Content
Black currant is a healthy and tasty berry, so it is often grown in garden plots. Every gardener dreams of growing a healthy bush with large, healthy berries. For this, gardeners select unpretentious, high-yielding varieties. The most popular is the Autumn Waltz currant. The variety is cold-resistant and can grow and develop in regions with an unstable climate and cold winters.
Description of the currant variety Orlovsky Waltz
The blackcurrant variety Autumn Waltz was grown by crossing the Lazy and Ershistaya varieties. The variety was included in the State Register in 2008 and was approved for cultivation in the Volga-Vyatka region and western Siberia.
The variety forms a vigorous, spreading bush. The densely leafy shoots are thick, pubescent, and olive-colored. Old branches are gray, slightly shiny, thinner towards the top. The five-lobed leaves are rough, slightly wrinkled, and painted a soft green color. The central lobe is wide, with a sharp, elongated apex.The lateral lobes are small, wide, with a pointed tip. The basal lobes are weakly expressed. The leaf blade is framed with small pointed teeth. The leaf is attached to the shoot using a short, slightly pubescent stalk.
At the end of May, the bush is covered with light pink, small flowers collected in a short brush. After flowering, berries begin to form. Ripe, seedless fruits are black in color and have a dense, thick skin. The berry is large, weighing up to 3 g. The juicy pulp has a delicate aroma and sweet and sour taste. Black currant fruits of the Autumn Waltz variety are very healthy; 100 g of the product contains:
- dry matter – 12%;
- sugar – 7.6%;
- titratable acid – 3%.
- vitamin C – 133 mg;
- anthocyanins – 160 mg;
- catechins – 320 mg.
Thanks to the positive description, the Autumn Waltz blackcurrant is loved by many gardeners. The variety can be grown both in the southern regions and in areas with unstable, cold climates and short summers.
Characteristics
The Autumn Waltz variety is popular among gardeners. But before purchasing a blackcurrant seedling Autumn Waltz, you need to study the description and characteristics of the variety, view photos and videos.
Drought resistance, frost resistance
Black currant Autumn Waltz is a frost-resistant and drought-resistant variety. Thanks to these indicators, berry crops can be grown both in the south and in the northern regions. Black currants do not need shelter for the winter, as they can easily tolerate temperatures down to -35 °C. Only young specimens are covered for the winter.To do this, cover the soil with a 15 cm layer of straw, rotted humus or compost.
Productivity of the variety
The variety is consistently high-yielding. Following agrotechnical rules, up to 2 kg of fruit can be removed from a bush. Harvesting is carried out manually or mechanized. Due to the dense and thick peel, the berry does not wrinkle when picked, tolerates long-term transportation well and has a long shelf life.
The black currant variety Autumn Waltz ripens gradually; the harvest begins from mid-July to early September.
Application area
Blackcurrant Autumn Waltz is a universal variety. Due to the high content of useful substances, the berries are consumed fresh, and jam, compotes and assorted berries are prepared from them.
Thanks to the elastic peel, the crop tolerates long-distance transportation and has a long shelf life. When fresh, when stored in a cool room, the berry can last for about 7-10 days.
Pros and cons of the variety
The blackcurrant variety Autumn Waltz has its strengths and weaknesses. The advantages include:
- high productivity;
- large fruit;
- frost and drought resistance;
- good taste;
- long transportation;
- terry resistance;
- versatility in use.
Many gardeners highlight the disadvantages of the variety:
- non-one-dimensionality;
- non-simultaneous ripening of berries;
- weak immunity to columnar rust and bud mite.
Reproduction methods
When growing blackcurrants, you can quickly propagate the varieties you like.There are 3 proven methods of reproduction:
- green cuttings;
- bends;
- lignified cuttings.
Green cuttings
An easy way to grow black currants. Seedlings are cut at the beginning of summer, 10 cm long. Planting material must contain at least 3 buds, the lower cut is made at an acute angle. The lower leaves of the cuttings are removed, the upper ones are cut to half their length.
Prepared seedlings are placed at an angle in light, nutritious soil, deepening it to the top foliage. After planting, the soil is mulched and watered generously.
After 14 days, the rooting process will begin, and after 3 months the cutting will turn into a strong, small bush up to 30 cm high. In early September, it can be moved to a prepared area. In order for the plant to safely survive winter frosts, the tree trunk circle is mulched.
Lignified cuttings
The material is harvested in early spring, when the buds begin to emerge on the currants. The shoots are cut close to the ground so that there are no stumps left on the plant. Next, cuttings 15-20 cm long are prepared from the mature part. Before planting, they are stored in the snow, in bunches. The top of the planting material is covered with straw or sawdust. You can also store cuttings in the refrigerator until planting.
When the soil has warmed to a depth of 15 cm, the cuttings can be planted in the chosen location. Each cutting is stuck at an angle into light, nutritious soil at intervals of 30 cm from each other. The cuttings are buried so that 2-3 buds remain on the surface of the ground. Caring for the seedling consists of regular watering and mulching the soil. By the end of summer, the planting material will have built up a strong root system and will be ready for transplanting to a permanent location.
Bends
This method is used to root annual, healthy shoots. Reproduction by cuttings is carried out in the spring, at the time of bud break. Before propagation, the soil is thoroughly loosened, fed with mineral and organic fertilizers, a trench is made 10 cm deep and the prepared shoot is placed in it, leaving the crown below the surface of the earth. The trench is covered with soil, watered generously and mulched. After the buds wake up, young shoots will begin to grow from them. For the appearance of new lateral roots, it is necessary to carry out hilling with moist soil.
In autumn, rooted shoots are separated from the tap. Thus, a young seedling emerges from each buried bud. The one who is closest to the mother bush is considered the strongest.
Planting and care
You should purchase blackcurrant seedlings of the Autumn Waltz variety only in nurseries or from trusted suppliers. When purchasing, pay attention to the appearance of the plant. The roots must be well developed. Shoots without signs of rot, diseases or mechanical damage. For rapid fruiting, a young plant is purchased at 2-3 years of age.
Purchased seedlings are planted in a well-lit place, since in the shade the berry loses its sugar content and acquires a sour taste. The soil for planting should be slightly acidic, light, fertile and well-drained. Black currants should be planted near buildings or a fence to protect the plant from cold, gusty winds.
A blackcurrant seedling is buried 5-10 cm. After planting, the branches are shortened by half or 2/3 of the length to cause rapid growth of young shoots. The interval between plantings is 1-1.5 m.
Aftercare
Black currant Autumn Waltz is an unpretentious variety. But to obtain a generous harvest of tasty and healthy berries, you must adhere to simple agrotechnical rules:
- Despite its drought resistance, watering is carried out 2-3 times every 7 days at the rate of 10 liters per 1 bush. It is very important to carry out regular irrigation during the fruiting period and when flower buds are formed.
- Feeding the bush is carried out in the spring at the beginning of the growing season. For this purpose, a mineral fertilizer complex and organic matter are used.
- After irrigation, the soil is loosened and mulched.
- For quick bushiness, the first pruning is carried out after planting.
- Anti-aging pruning is carried out before the buds open. To do this, shoots older than 5 years are cut off at the root.
- Formative pruning is carried out in spring and autumn. Remove weak, diseased shoots, as well as crowns growing deeper.
- Thinning is carried out to increase yield and prevent the occurrence of diseases and pests.
Pests and diseases
The Orlovsky Waltz blackcurrant variety is resistant to many diseases and pests, but if not properly cared for, the following can join the currant:
- Septoria – a fungal disease that appears in a humid climate, insufficient lighting and dense planting. When the disease occurs, small brown spots appear on the leaf blade, which grow and become discolored by mid-summer. At the first signs of the disease, damaged leaves and shoots are removed, and then the bush is treated with 1% Bordeaux mixture. For prevention, annual pruning of the bush, digging of row spacing and timely removal of plant debris are carried out.
- Anthracnose – the leaf blade becomes covered with small, red spots, which without treatment begin to grow, darken and swell. For prevention, they are treated twice with 1% Bordeaux mixture: before the start of sap flow and in the fall after harvesting.
- WITHcolumnar rust – the leaf blade is covered with small spots of orange color. Without treatment, the foliage curls, dries out and falls off. The bush is treated with fungicides or Bordeaux mixture 3 times per season: before the leaves bloom, during the formation of buds and after flowering.
- Mlameness – a viral disease that cannot be cured. When infected with the virus, the leaf blade elongates and becomes pointed, and the flowers appear deformed and sterile. When the first signs appear, diseased bushes are removed from the ground and burned.
- Currant aphid – the first signs of the appearance of the pest are the curling of the leaf and the formation of swollen new growths on the surface. To prevent the disease, currant bushes are watered in early spring by sprinkling with boiling water. If a pest is detected, the plant is treated with broad-spectrum insecticides or folk remedies.
- Kidney mite – if in the spring large buds form on the bush, it means that the plant has been infected by a bud mite. The tick is dangerous because it is a carrier of terry. In early May, infected buds are removed, and the bush is sprayed with broad-spectrum insecticides.
Conclusion
Currant Orlovsky Waltz is a high-yielding, frost-resistant variety that can be grown in the southern and northern regions.The plant is unpretentious; if you follow agrotechnical rules and carry out timely pruning, you can get a generous harvest of tasty and healthy berries.
