Golden currant (photo) - planting, reproduction and care. Rules for planting and caring for golden currants What to make from golden currants

Almost every household plot has currants, but golden currants can be found not so often, although this type of currant began to be grown in Russia in the eighteenth century.

At first, this bush was grown in a decorative form. The homeland of this variety of currant is the west of North America. There, this culture is found in the wild, in large volumes. Many mistake it for a hybrid of currant and gooseberry, but this plant is a stand-alone crop and has many varieties.

Golden currant - Ribes aureum

Description with photo

Golden currant is very useful, has many benefits and for this reason this shrub should grow in everyone. It grows on any type of soil, except for clay and damp areas. This currant is practically not damaged by pests and does not get sick. The shrub easily tolerates drought and severe frosts.

In addition, the golden one looks very beautiful, especially during flowering, and is also an excellent honey plant. The foliage is bright green and shiny, similar in shape to gooseberries. In May, golden flowers appear that bloom for 3 weeks. It is thanks to the fragrant flowers that the currant of this species got its beautiful name.

The height of the golden currant bushes grows more than other types of this crop, reaching 2.5 meters. The length of the roots of adult plants reaches one and a half meters. The currant is often used as a hedge that decorates the area with flowers in spring, berries in summer, and yellow and bright red foliage in autumn. Bushes can be planted even in shady places.

Fruits of different varieties ripen in July - August, when other shrubs have already moved away. Fruits on the branches can hang until frost and not crumble. The berries are oval in shape, equal in size to the average blackcurrant (about 1.5 centimeters in diameter), grow in clusters up to 10 pieces each. With good care, the fruits can grow much larger. The appearance of the berries is similar to gooseberries.

This type of currant is rich in vitamins and microelements. Berries do not have a specific smell and therefore even children eat them (unlike black). The taste is sweet, without sourness. The fruits are consumed fresh and in preparations. From the bush you can collect up to twelve kilograms of healthy berries. Fruit color can be black, red, brown, yellow.

The average age of golden currant cultivation is 15 years. The fruiting of currant bushes begins at the age of three.

Varieties of golden currant

There are quite a few varieties of this delicious berry, but the most popular include Venus, Pineapple, Sunshine, Kishmishnaya.

Venus Golden

Created by crossing fragrant and golden currants. The foliage is smooth, shiny, three-lobed. The bush is slightly sprawling, compact, the shoots are tall and not particularly branched. Shoots have a matte, light green color. The yield per bush reaches 12 kilograms. Fruiting is not extended and occurs in mid-July. The berries are juicy, weighing up to 3.2 grams, black color, oval shape. The fruits are juicy, sweet with a slight sourness. In the brush up to 7 berries. This variety of currant can withstand frosts down to -40 degrees.

Siberian Sun

Variety Siberian sun

The variety belongs to medium-sized and medium-sized shrubs.

The foliage is leathery, smooth, green, three-five-lobed. Up to 10 berries are placed on the brush. Fruit size up to 2 grams. The shape is rounded, the color is yellow, the skin is thin without edging. The taste of the fruit is sweet and sour, the aroma is pronounced. Ripens at the end of July. Up to 4.5 kilograms of berries are collected from the bush.

Kishmishnaya

Variety Kishmishnaya

The variety is high yielding. Up to 8 kilograms of berries are collected from a bush. When growing several bushes of this currant, the yield increases. Bushes are compact, medium-sized. Berries reach 2 grams. Black color. The fruits are juicy, sweet, dense, the flesh is golden.

In addition to these varieties, on the plots you can find the varieties Laysan, Shafak, Mandarinka, Shafak, Businka, Buzuluk, Honey Spas, Khoper.

Laysan

Grows into a fairly tall shrub. The ripening period is medium late. The berries are yellow, round, large, sweet and sour.

tangerine

Variety Mandarinka

The variety grows into a spreading bush and reaches 1.9 meters in height. The berries are distinguished by a dessert sweet taste. The fruits are round, thin-skinned, with longitudinal veins, orange-yellow, similar to tangerines. The mass of the berry reaches 0.9 grams. The yield reaches more than 4.5 kilograms per bush.

Shafak

Refers to mid-season, high-yielding varieties of golden currant. The berries are dark red, sweet-sour. The bush is compact, medium-sized.

Yosta and golden currant - is it the same thing?

No, they are different berries.

Yoshta

The Joshta species was created in the 70s by crossing blackcurrants with gooseberries. Bushes are used as hedges and in landscaping. The foliage is large, openwork, branches without thorns. The height of the yoshta reaches more than 2 meters. Up to 20 main branches of different sizes are placed on the bush. The berries are sweet and sour, reminiscent of both gooseberries and currants. The color is black-violet, the berries reach the size of a medium cherry.

Growing: planting, care

Seedling selection

Golden currant is planted in early autumn or spring. Bushes sold in pots can be planted from spring to autumn, since the root system in this case is closed. In another case, the seedlings should not be dried up, with developed shoots (at least 3 pieces). The urinary root system should be pronounced, strong.

The best age of seedlings is 2-3 years.

Golden currant is grown in bush and standard forms. In the standard version, the seedling is formed from a single strong shoot. When young shoots are removed, a tree is formed with a trunk up to 7 centimeters thick. Such a trunk is suitable for grafting any varieties of currants and gooseberries.

Landing

Seedlings with branched branches are planted in a large hole 40 by 50 in size and 60 centimeters deep. At first a place is chosen.

It can be both a well-lit place and partial shade. The bush can grow both on flat terrain and on a slope, further strengthening the slope. It is better to prepare the place six months before planting (in spring for autumn and vice versa). For this, the place is dug up to a depth of 40 centimeters.

The soil can be almost any, but on fertile land, the yield is much higher. The dug hole is filled with rotted humus or compost, 40 grams of superphosphate and a glass of ash are added. According to the scheme two by two meters or a meter by two and a half meters, young currants are planted. The root neck is deepened by seven centimeters. This improves the growth of young shoots and new adventitious roots.

Care

Caring for this type of currant is not difficult and includes:

• top dressing,
• weed removal,
• watering,
• digging between rows,
• pruning.

The earth between the rows is dug up in spring or autumn. From the third year after planting, currants are fed with a solution of bird droppings, or rotted humus with water in a ratio of one to ten.
Under each bush in the autumn, you need to add 5 kg of compost, humus 20 grams of superphosphate, 100 grams of ash.

In the first year of growth, currants are watered once a week.
Then watering is done during the ripening period of the berries. At other times, watering is not necessary, as this crop is drought-resistant, but watering in dry weather once a week increases the yield of currants.

To preserve moisture, mulch crumbles under the bushes, with a layer of up to 5 centimeters. Mulch also protects the roots from overheating in summer and from severe frosts in winter.

Trimming, shaping

1. When pruning, dried, diseased and thickening bush branches are removed.
2. On old branches, the yield decreases every year and branches older than 6 years are also removed.
3. At the end of spring, the tops of annual shoots one meter long are pinched.
4. Excess young shoots are removed for free penetration of sunlight into the bush.

Pruning is done after shedding leaves in late autumn or spring before sap flow in plants. In the end result, no more than 30 strong branches of different ages should remain.

reproduction

Golden currant can be propagated in various ways, this is propagation by seeds, green and woody cuttings, rootstock, annual shoots, bush layering, segments of shoots underground.
At sowing seeds currant autumn germination rate is 80 percent. When spring sowing, the seeds must undergo a preliminary four-month stratification at temperatures up to 5 degrees. Up to 0.7 grams of seeds are sown per meter.

At cuttings the result is worse. For propagation, large cuttings are taken from the lower part (up to 30 percent) of coppice shoots. When cutting cuttings (12 centimeters each) from mid-July to the end of July, treatment with a growth stimulator heteroauxin (Kornevin) is necessary. This procedure increases rooting up to 50 percent. Cuttings are planted in a mixture of peat, sand. Then the container with the cuttings is placed in a greenhouse, a greenhouse at a temperature of up to 30 degrees. After rooting, the cuttings are planted.

At standard reproduction, young seedlings of golden currant are taken, formed into a trunk up to 1.9 meters high. Various varieties of currant are grafted to this plant.

When breeding layering spring.

1. Loosen the ground next to the bush, make a groove.
2. We select a young branch at the bottom of the bush and put it into the groove.
3. Pinned to the ground with wire.
4. The crown remains above the ground.
5. Water well and mulch.

By autumn, the branch takes root and can be cut off from the mother bush and transplanted.

Many branches on a young bush cannot be rooted - the bush is greatly weakened.

Golden flowers of golden currant

Pests, diseases

Golden currant is resistant to diseases and pests, but recently anthracnose, gray rot, septoria, and rust have begun to appear on some varieties.

In order to avoid diseases it is necessary:

• regular pruning,
• treatment of bushes in early spring with urea in a ratio of 0.6 kilograms per 10 liters of water;
• fallen leaves must be collected and burned.

These activities will protect the golden currant from fungal diseases.

Appears on young shoots in early summer aphid. When it appears, the leaves curl, shoots and petioles bend, growth slows down, the quality of the berries deteriorates. To protect before flowering, the bushes are treated with an insecticide based on pirimiphosmethyl (one and a half liters per bush) or malathion in the same volume.

After harvesting the berries, the processing is repeated. To protect against aphids, you can use decoctions of onion peel, tobacco leaves, garlic, celandine, yarrow, milkweed.

Vitamin C in the fruits of golden currant is much more than in gooseberries, but less than in black currants. Berries are tasty fresh and can be used by children and patients with peptic ulcer. From the fruits of this currant, excellent jams, compotes, liqueurs, jelly are obtained.

Video about golden currant

The berries of any variety of golden currant are tasty and very healthy, and therefore they should be planted in your backyard.

But the fact that there is also a golden currant, not everyone knows even experienced summer residents, not to mention beginners.

But recently, golden currant has begun to appear more and more often in our summer cottages. This currant has a lot of advantages and it deserves our attention and wide distribution.

Golden currant is known for its amazingly beautiful flowers, similar to delicate sun rays.

But the color of its berries can be not only golden - the bush is sometimes decorated with rich black, purple, crimson, orange and even pink fruits.

A beauty from harsh North America came to us.

Sunny currant was brought to Russia at the very beginning of the 18th century. At first, the shrub was grown as a beautiful, lush ornamental plant, but soon, the fragrant berries were appreciated, and the currant became a full-fledged garden crop.

• Golden currant is an unusually adaptable plant. Now she gets along well in almost any climatic zone (the Baltic states, the Czech Republic, England, Belarus, the Caucasus, Russia and Central Asia).

The legendary Nikitsky Botanical Garden in Moscow became the first place of residence of the golden culture.

Let's get acquainted

Golden currant will become a real decoration of the garden - during the flowering period, no one can compare with it in beauty!

This is the only currant that got its name not for the color of the berries. It is because of its dazzling yellow flowers, which abundantly dot the bush, that the species got its name.

Currant flowers have a bright, rich aroma that is felt from afar.

• The middle of summer comes, and the gentle beauty, finally, acquires fruits. And she's still beautiful too. Its oval or round berries are very shiny and seem to glow in the sun. Multi-colored fruits can reach a mass of up to 3 grams.

According to their taste, golden currant berries may seem unusual to blackcurrant lovers.

They are denser and stronger (which, by the way, is very good for transportation). From the fruits of the beauty, you can cook delicious jams, jams, jellies, desserts, fruit drinks and compotes.

Cool autumn is coming soon. Powerful currant bush (golden currant can grow up to 2.5-3

m) is transformed again.

This time, the shrub changes the color of the leaves (some become crimson, and various variegated spots appear on many leaves - yellow or red).

♦ Are there any drawbacks to the golden currant? Golden currant bushes do not really like wet weather - at such a time, beautiful fruits can crack, and the culture itself prolongs the ripening of berries.

This, not very pleasant nuance, is more than covered by the numerous virtues of the beauty: the golden currant perfectly tolerates any adversity: dust, smog, drought, heat, cold, smoke, diseases and pest attacks.

• Even in especially cold winters (when frosts fall below 30 ° C), the currant, although it freezes a little, is completely and quickly restored.

What is useful sunny berry

The golden currant is not as rich in vitamin C as its black-eyed sister. But on the other hand, golden currant berries store a lot of carotene (vitamin A).

The golden berry is ahead of even sweet peppers and apricots in its quantity.

In addition to vitamins, the golden beauty contains a number of substances that are very useful for humans: pectin, tannins. The berry contains many acids important for the body, especially succinic, malic and citric acids.

What the fragrant beauty is especially rich in is the high content of coumarins.

These organic natural compounds help to reduce the level of blood clotting (this ability is important for protecting against the onset of heart attacks).

The berry is very useful for people with diabetes, because the fruits also contain insulin-like substances.

• Berries retain all their usefulness in any processed products.

Fruit drinks, juices and compotes from golden currants are effective as refreshing and antipyretic agents.

Healthy drinks are able to remove harmful salts, toxins from the body, they improve appetite and perfectly increase efficiency.

A high iron content is useful in the treatment of anemia (anemia). Berries are also beneficial in sclerosis and hypertension.

Attention! It is important! In golden currant, young leaves and buds are poisonous! They have hydrocyanic acid. It is strictly forbidden to prepare tea or any tinctures from them! With this golden treasure, only its berries are suitable for food!

Choosing the best variety of golden currant

Varieties of golden currant do not have a rich variety, like those of sisters. In our country, only a few types of this amazing berry are widely recognized.

Advice. To get excellent yields of this currant crop, plant several currant bushes on your site at once, planting them side by side.

♦ Isabella. The variety of this currant has an average ripening time. The shrub is not very branched, but it is quite tall, with yellowish-green leaves.

Isabella's flowers are large, pale yellow, which are replaced by large oval-shaped berries of a rich, almost black color weighing up to 2.5 g. The taste of the fruit is sweetish, with sourness.

Isabella is resistant to pests, diseases and low temperatures.

♦ Shafak. High-yielding species (from one bush of golden currant of this variety, you can collect up to 8 kg of berries). Shafak is resistant to heat and cold (but in especially severe frosts, unripened parts of the shrub can freeze out).

The bush is of medium size and has a good ability to form additional shoots (young shoots have a lilac tint).

The berries are very large (up to 3.5 g), oblong in shape, dark burgundy in color with a slightly grayish tint. They are sweet and sour in taste.

♦ Muscat. A tall and compact shrub with yellow-green stems and large yellow flowers.

Muscat fruits are large, black, round in shape. The berries are not very large (up to 1.3 g), but they are extremely fragrant, with a honey taste.

♦ Yermak. A dense and tall shrub has an average ripening period.

Among the large bright green leaves, the same large bright yellow flowers are hidden, which are then replaced by compact berries (weighing up to 1.2 g).

The fruits have a pleasant aroma and a sweet taste with sourness.

♦ Venus. The variety has average qualities in terms of winter hardiness (the buds of the shrub begin to freeze at temperatures below -40 ° C).

But Venus perfectly tolerates the driest and hottest periods, attacks by pests and diseases.

This is a high-yielding variety of golden currant (one bush can give up to 8 kg of berries). Fruits can reach a weight of 2-3 g, they are lacquered black, very juicy.

♦ Laysan. The variety is highly resistant to heat and drought, but in the cold season (at temperatures below -30 ° C), annual young shoots can freeze slightly.

Oval-shaped fruits are small in size (their weight is 1-2 g), golden and amber in color and excellent taste.

♦ Uzbek. This is a hybrid type of currant, which is distinguished by very large berries (weighing up to 7 g). The berries are deep black with amber flesh.

The tall variety is high-yielding, it is famous for its high resistance to any negative weather phenomena.

♦ Kishmishnaya. The main pride of this species is high yields (each bush can produce up to 7-8 kg of berries).

The yield can also be increased if several Kishmish currant bushes are planted nearby at the same time. The bushes are compact and medium-sized.

The fruits of Kishmishnaya are large (weighing up to 1.5-2 g), they are rich black, dense with golden flesh, very sweet and juicy.

♦ A gift to Areadne. Currant is golden with medium ripening. The variety perfectly tolerates all the vagaries of the weather, resistant to diseases and pests.

The berries of this variety contain the most vitamin C, their taste is refreshing, fragrant and very delicate, sweet.

The berries are amber, golden and bright yellow in color, they ripen in mid-summer. The fruits are small, only up to 1 g of weight, but with a very pleasant taste, refreshing, sweet with a barely noticeable sourness.

Despite the small variety of varieties of gold treasure, there are plenty to choose from.

In order for your beauty to fully live up to expectations, use some tips when choosing a look:

• Habitat. Note that not all varieties of golden currant are able to tolerate cold. When choosing a variety, specify exactly where the species was bred and whether it is well adapted to the climate conditions in your area. Most often, the types of golden beauty take root well in our latitudes with a temperate climate, and the species grown in Uzbekistan perfectly tolerate heat and dry seasons.
• Appearance. When buying seedlings, you should have a great idea of ​​​​how the sunny beauty will look like in adulthood. Indeed, very often golden currants are acquired for the sake of decorative properties, to decorate their site, and not just for the sake of tasty and healthy berries.
• Productivity. High yields depend not only on the genetics of a particular currant variety, but also on the quality of care. But there are yield limits that cannot be crossed - for golden currant varieties, this mark is 4-8 kg of berries from a bush. Be sure to specify the yield indicators when purchasing seedlings.
• Care. Golden currant in this regard is very favorably different from its sisters. All its varieties are quite unpretentious and unpretentious. Please note that if you are going to grow varieties of golden species for sale, give preference to the largest-fruited and productive species.

The nuances of the solar berry

The golden sister is different from her relatives (red and black currants).

The golden currant grows very actively in the first year of its life, the next year its growth stops slightly, it begins to bear fruit in the 3rd year of living in the garden.

• The golden currant pleases with a harvest longer on its skeletal branches, unlike its black-eyed sister, which loses yield as it grows older. The apical bud of a golden currant is able to shoot up to 20 cm in length (it is vegetative).

Unlike currants of other species, golden vegetative shoots are more active in growth - they can grow over 1.5 m in length.

Its buds are located more evenly on the shoots, their greatest density is noted on the upper parts of the branches.

The flowers of the currant of a golden appearance also have differences. Like the black one, the golden one can have bell-shaped flowers, but sometimes the flowers take on a cup-shaped appearance.

The flowers themselves are much larger than those of currants of other species, they are distinguished by a particularly persistent and long-playing, very rich aroma.

The fruits of the golden currant are better and stronger attached to the stalk, so its berries do not crumble longer and hold well on the bushes.

The leaves of currants of golden species also have a difference. In their external form, they look like gooseberry leaves, in summer they are green, and closer to autumn they become variegated (covered with specks of red and yellow color).

• Currant golden is proud of the highest rates of resistance to drought. This quality has developed thanks to the powerful root system of shrubs of this species. The root of a golden beauty can go 2 m deep.

Many modern varieties of golden currant can also easily endure the most severe winters, the culture of these species is distinguished by high immune qualities and innate resistance to pests.

Try not to confuse

Very often, the golden beauty is confused with one original fruit shrub - yoshta. No wonder, because these plants have family ties, although quite distant.

♦ Why yoshta. Such an original name was given to artificially created hybrid species obtained by crossing gooseberries and black currants (by the way, many novice gardeners mistakenly refer to golden currants as hybrids, but this is not so!).

• The first yoshta saw the light in Germany, it was there that an interesting culture was bred. The plant got its name by merging German words ("yo" - the first letters of the word "currant" in German, and "shta" - the beginning of the word "gooseberry").

Young seedlings are very easy to confuse!

But, however, you can still distinguish them in adulthood:

• The flowering of yoshta is not as chic as that of golden currant varieties.
• Yoshta flowers are practically devoid of aroma and completely unremarkable in appearance.
• The branches of yoshta are located more chaotically; its bush does not have good decorative qualities.

Do not confuse when buying seedlings of golden currant with yoshta! Be sure to check with the seller what you are purchasing.

Tricks of agricultural technology

It is best to plant golden currants in autumn or very early spring (but with the condition that sudden frosts do not come).

The growing season of the culture lasts from April to September.

• Ideally, golden currants should be planted before or after sap flow.

Golden currant seedlings, which are sold from nurseries in pots (they have a closed root system), can be planted at any convenient time (spring-autumn).

Buy young plants with developed shoots (there should be at least 3-4 of them) and a strong root system.

♦ Where to plant. Choose a place for a beauty with good lighting (but a little partial shade will not hurt her). The shrub is able to take root perfectly on the slopes or on the plain.

Growing currants is completely easy - after all, the golden treasure does not impose special conditions on the soil. It grows quietly in poor, scarce lands.

♦ We plant. Before planting, prepare pits 50 x 60 cm. They must be filled with rotted manure or compost, a glass of superphosphate or ash should be added to them.

Young (2-3-year-old) seedlings are planted according to the scheme 2.4 x 1 m. In this case, the root neck of the shrub should be deepened by 6-7 cm.

This will accelerate the appearance of adventitious roots and stimulate the growth of shoots.

♦ We look after. For the golden currant, care is completely simple. Annually dig the soil between rows, fertilize it on time (we fertilize it, like currants of other types), cut the branches and, if necessary, water.

• Pruning is subjected to such branches that contribute to the thickening of the bush and prevent the sun from penetrating into the middle of the plant. Also remove diseased and shrunken shoots over 3 years old. In currants of golden varieties, a smaller number of berries form on older branches.

If the young currant has grown too much, it must be thinned out (cut out all unnecessary young shoots).

The crop should be pruned either in spring (before the buds swell), or in autumn (after the end of leaf fall).

Watering the crop is often not necessary (in some cases, rain will be enough). After all, golden currant is drought-resistant.

It is watered only in case of a too dry period, also during the ripening of the berries.

Here is such a wonderful berry - golden currant! Let me also remind you why it is so good and why you should definitely have it in your garden:

• Incredibly spectacular and beautiful, able to decorate a personal plot.
• Practically does not get sick and is not damaged by pests.
• Grows on any soil, except for heavily clay and damp.
• It has very fragrant flowers and is an excellent honey plant.
• Frost-resistant, drought-resistant, unpretentious.
• Can be used as a hedge.
• Very high-yielding, and from summer to frost, when other berries no longer bear fruit.
• The berries are firm and sweeter than other currants.

See you soon, dear readers!

The golden currant is an ornamental fruit shrub with high productivity and unpretentiousness. It is distributed mainly in the wild throughout North America. Possessing good adaptability, the shrub has become common in all climatic zones, in countries such as England, the Czech Republic, Russia, Belarus, and in Central Asia and the Baltic states.

Caring for this unpretentious shrub does not require special knowledge. And its feature is that it combines decoration and fruiting.

But, despite this, golden currants can be found in areas not so often. But the aroma of its flowering and color in the autumn period can make the site a real arboretum.

Golden currant is often mistaken for a hybrid of gooseberries with currants. But it's not. Although the leaves of this currant really look like gooseberry leaves. But the berries are oval black, up to 1 centimeter in diameter, and taste more like blueberries.

Currant is a beautiful deciduous shrub growing up to 3 meters. It has a rounded crown and fast-growing shoots, painted in red shades.

The shrub is grown on plots not only as a fruit tree, it also has decorative properties.

Varieties of golden currant

There are quite a few varieties of currants, and in order to achieve the highest yield, it is necessary to choose the variety that is suitable for the desired climate zone.

1. Shafak. This is a medium sized shrub with a medium late harvest. It is resistant to drought, heat, frost and pests. Its stems are medium in size, have a hanging top, do not have pubescence and are not bright. The lower part of the stems is painted in lilac shades. Its leaves are small, green, with small cutouts, with a matte pubescent plate. Brushes reach 4 centimeters in length with a large number of berries. The fruits are large in size, dark burgundy in color with a grayish tint, pubescent, and have a sweet and sour taste.
   
2. Venus. It has heat resistance and winter hardiness, but dies at frosts below 40 degrees. The yield of this variety is about 8 kilograms per bush. The shoots are pale in color, small and even, with a slight pubescence. The bush itself is raised, there are not very many branches. The leaves are green, with a glossy three-lobed plate with deep cuts. Racemes about 4 centimeters long with six berries. The fruits are round, with a thin black skin, juicy and have a sweet and sour taste. Fruit ripening is simultaneous.
3. Laysan. Bushes of this variety grow medium in size, heat-resistant and drought-resistant. The yield is about 9 kilograms of berries from one bush. Well transported. The bushes are tall, not very spreading, with even stems, dull in color with dark red tops. The leaves are not large, green in color, with large cutouts and three lobes. Brushes grow up to 3 centimeters and consist of 5-6 berries. The fruits are yellow and oval in shape, with a dense skin and slight hairiness. The taste of the berries is sweet, with a slight acidity.
   
4. Yermak. The bushes of this variety are sprawling, dense, with even sprouts of light green shades. The leaves are green, large, with three lobes and deep cuts, straight, smooth. They bloom in bright yellow, rather large flowers. The fruits are round, almost black in color, with a sweet-sour taste and a pleasant aroma.
5. Muscat. The plant is represented by bushes of compact size, with yellowish-green stems. The leaves are three-lobed, green in color, with large cutouts. Large yellow flowers. The fruits are large, round, black in color, with a dense peel. Their taste is honey with a hint of nutmeg.
   
6. Isabel. The bushes are vigorous, not strongly branched, with straight shoots of bright green color. The leaves are three-lobed, medium in size, yellow-green in color with strong cuts. The bush blooms with light yellow hues, and the berries are large, oval in shape and slightly flattened at the tops, with a dense black skin. The taste of the fruit is sweet and sour.

Golden currant care

Location. The site for planting is chosen illuminated or with a small shadow. You can plant currants both on slopes and on a flat surface.

The soil. Land for shrubs can be used poor. Currants do well in soft clay and sand, but the best yields can be on fertile soil. It grows poorly on highly moist soils and heavy clay soils.

Landing

But if seedlings from a nursery with closed roots are used, then planting can be done at any time. It is better to stop the choice in nurseries on fresh bushes, with a fibrous root system and sprouts up to 4 pieces.

Before planting, they dig a hole measuring 50 by 60 centimeters, into which organic fertilizers are laid. Seedlings are planted at the age of about 2-3 years, one meter apart.

In this case, the root neck can be deepened to a distance of about 6 centimeters, so that adventitious roots are better formed.

Next, you need to mulch with peat or humus, and cut off the aerial part, leaving about 5 buds. The first harvest can be expected a year after planting. When buying seedlings with open roots, it is necessary to soak them in water for about two hours before planting.

Watering. Abundant watering shrub requires only immediately after planting. To obtain a quality crop, it is necessary to water during the period when the ovaries are formed, and after the crop has matured. If the dry weather lasts long enough, you can further moisten the soil around the roots.

Top dressing. To improve the growth of the shrub, it is fed in the spring with urea, about 30 grams. In the autumn, organic fertilizers can be applied under the bush.

In the summer, top dressing is not required, but to improve development, you can feed currants with complex mineral fertilizers, which contain little nitrogen.

pruning

In the first year, currant pruning is not recommended, only during planting, leaving a seedling with 5 buds and cutting off the rest. Root shoots are shortened in the second year of the shrub's life.

And after the fourth year, when the bush is fully formed, the old branches are pruned annually, and those that prevent the penetration of the sun into the bush.

It is also necessary to remove all new shoots, leaving only the strongest branches. Dried branches contribute to a decrease in yield, and they are also pruned.

Plantings of golden currant are often used in order to cover unsuccessful areas of the territory with its lush foliage.

The golden currant is a versatile shrub that brings a bountiful harvest of delicious berries, and is a bright and unpretentious decoration of the site.

It seems that our gardeners know everything about currants! Most people have small plantations allocated for this crop in their garden or dacha, where they find a place, and. These plants are quite easy to care for, easy to propagate, their berries contain many trace elements and vitamins, especially in black currant. What can we say about the taste of these small berries and the variety of dishes that are prepared from them!

Most likely, many amateur gardeners will be surprised to see a photo of a golden currant or almost familiar currant berries, but of an unusual color, on a bush where the leaves resemble gooseberries. And this is not a hybrid of currant and gooseberry at all, it is an independent species. Currant golden from the Gooseberry family, which includes about 150 more species of currants. This berry culture is beginning to attract more and more attention - those who try it and learn the agricultural technology of growing golden currants become its active fans. Originally from Canada and the USA, it is now found in the northern regions of Russia, the Caucasus, the Far East and Europe.

Description of the species

A low-branched deciduous shrub up to 2.4 m high has powerful roots 1.5 m long, straight branches, leaning to the ground under the weight of berries. Three-lobed leaves 5 cm long are almost two times smaller than currant ones, they resemble gooseberry leaves. The raceme consists of 5–14 yellow flowers; round or slightly elongated berries in different varieties have colors from yellow-gold to dark purple and even black. The berries look unusual because of the tail that has not come off.

Fruiting occurs in July; in August, on a bush that has not yet fertilized, the leaves acquire a variegated color from orange to purple tones. During the flowering period (late May - early June), its cloud of numerous yellow flowers looks very decorative and exudes a fragrant aroma that attracts bees and bumblebees. This feature allows you to plant golden currants as decorative hedges, bringing a considerable harvest of tasty and healthy berries. Vitamin C in this currant is several times less than in blackcurrant, respectively, there is no sourness, so it will be more to the taste of children and people with high acidity and stomach ulcers.

To set fruits, it is necessary to plant at least two different varieties of golden currant, since a single bush will set fruits only partially, and fruiting will be incomplete.

The plant is undemanding to soil and watering, it is drought-resistant, winter-hardy, gives an annual abundant harvest of delicious berries and is not very susceptible to common diseases.

Reproduction of golden currant is possible in the following ways:

• sowing seeds;
• division of the bush;
• cuttings with green and lignified segments of branches;
• layering;
• annual shoots (like raspberries).

Growing golden currant is possible both in the usual bush form and in the standard form. In the second case, a planted young seedling is formed from one strong shoot in the form of a tree with a trunk up to 70 cm, removing the rest of the young shoots. Gooseberries or other types of currants can be grafted onto a golden currant stem.

Planting golden currant and caring for it

Golden currants are planted in early spring or autumn, but as far as possible from the onset of frost. The growing season of the plant lasts from mid-April to mid-September, and ideally, the planting of golden currant should be carried out either before or after the sap flow. But seedlings sold in nurseries in pots, with a closed root system, can be planted at any time (from spring to autumn). Buy seedlings that are not dried out, with a good fibrous root system and developed 3-4 shoots.

A place for golden currants is chosen well-lit, but partial shade will not harm it either. The bush will take root both on the plain and on the slopes of the site. The soil of the future site for currants may be poor and poor, this plant will survive on sand, on light clay, but it bears fruit best on fertile soil. Therefore, before planting, a 50 * 60 cm hole is prepared, which is filled with compost or rotted manure with the addition of a glass of ash and superphosphate. According to the 2.4 * 1 m scheme, two-three-year-old seedlings are planted, deepening the root collar by 6-7 cm to accelerate the formation of adventitious roots and the growth of new shoots.

Simple care for golden currants includes digging the ground between rows once a year, fertilizing, pruning and watering. Cut off the branches that thicken the bush and prevent the penetration of the sun into its middle; diseased, withered and over the age of three years, since with an increase in the age of the branch, the yield of berries on it decreases. They also cut out excess young shoots so as not to thicken the plantations. Pruning is carried out either before the swelling of the kidneys, or after the end of leaf fall, in late autumn. These plants do not need to be watered often (there will be enough rain), they are quite drought-resistant, only in case of an unusual drought during the ripening period of the berries, additional watering is required. This is one of their differences from the common currant.

Here are some reasons why golden currants do not bear fruit:

• lack of a pollinator bush;
• thickening of the bush or the presence of old branches;
• swampy heavy clay soil;
• fungal diseases (verticillosis).

Video about golden currant

Golden currant is a plant that does not seem to have any flaws, but for some reason amateur gardeners. The lecture of the senior researcher of the Research Institute of Horticulture of Siberia named after A.I. M.A. Lisavenko, breeder, cytologist of berry crops Valentina Salykova.

Description of golden currant

The golden currant, known among amateurs as an ornamental, is a plant from the gooseberry family. In nature, this culture grows along the banks of the rivers of North America, it was brought to Russia at the end of the 19th century, and it was a horticultural rarity until Michurin drew attention to it. The Michurinsky variety Seedling of Krandal became the ancestor of most varieties that breeders of the Soviet Union subsequently bred.

The wide distribution of the golden culture across the Soviet expanses from Moscow to the very outskirts is explained not only by the Michurin genius, but also by the biological characteristics of the plant. It turned out that this is an ideal crop for planting in a forest belt and fighting drought.

Culture Benefits

• The golden currant is unpretentious and;
• Frost-resistant (withstands harsh winters of -30 and below, usually only the tops of young shoots suffer from frost);
• Drought- and heat-resistant (leaves withstand temperatures of 39-42 degrees without burns);
• It tolerates sudden changes in temperature, blooms after the end of return frosts, grows on any soil and on steep slopes.
• Requires only the most minimal care.

To all the advantages of this crop, one should add such as high productivity. That's what golden currant is - real gold!

Valentina Salykova breeder

In the most unfavorable year, you will be with berries.

It is not surprising that the breeders of the Siberian Horticulture Research Institute became interested in this crop and began work on breeding golden currant varieties for industrial and amateur gardening. To date, NIIS has bred ten varieties of golden currant (out of 23 varieties included in Rosreestr). All varieties of golden currant are so resistant to fungal and viral diseases and most pests, including bud mites, that, according to Valentina Stepanovna, “ chemical treatment is excluded. Also, all varieties of golden currant are fast-growing, and after a short time, already in the second or third year after planting, they are able to produce a good harvest (for selected forms of culture, the average yield is 4-5 kg ​​per bush).

Valentina Salykova

Golden currant can grow near the fence, where there is not enough light, it withstands growing conditions in large cities and industrial centers where the air is polluted.

Varieties of golden currant breeding NIIS named after Lisavenko

• Barnaul
• Valentine
• Gift of Altai
• Levushka
• A gift to Ariadne
• 3594-99-8 (№3)
• droplet
• Ribes aureum 2-7
• Joy
• Siberian sun

Biological features

Some amateur gardeners sincerely do not understand what golden currant is, and consider it a Michurin species, a hybrid of currant and gooseberry. Her bush is very similar to gooseberry, only without thorns, the leaves also look more like gooseberries than currants. And it is quite different from black and colored, it is sweeter and rather reminiscent of blueberries. In different varieties, the berries differ in size, color and shape. There are varieties with black berries, there are red, yellow, and there are actually golden ones. There are round, like balls, but there are more oval ones. These berries are even nice to look at.

In some varieties, the berries ripen unfriendly, but this is not a problem. The fact is that the ripe berries of this crop do not crumble, they remain on the bushes until the very frost. This allows you to collect them in one go. But you can also collect semi-ripe fruits: indoors they will ripen within three days. Blackcurrant berries are inferior in acid content, but surpass it in sugar content and some other parameters, especially in the content of carotene (provitamin A) and several times in the content of vitamin B, which is indispensable for the active work of the brain and immune system.

The bush of the plant is high, reaches 2.5-3 meters. The plant develops a powerful root system, penetrating to a depth of two or more meters (in young plants - 50-60 centimeters).

The plant is valued for its high decorative qualities. Golden currant blooms profusely and for a long time, 10-20 days, the ripening period for most varieties is medium late. The strong spicy aroma of flowers attracts bees to the garden. By the way, about 90 kilograms of honey are collected from one hectare of golden bee currant plantings. After flowering, the plant does not lose its decorative qualities, but it is especially good in autumn: each bush is “green, golden, crimson”. Golden currants make such excellent hedges that gardeners can only rejoice. Also, bushes can be planted in the garden in groups.

But we must remember that this culture is practically self-fertile, therefore, to obtain a crop, it is recommended to plant plants of three different varieties of golden currant.

Agricultural technology

Golden currant is planted on the upper parts of the slopes, in places protected from cold winter winds. Landing is done in late autumn or early spring.

The landing pit should be large: 50x50x50, the distance between the bushes is 2.5–3 meters. Before planting, the pit is “stuffed” with fertilizers: humus, one and a half glasses of wood ash, 200-300 grams of superphosphate. All this is mixed with the soil. When planting, the root neck is deepened by 5-7 centimeters, the soil is mulched. The branches are cut to four buds, and the weak ones are cut out completely.

In subsequent years, the gardener's work will be reduced mainly to the formation of a branched bush.

• Second year: in order for the plant to give more branches, the shoots are shortened by a third, weak shoots are removed completely.
• Third year: all last year's shoots are left, fresh ones are removed, except for a few strong basal ones (three to six are enough). A golden currant bush is formed when it has 20-35 branches of different ages.
• Fifth year: cut out all branches that are older than four years, and branches that grow inside the bush.

To make it more convenient to pick berries, you can cut off branches that lean to the ground (leave only upright ones), or put supports under these branches.

Bush rejuvenation

Golden currant is such a long-lived plant. In regions where forest belts were planted from this plant 20 years ago, people still pick berries from them. The optimal age of the bush is 15-18 years, but if it is watered and systematically rejuvenated, it will last up to 30 years.

Anti-aging pruning (on a stump) is done on bushes older than six or seven years.

Bushes that need such a procedure are immediately visible by how the berries are distributed: in such plants, they will grow mainly along the edges of the crown.

No need to feel sorry for the old branches: one of the advantages of the plant is that it quickly recovers after cutting due to dormant buds of the root neck and underground stems.

reproduction

Varietal golden currant is propagated in various ways, including layering and dividing the bush. The easiest and most common way is cuttings. Lignified cuttings 15-20 centimeters long are soaked in water for two days. Planted in late summer - early autumn, preferably on a black film. The soil should remain moist until frost.

When propagated by seeds, varietal characteristics are not preserved, therefore, only non-varietal currants are propagated in this way. - follow the link to find a description of this process. Seedlings begin to bear fruit for 3-4 years, and - for 2-3 years.

The use of berries

The golden currant berry has a more dessert taste than the usual black or colored one, so it can be eaten fresh, straight from the bush. In addition, it is an excellent filling for pies and dumplings. All kinds of preserves and jams are cooked from this variety of currant, wine is made (because of the high sugar content, it turns out better than blackcurrant). The berries are perfectly frozen and dried: dried berries, ground in a coffee grinder, are added to the dough for baking original desserts and drinks.