Features and technology of planting red currants

Red, white, black - any currant is tasty and good for eating fresh, frozen and canned. Red currant bushes can be found in almost every home or summer cottage, where, in addition to vegetables, garden crops are also grown.

And this is quite true, since this type of currant is absolutely unpretentious, fruitful, and even perfect from a decorative point of view. If someone has no currants on the site yet, then there is a reason to correct this deficiency in the coming spring or autumn.

Usually, in the spring, those seedlings are planted that are purchased in the fall. These can be plants purchased in a nursery or cuttings collected in the fall from their own plot for spring rooting. In the spring, the main thing is not to miss the moment until the buds have blossomed on the shoots. Planting is carried out after the snow melts, when the soil is at least relatively warm. But you should not wait until the earth is completely dry and noticeably warmer. If it is completely warm, the survival rate of seedlings will deteriorate.

Disembarkation depending on the region:

• in the south of Russia, shrubs can be planted at the end of March;
• in the middle lane (in the same suburbs) you will have to wait for the second half of April - this is the most optimal time;
• in the Urals, in Siberia, the appropriate period does not come earlier than May (as in the Leningrad region, for example).

For those who do not mind playing it safe, you can look at the list of favorable days according to the lunar calendar of the current year. The question of when it is better to plant red currant bushes - in autumn or spring - remains open and controversial. But there is no fundamental decision here, since in both seasons the survival rate can be very high.

The right place is very important: currants should become part of the ecosystem (site), rationally fit into it, “make friends” with neighboring plants. On the south side, red currants will take root perfectly, but there should not be an active sun there. But the bush does not really like shading either. That is, you need to find something averaged. The plant is sensitive to wind, it is afraid of drafts. Let's list what else you need to pay attention to when choosing a place.

• Checking for the occurrence of groundwater. Yes, currants love moisture, but if an underground source is located very close, it can be detrimental to its root system.
• Take a closer look at the neighbors. Currants are unlikely to get along with raspberries and gooseberries. If the owner of the site decided to plant fruit bushes in a row, it may be convenient for caring for them, but not for high-quality fruiting. This applies not only to red currants, but also to any other. Raspberries are very sprawling, can shade currants, and gooseberries are often sick, which is extremely dangerous for currants.
• Distance to neighbors. The optimal interval, which will not allow mutual oppression of different cultures, is 2-3 m.If there are several bushes, then they are placed in a straight line at a distance from 0.5 to 1.5 m between themselves.

On fruit farms, for example, bushes with red berries grow close to each other, which does not affect the harvest in any way - it is stable and good. But the care is more professional there.However, if these are bushes of the same berry, relatively close proximity is not a big problem. In addition, such a variety grows upward, that is, the shrub cannot be called wide (black is more spreading).

As for the soil, the berry does not tolerate acidic and waterlogged, it is tolerant to the rest. It grows well on sandy loam and loam, it tolerates sandy and clayey a little worse. The soil under the plant must be fertilized, thoroughly loosened, made so that it becomes moisture and air permeable. It would be good if green manure, legumes, flowers, vegetables and cereals had grown on this place earlier.

In order for the bush to be healthy and fertile, you need to choose the best planting material. And the first thing you should pay attention to when choosing is the root system. With elastic, whole, strong roots, which have many small branches, the shrub will be tenacious and strong. There are some varieties (for example, Raisin), when thickening and peeling are excluded on the seedling: these signs indicate that the plant is either frozen or infected. The bark should also be assessed: clean, smooth, without deformations. If the bark is wrinkled, then the plant is diseased. The risk is very high that it will die. The buds of the bush should also be dense.

The choice of a seedling is a very important process. Let's consider the nuances.

• Place of sale. Markets, crossings are dubious places to buy. No, and there, of course, you can find a good plant, but still in the nursery the chance of a high-quality acquisition is several times higher. There are also specialized stores that strictly monitor their reputation.
• There are no documents for the seedling. This is an indirect circumstance, but also important. There is always a certificate for a good product. A seedling is no different from another product, so you need to require documents, otherwise it is better to look for other places of sale of planting material.
• Country of breeding. Ideally, you should take bushes that were grown in your country and zoned for a specific region. Imported seedlings very often do not take root, especially in places where the climate is rather harsh. And if they take root, they give a mediocre harvest.
• The condition of the roots. The first alarming factor is that there are few of them. This means that the root system is underdeveloped. The seedling may be sick or frozen.
• Age. If the shrub is more than two years old, the probability of a successful transplant is negligible.

The pit is prepared in advance - 2-3 weeks before planting. Its diameter is 45-50 cm, depth is no more than 40 cm. The bottom of the recess is filled with a special garden soil mixture, which must be combined with humus (or with infused manure). Wood ash can also be added to this compound fertilizer. All ingredients in the pit must be thoroughly mixed. The hole itself should be watered with water (at least 1 bucket). Some summer residents prefer to plant currants in grooves. This is an interesting method in which the area must be marked out with twine or rope, and then dug out grooves of the desired size. If shrubs need to grow near paths or hedges, this is a really good method.

When it comes to fertilization, each ingredient in the nutrient mix has a different meaning.

• Wood ash. Fertilizer does not contain chemicals, absolutely natural. Not dangerous for living beings, except for pests that attack currants. Ash strengthens the root system of the shrub well, nourishes the plant. She also fights well against different types of aphids, powdery mildew and moth.
• Horse dung. It contains a lot of nitrogen and potassium, it is light and, one might say, dry. It warms up well, gives off heat very quickly, cools slowly. Infection with pathogens is almost impossible.
• Potato peelings. This is one of the best fertilizers for currants. There is a lot of starch in the cleanings, which is remarkably absorbed by the roots of the bush, which has a positive effect on the size and taste of the fruit.

In addition, boric fertilizers are also suitable for currants. At the stage of active growth and development, they are practically irreplaceable and very important. You can use 37% boric acid or borax (11%). Subsequently, when the shrub begins to take root in a new place, it can be supported with a special composition. If you can't buy it, you can do it yourself by taking 10 liters of water, 2 g of boric acid and zinc sulfate, 1 g of copper sulfate, 5 g of manganese.

If several shrubs are planted at once, the removal of the holes from each other will depend on the particular variety. If the currants are compact, the distance will be 1-1.2 m. The row spacing is 1.25 m. If the varieties are spreading, the interval between the pits and the rows should be 1.5 m. In the case of fixing the bushes on the trellis, the distance will be 1 m.

The shrub planting scheme consists of several steps.

• Fertilizers are applied to the hole. One of the standard recipes is 8-10 kg of humus or peat, 200 g of superphosphate, 35 g of potassium sulfate, 1 tbsp. wood ash.
• On the day of planting, a small earthen mound should be poured at the bottom of a pre-prepared hole.
• Place the straightened roots of the currant seedling on the mound. Slowly, distribute them evenly. You can put the barrel either evenly or at a slight slope.
• Fill the hole completely with soil. Compact the earth.
• Water the ground under the bush with 10 liters of water. In a circle, pre-dig a groove 20 cm from the trunk, and then pour water into this groove.
• Mulch the ground around the seedling. This is protection, fertilization for him, and weed control. Peat and humus are used as mulch.
• Cut off the shoots, leaving 10-15 cm each. But they should have 3 or 4 buds.

Between planting and harvesting, there will be a lot of maintenance to do. It is not enough to plant correctly, you need to regularly water the plant, loosen it, apply fertilizer, mulch, weed, cut, and treat insects. For example, you need to moisten currants twice a week before rooting. You can understand that the bush is rooted by the growth of the plant, the appearance of leaves on it. Further, watering will not be so frequent - about 1 time per decade. An intensive irrigation regime will still be needed in the period after flowering, when the fruits begin to pour.

Watering must be combined with loosening to help moisture and oxygen better flow to the roots. The soil should be loosened to a depth of 7-8 cm. Weeds must be removed in a timely manner, as they complicate the growth of currants, increase the risk of diseases and the activation of pests.

Planting red currants is not the most difficult procedure. But you still have to take into account the rules and requirements:

• do not plant close to each other;
• prepare the soil and holes in advance;
• be sure to apply fertilizers;
• choose neighbors correctly.

But all this will not be so important if a not very healthy seedling is chosen. With a successful planting and compliance with all norms, you can count on about 25 fruitful years. Excellent jellies and compotes are made from red currants; it is extremely valuable as an ingredient for sauces, and looks perfect in desserts.