How wonderful it is when you have the opportunity to feast on red currants in your favorite summer cottage or garden! This is not only delicious, but also very healthy. In fact, it is not so difficult to grow it - you just need to know some rules. Probably every amateur gardener will tell you that red currants do not require a lot of energy to grow and remain a productive and durable plant. This shrub has strong annual shoots that form a bush and replace dead branches.
Find out what are the benefits of red currants for the body and the harm
Choose sunlit places to grow it. She loves moisture, which is why it forms a powerful root system. Prefers to grow on clay, loamy soils.
Video: varieties of red currants
Planting red currant seedlings
Red currants are propagated by dividing the bush. Saplings begin to be planted from the beginning of September to the 20th inclusive. If you do not have time and plant later, then they will not strengthen the roots and will not have time to prepare for wintering. About a couple of weeks before this, the site is prepared as follows: first, a hole is dug half a meter wide and up to 40 cm deep. Then it is covered by 2/3 of fertile soil with the addition of mineral and organic additives - superphosphate, compost, wood ash and sulfate potassium. The seedling must be planted at an angle (45–55 degrees) to form additional roots. And now more about seedlings. They can be biennial or annual. Pay attention to their bark - black and green color indicates damaged plants, which, most likely, will not take root. If it's a little grayish, don't worry, this is normal for red currants and perfectly acceptable. When buying bushes for planting, pay attention to their root system - it is good if it is extensive and dense. Leaves from open-rooted seedlings are usually removed. If you purchased them without a container and there are leaves, then carefully remove them. Wrap the roots in damp cloth or newspaper and immediately in plastic. When planting bushes, they are placed at a distance of up to 1.5 meters from each other.
So, the planting ends with abundant watering, then the currants are mulched with humus or peat and cut so that 10-15 cm branches with 3 buds remain. Sprinkle with dry soil on top.
Caring for a red currant bush
Fertilizing red currants is necessary in the first 3 years, when it especially needs nutrients. Right now, new roots and shoots are actively being formed. This applies to potash and phosphorus fertilizers, but it needs less chlorine and phosphorus. Organic fertilizers can be applied in late autumn.
It is not worth talking about removing weeds near the trunk - they affect any plant, taking away moisture and nutrients from it. Do not forget to install supports so that the branches do not lean to the ground under the weight of the berries. But remember that if the branches are superimposed on each other, as if intertwining, they will not be able to completely dry out after the rains, and this is fraught with fungal diseases and sagging berries.
For the winter, red currants are tied so that the branches under the snowdrifts do not break. Despite the frost resistance of the culture, it is advisable to cover the currants with a film before severe cold weather.
Pruning red currant bushes
Pruning is carried out in order to prevent thickening of the branches. Too many branches can negatively affect the quality and quantity of berries. Pruning begins in early spring or late fall during dormancy. Old branches of 6–8 years of age are cut out and branches that are too low, but annual growths remain intact, since there are flower buds at their tips.
A cut of more than 8 mm is lubricated with a special pitch to avoid the appearance of fungus. In addition to the fungus, a threat to red currants is represented by spheroteka, or American powdery mildew. It forms a powdery coating of white color on the greenery of the leaves, which becomes brown over time. Then, fungi form on the affected areas. Therefore, it is important for the gardener to cut off diseased leaves, shoots in time, remove damaged berries and branches. By the way, about the branches: there may be caterpillars inside them - they gnaw through the core and inhibit the growth of the plant. Caterpillars are formed from eggs, which are laid by currant glass in the bark and cracks at the base of the shoots. Such damaged branches can only be removed.
So, you have learned all about growing red currants. Even if you are a very busy summer resident, you should not save time on three main things: high-quality planting, mulching, timely watering, sanitary and formative pruning. Have a great harvest, dear gardeners!
