Spring currant care, methods and types of fertilizing, folk remedies. Caring for currants in spring: necessary procedures, tips and instructions Propagation of black currants in spring

After winter, all fruit trees and shrubs need care. Currants require a special approach: there are many nuances in how to properly care for them in the spring. And if an experienced gardener probably knows several proven methods, then it will be useful for a beginner to familiarize himself with the rules of pruning, replanting, watering, soil care and treatment against pests and diseases.

How to prepare currant bushes in spring

First of all, you need to remember the main rule: the whole range of measures for caring for currants after winter is carried out after the snow has completely melted and the air temperature has settled at 0°C at night and +5°C during the day. It is important not to delay caring for the bush, to do the pruning on time, because in a sunny early spring, the buds are laid early, and you can simply be late. If the growing season begins (bud formation, and then throwing out young leaves), pruning and replanting the plant will not benefit it.

Did you know?Drink from black currant(sugar-free decoction) helps to recover after training. It functions as an isotonic and reduces muscle pain.

Transplanting bushes

Spring replanting is done before the leaves appear. This is done for several reasons:

• propagation of bushes;
• separation of too dense growth;
• rejuvenation and obtaining a more abundant harvest (the recommendation applies to plants that are 5 years old or more);
• planting overwintered cuttings that have strengthened in growing containers.

So, in order for the currant transplant to be successful, it is recommended to follow the following procedure:

1. First you need to prepare a place for planting. The depth and diameter of the hole for adult plants should be 60x60 cm, for young plants - 40x40 cm.
2. If there are several plants, dig a trench of the required length (depending on how many bushes there will be), with a width of 40 to 60 cm. The bushes are planted in the trench at a distance of 1.5 m from each other.
3. At the bottom of the hole or trench, be sure to put drainage, for example, limestone crushed stone, and also add humus and compost to the soil (at the rate of 0.5 buckets for each plant).
4. After this, currants are planted, the roots of which are well sprinkled with soil so that the layer at the trunk or at the cutting itself is 5 cm higher than in the radius of the bush.

And if everything is simple with cuttings - together with a lump of earth from a container or from the area where they overwintered, they are carefully planted in a new place - then plants that are more than 2 years old are moved a little differently. The first rule: never pull the branches or pull the bush out of the soil. You should carefully dig it out of the ground, keeping the earthen lump, and together with it, supporting the bush under the roots, plant it in a hole or trench.

Important! Before transferring adult plants to a new location, the soil and the bush itself are treated with a solution of potassium permanganate. To obtain a solution, 5 g of potassium permanganate is dissolved in a bucket of water.

Experienced gardeners advise planting adult plants in a new habitat 5–7 cm deeper than in the old one. After transplanting, in the first months, the currants need to be watered abundantly, making sure that the soil does not become waterlogged or dry out. The frequency of watering depends on weather conditions. If it rains regularly, watering can be done as the soil dries out. If the summer is dry, it would be useful to water the currant bushes every other day.

Pruning currant bush

Spring pruning is carried out in different regions at different times: in the northern part of the country - at the end of April, in the temperate zone - at the beginning of April, and in the south - at the end of March. Each summer resident sets the timing of pruning himself, based on the condition of the bush, its growth and development. In any case, pruning is not carried out before the end of March. First of all, cut off the old shoots, right near the ground, so that the remaining cuttings are barely visible. Old shoots are usually gray and they lack flower tassels.
Fig.1. Currant pruning: a - one-year-old seedling; b - two-year-old bush; c, d - shortening of shoots. Fig.2. Currant bush before anti-aging pruning (a), after it (b) and pruning of a neglected bush (c).

If a strong lateral shoot appears on a branch, it is cut off 0.5 cm above the point of growth of the young shoot. Healthy branches are brown; they are shortened in the second year of the plant’s life by 4–8 buds, depending on the length. In the third year, weak young shoots are removed and strong annual branches are cut off by a third. In a plant that is more than 5–7 years old, the old branches (gray in color) are cut down to cuttings and the strong branches are again shortened by 4–8 buds. Thus, the currant bush is rejuvenated and bears fruit regularly.

Important! Shoots that bend close to the soil are considered weak and are also removed in the spring.

How to properly dig currants

Experienced summer residents It is advised to dig up currants all summer, in particular, to loosen the rows. Simultaneously with this procedure, natural weed removal occurs. Currants have roots close to the surface, so hilling is done shallowly, 10–15 cm, to enrich the soil with oxygen.
Digging begins in the spring (from the beginning of April), continues throughout the summer and in the fall they mulch with the addition of manure (1 bucket of manure is added per 1 m² of soil). The layer of fertilizer on the row spacing can reach up to 7 cm. Hilling is not performed in winter. The next year, after flowering (usually at the end of May), you can repeat the hilling cycle, loosening the row spacing and then carry out all the care again according to the scheme described above.

How to water a bush

Water the currant bushes with ordinary water taken from a well or the reservoir closest to the site. The water should be warm; it is recommended to install a container on the site, for example, a large trough or garden bathtub, which will be filled with water for irrigation. This is especially important if there are a lot of currant bushes.
The most important period for obtaining moisture is the period of berry formation and the time of fruit filling, when they increase in size.

If the weather is dry, then watering is carried out once every 8 days, pouring 5 buckets of water under each plant. The leaves are not moistened with water, but poured only at the root. If autumn is dry, it is allowed on the site abundant watering in early October so that the soil absorbs moisture and the plant does not suffer from water deficiency.

Did you know?IN winter time You can add dried currant leaves to regular tea. This will turn an ordinary drink into an effective antiviral agent.

Soil care

Except regular watering, the plant also requires care directly for the soil in which it grows. The soil around the bush should be loose; for this, a popular agrotechnical technique is used - mulching. As a result, the earth becomes softer and more oxygen enters it. Sphagnum or peat is used as mulch. They are sold in all agricultural stores and even in markets. They are simply scattered on the surface: under the bush and within the radius of the crown.

A technique such as mulching with newspapers is also used. They cover the soil and remove it when inflorescences form. Instead of newspapers, you can use black lutrasil. This is a special covering material that will not allow weeds to grow and protect the bushes from rapid evaporation of moisture. The big advantage of the material is that watering can be done directly onto its surface.

Pest treatment

Video: watering currants with boiling water

Another way to protect against pests is to water with herbal decoctions, for example, tincture onion peel or garlic water. To obtain the infusion, take 1 kg (already dried) of yellow husk from the usual onions and pour 2 liters of boiling water. Leave for a day, then dilute with water to obtain a volume of 10 liters and water the bush. The tincture does not have to be hot; any temperature is allowed. Garlic water is prepared as follows: add 2 crushed cloves of garlic to 1 liter of boiling water. Leave for an hour, then filter and water the bush.

What to do with currants in spring for a good harvest

The following tips from experienced gardeners will certainly help you get good harvest currants:

• Spring pruning should be carried out only before sap flow begins;
• first treat the bush from pests and then trim it;
• there is no need to be zealous with fertilizers; their excess is just as harmful as its deficiency;
• You should definitely prune the bushes;
• even if the bush is not sick, preventive treatment against pests and diseases is mandatory;
• chicken manure in its pure form is never added to the soil, since it can easily burn the roots of the plant, so it is added only in a diluted state with water.

Features of caring for currants in Siberia

As for the cultivation of currants in Siberia, there are several important features care:

• breeders advise summer residents of this region to grow only winter-hardy varieties(Friendly, Hercules, Far Eastern brown, etc.);
• Growing in lowlands should be avoided; a flat part of the plot is more suitable for currants;
• if they lie close groundwater, then you need to look for another place for planting, since in winter this neighborhood will increase the likelihood of roots freezing;
• during the berry laying season, abundant watering is required;
• Fertilizers in the form of humus and compost are applied only in the third year of the plant’s life, mineral fertilizers- spring and autumn;
• pruning is carried out according to standard scheme, taking into account the season (as in all northern regions - at the end of April).

Video: growing currants in Siberia

When to open currants after winter in Transbaikalia

According to the recommendations of experts, in the northern regions, including Transbaikalia, it is necessary to open currants after winter when the snow on the area has already partially melted or melted. This period usually falls in April.

Growing currants is not as difficult as it seems at first glance. If you follow the advice of experts and experienced gardeners, then any summer resident, even a beginner, can get a bountiful harvest of tasty and healthy berries.

Currants are one of the first to awaken after winter. Therefore, it is necessary to properly care for currants in the spring as early as possible, before the buds wake up and the snow completely melts, depending on the region, this is the months of March-April.

Removing cover after winter

The first step is to remove the winter cover, which is mainly non-woven material - spunbond. If you delay with this, the bush may be banned inside. Clear the area from the remaining snow, and then from the litter; if this has not been removed in the fall, it is recommended to burn the collected leaves, because pests that have overwintered in the leaves may remain in it.

You should carefully examine the buds: remove and burn round, swollen buds inhabited by overwintered mites; if there are a lot of them, cut off the branch completely. Cut off the discovered black core of the branch to a healthy light green one, which means that a pest has taken up residence in the branch - glass beetle.

Watering, loosening and mulching

Soil preparation consists of loosening, the main thing is not to damage nearby roots, and removing weeds. New mulch is poured, which protects the roots from drying out and maintains the necessary moisture.

Interesting. Protective layer It is advisable to spread within a radius of 1.5 meters, and with a sufficient amount of organic matter, the entire row of shrubs with row spacing. Apply a minimum of about 50 cm of mulch in the form of mature humus or compost.

To care for currants, sufficient watering is required: 4-5 times per season, and in dry summers up to 8 times, without overwatering the soil. Thus, the fruits gain flavor and volume.

Feeding and fertilizing

For growth and productive yield, the shrub needs a large amount of nutrients. There is a high need for phosphorus and potassium. Nitrogen supplements have a good effect, but only with sufficient phosphorus and potassium. Otherwise, against a high background of nitrogen alone, the increased content of amino acids in the juice of shoots growing rapidly from fertilizer becomes attractive to pests and powdery mildew. Also, nitrogen fertilizers are not needed after the second half of May. The plant does not tolerate chlorine. During the growing season, chlorine-containing fertilizers should not be applied. Ash from deciduous trees contains all the elements necessary for the culture. They bring it along the perimeter of the crown, in this place underground there are roots that perceive useful material.

After applying fertilizers during planting, the next fertilizing is done only after 3 years. Fertilizer application period - May-June, in phase active growth, and in the summer, after the harvest, when buds are being laid for next year's harvest. Apply fertilizers in diluted form, follow the dosage. Use solutions of urea and nitromophoska, mullein.

Trimming

Important advice for getting a good harvest: The right way bush formation. Pruning is necessary from perennial, no longer fruiting, intertwined, weak or damaged branches. The correct ratio of branches by age should be maintained, in which there should always be more young ones than old ones, more than 5 years old.

The currant bush should be erect, without deviated or creeping branches. The bushes should be well ventilated and illuminated, and not be thickened so that they are not affected by disease. Thus, all the nutrition and energy of the plant will be directed to the formation of berries, and not to supporting old unnecessary branches, so that fruiting does not go to the periphery of the bush.

Important! There are about 70 species of currant pests. Varieties are bred with resistance to only some of them. The rest of the work falls on the gardener's shoulders.

Treatment against diseases and pests

Pest control is sometimes carried out using in early spring method of hot watering of plants. Before the buds awaken, when the snow has not yet completely melted, the bushes are doused with boiling water from a watering can. In this case, the bushes are not damaged, even if there is frost, and in this way you can get rid of pests that overwinter in the buds of the plant. But experienced gardeners consider the method controversial and use the old method - preventive spraying with insecticides. Treatment with biological products requires multiple applications; pests cannot be destroyed with one treatment. All treatments are carried out at positive air temperatures, including at night.

Transfer

Replanting adult bushes is done only when there is great need, because with this action the currants begin to hurt and the bush may die. At the same time, fruiting is reduced for several years.

In the case of transplantation in the spring, there is a short period from the thawing of the ground to the opening of the buds in which this can be done.

If you disturb a flowering bush, it will drop its flowers and there will be no berries. It is best to replant in the fall, and plant cuttings in the spring, taking into account the rules for caring for currants in early spring.

Caring for red, white and black currants

Currant berries, which are black in color, contain 4 times more vitamins than others, the leaves have a characteristic fragrant smell and are suitable for making tea, and they are more demanding to care for.

Black currant planting and care in open ground is demanding on soil and amount of moisture, grows poorly in sandy, saline or acidic areas, red and white currants are less demanding on soil composition and moisture, their root system is stronger, lies deeper and spreads wider in the ground . Therefore, the layer of mulch for red may be less.

Black currant is more susceptible to diseases and pests, and the degeneration of the bush occurs earlier; it requires attention to the formation of the bush and avoidance of thickening. Currants, which have red berries, bear fruit throughout the entire bush, and cutting off the tops to reduce the length of the bush will not harm the yield. The black one has a large concentration of berries - from the middle of the bush to the top.

In black currants, berries form on the shoots for 2 years, and in red and white ones - 3-4 years, so pruning of crops will be different; if the growth of the red currant shoot is no more than 10 cm, and the growth of the branch is directed inward, such branches are removed, leaving shoots , who increased their height by 30 cm during the season.

Red and white currants can be planted more compactly, 1.5 m from each other; for black, the distance between the bushes should be 2 m in order to reap a rich harvest. Currants different colors don't sit next to each other.

For red currants, shallow spreading of fertilizers is not suitable, because the roots go deeper than those of black currants.

Spring care for currants in different regions

The principle of zoning is considered important in choosing varieties. There are several hundred varieties of currants bred for different regions countries. Currants that grow best are those chosen based on their growing area. Frost-resistant varieties have been bred for Siberia; it is not productive to plant an early variety intended for the central region there.

In regions with cold winters, the bush should be covered with protective materials, and the root system should be covered with sawdust and peat. Where the cottage is located in hot areas, a larger layer of mulch should be made to protect the roots from the scorching sun. Otherwise, the agricultural technology of the crop is no different. You should focus only on when, in a certain climatic zone the plant wakes up, and planting and caring for currants begins.

Mistakes in caring for currants in spring

The buds of the bush bloom very quickly, during flowering, in the month of May it is too late to do spring care, it is important not to miss the time when the buds are still dormant. This rule especially applies when branches are treated with boiling water.

On a note. Currants are demanding when it comes to watering, but you shouldn’t overwater them.

If you do not carry out pest prevention in the spring, the bush can be completely damaged; in some cases you have to get rid of it and not plant anything in this place for several years. Also, leaving old or weak branches is attractive to pests, which are then transferred to healthy branches. Pruning and burning such branches is one of the rules for growing and caring for currants.

An inexperienced gardener unknowingly removes young branches or tops instead of cutting off perennial branches.

Currants are an unpretentious crop, but they require care to harvest large quantities of sweet berries. important aspect from which is the spring one, using the rules on how to care for currants during this period.

The time has come for spring work in the garden, berry garden, and vegetable garden. Today we'll talk about black currants. What care does this berry need in the spring? It must be said that spring processing of berry gardens is more important than autumn and includes such urgent work as:

• cleaning black currant bushes;
• sanitary pruning of bushes;
• standard pruning of bushes;
• treatment against pests and diseases;
• fertilizing black currants;
• watering;
• loosening the soil and mulching.

The order of work can be changed if there is still snow and some work cannot be completed. For example, carry out spring cleaning of black currants from the debris accumulated during the autumn-winter period. Do not carry out formative pruning if it was done in the fall. But let's try to consider all the works in order.

Cleaning blackcurrant bushes

The main cleaning of blackcurrant bushes from old branches, fallen leaves, and weeds is carried out in the fall. However, during the autumn-winter period, garbage accumulates and must be removed. We carefully rake away the old overwintered foliage from the blackcurrant bush and between the branches in the bush and be sure to burn it. Without a doubt, some pests spend the winter in it and retire late.

Sanitary pruning of black currants

We carefully examine the blackcurrant bush. We cut out all broken, growing inward, diseased and dry branches.

We inspect the lower branches and trim those lying on the ground. They were crushed under the snow. We cut at the last or penultimate living bud, looking up. We put the branches in a pile.

We examine the old branches of black currant, whose effective fruiting has ended. These are 6-7 year old branches. They are covered with old, rough bark and have virtually no young side shoots or buds. Such branches will not produce a harvest, but they will take away some of the nutrients from the young ones. We cut them off close to the ground and also put them in a pile.

Let's move on to living fruiting shoots of black currant. We inspect each one from the bottom to the tip of the branch. If there are frozen parts, cut them back to a living bud.

If the blackcurrant bush looks emaciated, the young fruiting shoots are thin. We cut off all young shoots by 8-10 cm. This technique will save the bush’s strength to form a harvest.

Once again we inspect the fruiting shoots. On some branches the buds are swollen and round. The tick settled there for the winter. If the entire branch is affected, cut it off without regret. Otherwise, we may be left without a harvest. We must burn the affected black currant branches.

If there are 1-2 swollen buds on a fruiting blackcurrant shoot, pinch them off and put them in a bag or pocket. Then we burn them, like all cut branches.

Standard pruning of black currants

After all the preparatory pruning has been carried out, they begin the annual pruning of black currant bushes in order to load the bush.

The loading of the black currant bush is carried out in parallel with sanitary pruning. In young 2-3 year old bushes, 3-4 young well-developed shoots are left, the rest are cut into a ring near the ground. The stems are cut so that an impromptu circle or quadrangle is formed with approximately equal distances from each other. There is no need to leave young shoots inside this circle/square. The wider the base, the lighter the blackcurrant bush and the greater the berry set.

Every year the blackcurrant bush is replenished with 3-4 basal annual shoots. By the age of five, the bush will have 8-12 strong fruiting shoots. There may be more of them if the base of the bush has a large diameter. The distance between blackcurrant shoots is 8-12-15 cm. Second-order shoots are practically left untouched. They can be shortened if the growth of the previous year is equal to or exceeds 40-45 cm.

Remember! The width of the base of a blackcurrant bush depends on correct landing. The seedling is planted obliquely, not vertically. When planted at an angle, the bush develops additional roots and forms more shoots from dormant buds.

The most active period for the formation of a blackcurrant harvest is 5-7 years, then the fruitfulness of aging and old branches decreases. When the bush is under load in March, these branches are pruned first. Old 8-9 summer bushes they are uprooted and replaced with young ones, gradually moving the berry garden to a new place. You can replace the uprooting of black currants with rejuvenation, which is more practical to do in the spring before the buds wake up (March). During rejuvenation, all shoots are cut into a ring and a bush is formed from new young ones.

Techniques for early processing of black currants

Immediately after pruning, we begin treating blackcurrant bushes from pests and diseases.

Experienced gardeners carry out several types of treatments on dormant bushes:

• fire treatment;
• boiling water treatment;
• treatment with solutions of pesticides;
• treatment with biological products.

Processing black currants with fire

A large number of experienced gardeners began to use early treatments of black currants (in early March while the bushes are dormant) with a blowtorch or gas burner to combat mites and aphids.

After pruning, the blackcurrant bush is quite sparse. We direct the burner fire to the branches of the bush at a distance of 8-10 cm and move it along the branches from top to bottom 2-3 times. It’s like we’re stroking it with fire. Do not bring the fire close and do not keep it near the branches; they do not need to be fried. Only burn superficially. In this case, aphid eggs and a large number of mites, overwintering in the buds swollen from their number, die.

Remember! Only black, red, white currants and strawberries can be treated with fire. Other types of berries (raspberries, gooseberries and others) are not allowed.

If there is still snow, you can shovel it away from the roots of the blackcurrant and return it to its place after a few days.

If you are afraid of fire treatment, go to one of the following types, in your opinion less dangerous.

Processing black currants with boiling water

Like fire treatment, it is carried out in early spring, while the blackcurrant bush is dormant.

A large blackcurrant bush requires approximately 1-1.2 buckets of hot water. Fill a watering can with a sprinkler with boiling water, and from a height of 15-20 cm above the bush, wash it with boiling water. While the water reaches the bush, the temperature will drop to +60...+70°C and will not damage the plant. Bathing reduces the number of pests and fungal diseases, but does not completely destroy them. Therefore, in the phase of bud swelling, we will return once again to treating plants from pests and diseases.

Treatment of black currants with pesticides

At the end of March - the first half of April, black currant bushes are treated with a 1-2% solution of copper sulfate or a 3% solution of Bordeaux mixture. You can use a solution of copper oxychloride as recommended. Treatment with these drugs partially destroys overwintering mites, aphids, and fungal infections.

When blackcurrant buds begin to form, experts recommend treating the bushes with dispersed sulfur or a suspension of colloidal sulfur. During this period, it is still possible to spray with Sulfarid, Kinmiks and others approved for use. It is possible to use the drugs Aktara, INTA-Vir and others.

But in a private garden the use of chemicals is undesirable, and in families with small children it is prohibited. Environmentally friendly products can be obtained using biological products, infusions and decoctions of insecticidal plants.

Treatment of black currant with biological products

Biological products that can be used to treat currants throughout the warm season until harvest will help rid currants of mites, aphids, moths, fungal infections of various pathologies and other pests and diseases.

The maximum effect of biological products is manifested at positive temperatures from +15..+18°C.

Please note! It is necessary to dilute and use biological products in strict accordance with the recommendations, then their effectiveness will be maximum.

Biological products are harmless to people, animals and birds. They begin to act within a few hours. Their effect lasts for at least 2-3 weeks. Repeated treatment until the effect of the drug expires is carried out only after rains.

To protect plants from pests, nemacabact, lepidocide, bitoxibacillin, fitoverm and others are used.

To protect against diseases - pentophage, trichodermin, phytosporin-B, alirin-B, gamair and others.

Biological products are well mixed in tank mixtures, which reduces the number of treatments and the load on the bushes during treatments.

Decoctions and infusions of insecticidal plants

Currently, tips and recommendations are appearing from gardeners and gardeners on the use of insecticidal plants to protect fruit crops from pests:

• garlic infusion;
• infusion of celandine, marigold (tagetes), dandelion, yarrow;
• fresh potato tops;
• decoction of tobacco, yarrow, etc.

Along with harmless insecticidal plants, recommendations abound in the use of very poisonous plants, which will not only destroy a pitiful part of the pests, but will also serve as poison when using unwashed berries for food. Be careful!

Blackcurrant nutrition

Rules for fertilizing when applying any types of fertilizers:

• the diameter of fertilizer application is equal to or slightly larger than the crown of the bush;
• fertilizers are applied evenly from all sides, scattered over the surface of the soil for watering or shallow embedding into the soil at a depth of 5-8 cm;
• In early spring, you can feed blackcurrant bushes with organic matter or complete fertilizer using the deep application method. Depending on the age and size of the bush, a ditch 30 cm deep and 7-10 cm wide is dug at a distance of 50-60 cm around the perimeter. A solution of organic or mineral fertilizers is poured into it and covered with soil after absorption;
• the fertilizer solution can be applied to the surface of the loosened soil directly under the blackcurrant bush. In this case, after fertilizing, water the soil clean water and mulch.

Phases of fertilizing black currants

In the spring, 2 feedings are carried out:

• at the beginning of flowering. Late varieties with the formation of 1-2 cm of shoots of the current year;
• the beginning of mass berry set.

First spring feeding of black currants

They begin to feed black currants at the age of three (first fruiting).

If no fertilizer has been applied to the blackcurrant since the fall, then the first spring fertilizing is carried out:

• a solution of organic fertilizer (manure, bird droppings);
• complete mineral fertilizer;
• a mixture of organic and mineral fertilizers.

To feed black currants with manure, use a solution in a concentration of 1 part mullein to 10 parts water and add 20-25 g of urea or ammonium nitrate.

If you use bird droppings instead of manure, then 1 part of the droppings is dissolved in 12-15 liters of water with the addition of urea.

In the absence of organic matter, you can add nitroammophoska at the rate of 30-40 g/bush, followed by watering and mulching.

If the blackcurrant bushes are large, with a high level of fruiting, then in the spring it is better to apply an organo-mineral mixture of manure or bird droppings and phosphorus-potassium fertilizer. Dilute 1 part of manure per 10 liters of water, add 20-25 g of superphosphate and 10-15 g of potassium sulfate. The mixture is thoroughly stirred and applied to the furrows located along the edge of the currant bush. After applying and covering the fertilizers, you can water the bushes with an average rate of water (do not wash away the fertilizers).

If in the fall the soil under black currants was filled with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, then in the spring, only nitrogen fertilizers in the form of urea or ammonium nitrate are applied in the first fertilizing at a dose of 50-60 g/sq.m. m area. Bushes over 4 years old receive ½ of the specified norm.

Second spring feeding of black currants

The second spring feeding of black currants occurs after 14 days or during the mass berry setting phase. During this period, currants need, in addition to basic fertilizers, microelements. The plant can receive them in the form of fertilizing:

• wood ash 0.5-1.0 cup per bush, followed by shallow embedding by loosening and watering with mulching;
• You can add 1-3 kg of humus mixed with potassium sulfate under each bush. Treatment after applying fertilizing, as when adding ash;
• For feeding, you can use mineral fertilizers containing microelements - kemira, berry and others. They can be applied to the soil under the bush or foliar feeding by spraying with a solution. 50-60 g/sq.m. is added to the soil. m area. For foliar feeding, dissolve 10 g of fertilizer in 8-10 liters of water and spray;
• foliar feeding can be done after the first root feeding, 7-8 days later, using boric acid, wood ash infusion, kemira and other microelement kits, which are sold in specialized stores;

The second foliar feeding of black currants is carried out at the beginning of summer when the berries are growing. The dose and method of feeding are the same.

Watering black currants

In early spring, currants, as a rule, are not watered separately. Watering is used when applying fertilizers.

The first time self-watering of black currants is carried out in long-term dry weather during the mass flowering phase.

If there is a sufficient supply of winter moisture, the first watering of black currants is carried out during the ovary formation phase (approximately the end of May).

The second watering of black currants is already in summer. It is carried out during the growth (filling) phase of the berries.

Currants love irrigation by sprinkling. It is better to carry them out before or after flowering. During flowering or in the absence of devices for sprinkling, you can water with a hose:

• along the furrows between the rows;
• under the bush, where a roller is made to retain water;
• into a ditch made around the perimeter of the bush and in other ways.

It is important that when watering black currants the soil is well soaked in a layer of 40-60 cm.

To retain moisture longer after water has been absorbed, the soil under the blackcurrant bush is loosened and mulched. Can be used as mulch under bushes:

• mature compost;
• humus;
• neutral peat;
• rotted sawdust or shavings, beveled lawn grass or beveled green manure.

The use of mulch will not only retain moisture, but will also serve as an additional organic fertilizer and will also help improve physical properties soil.

The berry garden must be kept clean. Destroy weeds in a timely manner and loosen the soil, which will increase air access to plant roots and improve the microclimate in the root layer. Completion of spring work will serve as the basis for the formation of a high yield of black currants with good quality berries

Dear readers! The norms and combinations of fertilizers for root and foliar feeding blackcurrant, chemical and biological preparations for treatments against pests and diseases are not dogma. Without a doubt, many gardeners and gardeners use their own methods of maintaining berry gardens that have been developed over the years. Share your experience with us in the comments.

In central Russia, currants awaken in late March - early April. Caring for the crop in spring should begin as soon as the snow melts. Proper pruning of bushes, treatment against pests and diseases, fertilizing is the key to a rich harvest.

Features of spring currant care

The time for spring work in the garden comes when the branches of the bushes have not yet filled with sap and the buds have not swelled. If sanitary pruning is carried out later than this period, the plant can be seriously injured. It will weaken and fruiting will begin later. Disinfection of bushes carried out at the wrong time threatens the opening of insect eggs that have overwintered in the bark and the attack of pests on currants.

Removing cover and removing debris

If the currants have been insulated for the winter, care for the currants begins by removing the protective material. An increase in air temperature and humidity provokes the formation of mold on the wood under the thermal layer. Putrefactive infections become more active and can attack a plant weakened after wintering.

The next step: remove last year's leaves, debris, and mulch remnants from the tree trunks. If this is not done in time, pathogenic bacteria can spread from the rotting plant litter to the bush and infect it. Collected garbage should be burned or transferred to a compost heap.

Sanitary pruning of currants

Caring for black currants in early spring involves sanitary pruning. If the procedure for rejuvenating old bushes and forming the crown was not carried out in the fall, this is done in spring time before the kidneys awaken. Step-by-step instruction trims:

1. Remove dry, broken, frostbitten branches.
2. Cut off branches older than 4 years at the root - they do not bear fruit well.
3. Remove thin young shoots growing from the root of the bush. These shoots produce small, sour berries.
4. Cut out annual branches, leaving 3-4 strong vines.
5. Trim the tops of annual shoots by 10-15 cm. Make the cut 0.5 cm above the intended bud so that it does not dry out.
6. Eliminate 2-3 strong branches on an old bush if it has produced little growth over the past 2 years.
7. Trim shoots growing inside the bush to sunlight got to the central part of the crown.
8. Remove all swollen buds that look like peas, since female bud mites, the main pest of currants, can overwinter there.

Loosening and mulching

To saturate the currant root system with oxygen, it is important to periodically loosen the soil around the tree trunk. It is important to proceed carefully so as not to damage the roots. The depth of loosening is 15-20 cm. Simultaneously with loosening, weeds are removed. They draw a large amount of nutrients from the soil that currants need.

Mulching the tree trunk keeps the soil moist, thereby facilitating better absorption of nutrients by the roots. It prevents the germination of weeds by blocking light from reaching them. The following is used as mulch:

Watering currants in spring

To get juicy, sweet currant berries, the bushes must be watered in early spring, following these rules:

1. Watering schedule: 1 time per week.
2. Water consumption - 3 liters per bush.
3. The plant should be watered in the evening with settled water at a temperature of 23-25 ​​°C.
4. Moisten the soil around the trunk evenly (do not pour liquid into the center of the bush).
5. Stop watering as soon as the ovaries begin to color so that the berries do not crack from excess moisture.

Disease Prevention

Caring for currant bushes in the spring involves preventive treatment against diseases. As soon as the snow melts, the plants are scalded with boiling water from a watering can (10 liters per bush). This will not harm the “unawakened” currants. This is how they destroy the eggs of aphids and other harmful insects that have overwintered in the bark and buds. Suitable for preventive spraying of bushes against pests and diseases. folk remedies:

• Pour boiling water over 250 g of ash and leave for 2 days. Dilute the concentrate with 10 liters of water, add 50 g of liquid soap, stir.
• Steam 200 g of onion peels in 10 liters of boiling water. Leave for 2 days, strain.
• Bar laundry soap grate, add a bucket of hot water, stir until the ingredient dissolves. Add 20 tbsp. spoons of soda, stir.

If last season the currants were affected by diseases or pests, for prevention it is necessary to spray the bushes with pesticides:

Fitoverm for the protection of garden plants

• Fitoverm from aphids, spider mites, thrips, flower beetles. Dilute 2 ml of the drug in 1 liter of water at room temperature. Consumption – 1 liter of working solution per bush.
• Tiovit Jet from powdery mildew. Dosage – 50 g per 10 liters of water. Spray after flowering.
• Kleschevit from spider mites, red fruit mites, and bud mites. Working solution – 2 ml of insecticide per 10 liters of water. Consumption – 1 liter of working solution per bush.
• Bordeaux mixture from anthracnose, rust, spotting. Before the buds swell, you need to treat the bushes with a 3% solution of the chemical. It is prepared in plastic containers. Dissolve 300 g of copper sulfate in 5 liters of water, gradually adding liquid. In a separate bowl - 300 g of lime per 5 liters of water. Pour the copper sulfate solution into the milk of lime in a thin stream, stirring constantly.
• Aktellik from spider mites, aphids, thrips. Dosage – 2 ml of the drug per 1 liter of water. Consumption – 1.5 liters of solution for 10 m² of currant planting.

Fertilizer application

Caring for currants in the spring involves applying mineral fertilizers. Nitrogen fertilizer is applied as soon as the buds begin to swell. 1 tbsp. a spoonful of urea is dissolved in 10 liters of water. Along the radius of the crown, a ditch of 15-20 cm is dug in the ground and a nutrient solution is poured into it. Nitrogen is necessary for currant bushes to grow green mass, which contributes to organic plant nutrition.

You need to repeat fertilizing after flowering to form large bunches. It is useful to feed old currant bushes in the spring with organic fertilizers: 5 kg of humus or compost per bush. The fertilizer is lightly mixed with the soil around the tree trunk. When watering, beneficial substances will dissolve and be absorbed by the roots.

Fertilizer for currants

Foliar feeding

To saturate the plant with microelements, foliar feeding of the bushes is carried out in the spring. This will make the berries larger and sweeter. Spray plants in cloudy weather. Fertilizing is carried out before the crop blooms and after the formation of ovaries. To prepare a complex fertilizer, you need to dissolve the following components in 10 liters of water:

• boric acid – 2 g;
• copper sulfate – 2 g;
• zinc sulfate – 2 g;
• manganese – 5 g.

Video

For black currants to be successful, caring for them must begin in the spring.

Currant is a valuable shrub that is a source large quantity useful vitamins and microelements. To get a rich harvest of black currants, you need to follow all the rules for caring for the plant as much as possible from the very beginning of its planting in the soil.

Young bushes are planted in autumn or spring. The best time September or October is considered for planting, since in the spring, when sap flow begins, the plant will actively grow. If currants are planted in the spring, this should be done before the trees begin to bud. As for the soil, the plant is unpretentious to almost any composition, the main thing is that the soil is not swampy or overly moist. However, in order for blackcurrants to succeed, it is recommended to use a fertile layer consisting of sand, compost and peat 10-12 cm thick.

It is advisable to cover the trunk circle with mulch paper or dark film, pouring a small mound 15-18 cm high in the center of the bush. It is necessary to mulch the plant not only to maintain moisture, but also to combat the gooseberry moth, which is considered a dangerous pest for currants.

The bushes develop equally well both in the shade and in the sun. In early spring, as soon as the snow melts, preventive work should be carried out by watering the bushes with hot water from a watering can with a fine strainer. This measure will rid the plant of powdery mildew and some other diseases, killing dormant pests, neutralizing pathogenic spores and activating the vitality of the currant. The water temperature should be approximately +80°C. It is even possible to use boiling water, since small droplets will have time to cool in the cool air and will not burn the plant.

It is important to pour boiling water before the buds begin to bloom, and if they are already swollen, the water temperature should be slightly lower. Before green leaves bloom, diseased and damaged branches, as well as mite-affected buds, should be removed. Along with sanitary pruning, general pruning is also carried out, giving the bush a beautiful shape.

If the bushes were hilled up in the fall, then the tree trunk circle should be cleared, the ground should be carefully dug up, removing weeds, and mulched using manure or humus. Fertilizer should be spread around the bush at a distance of 20 cm. The flowering of the crop in the middle zone occurs from May 8 to May 17. At this time, to prevent the moth from damaging the plant, you can stick a flowering elderberry branch next to it.

Rapid flowering does not yet guarantee a bountiful harvest. Morning frosts can cause the ovaries to fall off. To prevent this from happening, you need to monitor the forecast. When cold weather is expected, cover the bushes plastic film or burlap, after watering them well at the root. Treating currants with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or boric acid.

If cold weather occurs during flowering, it is useful to treat the plant with a 1% urea solution in the evening. If the bushes were not sprayed with hot water in the spring, use another method that protects the plant from aphids, currant sawflies and mites. Grind 600 g of dandelion tops along with roots and fill them with water for 10-12 hours, after which the currants are processed.

The plant loves good watering, after which it is necessary to weed and loosen the soil. If it is not mulched, loosening is necessary 2-3 times a week.

Caring for currants: pest control, pruning, mulching and loosening

At first glance it may seem that spring care for currants - the process is complex and time-consuming. In fact, each bush will require very little time for each operation at the end of winter and spring. This is work based on the “do it and wait for the harvest” principle, but everything must be done on time.

How to care for currants in spring

Caring for currants in spring includes:

• disease prevention,
• pest protection,
• pruning

First pest control treatment of the season

Currants often suffer from insect pests: currant bud mite, glass beetle, aphids and others. Fungal and viral diseases, for example, anthracnose of leaves, also create problems. Therefore, without treatments, the gardener has little chance of a good harvest.

Without spring processing, currants will be susceptible to various diseases, for example, anthracnose

The first treatment is carried out in late winter or early spring in several ways:

• The bushes are doused with boiling water from a watering can. Short-term exposure to hot water does not harm the bark and dormant buds, but is guaranteed to kill mites hibernating in them, as well as spores of harmful fungi. The processing time is long and varies by region. For example, in Belarus this can be done in the middle of winter, if there are no snowdrifts covering the bushes, but in the Urals it is better in the spring - until the plant begins to wake up and until the first signs of sap flow and swelling of the buds appear. This time is well determined by the appearance of a light green haze on the bush. It is believed that shock shaking with boiling water also strengthens the plant’s immunity;
• sometimes gardeners, to enhance the effect, add potassium permanganate to boiling water until it turns slightly pink, a tablespoon of salt or 50 g of iron or copper sulfate per 10 liters of water;
• if for some reason it was not possible to carry out the treatment in early spring, it is carried out at the end of March or beginning of April, always until the buds are completely swollen, with the following solution: per 10 liters warm water 500–700 g of carbamide (urea) and 50 g of copper or iron sulfate. This is a very powerful concentration of urea, but very little gets under the bush and in the future it will work as a nitrogen fertilizer;
• The following recipe for getting rid of ticks is also used - a solution of colloidal sulfur, 10 g per 10 liters of water.

Video: watering currants with boiling water

Spring pruning

Pruning is carried out in early spring, before the buds completely swell. In the southern regions, for example, in Belarus, bushes can be pruned during the entire dormant period, because there is no risk of freezing at the cutting site.

Treatment with boiling water melts the snow on the currant bush - you can start pruning

Pruning bushes of different ages is different, but there is one thing general condition. The best berries currants produce on last year's growth. They cannot be pruned, otherwise this year’s harvest will literally be cut off. Currants bear fruit both on three-year-old branches and on older ones, but most of the large berries are on two-year-old branches that began growing last year. It is very easy to distinguish them by appearance - the bark is much lighter than that of older branches.

Spring pruning of currants is carried out every year:

1. In the first year, the newly planted bush is pruned completely, so that stumps about 5 cm high remain above the soil level. It does not matter when the bush is planted (currants are planted both in the fall, around mid-October, and in the spring, before the sap begins to flow). But autumn seedlings manage to take root and begin to grow faster in the spring. Spring seedlings will lag behind at first, but will eventually level out.
2. In the second year after radical pruning during planting, there is rapid growth of strong young shoots that will bear fruit well next year. There is disagreement among gardeners regarding pruning in the second year. Some people believe that there is no need to cut anything this year. Others argue that at this age the bush’s skeletal branches should already be shortened by half in order to stimulate the growth of young fruit-bearing shoots.

In the second year after planting, cut off the main branches by half.

This annual pruning rejuvenates old bushes and prolongs life. active fruiting currants.

Video: spring pruning of currants

Frost protection

Currant flowers are very sensitive to frost. Therefore, in the northern latitudes of central Russia (in particular, in the Urals), it is not recommended to plant varieties that bloom too early. But even late-flowering varieties can suffer from returning cold, and sudden frosts also occur in warmer regions, including Belarus. In this case, you need to have a light non-woven covering material that can be used to cover the flowering bush during frosts without damaging the flowers and young leaves. This material is guaranteed to protect against frost down to –2°C.

Delicate red currant flowers are afraid of frost, so in case of frost they need to be covered with non-woven material

Mulching and loosening

The currant root system is located very close to the surface, so loosening and weeding is carried out very carefully, to a depth of no more than 1–3 cm. In the spring, this is quite enough to destroy all the weeds, because at this time they are still poorly developed and have not had time to take deep roots .

After loosening and weeding, the soil must be covered with mulch - it will prevent the soil from drying out and suppress the growth of weeds. But you can’t do this too early. We need to wait until it gets warm for most of the weed seeds to germinate and for the soil to warm up for normal currant growth. Under mulch, the soil will remain icy for a very long time after winter. Therefore, weeding, loosening and mulching are carried out in late spring, when the earth has warmed up well to a depth and most of the weeds have sprouted.

Mulching currants in the spring can only be done when the earth has warmed up well in the depths

In cold regions (in particular, in the Urals), the surface roots of currants can freeze out. They winter well under a thick layer of snow that falls before severe frosts. Since such weather conditions do not always occur, many gardeners cover the ground under the bush with mulch in the fall. If the bush overwintered under mulch, remove it as early as possible in the spring to allow the soil to warm up faster, and then add new mulch to protect it from weeds.

Fertilizer application

Currants are demanding of organic matter, so it is better to use rotted manure, humus or compost as fertilizer.

Currants respond well to organic fertilizers

In addition to feeding during planting, every spring currants are fed with nitrogen fertilizers:

• carbamide (urea),
• ammonium nitrate,
• ammonium sulfate (ammonium sulfate).

Fertilizers are scattered over the surface before weeding and loosening at the rate of 15 g per 1 square meter. m.

You need to know that ammonium sulfate, by its properties, is an acidic fertilizer; it can significantly acidify the soil, if not at once, then over the years, and currants need slightly acidic soil with a pH of about 6.5. Therefore, it is advisable to add ammonium sulfate with fluffed lime, dolomite flour or wood ash, which quench the acid.

Reviews from gardeners

Rarely does anyone succeed in pruning currants in the spring. Usually when you arrive at the garden, there are swollen buds on it. We cut currants late autumn- in October. By the way, pruned annual branches are also good planting material. We make a hole and stick about 5 annual cuttings into it in a circle. Next year they will give good branches, and the next year they will bear fruit.

Ninuliahttp://www.tomat-pom >

Boiling water should be poured at the end of February. Boil a bucket of water. Carefully pour into a watering can. By the time we carry it to the bushes, the water there will already be about 80 degrees. Using a watering can with a strainer, we water the bushes from above so that the water gets to all the shoots.

elsa30http://www.tomat-pom >

This is the second year I have poured boiling water over currants and gooseberries. The result is visible. In addition to the bush, I also spill the ground under it. The watering can is enough for 2-3 not very voluminous bushes. In addition, during the season I pour diluted manure and kefir from a watering can - 1 liter per 10 liters of water.

Tiffanyhttp://www.tomat-pom >

Spring care is very important for currants, as it prevents many problems of the bush. It is important to carry out spring work in a timely manner, only then will they be useful.

Planting and caring for black currants

1. Where to plant

The best option is to plant currants along the fence. Many summer residents do this, but do not take into account one nuance - they plant it almost right next to the fence. And after a couple of years they realize that it is almost impossible to harvest: half of the branches have climbed up to the neighbors, and you can only approach the plants from one side. Keep your distance - bushes should be planted no closer than 1 m from the fence. Better yet, retreat 1.5 m.

Another option is to plant currants between apple and pear trees. It grows beautifully under their canopy. But only if the bushes are located 2 m from the tree trunks.

Before planting currants, you need to consider two more points.

Firstly, the site must be flat or with a slight slope. You cannot plant currants in depressions: cold air stagnates there in the spring, which can destroy the flowers. This means there will be no harvest. Open hills are also not suitable for this berry. In winter, snow is blown away from there, which protects the bushes from frost. In summer, the winds dry out the soil greatly. And currants do not tolerate drought well.

Secondly, groundwater should not be closer than 1 m from the soil surface. Otherwise, the plants will die.

2. How to plant

In the area where you plan to plant currants, you must carefully select all the wheatgrass rhizomes. Or treat it with herbicide. Otherwise, it can choke out young plants. But this weed takes away a lot of moisture from mature bushes, the currant berries become smaller, the yield decreases, and the plants themselves develop worse.

The holes for currants should be 45 cm deep and the same diameter. In each you need to add 1 bucket of humus or compost, 0.5 cups of superphosphate and 2 matchboxes of potassium sulfate. If the soil is acidic, it is useful to add 1 cup dolomite flour or lime. Mix all fertilizers thoroughly with the soil.

Currants must be planted differently than other garden crops. For example, in apple and pear trees, it is important that the root collar (the place where the roots enter the trunk) is at soil level. But the root collar of currants must be deepened!

As much as 8 - 10 cm! With such a planting, many additional roots are formed on the stem, which will be underground. They will provide the plant with additional nutrition, and the bush will turn out powerful, with a large number of shoots.

Before planting, a mound must be placed in the center of the hole. Place a bush on it. Spread the roots along the slopes of the mound, then fill the hole with soil and fertilizer, constantly compacting it. After this, the currants must be watered (about 0.5 buckets per bush) and mulched with humus or peat.

3. Proper care

In order for currants to produce a bountiful harvest, they need to provide only two pleasures in life - food and water. But here it is important to follow the regime.

Feeding. During the season, currants need to be fertilized 4 times.

➧ As soon as the buds open: 2 tbsp. spoons of ammonium nitrate per 10 liters of water. Consumption rate – 1 bucket per bush.

➧ In mid-July: 1 liter of mullein infusion per 10 liters of water. Or an infusion of bird droppings - 0.5 liters per 10 liters of water. Consumption rate – 2 – 3 buckets per bush.

➧ At the end of September - beginning of October: 0.5 cups of superphosphate and 2/3 cups of potassium sulfate per 1 bush.

Fertilizers should be scattered around the bush and watered.

➧ At the end of October: 0.5 buckets of rotted manure under a bush.

To make the harvest higher and the berries tastier, it is useful to give currants several foliar feedings.

➧ During flowering: dissolve 0.5 teaspoon of boric acid and 1 teaspoon of manganese sulfate in 10 liters of water (it must be heated to 40 °C) and sprinkle the bushes. After this treatment, shoot growth increases 3 times, and the yield per bush increases by 6 kg!

➧ During the formation of ovaries: 3 tbsp. Dissolve spoons of urea and 1 glass of superphosphate in 10 liters of water. Spray the bushes. This feeding will make the shoots powerful, the leaves will be large, and the berries will be more tasty and aromatic.

Foliar feeding can only be done in cloudy weather or in the evening. Then the solution stays on the leaves longer, does not dry out and is completely absorbed by the plants.

And when spraying, try to ensure that the solution gets on the underside of the leaves - “from the inside out” nutrients absorb better.

Watering. Currants have roots close to the surface of the ground, so in hot weather the plants suffer from drought. Some gardeners advise watering it almost every day. This is, of course, overkill. In dry summers, currants should be watered once every 2 weeks.

In a normal summer, you can get by with 3 waterings.

The first is during the growth of shoots and the formation of ovaries (late May - early June). The second - when filling the berries (June). The third is after the harvest (August - September).

If the autumn is dry, you will need another, pre-winter watering - at the end of October.

Important! To prevent moisture from evaporating, the tree trunk circles must be mulched - with humus, compost, peat, or even ordinary grass with a layer of 5 - 10 cm.

The water consumption rate is 5 – 7 buckets per bush.

In rainy summers, currants do not need watering.

If there are a lot of currants, it will not be easy to carry buckets of water for irrigation. Here, of course, it is better to arm yourself with a hose. But how do you calculate how much you need to pour under the bush to get it there? required quantity water?

This can be done experimentally. You just need to lower the hose into the bucket and time how long it takes for it to fill. And then multiply this time by the required number of buckets.

For example, the bucket filled in 1 minute. One plant needs 5 buckets. This means that the hose should lie under the bush for 5 minutes.

And another tip: keep the pressure low. Then the water will be better absorbed into the soil. With strong pressure, most of it will simply leak away. This is especially true for areas with a slope and clay soil.

4. Pruning rules

The fruiting pattern of black currants is quite simple. Every year several new shoots grow from the ground. In the second year they produce side branches. This is where the berries ripen. That is, the main harvest comes from two-year-old shoots. A little less - three years old. And in the fourth year they have very few berries.

Therefore, the pruning scheme should be like this.

In the 2nd year after planting, you need to leave 3–4 of the strongest annual shoots in the bush and cut off their tops (so that they branch better next year). And cut out the rest of the shoots.

In the 3rd year you need to select 3 - 4 more strong shoots. Also cut off the tops. Cut out the excess growth again.

In the 4th year, everything is the same: leave 3 - 4, cut off the tops, cut out other annuals. You also need to cut out those 3–4 shoots that were left in the 2nd year.

Thus, each currant bush should simultaneously have 9 to 12 shoots aged from 1 to 3 years. Only in this case the harvests will be large and the berries will be large.

Spring: currant care. Pruning, watering, propagation by cuttings

Black currant in spring: how to prune a currant bush and plant cuttings

Galina Kizima is a gardener-enthusiast with 50 years of experience, author of original techniques.

Few people have blackcurrant bushes in their summer cottage. Many consider currants to be a plant that requires almost no care, and think about pruning the bush and pest control only when the yield is greatly reduced. Yes, black currants are unpretentious to the soil and can withstand severe frosts, but they need the gardener’s attention, especially in the spring. We'll tell you where to start.

Pruning currants: how to do it right

It is better to do all pruning in spring or at the very beginning of summer, but not in August or early September, because with early autumn pruning At the ends of the branches, young shoots will grow, which will die in winter. When pruning in late autumn, in November, frostbite in the wood may occur through the wounds. In both cases, the ends of the branches will have to be cut off again next spring. Why do it? double work? But you can do pruning in October.

If the branches grow inside the bush, then they only thicken the bush, but do not bear fruit, therefore, they should be cut out. If the branches intersect, then one of them should also be removed.

If the basal shoots do not grow, then you need to severely prune several branches, shortening them by about a third of their length. If such shortening pruning does not help, you should upset the balance between the above-ground part and the roots by cutting out one or two weak branches all the way to the ground. The roots will be more powerful than the above-ground part, and in order to restore balance, they will immediately push a new root shoot out of the soil.

An adult blackcurrant bush (which is 5–6 years old) should have approximately 12–15 shoots of different ages. How to achieve this? Regular (annual) cutting out old stems. As soon as you cut the old stem to the base, without leaving a stub, a new basal shoot appears from the soil, which must be shortened next spring, leaving only three or four buds above the ground. If too many root shoots appear, then no more than two should be left annually, the rest should be removed.

How to distinguish an old stem from a young one? Firstly, it has old, gray bark. Secondly, there are practically no berries on the old shoot. This is clearly visible in the spring, since there are no flower clusters on the old shoots. Rings are visible on the branches - indicators of the number of years. Branches older than 5–6 years must be removed annually, otherwise yields will fall.

Black currants bear fruit mainly on last year's growth. They are clearly visible - they are lighter than the rest of the branches. The main indicator for pruning currants in the spring is last year's growth. If it is weak and small (about 10 cm), then you need to go down the branch to the place where there are many fruits growing or a strong top is growing (it always appears if things are not going well in the upper part of the branch), and cut off the upper part of the branch until this place.

Blackcurrant is quite frost-resistant. Its crown and growth buds can withstand frosts down to -40 degrees. Flower buds - up to -35 degrees, but the roots can withstand only -15 degrees below zero. The buds are stored up to 5 degrees below zero, and open flowers- up to 3 degrees. The most vulnerable are young ovaries, which can withstand only 2 degrees of frost.

If, after a frosty winter, the cut wood is dark, then it died from too low a temperature, and the branch should be cut back gradually until it reaches healthy, white wood.

How to rejuvenate an old bush?

If the bush is more than 20–25 years old, then it must be uprooted and burned; no amount of rejuvenation will help. If the bush is about 15–17 years old, then first you need to cut out about a third of the stems, right down to the base. Of the replacement shoots that appear, the three strongest should be left and the rest should be cut out.

Then the next year you need to cut out another third of the old branches and again leave no more than three new replacement shoots. And only in the third year remove all the remaining old stems. It is not advisable to cut off the entire bush at once, although it is possible.

If frail basal shoots grow in the center of the bush, then they must be cut out immediately, without leaving stumps. Weak, thin branches must also be removed, cutting them to the point of attachment to a thicker branch.

Now you should carefully look at this branch, or more precisely, at its upper part. If the upper part of the stem has few fruitlets (small fruiting branches located throughout the stem), then it must also be cut off.

The bush ages if new root shoots (zero-order shoots) do not appear from the ground. Their appearance is caused by severe pruning. After any pruning, all cut parts must be burned immediately!

Currant care

Currants are regularly watered throughout spring and early summer, especially in dry and windy weather - at least 2-3 buckets per bush per week in the absence of rain. All plants should be watered in the evening so that moisture has time to penetrate into the root zone overnight.

Do not pour water into the center of the bush. Firstly, there are no sucking roots, and secondly, gaps form in the soil around the stems, through which water can penetrate in the fall and then freeze in frost, which will have a bad effect on the well-being of the plant. Watering should be done around the perimeter of the crown.

Stop watering only after the ovaries have fully grown and begun to color. At this point, watering is harmful, since the berries can crack right on the bushes from excess water in the cell sap.

Currants do not like the top layer of soil to dry out, so the soil under the bushes must be kept loose. The easiest way is to mulch the soil under the bushes in the spring - you can use peat, sphagnum moss, and even just newspapers.

When mulching with newspapers, you can simultaneously fight pests. The soil should be covered with newspapers during the period when the green cone appears and the buds separate (this simple technique will not allow pests to emerge from the soil after wintering). At the time of flowering, newspapers should be removed, since at this time beneficial insects come to the surface of the soil. After flowering, the newspapers are returned under the bushes, but with the goal of preventing the evaporation of moisture from the soil. Newspapers can be replaced with black lutrasil, which prevents weeds from growing and allows you to water directly over the material.

How do I care for black currants?

Firstly, immediately when planting the bush, I add 1 glass of Aquadon, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of granular AVA fertilizer and 1 cup of ash. Then I water it well, but so that all this is not washed away with water. I plant the bush obliquely to allow root shoots to grow, and again carefully, slowly, water it.

“Aquadon” gives me the opportunity not to think about watering for three weeks, and AVA fertilizer is generally applied once every three years, so I no longer worry about fertilizing, including microelements.

I don’t mulch the soil under the bushes and don’t add organic matter to them in the fall. Why? Yes, because I don’t pull out the weeds, but cut them with a Fokin flat cutter, burying 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. For this work, you can use any other suitable tool, but it must be well sharpened.

What does this give me? Cut weeds become a kind of mulch and protect the soil from drying out and protect me from unnecessary watering. The cut top layer of soil replaces loosening the soil under the bushes. The weeds left under the bush, gradually rotting, give organic fertilizer, and I don’t need to add organic matter to the bushes in the fall. Plus, I don't have to pull the weeds and take them to the compost heap.

Propagation of currants by cuttings and layering

Black currants are propagated by seeds, last year's cuttings (woody cuttings), green cuttings that grew this year, and layering. Let's talk about the most common and reliable methods.

Propagation by cuttings. Last year's cuttings are taken in early May from the ends of branches, that is, from last year's growths. They should be as thick and as long as a pencil. The lower end is cut off obliquely, and the upper end is cut straight. Remove all leaves. They are planted obliquely in a specially prepared cuttings, with the three lower buds buried in the sand. Then all the cuttings are covered with a film stretched over the arcs.

The cuttings should not be located in the sun, and there should be constant humid air and soil. This can be achieved by building homemade device for automatic watering, or just water the sand every evening and spray the cuttings with water. As soon as new leaves appear, the cuttings have taken root, and the film can be removed. In the fall they can already be transplanted into place.

How to make cuttings? Choose appropriate place in shade or partial shade. Dig up, selecting the roots and rhizomes of perennial weeds. Add well-rotted compost or manure. Water generously. Pour washed sand about 10–12 cm high on top. We will stick the cuttings into this sand.

Reproduction by layering. You can bend one of the lower branches and pin it to the soil with wooden slingshots, after making a few scratches on the bark. The digging area should be sprinkled with damp soil on top and covered with film to prevent it from drying out. Upper part The buried branch is not cut off. The next year, the rooted branch is separated from the mother bush and replanted in place. The cuttings bloom in the same year.

Next time we will talk about diseases and pests of black currants.

At the very beginning of the spring season, the most active work begins not only in the vegetable garden, but also in the garden. First of all, gardeners begin pruning and feeding blackcurrants.

Such fruit bush, like black currants, in spring time they need high-quality cleaning bushes, further pruning, as well as treatment against all kinds of diseases and pests.

In addition, blackcurrant bushes must be fed, provided with adequate watering, and mulched and loosened.

All these necessary work in any order, you should start only after all the snow has melted; there is no point in caring for black currants before.

After the snow has melted, you should get rid of last year's dry leaves and old branches, clear the currant bushes of them, and carefully remove the debris that has accumulated around these plants over the winter.

It is necessary to remove dry, diseased, bent inward and broken branches. You should also get rid of old branches and young growth, leaving only strong strong branches three years old. It is the three-year-old trees that allow you to get a full harvest of currant berries.

After carrying out such work, sanitary pruning of the branches of this fruit plant. After a long cold winter period, the blackcurrant bushes are completely depleted, the bushes look very weak and fragile. Pruning all young shoots to approximately 1/3 of the height will help conserve the strength of the bush, and after such a procedure, black currants, as a rule, produce a high-quality harvest.

To treat currants against pests, you can use both chemical protection agents (copper sulfate) and natural ones. After winter, many gardeners arrange for currant bushes to protect them from pests with the so-called “ hot shower" Water the bushes with hot water, hot water washes away all the pest larvae that have overwintered under the bark.

Now you need to loosen the soil under the bushes and apply fertilizer. You can add phosphate fertilizers or humus. Watering currant bushes is carried out at the root; getting water on the foliage can lead to the appearance of powdery mildew.