Properly selected soil is the key to a good harvest of currants. How to care for currants - recommendations for all types Blackcurrant loves

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Secrets of planting and growing blackcurrant

Berries black currant is a pantry of vitamins, organic acids necessary for the human body, micro- and macroelements. Berries and even blackcurrant leaves have anti-inflammatory, diuretic, diaphoretic, tonic effects.

Blackcurrant is very useful for beriberi, cough, bronchitis, renal and hepatic colic, gastritis, atherosclerosis, hypertension. It is very useful to add fresh or dry blackcurrant leaves to tea. For drying, young leaves are harvested after harvest. In the spring, when pruning bushes, you need to collect the cut branches and put them in the water. Leaves and flowers blooming on them are useful to put in tea.

However, there are warnings - like all dark-colored berries, blackcurrant thickens the blood, so the elderly should not lean too much on this berry. No wonder there is a saying that white currants grow for themselves, red for children and black for grandchildren.

Secrets of planting currant bushes

The most suitable time for planting berry bushes and, in particular, currants is the end of August and the beginning of September. If you purchased planting material at the end of September, then be guided by the weather. If, according to forecasts, autumn is expected to be warm, then bushes can be planted even in early October. In berry bushes, the root system continues to grow until late autumn. You only have to mulch the soil under the plantings, you can simply throw weeds under the bushes. If the autumn is cold, with early frosts, then it is better to dig the bushes in a horizontal position until spring. And plant them out in early spring. A seat for them must be prepared immediately in the fall.

All shrubs, except for raspberries and honeysuckle, should be planted obliquely, regardless of whether it is a thin twig or a bush with 2-3 stems. When planting in the soil, the stems are buried so that three lower buds are in the ground, and only 3 buds are also left above the soil surface. The rest of the upper part of the bush is cut with secateurs.

Why is this being done? So that the bush does not begin to age prematurely when the leaves begin to open in the spring due to the nutritious juices in the stems. The root system affected during transplantation will not yet have time to take root well and begin to fully supply the above-ground part with soil solution. Since the host of each stem is its apical bud, which draws all the nutrients to itself, then with a weak root system, nutrition is enough only for this apical bud.

On the branch, short overgrowing fruit twigs-fruits are not formed, it is bare, its leaves are located only at the ends. That is, the bush ages immediately in the first year of planting, which is why pruning is required when planting it.

In addition, it is very important that several shoots immediately go out of the ground. From the buds buried in the soil, these additional shoots will develop. If the bush is planted vertically, then for a long time it will have exactly as many shoots as you planted, even if it is deepened when planting in the soil. Such a vertically planted bush will not produce large yields for the first few years.

When new branches begin to grow from the slanted plant next year, you will see that two side branches grow on each planted stem. As soon as the growth bud at the end of each branch is removed, new lateral shoots begin to develop from the two buds closest to it, located on the branch below the pruning point. In autumn, you will again shorten all the side branches that have grown over the summer, leaving only three buds on each. The same procedure will have to be repeated again. Now you have completely completed the formation of the bush, and instead of 1-3 planted stems, you have a bush with a large number of branches on each shoot coming out of the ground.

What to do if the bush is planted incorrectly? If the bush is young, then it is necessary to deeply plant a shovel into the soil on the south side of the bush, lift it, tilting the top of the head to the north, pour soil into the resulting cavity. It is best to do this in early spring. All branches are shortened by one third of their length.

If the bush is old, then all the lower branches should be pinned to the soil, after making grooves on the pinned part of the stems with a nail for faster rooting. You can water it with root. So that the rooting site does not dry out, sprinkle moist soil on top and cover it with a film, but so that the wind does not blow it away. Stones should not be placed on it.

There is a special way of planting bushes in a standard form, when the bush is specially formed in the form of a tree. Then it is planted vertically, removing all shoots except one. It is shortened immediately upon landing, leaving 3-4 buds above the ground. Then, next spring, all the branches are again shortened by one third of the length, and the shortening pruning is repeated again next spring. After 3-4 years, the branches are rejuvenated, cutting out obsolete ones to the main vertical trunk. Appearing tops (vertically growing young shoots from the axils of the leaves) are shortened by one third. Such a tree will bear fruit for 5-6 years, then it becomes obsolete

The key to success is not only in the correct planting, but also in well-prepared soil. Blackcurrants have a shallow root system, so they don't need deep planting holes. It is best to plant currants in one row along the border of the site. Firstly, it will be convenient to look after her, and secondly, she will close you from neighbor's eyes. With such a landing, they do not dig separate planting pits, but dig a continuous trench if you plant several bushes at once.

If your site is flooded with water, then it is better to place the currant bushes on a continuous ridge that rises about 15-20 cm above the soil level. It is better to remove the turf removed from the soil or protect the trenches with it, spreading the grass down along the edges. First you need to remove from it all the roots and rhizomes of perennial weeds.

A dug trench, only 20-25 cm deep, is filled with well-rotted compost or rotted manure. Blackcurrant prefers slightly acidic soils - pH 5.1-5.5, although it tolerates even acidic soil. If your soil is acidic or even very acidic, then a deoxidizer should be added to the planting hole, which will work in the soil for a long time. Fluffy lime is not suitable for this: it all and immediately dissolves in water and is immediately washed out by rains from the upper soil layer to the lower ones.

It is better to use dolomite or chalk, gypsum, old cement, old or dry plaster. You can use egg shells, which should be ground first. If you use ash, you should be aware that the calcium contained in it is also quickly washed out by water, and you will have to add ash annually. Deoxidizing materials should be applied taking into account the acidity of your soil.

Blackcurrant belongs to the group of phosphorus-loving plants. Its total removal from the soil with a yield of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium from each square meter per season (agronorm) is only 27 g. So it can be attributed to economical plants - the ratio between these elements (in%) is 41:22:37. In the majority of plants belonging to the other two groups (nitrogen love and potassium love), the consumption of phosphorus does not exceed 15-16% in the balance, and in currant this figure is 22%. Therefore, when planting in a pit, phosphate fertilizer should be applied.

Enough two tablespoons of double granular superphosphate under the bush. When planting, it is recommended to add an additional half a tablespoon of urea and a tablespoon of potassium that does not contain chlorine. But for the Northwest, such a recommendation is not suitable. Potassium and nitrogen, which are easily soluble in water, are washed out of the soil into the lower layers during autumn planting by rains and during winter thaws. By spring, these fertilizers will be inaccessible to currant roots. In winter, the roots of plants do not absorb anything from the soil, they have long winter holidays.

Sometimes it is advised after planting, especially late, to spud the bushes with earth. This can be done under the indispensable condition that in early spring, as soon as the weather allows, you will unwind the planted bushes. The fact is that currants start growing in early spring, and young roots will immediately sprout in the hilled part, as it warms up faster than the one in the zone of the main roots. And since this soil dries quickly, the roots will dry out or freeze out next winter. The currant will lose part of the new root system, which is undesirable for the plant.

What does blackcurrant love?

Slightly acidic, humus-rich, moisture- and breathable soils, a sunny location (although it can tolerate partial shade), phosphorus fertilizers, and, most importantly, moist soil. Therefore, it is regularly watered throughout spring and early summer, especially in dry and windy weather. Stop watering only after the ovaries have fully grown and began to stain. At this point, watering is harmful, since the berries can crack right on the bushes from excess water in the cell sap.

What does blackcurrant not like?

A large amount of lime, so it is better to apply it gradually, in the form of watering with lime milk once a season, if the soil is acidic. In addition, she does not like fertilizing with potassium chloride, large doses of nitrogen, drying out of the topsoil, so the soil under the bushes must be kept in a loose state, regularly removing weeds. It would be nice to immediately mulch the soil under the currant in the spring (cover the soil). Usually, peat or just dry, cloddy soil is recommended as mulching materials.

But it can be sphagnum moss, and even just newspapers. The soil under the bushes should be covered with newspapers only during the period when a green cone appears and the buds are isolated (by the way, this simple technique will not allow pests to leave the soil after wintering). At the time of flowering, newspapers should be removed, as beneficial insects come to the surface of the soil at this time. After flowering, the newspapers are returned under the bushes, but already in order to prevent the evaporation of moisture from the soil.

Newspapers can be replaced with the remains of an old film from greenhouses, pieces of cardboard, roofing material, but best of all - black lutrasil, which allows you to water directly on the material. Black materials contribute to the rapid heating of the soil in spring and the awakening of the roots.

What care do blackcurrants need?

First of all, watering, at least 2-3 buckets under a bush per week in the absence of rain. I remind you that all plants should be watered in the evening, so that during the night the moisture has time to penetrate into the root zone. If you water the plants in the morning and, especially, in the afternoon, then the moisture, not having time to soak into the soil, will evaporate from the surface of the earth. Such watering can only be recommended as a physical exercise.

Black currant needs top dressing at the moment of intensive growth of the ovaries. At this time, all plants mainly need trace elements. In addition, all plants, including blackcurrant, should be fed immediately after fruiting, since at this moment they lay the next year's crop. Therefore, as soon as the ovaries began to grow, the bushes should be sprayed with a solution of trace elements.

Uniflor-micro is best suited for this (2 teaspoons per 10 liters of water). Immediately after fruiting, bushes should be fed with phosphorus and potassium. Under each bush of black currant, one tablespoon of double granular superphosphate and one tablespoon of chlorine-free potassium per 10 liters of water should be applied for irrigation if the weather is dry. But if it rains, then it is better to plant dry fertilizers in moist soil. I remind you that all watering and fertilizing is done along the perimeter of the crown of the bush and even a little further, but not in the center.

What to do if there is no fertilizer, no lime or dolomite either?

Do not be upset at all and add a half-liter jar of ash under each bush in the spring, but not in the center of the bush, but along the perimeter of the crown and even 20-25 cm further, because that is where the bulk of the sucking black currant roots are located. In mid-August, this feeding should be repeated. And in late autumn (in the North-West at the end of October), pour a bucket of rotted compost around the perimeter of the crown of each bush.

How do I care for blackcurrants? Firstly, immediately when planting a bush, I put a glass of Aquadon, a tablespoon of AVA granular fertilizer and a glass of ash right under the roots. Then I water well, but so that all this is not washed away with water. I plant the bush obliquely, as mentioned above, and again carefully, slowly, I water it.

Should blackcurrants planted with AVA fertilizer be fertilized? No, because the fertilizer contains everything necessary for the growth and development of the plant, including trace elements. There is no nitrogen in the fertilizer, but it is not required, since the nitrogen-fixing bacteria that live in the topsoil provide the plants with sufficient nitrogen. Especially rapidly nitrogen fixers develop in soils when AVA fertilizer is applied to them.

In addition, blackcurrant does not need large doses of nitrogen. The application of this fertilizer will be required only after three years. Then you will make a circular groove around the bush along the perimeter of the crown with a depth of 5-6 cm at the corner of the weeder and evenly pour 1-1.5 tablespoons of fertilizer into the groove, then plant it in the soil. In the next three years, no additional fertilizing with mineral fertilizers will be required. AVA only works in soil, so the fertilizer should not be spread on the surface.

For the North-West, it is especially valuable because it does not dissolve in water and, therefore, is not washed into the lower layers. The fertilizer slowly melts like a lollipop, gradually releasing everything it contains into the soil solution, while the release of elements occurs only until the soil temperature drops below 8 degrees Celsius, that is, while the plant roots are working. In winter, when perennials are dormant and do not take anything from the soil, AVA is not consumed or wasted in vain, as is the case with conventional mineral fertilizers.

Landing on Aquadon makes it possible to water the bushes once every two to three weeks for two years, which greatly facilitates work on the site. After two years, Aquadon decomposes in the soil into carbon dioxide and water.

I do not mulch the soil under the bushes and do not add organic matter under them in the fall. Why? Yes, because I don’t weed out the weeds, but cut them off with a Fokin flat cutter, deepening it into the soil by about 2 cm. I leave the cut weeds right there under the bushes and around them, I just rake them a little from the center of the bush to its periphery. Any other suitable tool can be used for this job, but it must be well sharpened, since it is very difficult to shave weeds with a blunt tool, but easy with a sharp one.

What does it give me? Cut weeds become a kind of mulch and protect the soil from drying out, and me from unnecessary watering. The cut top layer of the earth replaces the loosening of the soil under the bushes. The weeds left under the bush, gradually rotting, give organic fertilizer, and I do not need to add organic matter under the bushes in the fall. Besides, I don't have to weed the weeds and carry them to the compost heap. My experience definitely shows that the easiest way to deal with perennial weeds is by oppressing them, that is, by constantly cutting off the above-ground part. They die in one season. Weeding, on the other hand, leads to their increased reproduction, since new plants immediately begin to appear from each piece of root or weed rhizome remaining in the soil.

Do not believe - check. Cut off one of the two dandelions growing nearby, deepening the tool 2-3 cm into the soil, and dig the second one with a shovel and pull it out together with the root. After three weeks, see what you have grown. You will see that one plant has grown in place of the cut dandelion, and a whole company has grown in place of the dug up one. In addition, my observations show that digging the soil is generally harmful, and doubly so under bushes and trees.

Why, then, is it recommended to dig near-trunk circles? Basically, then, to get rid of pests wintering in the soil under the plants, in addition to loosening the compacted soil. Loosening retains moisture in the soil and reduces watering, so loosening is also recommended to be done several times during the summer. In addition, regular loosening forces the roots to go into deeper layers of the soil.

However, both loosening and digging the soil under plantings cause undeniable harm to the sucking part of the root system of plants, especially such as blackcurrant, in which the roots are located shallow from the surface. In addition, all these operations are far from being an easy task, but they can be avoided if we systematically (about 3 times per season) cut off the weeds growing under and around all plantings.

This also requires labor, but in the amount of much less than the work that is usually recommended to be done on the site. If you look under the cut weeds after a couple of weeks, you will see a large number of earthworms that have come to feed on the decaying remains of plants and their roots. You will no doubt notice that the soil under the cut weeds is loose and moist. This approach greatly simplifies the work on the site.

G. Kizima, gardener

Planting currants and care

Currants can be planted both in spring and autumn, but in areas with little snow it is better in early spring before bud break. Before planting currants, deep loosening of the soil is carried out, organic and mineral fertilizers, lime are applied, and planting pits are also prepared in advance.

Planting hole preparation. 20 - 30 days before planting currants, the area allotted for it is leveled and fertilizers are applied to the soil depending on its fertility: 8 - 10 kg / m 2 (up to 20) of rotted manure or compost, 50 - 70 g (up to 200) of superphosphate, 35 - 45 g of potassium sulfate or 100 - 150 g / m 2 ash. If necessary, the site is limed in advance (300 - 800 g / m 2). The fertilizer is evenly distributed over the soil surface, and then the site is dug up on a shovel bayonet with a layer turnover.

Landing pits are usually prepared in the fall (during autumn planting - two to three weeks before it), so that the soil settles in them, and harmful substances also evaporate. The worse the soil, the deeper the planting holes should be. The width of the pit is 50 - 60 cm, the depth is 40 - 50 cm.

The pit is filled with the top fertile layer of soil, thoroughly mixed with fertilizers: 8-10 kg of compost or rotted manure, 200-300 g of superphosphate, 40-50 g of potassium sulfate or 300 g of ash. This supply of phosphorus and potassium is enough for the plant for several years. To improve aeration, you can add one and a half to two buckets of peat.

On acidic soils (pH below 4 - 5), 100 - 200 g of ground limestone must be added to the planting pit. If the soil is not acidic, then lime is required a little, mainly to neutralize the acidity of the applied mineral fertilizers. If ash is used instead of potassium salt, the amount of lime is halved. Lime is suitable for liming the soil - fluff (lime slaked in a small amount of water), marl, ground chalk, dolomite flour, peat ash. Solid materials are pre-broken and sieved. On light soils the best results are obtained by dolomite flour, which contains, in addition to calcium, also magnesium. Mineral nitrogen fertilizer is not added to the planting pit, they are recommended to feed the plant in the spring when it starts to grow.

Planting dates for currants. Currants can be planted in spring, in April, before bud break, as soon as the soil dries slightly. At this time, there is a lot of moisture in the ground, so the plants take root well. However, it must be borne in mind that blackcurrant quickly starts growing, so planting currant bushes in spring affects the development of the plant less than in autumn. In later periods, when currants are often planted already with blossoming leaves, its survival rate decreases sharply, especially in dry and hot weather.

Early autumn (end of September - first half of October) - for planting currants: it is still relatively warm, and there is already enough moisture in the soil. During the autumn - winter period, the soil settles well and compacts around the bushes, while new adventitious roots are formed, and in spring the plants start moving early in the spring. height.

Placement of currant. Traditionally, currants are planted along the boundaries of the site or along the paths. Blackcurrant bushes of some varieties ("Nezhdanchik", "Openwork", "Atlant") create thick hedges or borders.

Redcurrant, given its extraordinary attractiveness during flowering and ripening of berries, can be planted in groups or next to ornamental shrubs or perennial flowers. The average distance between plants is 1 m. Currant varieties with a compact crown can be planted closer to each other. When planting currants of tall varieties with a dense spreading crown, the distance between plants in a row is increased to 1.2 - 1.5 m. Red currant bushes, growing, occupy a fairly large area, therefore, when planting, they leave at least 1.5 m between them.

Plants can be placed in ribbons, leaving 0.5 - 0.8 m between them. When growing, currant bushes merge into a continuous ribbon, which makes it possible to obtain high yields per unit area in the first years and simplifies weed control. However, it is more difficult to care for such a tape, besides, due to strong thickening, plants are more quickly affected by pests and diseases. With this planting of currants, after six years, yields begin to decline rapidly. In the first two to three years after planting in the aisles of currants, you can grow vegetables, root crops, strawberries or flowers, placing them at a distance of 40 - 60 cm from the bushes, and on very poor soils - legumes (peas, beans or lupins), which contributes to the cultivation soil.

Currant Planting Technique. Before planting, the roots of seedlings are slightly pruned. (damaged roots - to healthy tissue) and dipped in a clay mash. Currants are planted at an angle and with a depth of 8 - 12 cm. With proper planting of currants, deepened stem buds give strong vertical shoots, thanks to which a wide bush is quickly formed, and powerful adventitious roots, which are easily formed on the deepened stem part of plants, ensure strong growth. and high productivity of currant. Shallow planting of currants leads to the fact that the bush grows in the form of a small tree and in the future will be less durable and not very productive.

On heavy clay soils, currant bushes should not be planted deeply: heat and air do not penetrate well to the roots, due to which the root system stops growing and partially dies. With a high level of groundwater, currants are planted on mounds or ridges meter wide.

When planting, the roots of plants are carefully straightened so that they do not bend upwards, and they are covered with soil of the upper, more fertile layer, evenly filling the space between the roots and gradually compacting the soil. A hole is made around the currant bush, the plant is watered (a bucket per bush) and mulched with a layer humus or peat 5-10 cm thick. During the planting of currants, the soil between the rows is strongly compacted, so it is better to loosen it immediately. As soon as planting is completed, currant bushes must be shortened, leaving two or three buds above the soil surface.

Attention! The roots of currant seedlings should be as little as possible in the open air.

If currant seedlings cannot be planted in a permanent place in a timely manner, they are dug in for the winter: they dig a trench in the direction from west to east with a depth of 50 and a width of 60 cm, in which the plants are laid in one row, branches to the south; the roots and bases of the branches are covered with earth, the soil around the plants is compacted.

Post-planting care for currant bushes. The main thing is to achieve development of strong annual growth, providing a bountiful harvest next year. In late April - early May, as soon as the soil around the currant seedlings dries up, they need to be loosened (do not dig!) To a shallow depth (6 - 8 cm). The soil is loosened at least once every three to four weeks (to a depth of 6 - 8 cm in the near-growth zone and up to 10 - 12 cm in the aisle) with its subsequent leveling with a rake to reduce moisture evaporation.

Particular attention should be paid to weeding currants, as weeds, especially wheatgrass, deprive plants of nutrition and moisture. Currants, especially red ones, are responsive to mulching, which significantly reduces their need for watering and loosening. As mulch, humus, well-rotted manure, decomposed peat (up to 10-15 kg per bush), green grass, dry leaves or dense dark-colored covering non-woven material are used. In the first years after planting currants, only trunk circles with a diameter of 50 - 70 cm are mulched. adult currant bushes circle diameter increases. When the rows close, the entire strip of the row is mulched with a width of 1 - 1.25 cm and a layer of 10 - 15 cm. When mulching with straw or sawdust, nitrogen fertilizers must be applied. In autumn, mulch from manure, peat, compost is embedded in the soil during digging, and straw and sawdust are disposed of.

The heavier soil is dug shallowly under the currant bushes and left in clods for the winter to better retain moisture and freeze the weed rhizomes. At the same time, pests wintering in the soil also die. In the spring, when loosening the soil, the clods easily crumble. On light and fairly loose soils, they are limited to shallow loosening (up to 5–8 cm) near currant bushes. To protect the berries from contamination, as well as to accelerate their ripening, young and sprawling currant bushes are surrounded by props.

Irrigation and watering currants. In spring, blackcurrants have enough moisture for active root growth, but on light soils and in dry weather during the period vegetation, it must be watered. Currants are especially in dire need of watering during the phase of strong growth of shoots and the formation of ovaries (early June), during the period of pouring berries (the third decade of June - the first decade of July), and also after harvesting (the second decade of August), when the rudiments of flowers are formed in it in young axillary kidneys. Thus, the lack of moisture affects not only the harvest of the current, but also the next year. It will be useful to water the currants before flowering. If the autumn is dry before the onset of winter (in October), the currants are watered so that it winters better.

The timing of watering currants depends on the soil and climatic conditions and soil moisture, which can be determined as follows: from a depth of 12 - 15 cm, they take the soil and squeeze it strongly in their hands. If the resulting lump, thrown from a height of 1 m, does not crumble when it hits the ground, then there is enough moisture in the soil. It is better to water currants rarely, but plentifully (30 - 50 l / m 2) in order to the soil was moistened to the entire depth of the root layer (by 40–50 cm in the first years after planting and by 50–60 cm in subsequent years).

Currants can be watered along furrows 10–12 cm deep, pre-cut on both sides of the plants. After watering the currants, the furrows are closed. When watering by sprinkling, the moisture in the soil is distributed more evenly, the mulch layer is not destroyed, the plants and the surface layer of air are moistened. After watering the currant, the soil is loosened so that a crust does not form. Watering currants is often combined with top dressing. Immoderate watering of currants inhibits the growth of shoots and their maturation, reduces winter hardiness.

The more drought-tolerant redcurrant also needs timely watering during the dry season, especially during the formation and filling of the ovaries and after harvest.

Frost protection for currants. In the middle lane, flowering currants are often damaged by late spring frosts. The most dangerous are sudden pre-morning frosts after a series of warm days. Signs of the onset of a night frost can be a sharp cold snap in the evening, clear skies and bright stars.

Currants can be protected from frost by spraying the bushes with water or arranging smoke screens for them. However, instead of such a labor-intensive operation, with the threat of a return of cold weather, you can pre-pour the soil under the currant bushes abundantly. It is enough to cover flowering plants from above with white non-woven or some other material. In addition, before bud break, you can bend the branches to the ground and release them only after the formation of ovaries.

All types of currants can be planted in various areas. They naturally need good soil fertility, but most species are not particularly demanding. Black currants are characterized by high requirements for fertility. This phenomenon is explained by the fact that its roots are close to the surface and are located on the horizon of humus and soddy-podzolic soil.

How to prepare the soil for planting blackcurrant?

A site for currants is recommended to be prepared in advance. The best option is row crop and perennial grass. All weeds, in particular wheatgrass, should be removed from the soil. The site is recommended to be kept under clean fallow, periodically destroying all weeds.

A month before planting, the chosen place is dug up to a depth of humus - up to 25 centimeters. Previously, the following rate of fertilizers should be added there: up to 8 kilograms of organic, up to 60 grams of phosphorus and 30 grams of potash. Due to the fact that the plant is very sensitive to chlorine, it is better to use chlorine-free types of fertilizer. The soil, which is not rich in nutrients, is fertilized 4 months before planting black currants in it.

Such doses of mineral fertilizer should be applied for the entire period of plantation growth, which is no more than 8 years. In the case of medium cultivated soils, the dose of RK is reduced by 0.25 from the norm, and fertile - by 0.5. If there is a severe lack of minerals, then fertilizers are applied in two passes: about 70% before the planting process, and the remaining 30% within two years of growth.

Gardeners claim that blackcurrants growing in acidic soil love liming, because thanks to this process, yields can be increased by 35%. This suggests that it is better to lime the acidic soddy-podzolic soil with 500 grams of lime per 1 square meter. This fertilizer should be applied before planting.

October is considered the ideal time for planting blackcurrants. It is allowed to do this in April, but in this case the plant quickly begins to grow.

How to properly care for the soil?

The soil in blackcurrant plantings during the growing season should be regularly loosened and kept free from weeds. For the entire period of fruiting, up to 6 treatments should be carried out in rows and between them. The first treatment is recommended in early spring, the next two - during the period of berry growth. This is necessary in order to remove moisture, supply air to the roots, fight grass and crust on the soil due to heavy rain. The third time the soil is loosened after the harvest is harvested, and the last time - in the middle of autumn, to help accumulate moisture in the ground and apply the necessary fertilizers. It is worth making sure that the processing depth in the rows does not exceed 7 centimeters, and in the center of the row spacing - 12 centimeters.

If you follow all these tips, then blackcurrant bushes will delight you with a rich, tasty and healthy harvest for many years.

In Russia, currants of any kind can be cultivated in almost any area. It, of course, requires a certain soil fertility, but, as a rule, most varieties are not demanding on fertility, but still need care. How to care for currants? How demanding are currants of different types of moisture? How to fertilize it so that it gives a good harvest?

Blackcurrant is a moisture-loving crop; in the arid regions of the Kuban, it grows poorly without irrigation and does not give good yields. It is demanding on air humidity, does not tolerate heat, dry winds. During the growing season, it is necessary to carry out 4-6 irrigations, and during dry and hot summers - at least eight. Watering is especially necessary in July-August. In these months, if necessary, watering is carried out 1-2 times a week, 40-60 liters per bush.

Redcurrant is less demanding on moisture, since its roots are more powerful, lie deeper and wider, go beyond the crown for more than a meter.

It easily tolerates a lack of moisture in the soil. However, in the Kuban, it grows better and bears fruit when irrigated. It, like black, must be watered, but taking into account soil moisture. It reacts negatively to waterlogging of the soil.

In July-August, the shoots are laid and the formation of flower buds, so the plants consume a lot of moisture. During these months, the Kuban is especially hot, and there is little rainfall. With a lack of moisture, heat stops the growth of young shoots. The root system works poorly, is oppressed by dryness, overheating of the soil. Nutrients from the soil are poorly absorbed by the roots. Berries of late varieties become smaller, may fall off before they are harvested. The laying and formation of flower buds takes place under unfavorable conditions for the bushes.

Mulching the soil under the bushes after watering helps keep the soil moist longer, reduces overheating of the soil, keeps the root system from drying out, inhibits the growth of weeds, the spread of some pests.

On what soils does blackcurrant or redcurrant grow better?

Regardless of the fact that blackcurrant is a moisture-loving crop, it does not like flooding, prolonged waterlogging of the soil. In such places, bushes grow poorly, quickly age and die. You should not place currants in flooded lowlands or make ramparts, mounds there - plant bushes on them.

Blackcurrant grows well on floodplain lands, along the banks of rivers, streams, on chernozems, clay and loamy, but grows poorly on sandy soils without applying large doses of organic fertilizers. Waterlogged, saline, acidic soils are unsuitable for it. Bushes on them are oppressed, grow poorly, sharply reduce productivity, and are more affected by diseases and pests.

Redcurrant is quite unpretentious, it can be grown on various soils. It tolerates soil salinity well. It grows worse on heavy soils, does not tolerate waterlogging of soils.

What fertilizers do currants need

Blackcurrant is very demanding on nutrients, needs fertile soil, organic, mineral fertilizers, loves plentiful proper nutrition. It reacts positively to fertilization more than other crops: the yield increases, the size of the berries increases, and their quality improves.

At the same time, when fertilizing, it is necessary to take into account the biological characteristics of currants in the consumption of various nutrients, both in terms of their mass and the periods of vegetation phases.

The fertilizer system should take into account the peculiarities of the Kuban climate, give gardeners a practical opportunity to properly manage the growth and fruiting of bushes, increase their resistance to drought, heat, diseases, and pests.

The Importance of Phosphate Fertilizers

Blackcurrant is considered a phosphorus plant. This means that it bears fruit well on soils rich in phosphorus, when superphosphate or other easily soluble phosphorus fertilizers are applied under it. Phosphorus is especially necessary for currants and works well in hot, dry weather. Such a need falls on the Kuban in July-August.

It should also be taken into account that the currant poorly uses sparingly soluble phosphates from the soil. And the water-soluble phosphorus compounds applied in fertilizers easily pass in the soil into sparingly soluble and insoluble forms. Annual phosphorus nutrition of bushes with freshly dissolved phosphorus fertilizers accelerates their development, especially the growth of the root system, enhances fruiting, and improves the quality of berries. With a lack of easily soluble assimilable phosphorus in the soil, flower buds are little formed on currant shoots, the berries become smaller, the yield decreases, leaves and shoots are more affected by spotting, powdery mildew or other diseases, pests, especially aphids, gall midges, mites.

The main feature of the use of fertilizers for currants in the Kuban is to prevent phosphorus starvation of the bushes. Phosphorus starvation of bushes is one of the reasons for the low yields of currants among many gardeners.

Nitrogen fertilizers for currants

The growth of bushes, the yield of currants is well influenced by nitrogen fertilizers. With a lack of nitrogen in the soil, the growth of shoots is delayed, flowering is weak, the berries become smaller. However, increasing the dose of nitrogen fertilizers for currants is effective only against a high background of phosphorus and potassium. With the joint simultaneous introduction of nitrogen with a low supply of soil with phosphorus and potassium, young shoots grow rapidly, but become thin, with long internodes, brittle. The content of amino acids in their cell sap increases, which contributes to a more intensive development of powdery mildew, rapid colonization, reproduction of aphids, mites on young shoots and leaves. Cell sap, high in amino acids, is very tasty for pests, they multiply rapidly with the abundant nutrition that we ourselves have created for them.

The currant yield is very positively affected by potassium, calcium and trace elements.

Potassium is one of the most important nutrients in currants. Optimal potassium nutrition of currants contributes to better ripening of shoots and buds, increased winter hardiness, drought and heat resistance of bushes, their resistance to fungal diseases, and an increase in sugar content in berries. However, currant reacts negatively to potash fertilizers containing chlorine. The introduction of potassium chloride during the growing season causes burns on currants. It must be applied in the fall after leaf fall for loosening the soil so that chlorine is washed into the deep layers of the soil during the winter. During the growing season, it is effective to apply potassium sulfate, which does not contain chlorine.

The currant reacts especially well to the introduction of 1-2 kg of ash under the bush in the fall for loosening the soil. It contains phosphorus, potassium, calcium, trace elements.

When to fertilize under currants

During the growing season, currants have two maximums in nutrient intake, which must be taken into account when fertilizing under it. It is spring-summer and summer-autumn.

In the spring-summer period, there is an active growth of the root system, then flowering, berry growth, the maximum growth of all young shoots. During this period, the bushes consume a large amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and other elements.

After harvesting, from July, the second maximum of root growth begins, the plant creates a supply of nutrients in the roots and shoots, the formation of buds, the next year's harvest, is in progress.

In accordance with these periods of maximum nutrient intake, it is necessary to build a fertilizer system for currants, taking into account soil fertility at each of them.

On floodplain loamy relatively poor soils, we bring in a year under one bush:

• organic fertilizers - 6-8 kg,
• ammonium nitrate - 70 g,
• potassium salt or potassium chloride 25-30 g,
• sometimes even 1 kg of ash.

We apply nitrogen fertilizers during the growing season in three terms:

• early spring during bud break,
• after flowering
• during intensive growth of berries, 15-25 g of ammonium nitrate for each bush.

Most often, we apply nitrogen fertilizers with phosphorus and potash fertilizers or use a complex fertilizer - nitroammophoska. We carry out 4-5 top dressings, we add dissolved nitroammophoska with irrigation water, 25-30 g per bush.

After harvesting, since July, we mainly exclude nitrogen fertilizers from top dressing. At this time, the growth of shoots is over - the period of their maturation, laying and formation of buds has come, and for these purposes, mainly phosphorus and potash fertilizers are needed.

In July-August, we add 20-25 g of superphosphate and 15 g of potassium sulfate to top dressing under a bush with irrigation water. We carry them out in 12-15 days.

To increase the resistance of bushes to powdery mildew, aphids, accumulation of sugar in berries, better formation of buds on shoots, during the growing season of currants, we carry out 3-4 foliar top dressings with a solution of potassium permanganate 3 g + 50 g of potassium sulfate per 10 liters of water. We spray the bushes in the evening.

In the balance of applied fertilizers, we do not allow excess of nitrogen fertilizers. We introduce them at the right time for the plants, in the required doses, this must be done against a high background of phosphorus and potassium. This ensures good growth of strong young shoots, setting, formation of strong buds, a good harvest, good resistance to diseases, pests, of course, in combination with other agricultural activities.

Redcurrant, like blackcurrant, does not tolerate chlorine, it is better to apply potassium sulfate, ash, and other non-chlorine fertilizers under it. We apply the rest of the fertilizer under it in the same way as under the black currant.

D.G. Sobolev "Niva Kuban" - 2003

Currants (especially black currants) make relatively high demands on the soil. Chernozems are preferred for her. Also suitable are gray forest and sod-podzolic, sandy or medium loamy in terms of mechanical composition, rich in organic matter. Heavy loamy and light sandy, marshy, peaty soils without prior improvement are of little use for blackcurrant. Red and white grow quite successfully on lighter soils and elevated areas. Although blackcurrant is a moisture-loving crop, it grows poorly in areas with stagnant water, and the plants die. The groundwater level should be no closer than 1.0 m from the soil surface. Temporary waterlogging is not dangerous. Black currant does not tolerate high acidity of the soil. The optimal acidity for it is pH 6.0 - 6.5.

The main mass of currant roots is located in the upper horizons at a depth of up to 40 cm. Therefore, before planting currants, the soil is dug up with a shovel to this depth and thoroughly mixed with organic fertilizers (humus, manure) at the rate of up to one ton per hundred square meters.

On the site prepared in this way for planting currants, 40X40 cm holes are dug. Half a bucket of humus is added to each of them. If the site has not been previously dug up and organic fertilizers have not been applied, then it is recommended to carry out local cultivation, that is, in planting pits. For this, the size of the pits is slightly increased. In this case, the lower layer of soil, taken out of the pit, is scattered over the surface of the site, and only the top layer, mixed with fertilizers, is used to fill the pit. The required amount of fertilizer (table) is mixed with the soil, and two-thirds of the pit is covered with this mixture. The remaining soil closes the root system of the seedling.

Tab. The rate of fertilizer application in the planting pit on medium fertile soils.

Fertilizers, g	Currant
	Black		Red and White
	Options
	first	second	first	second
Peat, bucket Humus, buckets Compost, bucket Superphosphate wood ash Potassium sulphate ground limestone	2 1 - 200 400 - 200	- 1 - 2 - - 50 - 70 200	2 1 - 2 - 300 600 - -	2 - - - - 75 - 100 -

Currants are planted in spring and autumn. The best time for planting currants is early autumn (no later than two to three weeks before the onset of stable frosts), most often this is the second half of September. Plants planted at this time begin to grow early in spring, develop well during the summer and have time to prepare for winter. When planting in spring, it must be borne in mind that currants start growing early. Therefore, a delay in planting leads to poor plant survival, slow growth and instability to adverse weather conditions.

Blackcurrant is a relatively shade-tolerant crop. In the wild, its thickets in large massifs are more often found under the forest canopy. Nevertheless, in industrial plantations, it grows better and bears fruit in open, well-lit areas. Therefore, in collective gardens, it is undesirable to plant it next to fruit trees (apple, pear, cherry, plum), which, as they grow, can shade currant bushes. To exclude this, currants should be placed no closer than 2.5 m from fruit trees. And it is even better to arrange it in rows in a free space inside the site or along its borders.

Currants can be planted sparsely or densely. With dense planting, plants quickly develop the land area and increase the yield per unit area, but in such cases, the life of the plantings decreases. In addition, in dense plantings, the probability of currant damage by pests and diseases is somewhat higher than in ordinary ones. With a sparse planting of currants, the land between plants remains unused for a long time, favorable conditions are created for the growth of weeds, especially in the early years. Plants under such conditions develop a large vegetative mass, sometimes to the detriment of the yield. The distance between the bushes in a row, depending on the variety, can be 0.7 - 1.2 m, between the rows - at least 1.8 m, since with narrower row spacings the rows close, which leads to inconvenience tillage between them, shading . It makes no sense to plant two or three plants in one hole. This will lead to a rapid thickening of bushes that have not yet entered full fruiting.

Gardeners mainly plant biennial seedlings with a well-developed root system and aerial parts. Before planting, the root system of plants must be protected from weathering and drying. To do this, it is advisable to dip the roots of the seedlings even at the digging site (upon purchase) in a soil mash and be sure to wrap them with wet burlap, matting or film. Leaves are removed from seedlings to reduce evaporation. In order not to damage the buds located in the axils of the leaves, the shoots are sniffed from the base to the top - from the bottom up.

For good fruiting, you need to have a large number of branches of different ages. Basal shoots, from which a fruit-bearing bush is formed, arise from the buds of the buried part of the stem and the root collar. With this in mind, plants should be planted slightly deeper than the nursery where they were grown, and slanted. This method promotes the formation of adventitious roots.

The depth of planting depends on the soil: on heavy soil it is less than on light soil. The root neck on light soil is deepened by 7 - 8 cm. Before planting currants, the root system of seedlings is dipped in a mash to ensure better contact of the roots with the soil. At the time of planting, the roots are spread evenly throughout the pit and make sure that they do not bend up. When backfilling with earth, the bush is shaken several times so that it wakes up between the roots, and then it is trampled. After filling the pit with earth, a hole is made around the currant and watered. The rate of watering depends on soil moisture - half or a bucket of water per plant. When watering, contact is restored between the roots and the soil. When water is absorbed, the soil around the bush is mulched with manure, peat chips, or sprinkled with dry earth.

The aerial part of the planted bushes is shortened in spring, leaving two to four buds on each shoot. Such pruning stimulates the awakening of dormant buds in the root zone, the formation of new young shoots. During autumn planting, bushes are spudded for the winter by 15–20 cm, which protects the root system from freezing in winter and bulging of plants in spring. In the spring, they are unraveled.

For the human body, black currant is a real natural treasure of vitamins, organic acids and trace elements. Berries are useful for hypertension, atherosclerosis, anemia, renal and hepatic colic, bronchitis, colitis.

Not only berries, but even leaves have a tonic, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, diaphoretic natural properties. Blackcurrant berries are rich in iron, phosphorus, potassium, and in terms of the amount of vitamin C, they can compete even with rose hips. Currant contains a large amount of vitamin K, therefore it is contraindicated in large quantities in thrombophlebitis.

To get a good harvest, there are some secrets and rules for planting a plant.

Choosing a suitable landing site

• The best time for planting currant bushes is early autumn. If the autumn turned out to be warm, then you can plant until October. If early frosts have already appeared, then it is better to dig in the bushes and wait until early spring.
• An important point - we carefully choose a place for landing, blackcurrant loves a lot of sun and moisture.
• We distribute how we will plant the plant. Seedlings take root well, in which the root system is better developed. If the seedlings have a small crown, then it is better to plant them closer to each other, and if they have too spreading crowns, then we plant them at a greater distance from each other, on average, the length is 1-2 meters. If currants are planted in several rows, then the distance should be greater - up to 3 meters.

Making holes for bushes

• We dig holes for planting seedlings not too deep, it can even be a continuous trench, up to 35 - 45 cm deep. If time permits, we give the pits a “rest” for a week or two, so that the earth shrinks.
• We spread fertilizer, rotted manure or compost on the bottom of the pits. Blackcurrant prefers slightly acidic soils. If the soil is strongly acidic, then an oxidizing agent should be added to the pit, it can be chalk, old dry plaster, cement. You can even grind up an eggshell and sprinkle it on the bottom. If ash is used, then you need to know that the calcium it contains is washed out by groundwater very quickly, and then every year you will have to fill it up again.
• The seedling is placed in a hole, previously watered with water, at an angle of 45 degrees, then the roots straighten well - then they should be buried 5-7 cm above the root collar. stem and root collar. So a powerful, strong bush is well formed. If you plant a plant directly, then a single-stemmed bush is formed. Then they gradually fall asleep with earth, pouring water over it, gently tamping it down with the toe to the trunk. Pour gradually up to 4 buckets of water. It is more convenient to plant bushes together: one person holds, the other digs in.
• Shrub pruning. After the bushes are planted, they should be cut in half, and if the root system of the plant is strong, then by one third. A strong pruning ensures that the roots are rebalanced and gives good growth in the first year.

What currants love and what they don't like

• A lot of sun, well-ventilated soil and most importantly - a sufficient amount of moisture! Currant bushes should be watered all spring and the first half of summer, especially in windy and dry weather. You need to water in the evening, pouring water directly under the bush, so that the roots are saturated with moisture overnight. If you water in the morning, and even more so in the afternoon, the moisture will quickly evaporate, watering will be useless. They stop watering when the berries begin to stain - here already watering is harmful, the berries begin to crack right on the bushes from the high saturation of water in the cell sap.
• We mulch the soil. It is good to do this in the spring, under each bush, peat or dry grass, with dry clods of earth, as the plant does not like the soil to dry out. There is another simple trick - covering the soil at the base of the bush with newspapers. This should be done during the formation of a green cone and swelling of the buds. Newspapers will also prevent pests from getting to the surface of the earth after wintering. During the flowering period, newspapers are removed, because at this time beneficial insects already come up. Newspapers are returned under the bushes after the flowering period to retain moisture.
• Blackcurrant does not like a lot of lime! Provided that the soil is acidic, lime milk rain should be done once a season.
• Doesn't like a lot of shade. Currant bushes in the shade become infected with fungal diseases.
• We save young bushes until next spring. They need to be spudded in autumn up to 15 cm high, so that they do not freeze in winter. In general, blackcurrant is a frost-resistant plant; only European varieties do not tolerate frost well.

Planting seedlings is a bit of a hassle, but once you work hard, you will provide yourself and your family with excellent vitamins for the whole year.

OgorodSadovod.com

What kind of soil do onions like? - Plant Magic

Everyone who has a dacha or at least a small piece of land near the house considers it their duty to plant onions in the spring. Homemade greens will significantly save the family budget, but large bulbs will also work. In ancient times, it was used not only for food, but as a talisman against the evil eye and magic. Choosing an onion variety for planting There are about a hundred different varieties of onions: leeks, shallots, onions, slime onions and others. In addition, it comes in early and late-ripening varieties. This healthy vegetable can be not only spicy in taste, but sweet. It contains vitamins B6 and C, malic and citric acid, carotene, essential oils. Therefore, this set of useful substances helps not only with colds, but also with atherosclerosis and high blood pressure. Onions love loamy soil, so the following species are suitable for planting in central Russia: Strigunovsky, Belovezhsky, Spassky, Amber, Chalcedony, Robusta, Kuban yellow, Bulgarian. The Circus and Farmer varieties are popular because they are stored for a long time. Fans of colored vitamin salads prefer the look of white onions Albion and Gladstone or red onions - Red Baron and Red Beauty. If you are more interested in the onion feather, pay attention to the early varieties - Nagaoka King and Nubuka Green. Preparing the soil for planting onions Remember that onions should not be planted in a row in one place more than twice. The best option is soil after cabbage, potatoes, cucumbers and tomatoes. So that the onion grows well and does not germinate into arrows, it should be planted in warm soil. In terms of time - the first decade of May, when there are no more night frosts. The soil should warm up to 13-15 ° C. The vegetable loves the sun, warmed soil, it feels uncomfortable in the lowlands, which is reflected in its growth. Summer residents when planting onions are guided by the flowering of bird cherry. Before planting the bulbs, gardeners are advised to water the ground with water. It is desirable to prepare the soil in the fall. It must be carefully dug up and organic fertilizers applied - chicken manure or manure. Based on the fact that loam is considered the best option for onions, the soil level should be neutral. If the earth in the garden is acidic, then potash fertilizers - ash or lime will help to correct the situation. Compost or humus are nitrogen fertilizers, but you should not abuse them if you want to get more than just greens from the bulb. How to care for onion seedlings? When shoots appear, they are fed with nitrate solution. The beds should be loosened frequently. When dry, onions need to be watered. So that the bulbs are not affected by fungal diseases, before planting, dip them for half an hour in a solution of potassium permanganate. For prevention, they are sprayed twenty days after the onions were planted on the beds using the Bordeaux mixture. In this case, green tops cannot be used. Arrows that appear on the plant must be removed. Remove the onion after the tops dry. We hope that good soil, good planting time and proper care will help to get a good onion crop!

> Blackcurrant - varieties, planting and care

Blackcurrant - varieties, planting and care

Blackcurrant - varieties, planting and care

It is impossible to grow either black or red currant without knowing what it is, as well as its strengths and weaknesses. Let's try to take a closer look at this berry culture.

Currant closeup

Currant is a low or medium-sized shrub with leaves of characteristic shape. Their leaf blades are quite large (especially when compared with the dimensions of the entire bush) and not so hard, without white spots or fluff on the surface, a five-lobed shape, vaguely resembling maple or cucumber leaves.

And this is not a mere accident - something in common with cucumber and maple is also observed in the behavior of currants. Any large, soft leaves not provided with water-retaining devices usually belong to a highly hygrophilous plant. And they can also signal that we are dealing with a lover of rotted organic matter.

At the same time, currants do not belong to crops that can extract moisture from the depths of the soil. Its roots (their length is not more than 0.5 m) are always located in the upper layers, which means that they not only love moisture, but also require a lot of air.

From this it follows that the currant prefers loose, permeable soil, which is able to retain moisture well, watering (as needed) and fertilizing with organic matter (from time to time). By providing her with all these conditions, you will already be halfway to success. Trying to grow currants on sand or on a lawn, where she will have to fight for moisture with herbs, is not worth it. In this case, she is unlikely to be able to please you with her appearance and harvest.

In general, currant is a very dynamic culture.

It grows quickly and yields early - currant berries appear within a year after planting. But it also ages quickly: 15 years after planting, the blackcurrant bush has to be changed (with red currant this happens a little later, after about 20 years).

Therefore, when planting currant bushes in the garden, one should always take into account their relative fragility. But currant breeds very well, so time-tested varieties have every chance to bear fruit for a long time.

Another feature of the currant is its hidden diversity. Blackcurrant is especially deceptive in this regard. Outwardly, its various varieties, which count for hundreds, may look like twin brothers.

However, with external similarities, they have a lot of subtle, but extremely significant differences. Some are resistant to diseases and pests, others are not, some can endure spring frosts, others suffer greatly from them.

Therefore, the choice of currant varieties is a very responsible matter.

One more thing: currants can be considered the standard of tolerance. This allows her to survive in a variety of. even in difficult conditions. Currants can, at the very least, grow on bare sand, in deep shade, in a lowland or on a lawn. However, the most suitable conditions for it are a bright and moderately humid place. Currant well-being indicators are: normal branching, leaves of healthy color and appearance, as well as a significant yield.

Secrets of a good currant harvest

In the understanding of man, currant exists only to give berries. However, it, like other plants, in nature, has a different purpose - each plant needs not the fruits themselves, but those contained inside them - for reproduction. And if bad conditions interfere with fruit formation. the bush can reproduce in another way - for example, by rooting a branch lying on the ground. Therefore, if you want to get a good harvest of berries. and not overgrowth, currants need to create conditions for prosperity, and not survival.

Currants are also very tolerant of human error. No other plant has given rise to so many unusual, innovative ideas for its content among amateur gardeners - and all because the currant patiently demolishes everything. Some try to plant several bushes in one hole, others cut at the same time as harvesting or pour boiling water on it in the spring - and it survives. Nevertheless, you should not go for rash experiments: with proper handling, currants will look much better, and the harvest will be much larger, better and guaranteed.

currant - planting

Black and red currants are rather unpretentious crops. However, before you start these berry plants in your garden, you should first assess the situation and think about how these plants will feel on your site.

What do currants need

To do this, look at the areas closest to your dacha. If the neighbors have currants growing and they look healthy, then this may be the first argument in favor of growing them in your garden. Then you need to assess the situation in your own area.

To do this, determine the acidity of the soil (special paper will show it to determine the pH), the dominant relief of the site (it is a lowland, slope or hill), illumination. Determine how long the place marked for currants remains under the direct rays of the sun (estimate this time in relation to the entire daylight hours). If it is less than half a day, it makes sense to think: is it advisable to grow currants here? It is also necessary to determine the level of groundwater: it is estimated by the water level in the nearest well, ditch or pit. The fact that the water comes very close to the surface, and the site itself is located in a swampy area, should alert. At the same time, the drier the area, the more often the plants will need to be watered.

Now you can compare your conditions with the needs of currants. It prefers slightly acidic or neutral soils. It is better to place it on gentle slopes, and lowlands, especially closed ones, are categorically contraindicated. Red currant requires good light for at least 3/4 daylight hours, black currant will withstand shading for half a daylight hours. The groundwater level should be no higher than 0.5-1 m.

It is more convenient to plant black currants in the classical way - along a ruler - at a distance of 1 m from one another (red - 1.2-1.5 m). At the same time, 1.5-2 m recede from other shrubs, 3-4 m from fruit trees. At the time of planting, the site may look deceptively bare, but only 3-4 years will pass, and you will be glad that you applied a scientific approach . At the same time, the plants will have enough space for development, and it will be more convenient for you to care for them. You should not plant currants thicker or place several seedlings in one hole, also because in this case unproductive "bushes" will inevitably turn out.

It is important not to overdo it and plant as many plants as your family needs. Harvest with average care for red and black currants is 2-3 kg per bush, with intensive care it can be 1.5-2 times higher.

how to prepare the soil for currants

If you plan to place currant bushes in the places where vegetable or flower plants used to grow, then no preparatory measures are needed.

Currants are not recommended to be planted in place of old currant or gooseberry bushes. The fact is that in a few years the soil gets tired of the same crop, toxins accumulate in it. Try to find another place or move the bushes to the side at least 1 m.

How to plant currants

Currants are best planted in the fall. Spring planting is less successful due to the fact that the plants start growing early, and this complicates rooting. When planting in spring, it is advisable to use seedlings in containers, which, with abundant watering, take root quickly and easily. But on sale, planting material with an open root system is more common, although seedlings in containers also come across. Usually, buyers choose seedlings according to the size of the above-ground part. However, for good planting material, several other features are more important: branched roots, freshness of the plant, absence of signs of diseases and pests.

For planting currants, as a rule, they make a hole 40x40x40 cm in size. On poor soils, it should be larger. After all, we are preparing a kind of “pot” for a seedling, which needs to be filled with the fertile soil necessary for a young plant. It is better to form two layers in the pit. One - more nutritious - is placed below the roots (right in the hole they mix a little dark earth taken out of the pit with compost, rotted manure or peat, add ash, mineral fertilizers in recommended doses). Above, the pit is covered with fertile (darker) earth taken out of the pit without fertilizers. First, lightly sprinkle the nutrient substrate with it, place the seedling and fill the hole to the top.

The plant (without packaging) is placed in a hole to such a depth that it is about 5 cm deeper than it grew before. After planting, water abundantly, even if it rains. A circle of soil around a seedling with a diameter of 40-50 cm is mulched with peat, sawdust or compost with a layer of 5-8 cm. At the same time, the plant itself is not covered. If there are no indicated materials, you can also mulch with ordinary dry earth with a layer of 1-2 cm.

Immediately after planting, the bush is cut short, leaving about 7 cm above the soil. Many people neglect this technique, sparing currants. However, a shortened plant will form in the form of a fluffy bush the next year, and an untouched plant will look like a pitiful whip for another whole year. Therefore, post-planting pruning is not a whim, but a necessary manipulation.

black currant varieties

At first glance, all blackcurrants look exactly the same. Nevertheless, more than 200 varieties of this crop are registered in Russia. And although summer residents usually see a more modest set on the counter, from 3 to 10 varietal names, you also need to be able to choose from them!

To do this, some gardeners are trying to get acquainted with the descriptions of varieties in catalogs, books and articles: but, as a rule. in them, any variety is called productive, winter-hardy, etc. Others are trying to rely on memories - they are looking for exactly the currant that grew with their mother or grandmother 30 years ago, and sometimes that family garden was located on the other side of the country. But this method will not work with blackcurrant - during this time, the old generation of varieties has lost its position to the new ones, so you need to at least be a little oriented in modern varieties.

Indispensable conditions

First of all, the variety must meet the climatic conditions of the region in which it will be grown (geographical reference of varieties can always be found in their description). Fortunately, blackcurrant has varieties for almost all regions of Russia - even for such extreme ones as the Kola Peninsula and Yakutia.

In addition, it is desirable to choose varieties that describe their resistance to powdery mildew, bud mites, leaf spots and rust. This will save you a lot of hassle in the future.

Another weak point of blackcurrant is early flowering. At the same time, even ordinary spring frosts can “grab” its flowers or ovaries and reduce the yield several times. Therefore, the phrase in the description of the variety - "Resistant to spring frosts" - is always an additional plus.

resistant varieties of black currant (for different regions of Russia)

central region

'White', 'Gulliver', 'Dachnitsa', 'Nadina', 'Surprise', 'Margo'

Middle Volga and Lower Volga region

‘Volzhanka’, ‘Volga Dawns’, ‘Kuzminovka’, ‘Semiramide’, ‘Constellation’, ‘Shadrikha’, Elivesta

Ural region

‘Ariadne’, ‘Barricade’, ‘Vestalka’, ‘Dashkovskaya’. ‘Pygmy’, ‘Gift to Kuminov’, ‘Mermaid’, ‘Chelyabinsk Festival’, Yuryuzan

Western Siberia

‘Aleander’, ‘Altai early’, ‘Altayanka’ (‘Effect’), ‘Annadi*. 'Venus', Talinka', 'Harmony', 'Degtyarevskaya', 'Zabava', 'Kaslinskaya', 'Ksyusha', 'Mila', 4 Rachel', Rita', 'Mermaid', 'Treasure', 'Chelyabinskaya', 'Vigorous'

Eastern Siberia

‘Augusta’, “Glariosa’, ‘Irmen’, ‘Kalinovka’, ‘Lydia’, ‘Minusinskaya Sweet’, ‘In Memory of Potapenko’, ‘Early Potapenko’, Treasure’, ‘Chernysh’, ‘Shadrikha’

black currant care

By itself, blackcurrant is not at all capricious, but this does not mean at all that it can be left to the mercy of fate. From time to time it requires some attention and care. And since this culture is responsive and grateful, you will very soon see the result of your labors.

Weed control

Since blackcurrant loves moisture and good nutrition, any competing plants near it are highly undesirable. For full growth, a currant bush needs a weed-free area (at least 1 m2) on which there will be neither lawn grass, nor vegetable, nor flower plants. If you unknowingly made such a mistake, try to correct it: clear the necessary area around the bush (if it is a lawn, remove it) and mulch it with loose soil. Since it is not recommended to use herbicides to control weeds on currant plantings, manual weeding or mulching (sawdust, film, etc.) remains. They do this about 2 times a year: in autumn or early spring (usually after fertilizing) and after harvesting the entire crop. Useful and shallow (about 8-10 cm) loosening the soil with a chopper, fork or shovel.

Watering currants

Blackcurrant is a rather moisture-loving crop. First of all, newly planted and young currant plants should be protected from drought. In adult bushes, the peak of moisture demand is observed during the period of growth of shoots and the formation of berries (June), as well as after their collection, when the next year's crop is laid (August - September).

If there is enough rainfall during this period, then there will be no problems with the harvest. Otherwise, many berries, not ripe, will crumble, and those that remain will be small. In addition, this will reduce the yield of the bush next year. To support the currant during dry periods, it needs regular watering at the rate of 1.5-2 buckets per bush. In addition, in hot weather, frequent spraying of plants with water is useful.

If the planting pit for currants was initially well filled with the necessary fertilizers, then in the first 2 years the plants will not need additional nutrition. But starting from the third year of planting, every (or every other) year, fertilizers must be applied to the soil.

The main part is applied in autumn or early spring. They do this before loosening: 4-5 kg ​​of humus or compost and 40 g of complex mineral fertilizers are added under each bush.

Part of the fertilizer is added to the soil in the spring (before the beginning of June) during the period of active growth - the so-called early summer root dressing.

To do this, use manure diluted with water (1: 8). or bird droppings (1:10), or an infusion of herbs. Watered (at the rate of 1.5-2 buckets per bush) along the grooves, which immediately fall asleep. Instead of these aromatic liquids, you can use a not so useful, but more convenient purchased complex fertilizer (according to the instructions on the bag).

blackcurrant pruning

Pruning is one of the key techniques for caring for blackcurrants. However, many amateur gardeners are often afraid to do it. Meanwhile, blackcurrant is an excellent object for this operation. She patiently endures all those small mistakes that, due to ignorance or inexperience, every summer resident can make.

For pruning you will need: a long-handled pruner, a regular pruner and a garden pitch.

Sometimes it becomes necessary to use a garden saw (if the old branch is very thick).

Blackcurrant pruning is easier to understand when compared to raspberry pruning. As a rule, all biennial branches are cut out from raspberries, as well as those annuals that are poorly developed or interfere. Now imagine that a currant is a kind of raspberry, in which branches do not live up to two years old, but up to five years old, and act by analogy. All old branches (over 5 years old) simply cut off at ground level, and cover the wounds with garden pitch.

You can't leave stumps! Remove younger branches only if they are underdeveloped, diseased, broken, or clearly thickening the bush. Similar. as during the main pruning of raspberries, it is not necessary, and it is harmful to cut the tops of the bushes: focus all your attention on their base.

In order for the obsolete branches and everything superfluous to be clearly visible, you need to wait until the bush is bare. Usually the most convenient time for pruning blackcurrants is late autumn after leaf fall.

The sprawling bushes of many varieties of currants create certain inconveniences. It is more difficult to care for such bushes, and the berries and leaves will get dirty with the ground in bad weather. Any supports will help - from special ones to those made from improvised materials (in extreme cases, twine stretched around the stakes will do). But the bush should not be pulled too tightly, like a broom. - even with props, the branches should be freely placed in space.

Frost protection for black currants

Frosts can deal a crushing blow to currants and deprive us of a huge part of the crop. But specific measures to protect against low temperatures can only be taken by gardeners who live near the garden and keep their finger on the pulse. On the eve of the expected frost in the evening, they can pour water over the bushes and / or place containers of water under them, or cover the bushes with large bags of film, paper or cloth.

Unfortunately, those summer residents who constantly live in the city and visit the garden only from time to time are powerless to do anything. All they can do is place the blackcurrants in a ventilated place when planting and, if possible, choose frost-resistant varieties.

propagation of blackcurrant

Often, gardeners want to grow black or red currant seedlings on their own. It's easy to do, really. you should always remember that currants, especially black currants, are prone to dangerous diseases. that are transmitted during reproduction. Therefore, only productive, outwardly healthy plants are suitable for the role of mother bushes.

The division of the bush

In order to get several seedlings from a currant bush, in early spring you need to high up the base of the selected plant with loose earth (in the summer they monitor its humidity and sprinkle it a couple of times). In mid-September, this plant is dug up and the resulting young rosettes are separated - with roots that can be immediately planted in a permanent place.

lignified cuttings

Black currant cuttings can be planted in late April - early May or September - October, red currant - only in early September.

From good annual shoots with a thickness of at least 7 mm, cuttings are cut about 20 cm long (4-6 buds). The lower cut (under the kidney) should be oblique, at an angle of 45 °, the upper cut (above the kidney) should be straight. The cuttings are placed in water overnight, and the next day they are planted in a specially prepared place (the soil is first dug up and leveled, it can be covered with a black film, in which holes are pierced at a distance of 10-15 cm from each other). Cuttings are planted at an angle of 45 °. leaving 2 buds on the surface. The earth is well compacted, shed and mulched with compost or peat with a layer of 4-5 cm. The next year, with good care, the cuttings will develop into young plants suitable for transplanting to a permanent place.

Horizontal layers

Horizontal layers are laid in the spring, as soon as the earth is ready for digging. The soil around the propagated bush should be loose, well seasoned with fertilizers.

Strong last year's growths are bent down, laid in pre-prepared grooves 5-7 cm deep, pinned with metal staples and covered with earth.

When vertical shoots 6-8 cm long appear, they are spudded (up to half the height) with earth in half with humus. Hilling is repeated after 2-3 weeks. The plants are carefully looked after: weeds are removed, watered as needed. In autumn, rooted layers are carefully separated and transplanted with a pruner and a shovel.

diseases and pests of black and red currants - how to fight?

American powdery mildew

This disease most often affects blackcurrant. At the same time, young leaves and shoots are covered with a dense white bloom (photo 1). They become weak, darken, deformed.

It is best to grow only powdery mildew resistant varieties. Sick leaves and shoots must be removed and burned. Plants before flowering and after flowering, as well as after harvesting, are treated with colloidal sulfur, as well as Topaz.

Anthracnose and Septoria

Two different types of microscopic fungus cause blackcurrant and redcurrant diseases with similar symptoms (treatments are also the same). Small dark brown spots appear on the leaves, over time they merge, the leaves turn brown and often fall off prematurely. The bush becomes bare early, tolerates winter worse, the yield decreases.

Select resistant varieties. Remove fallen leaves with obligatory embedding them in the soil or in compost. For the fight, copper-based preparations are used: before bud break, before and after flowering.

Terry

Blackcurrant suffers the most. The first symptoms: deformation of young leaves, which are elongated and acquire a Gothic shape. Then the flowers become ugly, brightly colored, double. The bush dies over time.

Sick plants are dug up and burned. It is impossible to treat terry with pruning, this will only aggravate the disease.

Bud currant mite

Often found on blackcurrant. The kidneys swell strongly and outwardly resemble miniature cabbages.

Damaged buds and branches are removed and burned before budding begins. Sprayed with Aktellik - strictly before flowering and immediately after flowering. If, despite the measures taken, the tick remains on the currant, the bush is dug up and destroyed.

currant glass jar

Both black and red currants suffer. Branches wither and dry, break easily. A clear sign of damage is the drying out of apparently healthy currant branches after flowering. To make an accurate diagnosis, cross sections of withered branches should be examined. If wide dark passages are visible in their core, then they were made by a glass larva. Running bushes with old (older than 5 years) branches are especially susceptible to the pest.

All affected branches are cut to the ground and burned as soon as they are discovered. With any pruning, they do not leave stumps, the sections are glossed over. If these measures are not enough, the currants are sprayed immediately after flowering with Actellik.

red gall aphid

It gives itself out by the fact that colored swellings appear on the populated leaves (photo 2).

Treatment with Actellik helps: from the beginning of bud break to budding, after flowering and then in September.

gooseberry moth

The berries of black or red currant stain and dry long before ripening, resembling a nest entangled in cobwebs (photo 3). Small caterpillars can be found inside prematurely ripened fruits.

A good prevention of moths is the autumn and early spring loosening of the soil under the bushes, which prevents the pest from hiding in the ground for wintering or leaving it at the beginning of the next season.

It also helps to spray the bushes before flowering and after flowering with Actellik. as well as the collection of damaged berries, but only at the moment when they just started to darken (that is, before the caterpillars emerge from the berry and leave them to pupate in the soil).

Gooseberry shoot aphid

This pest prefers blackcurrant. The larvae are born already when the buds swell: they pounce on the youngest, barely unfolding leaves and suck the juices out of them. As a result, the leaves are deformed, weaken, the shoots are bent and may freeze in winter.

It helps to remove (cut) the tops of the affected shoots along with the leaves in early summer. In difficult cases, they also resort to spraying Akgellik: during bud break, during budding and after flowering.

Rust

Mostly blackcurrant suffers from it. First, yellowish spots appear on the leaves (photo 5). which eventually merge and become covered with a rusty coating (on the underside of the leaf blades). Rust is especially common there. where some types of pine trees grow in the neighborhood. The disease weakens plants, reduces their winter hardiness and future harvest.

Sick fallen leaves are raked and burned. Apply spraying with preparations containing copper: before and after flowering, as well as after harvesting.

tuberculosis

More common on blackcurrant. It develops on the bark, causing the drying of fruiting branches or annual shoots (especially if the summer was wet). Weak or injured branches are most vulnerable. On the bark of the affected branches, characteristic convex points are visible.

Affected branches are immediately cut and burned. Apply spraying with copper-containing fungicides: before flowering, after flowering and after harvesting.

In preparing the article, materials from the wonderful publication for summer residents "House in the Garden" were used

source

why on clay soil the currant crop is better than on sandy soil

Kostenko Sergey

Clay soils are more fertile than sandy ones. their soil complex is able to retain a greater amount of mobile nutrients, is less susceptible to the processes of their leaching from the profile, is more stable in terms of moisture reserves and has a greater buffering capacity, i.e. stability.

Observer

Likes acidic soil...

Olesya

clay soils retain moisture well, which currants love in autumn

Olga

Currant loves moisture, which is retained by clay. In the sand, it will dry out without frequent watering.

TOXIC

She likes her better

Nadezhda Gorodishchanova

I generally heard that no black soil is needed for sand. Moreover, it does not retain its properties in our band. (I am from Moscow.) . But the introduction of clay into sandy soil is regarded as the application of fertilizer. Clay has all the necessary elements. And the sand is empty.

There are many types of berry bushes found in summer cottages. But in the list of preferences of their owners, blackcurrant is in the first place: its planting, as well as caring for plants, does not cause difficulties, it is not afraid of harsh winters, it begins to bear fruit early and thanks the owner for caring for generous harvests for years. It is easy to propagate, and it can be done in many ways. And everyone knows about the benefits of its berries and leaves.

Soil and lighting requirements

Blackcurrant is one of the most viable crops. It can grow almost anywhere. On sand, in dense shade or in flooded lowlands, her bushes will turn out to be less lush, but even in such conditions they will not die. The plant will be most comfortable in areas open to sunlight with moderately moist soil, protected from wind and drafts.

Shrubs are also planted in light partial shade. But in this case, expectations about the harvest should be lowered: the lack of light will make blackcurrant berries more acidic and reduce their number. To understand whether the chosen place is suitable for the plants, their appearance will help. In favorable conditions, they branch well, and their leaves are rich in color and look healthy.

Planting currants in fertile loose soil will be productive. It should freely pass air to the roots of plants and retain moisture. The ideal option for a shrub would be light loam. In dense soil, its development will slow down, and the yield will decrease. It is important to consider the reaction of the soil. It should be slightly alkaline or neutral. Currants do not like acidic soil. Such soil will have to be limed before planting.

The culture is moisture-loving, but it grows and bears fruit poorly in swampy soil. It is best to plant shrubs on gentle slopes. It will not be successful to place it in closed lowlands or on sand, as well as on lawns. The distance to groundwater should be at least 0.5-1 m.

Dates and landing scheme

Blackcurrants are planted in spring and autumn. Basically, summer residents prefer the second option. Bushes placed on plots in spring begin to grow quickly, so it is more difficult for them to take root. There is one trick in which the planting of blackcurrants at this time will be successful. For her, you need to choose plants whose root system is closed. They are easier and faster to take root in the open ground, if they are watered abundantly. You can place them in summer cottages at almost any time.

Autumn planting in the middle lane is usually carried out in early October, at the latest - in the middle of the month. Under the weight of snow, the ground around the currant bushes will naturally compact. In the spring they wake up early and show rapid growth.

Planting blackcurrants in a row has already become a tradition. This placement facilitates the care of her bushes and saves site space. 1-1.25 m is left between neighboring plants. Some summer residents increase this distance to 2 m. It is important to consider the proximity of other shrubs and trees when planting. At least 1.5-2 m recede from the first, and 3-4 m from the second. Currant grows quickly. When only 3-4 years have passed, the area that seemed bare will not be recognized.

If you want to get a crop earlier, you can leave less space between the bushes (70-80 cm). They will begin to bear fruit with a dense planting after 2-3 years, but fewer berries form on them, and they will become old faster.

Having decided to place the currant near the fence or walls of buildings, you need to leave enough space for it. The minimum distance to them is 1.2 m. It will not be possible to harvest from the branches pressed against the fence.

Seedling selection and site preparation

Preparing a place in the country for currant bushes does not take much time. If earlier this site was used for growing vegetable or flower crops, it is simply dug up well, deepening by 1 bayonet of a shovel and choosing the roots of perennial weeds from the soil. Deep depressions or pits are covered with soil, carefully leveling the surface.

Properly planting blackcurrant means taking into account the features of crop rotation. In order for the plants to have enough nutrients and they get sick less, the culture is returned to the former site only after 3 years. The same recommendation is followed if there used to be gooseberry bushes at the landing site.

For those who do not have time to wait, there are 2 options:

1. find another site;
2. retreat from the old at least 1 m.

Choosing a seedling, it is carefully examined. In a viable plant, the roots are lignified and branched. 3-5 of them should be skeletal and reach a length of at least 15-20 cm. A quality seedling has 1-2 (or more) 30-40 cm branches. The plant should look fresh and free of signs of infection and pests.

Pay attention to the specific characteristics of the variety:

• its compliance with the local climate;
• the presence of immunity to diseases;
• frost resistance.

The harvest will be more abundant, and the berries will be larger if you plant several varieties of crops in the country. This rule applies even to self-fertile blackcurrants. Planting in areas of plants with different flowering periods will help insure against return frosts. So even in a cold spring it will be possible to get a crop from at least a few bushes.

How to plant currants

Planting currants begins with the preparation of the pit. It is usually made shallow (35-40 cm) and wide (50-60 cm in diameter). If the soil in the country is poor, the size of the pit is increased so that it can be filled with a nutrient substrate. Lay it out in 2 layers. Fertile soil is poured at the bottom, adding the following components to it:

• compost;
• rotted manure (you can use peat instead);
• wood ash or potassium sulfate;
• superphosphate.

Fill about ¾ of the hole with this mixture. It should be under the roots of the seedling. The rest of the deepening will be occupied by simple fertile soil without fertilizers. Sprinkling it with a nutrient substrate, they begin to plant the plant.

His roots are examined. If damaged or dry areas are identified, they are cut to healthy tissues. With proper planting, the bush will be 5 cm below the mark at which it grew before it. The root neck should be underground (at a distance of 6-8 cm from the surface). This will give impetus to the intensive formation of basal buds, and the bush will grow lush.

The next step is abundant watering. ½ buckets of water are brought into the pit itself and the same amount into the hole, which is made at the landing site. Then the soil under the bushes is mulched without falling asleep the plants themselves.

As a mulch you can use:

• peat;
• compost;
• straw;
• sawdust.

The recommended thickness of the mulching layer of organic materials is 5-8 cm. If they are not at hand, dry soil is used. It is poured in a thinner layer (1-2 cm). Planting ends with pruning. Only a stump is left from it, which should rise 7 cm above the soil surface. You should not feel sorry for the seedling. Already next year it will turn into a small but branchy bush. Without pruning, it will take a season longer to wait for this.

Soil treatment and watering

Legends can be made about the unpretentiousness of blackcurrant. But so that the plantings do not overgrow, and the yield does not fall, you still have to take care of them. The bush does not like neighborhood weeds. They are its main competitors in the fight for moisture and nutrients. Best of all, currants feel on soil that is clean from any other plants.

It is impossible to spray herbicides near currant plantations, so there are 2 ways to remove weeds:

1. weeding;
2. mulching.

"General cleaning" of competing plants is carried out twice per season: in spring, when fertilizers have already been applied, and in summer, when the last berries are harvested.

Blackcurrant responds well to soil loosening. For him, use any garden tools: chopper, shovel, pitchfork. Near the root neck, the soil is cultivated to a depth of 6-8 cm. Under the bushes, loosening is made more intense, affecting a 10-12 cm layer of earth. If the trunk circle is mulched, the soil stays wet longer and the frequency of loosening is reduced.

The roots of the shrub are shallow - only 50 cm from the soil surface. Therefore, currants cannot do without watering for a long time. Seedlings and young bushes are especially affected by the lack of water. Adult plants need regular moisture in June, when their shoots are actively growing and berries are pouring, and in late summer and early autumn, when the flower buds of the next season are laid. Drying out of the soil during this period will lead to shedding of immature berries and grinding the remaining ones. It will also have a negative impact on the next year's harvest.

If the summer turned out to be dry, plantings are watered often (at intervals of 7-10 days) and plentifully. For each plant spend 1.5-2 buckets of water. It is more convenient to carry out watering in grooves. They are dug around the bush, retreating 20-25 cm from the tips of its shoots. If it rains periodically, 4-5 waterings per season will be enough for adult plants. Loves currants and spraying leaves. On hot days, it is better to spend them more often.

top dressing

With proper preparation of planting pits, the cultivation of blackcurrant on the site in the first 2 years does without top dressing. When this milestone is passed, plants will have to be fertilized annually. Some summer residents feed plantings less often - once every 2 years. Currants respond equally well to mineral and organic compounds. They are mainly applied in autumn or early spring. Having scattered humus or compost (4-5 kg ​​per plant) and complex mineral fertilizer (about 40 g) under the bushes, they loosen the soil.

Toward the end of spring (but before the beginning of summer), when the currant bushes enter the active growth phase, another root dressing is carried out. To do this, it is good to use one of the following tools:

• manure diluted with water in a ratio of 1:8;
• bird droppings solution (1 part fertilizer to 10 parts water);
• herbal infusion.

The nutrient composition is poured into the grooves, immediately sprinkling them. Each plant takes 1.5-2 buckets. The introduction of complex mineral fertilizer at this stage will be less useful, but you can use it.

With the onset of flowering, currant bushes are watered with infused potato peels. The starch contained in it will increase the yield of plants. Prepare a solution of dried potato peelings. They are added to boiling water (at a ratio of 1:10), covered with a lid and, having wrapped the container well, left to cool completely. For each currant bush, 1 liter of the resulting composition is spent.

In September, plantings are fed with phosphorus-potassium preparations. They will help plants survive the winter with minimal damage.

pruning

Growing blackcurrants in the country requires regular pruning. It is most convenient to carry them out in the fall, when the bush is completely exposed, exposing old and extra branches. On an adult plant, young (under 5 years old) shoots are left. Old branches are cut strictly at the level of the soil, leaving no stumps. The wound is treated with garden pitch.

Young shoots are disposed of only in extreme cases - if they:

• injured;
• sick;
• poorly developed;
• thicken the bush.

Pruning is also needed for young plants. In the first years of life, a bush is formed in a permanent place, shortening its shoots to 10-15 cm. After the procedure, 2 to 4 developed buds should remain on them. The following year, they get rid of small shoots, simultaneously removing weak branches. They begin to form the skeleton of the bush, leaving a maximum of 4 well-developed zero-order shoots.

A year later, the main attention is paid to the branches of the first order. Of these, the 5 most powerful are kept on the plant, and the rest are removed. By the age of 4-5, the currant bush should have 15-20 skeletal branches. In the future, the task of the gardener becomes their sanitary and rejuvenating pruning, which is carried out annually.

Props and winterization

In many varieties of currant bushes grow sprawling. This makes it difficult to care for them and leads to the fact that part of the crop is soiled in the ground. Under such bushes it is convenient to put props. You can buy ready-made ones in stores or make them yourself. The easiest option is to drive stakes around the plant and pull the branches with twine. But here it is important not to overdo it. Currant shoots should not be pressed against each other. That's right, if there is a lot of free space between them.

After autumn top dressing, the plantings are spudded. If the soil on the site is heavy, it is better to dig it to a shallow depth without breaking the lumps. This will keep more moisture in the ground. Light and loose soil in the near-trunk circles can simply be loosened well by 5-8 cm. But you can’t do without digging the row spacing (by 10-12 cm). Watering is also required at this time, especially if the autumn is dry. Under each plant contribute 20-30 liters of water.

Before the onset of cold weather, it is advisable to tie the bushes with a rope or twine so that the branches do not break and do not bend down to the ground under the weight of snow. You can build around them a kind of fence of stakes. In winter, the bushes are covered with a thick layer of snow.

With the advent of heat, plants should be carefully examined. Frost-beaten branches are cut out, and the remaining ones are treated with Bordeaux liquid (1%). It is worth paying attention to swelling kidneys. They may be infested with mites. Signs of its presence are a strong increase in the kidneys, their inflated rounded shape. It is impossible to leave such shoots on a bush, they must be immediately removed and burned.

The agrotechnics of blackcurrant is simple, but following it will allow you to get rich harvests of tasty and healthy berries. With the planting of this particular shrub on the site, inexperienced summer residents should start their experiments. Currant, like no other culture, is tolerant of the owner's mistakes. Neither overflow, nor lack of nutrition and moisture, nor frosty winters, nor improper pruning can ruin it.

It will not bring trouble and reproduction of the shrub. The most productive are 6-year-old plants, so professionals in country affairs do not allow plantings to become obsolete. When the currant bush reaches the age of 3, cuttings are cut from it or a branch is bent to the ground and dug in, receiving layering. They are placed in a separate area. By the time the yield of the mother plant decreases, the first berries will already be tied on young bushes.

All types currants can be planted in different areas. They naturally need good soil fertility, but most species are not particularly demanding. Black currants are characterized by high requirements for fertility. This phenomenon is explained by the fact that its roots are close to the surface and are located on the horizon of humus and soddy-podzolic soil.

How to prepare the soil for planting blackcurrant?

It is recommended to prepare the site for it in advance. The best option is row crop and perennial grass. All weeds, in particular wheatgrass, should be removed from the soil. The site is recommended to be kept under clean fallow, periodically destroying all weeds.

A month before planting, the selected place is dug up to a depth of humus - up to 25 centimeters. Previously, the following rate of fertilizers should be added there: up to 8 kilograms of organic, up to 60 grams of phosphorus and 30 grams of potash. Due to the fact that the plant is very sensitive to chlorine, it is better to use chlorine-free types of fertilizer. The soil, which is not rich in nutrients, is fertilized 4 months before planting black currants in it.

Such doses of mineral fertilizer should be applied for the entire period of plantation growth, which is no more than 8 years. In the case of moderately cultivated soils, the dose of RK is reduced by 0.25 from the norm, and fertile - by 0.5. If there is a severe lack of minerals, then fertilizers are applied in two passes: about 70% before the planting process, and the remaining 30% within two years of growth.

Gardeners claim that blackcurrants growing in acidic soil love liming, because thanks to this process, yields can be increased by 35%. This suggests that it is better to lime the acidic soddy-podzolic soil with 500 grams of lime per 1 square meter. This fertilizer should be applied before planting.

October is considered the ideal time for planting blackcurrants. It is allowed to do this in April, but in this case the plant quickly begins to grow.

How to properly care for the soil?

The soil in the plantings during the growing season should be regularly loosened and kept free from weeds. For the entire period of fruiting, up to 6 treatments should be carried out in rows and between them. The first treatment is recommended in early spring, the next two - during the period of berry growth. This is necessary in order to remove moisture, supply air to the roots, fight grass and crust on the soil due to heavy rain. The third time the soil is loosened after the harvest is harvested, and the last time - in the middle of autumn, to help accumulate moisture in the ground and apply the necessary fertilizers. It is worth making sure that the depth of processing in the rows does not exceed 7 centimeters, and in the center of the row spacing - 12 centimeters.

If you follow all these tips, then the bushes black currant will delight you with a rich, tasty and healthy harvest for many years.

All types currants can be planted in different areas. They naturally need good soil fertility, but most species are not particularly demanding. Black currants are characterized by high requirements for fertility. This phenomenon is explained by the fact that its roots are close to the surface and are located on the horizon of humus and soddy-podzolic soil.

How to prepare the soil for planting blackcurrant?

It is recommended to prepare the site for it in advance. The best option is row crop and perennial grass. All weeds, in particular wheatgrass, should be removed from the soil. The site is recommended to be kept under clean fallow, periodically destroying all weeds.

A month before planting, the selected place is dug up to a depth of humus - up to 25 centimeters. Previously, the following rate of fertilizers should be added there: up to 8 kilograms of organic, up to 60 grams of phosphorus and 30 grams of potash. Due to the fact that the plant is very sensitive to chlorine, it is better to use chlorine-free types of fertilizer. The soil, which is not rich in nutrients, is fertilized 4 months before planting black currants in it.

Such doses of mineral fertilizer should be applied for the entire period of plantation growth, which is no more than 8 years. In the case of moderately cultivated soils, the dose of RK is reduced by 0.25 from the norm, and fertile - by 0.5. If there is a severe lack of minerals, then fertilizers are applied in two passes: about 70% before the planting process, and the remaining 30% within two years of growth.

Gardeners claim that blackcurrants growing in acidic soil love liming, because thanks to this process, yields can be increased by 35%. This suggests that it is better to lime the acidic soddy-podzolic soil with 500 grams of lime per 1 square meter. This fertilizer should be applied before planting.

October is considered the ideal time for planting blackcurrants. It is allowed to do this in April, but in this case the plant quickly begins to grow.

How to properly care for the soil?

The soil in the plantings during the growing season should be regularly loosened and kept free from weeds. For the entire period of fruiting, up to 6 treatments should be carried out in rows and between them. The first treatment is recommended in early spring, the next two - during the period of berry growth. This is necessary in order to remove moisture, supply air to the roots, fight grass and crust on the soil due to heavy rain. The third time the soil is loosened after the harvest is harvested, and the last time - in the middle of autumn, to help accumulate moisture in the ground and apply the necessary fertilizers. It is worth making sure that the depth of processing in the rows does not exceed 7 centimeters, and in the center of the row spacing - 12 centimeters.

If you follow all these tips, then the bushes black currant will delight you with a rich, tasty and healthy harvest for many years.