Red currant is a deciduous shrub from the gooseberry family. It allows you to remove from the body all the excess, leaving only the necessary trace elements for normal functioning of the body.
Red Currant Varieties
Red currant has long been loved by many gardeners, it was bred many different varieties.
Did you know? It is believed that red currant is descended from wild currant, which is widespread in the Carpathians and throughout Russia.
Most varieties of red currant are able to independently tie berries with their own pollen. This ability, thanks to which the currant has gained popularity among lovers of fruit and berry crops.
The best grades of red currant are divided into:
Varieties of early ripening
One of the best red currant varieties with an early ripening is considered to be Pink Pearl. This variety has a delicate dessert, very sweet taste. The currant bush is slightly sprawling, rather tall. The fruits are relatively small, capable of hanging on the branches for a long time and do not deteriorate. "Pink Pearl" tolerates frost well.
Another of the brightest representatives of the early variety is considered currant "Cascade". The shrub enters large varieties of red currant. Berry weight 1.5 g, the taste of currants is sweet and sour, with a long brush, about 10 cm. The variety is bred in the USA, it is almost not affected by fungal diseases and constantly gives a good harvest.
Varieties of medium term ripening
Very good yield gives a variety of medium ripening "Ilyinka". The variety has one-dimensional, large berries, the weight of which is 1.6 g. The berries have a pleasant sweet-sour taste. This variety has a very high yield, about 5 kg per bush. Currants are resistant to fungi, but sometimes are attacked by insects.
Another variety with an average maturity - "Beloved." He appeared relatively recently, but quickly won love among gardeners and gardeners. The main advantages of the variety include just excellent yield. From one bush can collect up to 12 kg of berries. As in the case of "Il'inka", "Beloved" has excellent immunity to fungal diseases, and it tolerates winter time well.
Varieties of late ripening
The brightest representatives of the late varieties of currant ripening include the “Dutch Red” and “Ronde”.
"Dutch Red" - This is a rather old West European variety. Currant bushes are quite thick, the height is average. Brushes approximately 8 cm, each holds up to 15 berries. The berries are bright, red, rather large. The grade is considered fruitful and frost-resistant.
"Ronde" - also a representative of foreign breeding. The bushes are of medium height, compactly folded, strong branches with shoots. Long brushes can hold about 20 berries. The berries are large, red, with a pleasant refreshing taste. A variety with a very high yield, winter-hardy, can adapt to any soil and climatic conditions, has good immunities to various diseases.
Planting red currants
Useful properties of red currant and its bright taste make land owners grow it on their lands. However, to get a good harvest, the plant must be properly planted. About how to plant red currants, let's talk.
When and where to plant red currants
When choosing a plot for currants, you need to remember that currants love a lot of light. Currant bushes are perfect south-western and southern areas, and if there is a small bias, it is generally perfect. A good solution would be to plant a bush near the fence, but given that the site will be well lit. You also need to remember what kind of soil like currants; it needs a lot of moisture, so you need to provide it with enough water.
Important! The best time for planting red currants is autumn.
How to choose the seedlings
Currants are planted with the help of seedlings. Best of all, it germinates from two year old seedlings. Red currant saplings from which a good bush can grow should have at least three glued roots. If you buy a seedling in a pot, but do not make it yourself, be sure to remove it from the pot and check the root system.
Fertilizer and watering the soil before planting
It is necessary to take into account the type of soil that will be planted. It is better to think carefully and decide where it is better to plant red currants on the site. Currant bushes love friable loamy soil. It does not like currant soil with a high content of various alkaline impurities. This soil will simply burn the roots, which will lead to the death of the plant.
To plant a bush, you need to dig a hole in a week. This is done to ensure that the earth has time to settle, and the drainage has fallen into place. The width of the pit should be about half a meter, a depth of about 40 cm. At the bottom of the pit lay a drainage, for example, small pebbles, then compost, which will feed the seedling. If there is a desire and possibility, then you can add superphosphate with potassium sulfate in a ratio of 1: 2, respectively.
Comprehensive care for red currants
While the currant bush is growing, you need to constantly look after it. It is necessary to fertilize the soil, get rid of weeds, in case of need to support branches of bushes.
Weeding and loosening the soil
In order for the currant to grow and develop well, the soil around the plant must be kept constantly moist and clean from weeds. It is necessary to thoroughly gnaw the soil to a depth of 10 cm. Such manipulations should be carried out at least once every 20 days.
In autumn, the ground under the currant should be dug 15 cm around the circumference of the bush.
Watering and mulch
Red currant loves moisture. The roots of her bushes are located close enough to the surface and cannot provide access to nutrient moisture from the groundwater. In the event of a shortage of water, the shrub will gradually dry out, slow down and quickly crumble.
Did you know? If you mulch the earth with organic matter, then loosening can be practiced less often.
You also need to use mulch. The best way is to mix 50 g of soda ash, 50 g of soap and dissolve them in 10 liters of hot water. The soil under the bush can be covered with a layer of leaves, grass, peat and hay. Care for red currants in the spring is to cover the ground with a newspaper if the buds are already swollen. Newspapers can be removed when flowering begins, as during this period useful insects begin to crawl out of the ground.
Proper pruning and bush formation
Forming pruning is the most important condition for a good, fruitful development of the red currant bush. The first time the bush needs to be trimmed after disembarkation. Cut off about half the size of each shoot, but be sure to save at least 4 developed buds on each shoot. Repeat this procedure for the next 3 years. Every year you will need to cut out old, diseased or too thick branches.
Important! Formative pruning can be stopped in the fourth year after planting. By this time, the plant is already fully formed and will acquire the developed shoots.
Methods of reproduction of red currant
It is better to begin the reproduction of currants in early spring, even before the buds begin to bloom. Unfortunately, few people know how to currant red breeds, so often make mistakes, because of which the currants do not germinate in new places. Currants can be propagated:
Seeds
In order to be able to propagate the currants with seeds, it is necessary to tie the best brushes on the bush with muslin and leave until full maturation. The more time the berries hang on the bush, the better it will be. When the berries are completely ripe, lay them on a sunny window. When the pulp begins to decompose, mix them with clean sand, rinse and dry. Sow the berries in the bed for germination, a year later transplant in a permanent place of growth of currant.
Lignified and green cuttings
Red currant bushes reproduce beautifully lignified and green cuttings that are usually transplanted at the end of summer. In late August, when the buds are already well developed, and the tops of the shoots have matured, they are cut for transplantation. For this, well-matured shoots up to 4 years old are suitable. The shoots are divided into cuttings of 18 cm in length and planted directly on the day of harvesting. The kidney must be prepared in advance, well watered and dug up. Planting depth should be such that 1-2 buds remain on the surface, the distance between the cuttings should be about 20 cm.
Layering
Red currant layer starts in early spring. For breeding choose high-yielding, high-grade varieties. There are three types of layouts:
- Horizontal. For a good result, take well-developed annual shoots that sprout at the base of the bush. When shoots grow on such branches, they are covered with moist and loose earth, it is important to leave the tops free from sprinkling. After a month, the procedure must be repeated. In the fall, these branches dig, cut at the base and cut into pieces. Layers that have a well-developed root are used for planting, and if the root system has developed poorly, it is left for another year.
- Arc-shaped. Near the bush a hole is dug up to a depth of 20 cm. Adult branches are pressed to the bottom of the hole and poured with a bucket of water, after which they immediately fall asleep in fertile, loose soil. Each branch, in such a way, will become a full-fledged sapling by autumn.
- Vertical. In early spring, the bush is cut at the root, leaving only short hemp 2-3 cm. After that, many young shoots will grow at the base of the bush. When they grow up to 20 cm, they are well watered and half spud earth. By autumn, the cuttings need to be separated from the main bush and transplanted.
Dividing bush
The division of the currant bush means the transfer of the bush to a new place. The old bush is completely dug up, cut into pieces so that each part has roots. For planting better fit young shoots. New parts of the bush are planted in a permanent place, and the stems need to be cut below to allow the young growth to develop. This is the easiest way, but the worst. Split bushes are a bad planting material.
Useful properties of red currant
Red currant is rightly called the health berry. It contains a huge amount of sugars, acids, a complex of vitamins E, A, C, various nitrogenous and pectic substances, iron, potassium, selenium, malic and succinic acid. Currant is an excellent antioxidant, it is recommended to take it in food to prevent the occurrence of cancer.
Scientists from different countries have done many different studies with red currants. According to the results of their work, it can be concluded that red currants contain coumarins and furocoumarins, which have an excellent analgesic and antitumor effect.
Hazardous properties of red currant
But despite the whole range of nutrients in the red currant, it still has contraindications. Red currant is strictly contraindicated in case of hepatitis, acute gastritis, duodenal ulcer and stomach ulcer. Red currant can harm people suffering from low blood clotting.
