Content
The Little Prince currant is a variety of Russian selection. It is distinguished by very tasty berries and produces a stable harvest of at least 4 kg per bush. The cultivation technology is simple, and the crop is winter-hardy. It can be grown in most regions of the country.
History of selection
Currant Little Prince is a variety of Russian selection, bred on the basis of the VNIIS named after. I.V. Michurina. Obtained by breeders T.V. Zhidekhina and T.S. Zvyagina. The varieties Black Pearl and Ojebin are used as a basis. The culture passed successful tests, and in 2004 was included in the register of breeding achievements.
The variety is approved for cultivation in different regions of Central Russia:
- middle lane;
- Chernozem region;
- Northwest.
Description of the blackcurrant variety The Little Prince
The Little Prince currant bush is medium tall and moderately spreading. The shoots are straight, quite thick, and can bend. Young branches are green, mature ones are lignified. They are distinguished by their grayish color with a yellowish tint.The tops are brown and may have a golden hue.
The buds are small, ovoid, arranged solitary, sessile. They press slightly against the shoot and are light brown in color. The leaf scar has a rounded wedge shape.
The leaves of the Little Prince currant are of the usual five-lobed shape, medium in size, and typically green in color. They shine slightly in the sun and have a smooth surface. The blades are pointed, while the lateral ones are widely spaced. The leaf blade has fine teeth, the petioles are small, of moderate thickness, and have a reddish-violet color.
The Little Prince currant flowers are goblet-shaped, with reddish free sepals that bend in an arc. The brushes are small (length from 4.5 to 6.2 cm), cylindrical in shape. They have a straight axis of medium size and a short petiole.
The berries are medium and large in size, weight from 1.5 to 1.8 g. The shape is typical round, the color is black, a slight shine is noticeable. The fruits are not one-dimensional. There are not very many seeds in the Little Prince currant berries. The pulp is juicy and has a pleasant sweet and sour taste. At the tasting, the variety received a high rating - 4.6 points out of 5.
The Little Prince currant berries ripen at the end of June
Based on the results of the analysis, the following chemical composition of the fruit was established:
- dry matter – 19%;
- sugar (total) – 10.7%;
- acids – 2.6%;
- vitamin C – 140 mg per 100 g;
- P-active components – 800 mg per 100 g;
- pectin – 2.6%.
Characteristics
The Little Prince currant tolerates frost well in temperate climates. The crop has sufficient immunity to various diseases and pests, which allows for a stable harvest.
Drought resistance, winter hardiness
The Little Prince currant has fairly good winter hardiness. During the tests, the bushes did not freeze. Therefore, the culture can be grown not only in the tolerance regions, but also in the Volga region, in the regions of the Southern Urals and Siberia.
The drought resistance of the variety is low. In hot weather, the bushes need additional weekly watering. Otherwise, the berries will become smaller, which will have a bad effect on the yield.
Pollination, flowering period and ripening time
The Little Prince currant variety is self-fertile, so the plants do not need to be adjacent to other varieties or attract pollinators. Flowers appear already in the second half of May, the general flowering period lasts until the first ten days of June inclusive. Ripening time is from the end of June to the second half of July. According to this indicator, the Little Prince is an early and early-bearing variety.
Productivity and fruiting, keeping quality of berries
The yield of the Little Prince currant is satisfactory - 4.1 kg of berries can be collected from one bush. For industrial cultivation, the figure is 13.6 t/ha. Fruiting begins at the end of June, the main period falls on July. In general, the harvest can be harvested in 5–8 days.
The yield of the Little Prince variety is up to 4.5 kg per bush
The fruits have good keeping quality. They can be stored in the refrigerator, cellar and other cool places for 15–20 days. Transportability is also quite high - the berries can withstand transportation for 5–7 days.
Resistance to diseases and pests
The Little Prince is resistant to common diseases - powdery mildew, leaf spot.However, it can suffer from other fungal infections, as well as from aphids, leaf sawflies, bud mites and other pests.
Therefore, it is recommended to carry out preventive treatments with fungicides every year. The best period is early spring (late March - early April). First, the Little Prince currant bushes are treated with boiling water, and then sprayed with a solution of Bordeaux mixture. Instead, you can use other means: “Maxim”, “HOM”, “Fundazol”, “Skor”, “Ordan”.
Insects on the Little Prince currant bushes are fought with folk remedies (solution of ash with soap, tobacco dust, infusion of onion peels, garlic cloves, powder mustard) or special insecticides: “Biotlin”, “Vertimek”, “Aktara”, “Konfidor”, “ Decis" and others.
When using chemicals, harvesting can begin after 3–5 days.
Advantages and disadvantages
The Little Prince is valued by summer residents and farmers for its good taste, stable harvest and the ability to be grown on an industrial scale. The variety also has other advantages.
The Little Prince currant berries are juicy and sweet
Pros:
- good taste;
- precociousness;
- self-fertility;
- keeping quality and transportability;
- winter hardiness;
- resistance to many diseases;
- you can harvest the crops using mechanized methods;
- satisfactory yield.
Minuses:
- not drought-resistant;
- not resistant to kidney mite;
- The berries fall off pretty quickly.
Features of planting and care
Little Prince currant seedlings are purchased from nurseries or from trusted suppliers. Planting material must be completely healthy, preferably with a closed root system.Planting is planned for autumn (from the end of September to the first ten days of October) or mid-April.
The place for Little Prince currants should be sunny, dry (not lowland) and protected from the wind (next to a fence, buildings). The site is prepared several months in advance - it needs to be cleaned, dug up and a bucket of organic matter (compost, humus) added for each square meter. If the soil is clayey, add 1 kg of sawdust or sand per 1–2 m2.
The Little Prince currant planting algorithm is standard:
- Dig several holes at a distance of 1–1.5 m from each other. Their depth should be small - 40 cm, diameter - 50 cm.
- If the soil has not been fertilized beforehand, mix the surface layer of soil with compost (8 kg), superphosphate (8 tbsp.) and wood ash (3 tbsp.).
- Little Prince currant seedlings are soaked for several hours in a mixture of water, soil and “Kornevin” or another growth stimulant.
- Planted at right angles.
- Tamp down a little so that the root collar goes to a depth of 5–7 cm.
- Water generously. Use 2 liters of settled water per bush.
- Mulch for the winter with peat, sawdust, straw, and dry leaves.
Only if you follow the planting algorithm will you be able to get good bushes
The description of the variety and reviews from summer residents say that in order to grow Little Prince currants (pictured), you must adhere to several rules:
- Water young seedlings weekly.
Adult plants are given water 1-2 times a month, and in case of drought - every week
- They begin to feed currant bushes from the second year. In mid-April they give urea (15–20 g per plant), in May - organic matter (mullein, chicken droppings), in August - potassium salt (20 g) and superphosphate (40 g).
- The soil is periodically loosened (especially after watering and heavy rain), and weeding is done. To ensure that as few weeds grow as possible, it is also recommended to lay mulch during the warm period.
- At the end of March and at the beginning of October, pruning is done annually. Remove all weakened, frostbitten branches. Form the crown of the bush, regularly remove old shoots (age 5 years or more).
- In all regions except the south, Little Prince currant bushes are recommended to be covered for the winter. At the end of October they are carefully bent to the ground and pinned with staples. Spruce branches or agrofibre are laid on top. The shelter will allow you to survive even Siberian frosts
Conclusion
The Little Prince currant has a number of advantages. This is a crop with simple cultivation techniques. Therefore, both experienced and novice summer residents will be able to harvest a stable harvest. The berries are quite large, with a pleasant sweetness. Suitable for fresh consumption and for all kinds of preparations.
Reviews with photos about the Little Prince currant variety
