Blackcurrant: cultivation and care. Caring for blackcurrants in the spring in the country, in the garden: advice from experienced gardeners

At the end of winter, gardeners begin caring for their plants. During the end of winter and the beginning of spring, it is very important to take care of fruit-bearing shrubs, almost more important than in autumn. After all, everyone who grows berry bushes is waiting for a bountiful harvest. In order to achieve this, it is necessary to carry out a series of spring works. And what exactly needs to be done, we will tell you.

Processing currant bushes

Before proceeding with the cleaning of pests, it is necessary to determine the enemy, because what exactly to spray the plant depends on the type of pest or disease.

What to spray?

To protect plants from powdery mildew, you need to regularly spray the soil and the bushes themselves with foundationazole (15 grams per 10 liters of water), copper sulfate is also used for these purposes (10 liters - 100 grams).
To prevent infection with a fungus, an ash solution or a Bordeaux mixture is used.

It is very important before using a new drug - carefully read the instructions! If you exceed the required concentration, then this will not lead to a quick recovery of the bush, but will damage, first of all, the plant and you may be left completely without a crop.

Pruning currant bushes

We start with a thorough cleaning of the bushes. To do this, we cut off broken, damaged by diseases and simply dry branches. We do this so that the bush does not waste energy on those branches that will no longer bring us a crop. Next, we cut off those parts that were tightly pressed to the ground under the weight of snow in winter. We examine the end of each shoot and, if there are frozen, cut off to a healthy kidney. At the end of all this, you will have an average of 15 healthy branches of different ages on your bush. At the end of processing, all cut parts must be burned to destroy the pests that could be on them.

To feed the currant bushes in the spring, it is possible to use the following solution: mix 50 ml of complex fertilizer (any kind is suitable) with a tablespoon of potassium sulfate in a bucket of water. For each currant bush, you need to spend 2 buckets, water under the root. After applying this cocktail, which is useful for the plant, sprinkle the soil near the trunk with 30 grams of ammonium sulfate, you can also use lime-ammonium nitrate. Fertilizer must be spread approximately per square meter around. This top dressing must be done before the flowering period of the bush.

To get large beautiful berries, fertilizers must be applied during the period when they are just beginning to tie. For this, complex fertilizers are used. They must be dissolved in water, according to the instructions, and watered before the berries appear. To stimulate the growth of berries, fertilizers such as "Agricola for berry crops" and "Berry" are well suited.
Also, when choosing fertilizers for blackcurrants, you need to look at the composition. For this bush, fertilizers consisting of phosphorus and potassium will be more useful (for example, under one bush 40 grams of superphosphate and 10 grams of potassium sulfate).

For information on how to properly prepare a currant bush for harvest, see the video:

Video

We have described the general measures for currant care in the spring: pruning, top dressing and pest control. If you follow the simple tips from our article, then in your garden the currant bushes will always be healthy, beautiful and will bring a bountiful harvest.

The arrival of spring means not only warmth, but also the beginning of work in the garden. Moreover, the earlier work is started, the better the harvest will be. Currant bushes are especially in need of proper spring care. In this article, care for currants in the spring will be discussed in detail and you will learn why it is of great importance.

What is spring care for?

Many people think that gardening only begins when the weather is nice and warm and it's time to plant the seeds. But this is a delusion, because in the garden before the first buds bloom, you need to have time to do a lot. Otherwise, problems with the invasion of insects, plant diseases and, as a result, a decrease in yield may begin in the summer.

Currants of any variety, like all garden crops, need proper and timely care. Spring care for black and red currants is carried out with the aim of:

In order to achieve the above goals, caring for currants in early spring involves the following procedures:

• pruning branches;
• fertilizer application;
• spraying bushes.

Thanks to such manipulations, care for the bushes during the summer will be minimal, and the harvest will be plentiful.

Watering and soil care

After garbage collection, the near-trunk circle should be loosened and weeds that have already hatched should be removed. This culture does not tolerate such a neighborhood.

Frequent loosening allows you to achieve good drainage of the earth. This procedure is often carried out by deep weeding. You can use a shovel for this. Digging the soil should be carried out to a depth of no more than 15-20 cm. It is necessary to use garden tools very carefully, since the root system of plants within the near-trunk circle can come close to the surface of the earth. Therefore, loosening and digging the roots can be easily damaged. This will lead to a drop in the crop or even the death of the shrub.

Currant is a moisture-loving plant. Therefore, care must be taken to ensure that the soil around it is moist. To do this, the trunk circle is mulched with mowed grass, compost, rotted manure or humus. Using this agrotechnical technique, you can reduce the amount of loosening, weeding and watering.

In order to provide yourself with a good currant crop in the future, the bushes should be watered regularly in the spring. In this case, you must adhere to the following recommendations:

• watering currants in the spring is carried out once a week;
• under one plant you need to pour about three liters of water at a time. It is not recommended to pour more, as excess moisture can provoke rotting of the root system;
• for irrigation, only settled water, which has room temperature, should be used.

Caring for currants in the spring includes not only watering and loosening the soil, but also pruning with top dressing. So, it will bear fruit much better than bushes left unattended.

Pruning currant bushes

After the snow has melted, the currant bushes are pruned. It is necessary to have time to carry out this procedure before the opening of the kidneys. If the winter was harsh, then pruning can be done a little later.

Pruning should begin after the leaves have blossomed. In this case, shoots that died as a result of severe frosts can be easily distinguished from healthy and strong ones.

Blackcurrants are known to need more pruning in spring than red varieties. This is due to the fact that black varieties have strong shoot formation in spring. At the same time, root shoots are actively growing. Therefore, in terms of pruning, blackcurrants need more careful care to prevent pulling nutrients to infertile shoots.

Proper pruning allows you to:

• strengthen branching;
• stimulate growth in annual shoots that have formed on perennial branches;
• eliminate the thickening of the bush and form the correct crown.

All these moments ultimately lead to an increase in the quality and quantity of the crop. After pruning, the berries become noticeably larger and sweeter. Although the taste of the fruit still remains within the framework dictated by the taste characteristics of the variety.

When pruning currant bushes, it must be remembered that fruit clusters are formed on shoots that are 3-4 years old. Therefore, after this period has passed, you may encounter a clear decrease in the number of ripening berries. With the help of spring pruning, such bushes can be rejuvenated by stimulating them to bear fruit by removing old and already fruiting branches. This ensures the growth of new root shoots. They are fruitful. Therefore, after spring pruning, an increase in yield can be expected.

In the first year after the implementation of the procedure for planting seedlings, young plants are not pruned. This is due to the fact that these bushes will already have excellent fruiting, and the old branches on them have not yet formed. Active pruning action should be taken approximately 4-5 years after planting (for black varieties) and 6-8 years (for red varieties). Thanks to the cutting of unnecessary branches, the fruiting of this crop (depending on the variety) will continue for 15-25 years.

The whole point of pruning is to cut off unproductive and old branches, as well as stimulate the formation of new fruitful shoots. When removed on shoots, only a couple of buds should be left. From them, after a while, new branches appear. Old branches can be distinguished from young ones by the color of the wood. Their bark is darker.

During pruning, you should leave a couple of strong and healthy basal shoots located close enough to each other. They are cut off from above by 1/3, and all other branches are removed at their base. As a result, the bush turns out to form the correct crown.

With a strong infection, the plant will have to be burned. At the initial stage of infection, you can use the folk way of fighting - scald the bushes with boiling water. The plant itself in this case will not suffer, but even, on the contrary, will “wake up” after the winter.

Many gardeners, when caring for blackcurrants in the spring, often use various chemicals for preventive spraying of bushes (for example, Chlorophos, Karbofos and others). When using them, you should adhere to the desired concentration of the solution, as well as the timing of spraying.

Spraying plants with chemicals must be carried out before the buds swell. Otherwise, the procedure will not help get rid of the tick.

To prevent powdery mildew, currants are sprayed with Fundazol in the spring (15 ml of the drug should be diluted in 10 liters of water). A solution of copper sulfate is also being prepared. Dissolve 100 g of powder in 10 liters of water. You need to spray not only plants, but also the ground around them. This is done because many insects go into the ground for the winter.

From folk remedies, in addition to boiling water, for preventive spraying of currant bushes, you can use tinctures prepared from the following plants:

• tobacco. It mixes with the ashes;
• celandine;
• onion peel;
• dandelion;
• garlic.

Also, disinfecting tinctures can be prepared using mustard powder or a soda solution. Such tinctures, despite the ease of preparation, will be no less effective than chemicals. However, if their use does not bring the desired result, you can not do without chemicals.

Top dressing in the spring

An important point in spring care for red and black currants in spring is fertilization. Usually this procedure is carried out for 2-3 years after planting the bushes in a permanent place of growth. But there is an exception here, which concerns the cultivation of crops on depleted soils. In this case, the fertilizer that was placed at the bottom of the planting hole may not be enough for such a long period of time. Black varieties of culture are especially sensitive to timely feeding.

In the spring, nitrogen-containing fertilizers should be applied under the root of each bush. Nitrogen is the element that stimulates plant growth and development. Therefore, after winter, such fertilizers should be used.

Fertilizers are applied according to the following scheme:

• the first time - at the time of blooming on the branches of the kidneys. Ammonium nitrate should be used (30 g in a ten-liter bucket of water);
• the second time - during the period when berries begin to be tied on the bushes. Here it is necessary to use mineral fertilizers, which contain potassium and phosphorus. As an alternative, it is allowed to use organic top dressings that were prepared by oneself (humic fertilizers or ash).

Some gardeners carry out foliar feeding. But it should be noted that only experienced gardeners can carry out such top dressing. During the flowering period, the bushes can be sprayed with a composition that is prepared from boric acid. To prepare the desired solution, 0.5 teaspoons of boric acid should be dissolved in 10 liters of warm water (temperature not higher than 40 degrees). A properly prepared do-it-yourself solution can stimulate the growth of shoots in plants, as well as increase the yield by about 2-3 times.

After the first ovaries appear, the currants are sprayed with a mixture prepared from superphosphate (150 g) and urea (60 g). Both components are dissolved in 10 liters of water. Such spraying will make the bushes healthy and strong, as well as significantly improve the taste characteristics of the fruit.

When fertilizing currants, it is important to choose the right type of fertilizer, as well as the timing for their application. Otherwise, an excess of certain substances in the soil can lead to unforeseen consequences. Saplings and young plants should be especially carefully fed.

It should be noted that experienced gardeners recommend fertilizing currants in the spring with the same fertilizers that were placed at the bottom of the planting pit when planting. In addition, every five years it is necessary to measure the pH level of the soil. If this indicator does not meet the requirements of currants, ash must be added to the ground or liming should be carried out.

Now you know how to care for currants in spring. Such care, if performed correctly, will not take much effort, but it will allow you to achieve abundant fruiting from the bushes.

Video “How to prune berry bushes in spring”

In this video, an expert will talk about how to properly prune berry bushes in the spring.

Despite the fact that currants belong to unpretentious crops, plantings will still need some attention. Caring for currants in spring is considered a key step in growing this fruit shrub. It is from the correct care of plants that the duration and intensity of their fruiting will depend.

In today's article, we will look at how to properly care for black and red currants in spring, summer and autumn, and what features should be considered when growing this crop.

Spring currant care

Currant requires the gardener's attention throughout the growing season, but the main care begins in the spring, when weeds, pathogens and pests awaken along with the buds.

In order for the plants to successfully wake up after wintering and begin to actively grow and bear fruit, certain rules of care must be followed in early spring.

Peculiarities

Most varieties of this crop are distinguished by an early start of the growing season. In other words, the buds on this shrub begin to wake up before the rest, so you can’t delay gardening.

First of all, after the snow has melted, you need to carefully inspect the bushes and remove all frostbitten and dry branches (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Pruning currants in spring

In the spring, there is enough moisture in the soil, so there is no need to carry out additional watering. However, you need to carefully loosen the soil around the shrubs, trying not to touch the roots, and apply nitrogen fertilizers. They stimulate the awakening of the kidneys and the growth of young shoots.

rules

There are several important rules for spring care, following which you will save your time and effort in the fight against diseases and pests.

The main secrets of growing shrubs include such nuances(picture 2):

1. Before the awakening of the kidneys, it is imperative to carry out sanitary pruning and, if the weather conditions permit and the sap flow has not yet begun, they form and thin out the crown of the shrub, cutting out shoots older than three years of age.
2. In early spring, when the snow has not yet completely melted, spraying and basal watering with hot water are carried out. Boiling water will destroy all pest larvae and pathogens without harm to the plant itself.
3. The soil around the bushes is loosened superficially, removing weeds. To prevent their further growth and evaporation of moisture, the soil is mulched with sawdust or peat.

Also in the spring, mineral nitrogen fertilizers are applied to the soil, which help the shrubs to wake up faster and grow.

Features of caring for currants are shown in the video.

In summer, care is reduced to regular watering and periodic fertilizing. But, when the harvest is already harvested, shrubs should not be left unattended.

Figure 2. Care for berry bushes in spring and autumn

The key goal of autumn care is to properly prepare the plants for wintering. In addition, it is in the fall that it is best to carry out formative pruning, since during this period the sap flow gradually stops, but the wounds have time to heal before the onset of frost.

Peculiarities

Among the main features of care in the fall, they consider the fact that it is at this time of the year that it is best to propagate and transplant bushes.

Since the currant takes root quickly enough, in the fall, new seedlings or cuttings that were harvested in the winter can be planted in the ground. Also, the plant can simply be transplanted to a new place if the old site was not very suitable for this crop.

rules

Blackcurrant is considered an unpretentious crop, so growing and caring for it in the fall will not bring many difficulties to the gardener.

In doing so, several important rules must be observed.(picture 3):

• After harvesting, abundant root watering is carried out, followed by surface loosening of the soil;
• At the end of September, sanitary and formative pruning is carried out, after which organic and complex mineral fertilizers are applied;
• If the autumn is dry, abundant winter watering is carried out in October so that dormant plants do not lack moisture in the cold season.

Figure 3. Stages of autumn crop care

In addition, in the fall it is desirable to carry out preventive treatment of shrubs with chemicals against diseases and pests that could remain in the soil or under the bark.

Blackcurrant: cultivation and care

Blackcurrant can be found so often in the gardens of our country that many people don’t even think that this crop has certain requirements for growing and caring.

Let us consider in more detail the main features and rules of cultivation, which must be taken into account when planting this plant in your garden.

Peculiarities

When planting, first of all, it should be taken into account that this culture is considered photophilous, although it normally tolerates light shading.

Note: It is best to plant shrubs in the southwestern part of the site, along buildings or hedges.

Another important point that should be taken into account when planting is the moisture-loving nature of the plant. Most varieties are very demanding on the water content in the soil, therefore, starting in June, when the bushes bloom and form ovaries, regular watering is carried out. In the presence of natural precipitation, it will be enough to water the bushes twice a week, and during a drought - almost daily. The main thing is to prevent the earthen coma from drying out.

rules

Experienced gardeners have developed several important rules that will help grow healthy and productive bushes.

1. Bushes are planted at a distance of at least a meter from each other, although, if the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe site allows, this gap can be increased to two meters. Under such conditions, the bushes will be able to form a strong root system and healthy fruitful shoots.
2. To increase the yield, plants are fed with an infusion of potato peels. To prepare it, a liter jar of dry peel is poured with a bucket of hot water, covered with a lid, wrapped until cool and used for root watering.
3. Prevention of diseases and pests is an important stage of cultivation. Despite the fact that sanitary pruning is carried out in the spring, during the entire growing season, shrubs should be regularly inspected and all parts with signs of damage should be removed in time.

Figure 4. Features of planting blackcurrant

In addition, during cultivation, the plant is regularly fed with complex mineral fertilizers. They can be dissolved in water and the resulting irrigation liquid can be used, or fertilizers can be scattered on the ground and watered only after that.

The author of the video gives the basic rules for planting and caring for this crop.

Conditions

The main condition for successful cultivation is the correct choice of site and compliance with the terms and rules of planting. Despite the fact that the culture tolerates shade well, it is better to choose lighted areas with light shading. In addition, the bed should be well ventilated so that the crown is evenly blown with fresh air.

Landing is best done in the fall: in September or early October. Before the onset of cold weather, the seedlings will have time to take root, and in the winter they will gain strength and actively grow in the spring. In a year, young seedlings will bear the first fruits.

About one to two weeks after planting, the branches are cut off, leaving 2-3 strong buds on them. This procedure will help form stronger and more productive skeletal branches, and make the shrub more voluminous.

Red currant: cultivation and care

Red currants differ from black ones not only in the color and taste of the berries. Despite the outward resemblance, it blooms much later, and is less susceptible to frost and disease.

In addition, red currant bushes tolerate drought better, and their fruiting period, with proper care, can last up to 35 years. Let us consider in more detail the features of growing and caring for this plant.

Peculiarities

It is better to plant seedlings of this culture in open ground in September (Figure 5). Thus, they will have time to take root before the onset of cold weather, and in the spring they will actively begin to grow. The site is better to choose well-lit, but at the same time ventilated. It is also desirable that the soil on the site is fertile.

Note: If the soil in your area is not fertile enough, organic fertilizers, wood ash and a special nutrient soil mixture are applied to each hole when planting.

During planting, the seedling is periodically shaken so that voids do not form around the roots. After that, the soil is compacted and watered abundantly, and when the water is absorbed, it is mulched with sawdust or other organic material. This will retain moisture in the soil longer and stop the growth of weeds.

rules

The rules for caring for red currants, as well as for other garden crops, differ depending on the season. In the spring, namely at the end of March, sanitary pruning of shrubs is carried out, and in April each bush is fed with urea. When the surface of the soil dries up, they carry out shallow loosening, level the soil on the beds and mulch it with peat.

Figure 5. Growing and caring for red currants

At the beginning of summer, fertilizing with organic fertilizers is carried out, since it is undesirable to use mineral fertilizing during the flowering period, the formation of ovaries and the ripening of berries. After harvesting, the soil is again loosened and watered abundantly.

If you plan to expand plantings, in the fall you can start propagating by cuttings, seedlings or layering. But adult bushes should not be left unattended. So, if the autumn is dry, they carry out abundant winter watering, and after the leaves fall, they thin out the crown.

Experienced gardeners know that the yield and duration of fruiting will depend on the correct care of the plants. There are a few secrets that beginners should definitely learn.

First, every year you need to cut branches older than three years of age. They do not bear fruit, but deprive the young fruit-bearing shoots of nutrients.

Secondly, when the bushes are already fully formed, the aisles can be planted with garlic or dill. The strong smell of these plants will scare away pests, and an additional bed will prevent weeds from growing.

In addition, red currants, like black currants, can be treated with boiling water in early spring. It is strictly forbidden to do this after the awakening of the kidneys, since hot water easily damages young shoots. But, if the time was chosen correctly, such a procedure will help protect seedlings from diseases and pests.

Some gardeners believe that currant is an unpretentious plant that requires little or no additional care. Therefore, it often happens that only in the event of a strong decrease in yield, they think about pest control or pruning.

However, the truth is that especially in spring, blackcurrants are in dire need of attention. In this article, we will look at where to start caring for currants in the spring.

So, in order to have a good harvest of currants, the gardener will have to make a lot of efforts. At the same time, an integral part of care is pruning bushes. Such an event stimulates the rapid growth of shoots in the underground part of the shrub.

Such processes are also called basal, replacement shoots or zero. After pruning, the growth and branching of annual shoots, which grow on perennial branches, are noticeably enhanced. Pruning also prevents thickening of the bush, and due to this, the size of the berries also increases.

Timely pruning of currant branches ensures the growth of fruit-bearing wood (new basal shoots are formed). Therefore, we can say with confidence that the annual spring pruning of currant shoots is necessary not only for the correct formation of the shrub - this procedure guarantees a good harvest.

Complete care for currants in spring

Before bud break, in early spring, currant care should begin. To do this, the ground around the bushes should be cleaned with a rake, remove debris, foliage, last year's mulch and burn, since various harmful insects and their larvae can be in the upper loose soil layer.

The soil in the near-stem circle should be thoroughly loosened, the first weeds should be removed.

To retain moisture, trunk circles must be mulched with humus, mowed grass, compost, and rotted manure. Such agrotechnical technique eliminates the need for frequent watering and loosening the soil.

Watering

Caring for currants is, first of all, means to ensure regular watering of the plant.

In doing so, it is important to remember:

1. You need to water once a week.
2. One bush will require no more than three liters of water. If you overdo it, then this is fraught with decay of the root system.
3. For irrigation, it is best to use water at room temperature, preferably settled.
4. Watering is recommended in the evening so that moisture can penetrate the root system during the night.
5. Do not pour water directly into the center of the bush. Watering is best done around the entire perimeter of the crown.
6. You can stop watering only if the ovaries have grown and began to stain. At such a moment, watering is harmful, since the berries can crack from excess water right on the bushes.

Caring for the trunk circle

In the spring, it is very important to regularly weed and mulch the soil. Currants really like drained land, and this requires regular loosening with deep weeding.

Also, the gardener can use a shovel to dig the soil 15-20 cm deep. It is necessary to loosen the soil as carefully as possible so as not to accidentally damage the root system of the plant.

Pest control

The main harmful insect that infects black and, in some cases, red currant bushes is the currant bud mite. During pruning, the gardener should pay special attention to swollen buds that look like peas, as pest females can winter there. With the advent of the first rays of the sun, pests begin to multiply actively.

An effective remedy in the fight against various infections and pests is various herbal decoctions, infusions with the addition of home remedies: infusion of dandelion, celandine, tobacco with ash, garlic tincture, onion peel decoction, solutions of mustard powder and soda.

Most summer residents are afraid to use chemistry in the garden, but if a large number of bushes are affected, folk remedies often turn out to be ineffective. In this case, the use of fungicidal preparations Neoron, Sulfarid, Kinmiks, Topaz, Actellik, which destroy pests, is recommended. Just do not spray during flowering, as this will only scare away or even poison the bees.

The next preventive folk remedy for pest control is this (can be carried out only until the kidneys swell). Treatment with boiling water prevents the appearance of bud mites, currant borers, aphids, and other harmful insects on currants.

Such a procedure is an excellent prevention of various fungal, viral diseases, including powdery mildew. To do this, boil a bucket of water, carefully pour it into a watering can and make a hot shower for the shrub. For one adult bush, you will need one bucket of boiling water, while you need to water both the branches and the center of the bush.

Spring dressing of currants

Currants need to be fed with those organic and mineral fertilizers that were previously applied to the planting hole.

If during the planting of currants the gardener applied fertilizers in large quantities, then in the first 2 years after planting there is no need to feed the currants.

After two years after planting, it is necessary to fertilize the bushes. In the spring, currants should be fed with nitrogen fertilizers. To do this, 8-10 g of urea or 10-15 g of ammonium nitrate must be added per 1 m².

Some experienced gardeners resort to little tricks with the use of foliar dressings that can improve the future crop:

1. During the flowering period of the currant, it is necessary to dilute 0.5 teaspoon of boric acid in 10 liters of lukewarm water (40 ° C) and spray the currant with this composition. Such treatment stimulates the growth of shoots, and also increases the yield by 3 times.
2. During the appearance of ovaries, a solution should be prepared from 150 grams of superphosphate, 60 grams of urea and 10 liters of water, sprayed. Thanks to this, the shoots become strong, and the taste of the berries improves markedly.

If during flowering there is a threat of spring frosts, the currants must be covered with covering material, otherwise the crop may be lost.

Pruning currants in spring

Why is pruning currant bushes so important?

Consider the main reasons:

1. If you do not thin out the bush, then every year the yield will decrease. If you do regular pruning, then black currants can produce crops for five years, and white and red - for eight years.
2. Dense thickets create comfortable conditions for the reproduction of pests and the development of diseases.
3. Without proper pruning, the life of the plant is reduced.

Yes, pruning is the key to a generous harvest with pleasant taste. However, care for blackcurrants in early spring (including pruning) must be correct, since only in this case can the desired result be achieved.

Cutting technology

This procedure must be carried out in early spring, after the snow has melted. At this time, the buds have not yet had time to bloom, so the plant tolerates pruning painlessly.

First you need to cut off all the shoots, while leaving a few buds. The next year, strong shoots should be isolated, and all the rest (especially those affected by pests and diseased branches) should be cut off right at the ground. The remaining young branches need to be cut by about a third.

Already for the 3rd year, no more than 4 root shoots should be left again, and all the rest should be removed under the root. In subsequent years, when the bush is fully formed, it is necessary to remove only frozen and old branches. They are easy to distinguish due to the color of the bark and weak young growth.

In the process of pruning, you should try to form the widest possible base of the bush, thanks to which its middle will be well lit, and this, in turn, contributes to the good ripening of berries, the growth of shoots and prevents infection with powdery mildew. Therefore, shoots that grow in the middle of the bush must be cut.

Extra Care

Every gardener knows: to get a generous harvest, it is necessary to contribute to the good pollination of bushes by bees, bumblebees and other insects. How can this be done in practice?

One of the tips of seasoned gardeners is to pour honey or sweetened water over currant bushes to lure pollinating bees. This simple technique significantly increases the yield. In addition, they recommend planting shrubs near bee hives.

In order not to break the currant crown, it is necessary to use a special stand. It can be easily made from rebar and rods. Another option: hammer a wooden peg near a bush at a depth of 50 centimeters and tie a currant crown to it using a special thread.

So, currant care is especially necessary in the spring. From how well the gardener takes care of the currants in the spring, its yield directly depends.

Currant wakes up after winter one of the first. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out proper 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 shelter after winter

The first step is to remove the winter shelter, mainly non-woven material - spunbond. If you delay with this, the bush can ban inside. They clear the area from the remaining snow, and then from the litter, if this has not been removed since the fall, it is recommended to burn the collected foliage, because pests that have overwintered in the leaves may remain in it.

The buds should be carefully examined: rounded swollen buds inhabited by an overwintered tick should be removed and burned, if there are a lot of them, the branch should be cut off completely. Cut off the discovered black core of the branch to a healthy light green one, which means that a pest has settled in the branch - a glass case.

Watering, loosening and mulching

Soil preparation consists in loosening, the main thing is not to damage closely lying roots, and to remove weeds. A new mulch is poured in, which protects the roots from drying out and maintains the necessary moisture.

Interesting. It is desirable to pour a protective layer within a radius of 1.5 meters, and with a sufficient amount of organic matter, the entire row of shrubs with row spacing. At a minimum, about 50 cm of mulch is placed 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 overflowing the soil. Thus, the fruits gain flavor and volume.

Top dressing and fertilization

For growth and productive yields, the shrub needs a large amount of nutrients. There is a high need for phosphorus and potassium. Nitrogen additives have a good effect, but with sufficient addition of phosphorus and potassium. Otherwise, on a high background of nitrogen alone, the increased content of amino acids in the juice of fast-growing shoots 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 substances.

After fertilization at planting, the next top dressing is done only after 3 years. The fertilizer application period is May-June, in the active growth phase, and in the summer, after harvest, when buds are laid for the next year's crop. Apply fertilizers in a diluted form, observe dosages. Use solutions of urea and nitromophoska, mullein.

pruning

An important tip in order to get a good harvest is the correct way to form a bush. Pruning is needed 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 formed upright, without deviated, creeping branches. Bushes should be well ventilated and lit, not be thickened so that they are not affected by the disease. Thus, all the nutrition and strength of the plant will be directed to the formation of berries, and not to support old extra 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 shoulders of the gardener.

Treatment for diseases and pests

Pest control is sometimes done using the early spring method of hot watering the plant. Bushes, before the awakening of the kidneys, when the snow has not yet completely melted, are poured with boiling water from a watering can. In this case, the bushes are not damaged, even if there are frosts, and pests wintering in the buds of the plant can thus be eliminated. But experienced gardeners consider the method controversial and use the experienced method - preventive spraying with insecticides. Treatment with biological preparations requires repeated use; pests cannot be destroyed with one treatment. All treatments are carried out at positive air temperatures, including night ones.

Transfer

Transplantation of adult bushes is carried out only when it is very necessary, because with such an action, the currant starts to hurt, and the bush may die. At the same time, fruiting is reduced for several years.

In the case of transplanting in the spring, there is a short period from thawing the ground to bud break in which this can be done.

If you disturb a flowering bush, it will drop flowers, and there will be no berries. It is most favorable to transplant 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 brewing tea, and it is more whimsical in care.

Blackcurrant planting and care in the open field is demanding on soils and the amount of moisture, does not grow well 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.

Blackcurrants are more prone to diseases and pests, and bush degeneration occurs earlier, it needs attention to the formation of the bush, avoiding thickening. Currants, which have red berries, bear fruit all over the bush, and cutting off the tops to reduce the length of the bush will not harm the amount of the crop. Black has just a large concentration of berries - from the middle of the bush to the top.

In black currant, berries form on shoots for 2 years, and for red and white - 3-4 years, so pruning will be different for crops, if the growth of the shoot in red is not more than 10 cm, and the growth of the branch is directed inward, such branches are removed, leaving shoots who added 30 cm in height per season.

Red and white currants can be planted more compactly, 1.5 m apart, while black currants should be 2 m apart in order to harvest a rich harvest. Currants of different colors are not planted side by side.

For red currants, surface 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 the choice of varieties. Currant varieties include several hundred species bred for various regions of the country. Currant grows best, chosen, given the area of ​​\u200b\u200bgrowth. 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 where the winter is cold, the bush should be covered with protective materials, the root system should be covered with sawdust, 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 culture is no different. You should only focus on when a plant wakes up in a certain climatic zone, and planting and caring for currants begin.

Spring currant care mistakes

The buds of the shrub 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 sleeping. This rule is especially true when the branches are treated with boiling water.

On a note. Currant is demanding for watering, but it is not worth pouring it.

If you do not carry out pest prevention in the spring, then 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 cuttings from perennial branches.

Currant is an unpretentious culture, but for the harvest of sweet large berries in large quantities it requires care, an important aspect of which is spring, using the rules on how to care for currants during this period.