiling water. Such a shower destroys the eggs of scale insects and kidney mites. In addition, it is an effective prevention of powdery mildew.
- Regular preventive inspections of bushes for pests and affected buds, shoots and leaves. All this is immediately removed and sent to a waste collection site, but not to the compost.
- When the buds begin to open, the bushes can be sprayed with Bordeaux mixture.
- Tinctures of dandelion, chamomile, tobacco and marigold are used especially for he alth spraying.
- If curled leaves are regularly found, this is a sure sign of aphids. In this casea soapy solution, spraying with vodka, fumigating with tobacco, or treating with a tar mixture will help. But together, all these methods should not be used because of the risk of harming the plant. You should start with a soapy solution and fumigation.
Industrial agricultural technology for growing black currants
The first year of planting on the sites of small farms is usually done manually - almost all operations: from the preparation of cuttings to direct burial. This approach allows you to qualitatively form a landing pit for the characteristics of a particular root system. It is the creation of conditions for the development of roots at this stage that is the most important factor in the stable development of the bush. Further, the loosening of the soil is carried out manually. In the first year, the cultivation of black currant requires cultivation 5-7 times a season at a depth of up to 5 cm. In the future, the operation will be mechanized.
As for the technical means used, the main one is the combine. With its help, berries are harvested without the risk of damage by squeezing. The manual assembly method does not allow maintaining the integrity of the fruit shape with a high percentage, therefore, if it is used, it is only in the form of a carpal cut. Also, the industrial cultivation of blackcurrant involves the use of professional sprayers and mowers with attachments that can go under the base of the bush and mow the grass there. On average, mechanization of cultivation allows you to get a cropcalculated from 3 to 5 t/ha. Again, black currant gives maximum performance up to 7 t/ha only after a few years.
Conclusion
For beginner gardeners, this crop provides a good experience in growing berries. She has no special requests in terms of care and maintenance, she is tolerant of external conditions and at the same time bears fruits that can be used for a variety of purposes. If we are talking about serious plans for growing blackcurrants in a summer cottage, then experts recommend initially considering the optimal conditions for the life of the plant. A plantation organized for more than 5 years should be based on sandy-clay soil with good ventilation. The first landing should be done on a prepared plain in autumn. These are basic conditions, and everything related to further care and cultivation techniques can be adjusted in the future according to individual preferences.
