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Long brushes with a rain of shiny, fragrant berries, black pearls, against the backdrop of thick, bright, green foliage... Every gardener's dream has come true in the Titania currant variety. Productive, frost-resistant, with high resistance to diseases, this dessert blackcurrant has been pleasing residents of cold regions with its vitamin-rich fruits for almost half a century. The variety was bred in Sweden in 1970 based on the Altai dessert and local KajaaninMusta-Tamas currants. In our country, black currant Titania began to spread in the 90s.
Description
The bushes of the variety are vigorous, reaching 1.4-1.5 m in height, with dense foliage, powerful shoots stretching upward. The crown is round, one and a half meters in diameter. The large leaves are bright green, with a slightly wrinkled surface. Currant fruit clusters are long, the stalks are compactly located, and bear up to 20-23 berries.
Titania currant berries are round in shape and uneven: the clusters are larger on top, smaller on the bottom, weighing from 1.5 to 2.5 g, there are 3-4 g each. The skin is glossy, black, dense, but easily eaten. The juicy pulp is greenish, characterized by a dense consistency, without wateriness.The taste is pleasant, sweet and sour, with pronounced wine notes and a specific currant aroma. Titania blackcurrant berries contain 6.6% sugar and 170 g of ascorbic acid. Tasters rated the taste of the variety's berries at 4.6 points.
Characteristic
The ripening of the berries of the mid-season blackcurrant variety depends on the climate of the region where it grows. In the northern regions, the first Titania currant berries are enjoyed from mid-July, in warmer regions - a week earlier. In the south, the collection is carried out after the second ten days of June. The berries hold tightly to the stalks and do not fall off for a long time. From one blackcurrant bush with a high level of self-fertility, 2 to 5 kg of vitamin products are collected. On an industrial scale, the figures reach 80 centners per hectare. The blackcurrant variety is suitable for fields of intensive cultivation, since the berries have a dry detachment from the stalks - they can be collected by a combine, and have good transportability due to the presence of dense skin and pulp.
Titania is among the most popular varieties in the gardens of many countries. Currants have great vigor in the growth of young shoots; a fruitful bush is formed in the second year after planting from a three-year-old plant. The seedlings adapt well to different climatic conditions, retaining all their valuable characteristic properties: the variety can withstand frosts down to -34 degrees, tolerate heat, and the plants are not susceptible to diseases common to black currants. In one place, a currant bush produces abundant harvests for up to 11-15 years.
Titania currant berries have a long shelf life: they can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.They are universal in use: the berries are consumed fresh, frozen, and prepared into compotes, preserves, and jams.
Advantages and disadvantages
The longevity of the black currant variety Titania indicates the advantages of the plant:
- Large fruit and high productivity;
- Dessert appointment;
- The ability of ripe berries not to crumble for a long time;
- Winter hardiness and drought resistance;
- Transportability;
- Immunity to powdery mildew, anthracnose, brown and white spots.
The disadvantages of Titania currants include:
- Different sizes of berries;
- Low percentage of sugar content;
- Rapid growth of numerous shoots;
- The dependence of the quality and quantity of the crop on regular watering and fertilizing.
How to plant a berry bush correctly
Titania currants are propagated by cuttings and layering. It is believed that cuttings are the best way, because the shoots of the variety are prone to strong vegetative growth. Nowadays, most high-quality seedlings are sold with a closed root system, which are convenient to plant at any period of plant development, in spring or autumn. For seedlings whose roots are not protected, the appropriate time for planting is autumn or early spring. Black currant Titania is planted at the end of March or beginning of April, when the buds are still dormant.
- For this variety of currants, you need to select light, unshaded areas on the south or southwest side of the garden, buildings or fence;
- Currants prefer light, permeable, fertile soils;
- Berry bushes grow well in slightly acidic or neutral soils;
- It is better to place Titania currants on a flat surface, avoiding lowlands and areas with a groundwater level above 1 m;
- On acidic soils, planting holes are made wide, up to 1 m, the soil is mixed with sand and humus, adding 1 kg of dolomite flour.
Selection of seedlings
When buying Titania currant seedlings, you should listen to the reviews of gardeners who recommend purchasing tall plants. When planting, the bushes are placed obliquely for better formation of shoots, and the currants need another 15-20 cm from above for nutrition.
- The volume of the roots of the seedling is not less than 10-15 cm;
- The roots and stems are fresh in appearance, elastic, not withered;
- The height of the seedling is from 50 cm.
Landing
In the garden, vigorous bushes are placed at a distance of up to 1.8-2 m. Growing the Titania variety in large areas requires placing the bushes in a checkerboard pattern, spacing 1 m between rows.
- When processing the area, carefully remove the roots. weed, especially wheatgrass;
- For each square meter, scatter 150 g of nitroammophoska, a glass of wood ash, a bucket of humus, embedding all the fertilizers into the soil;
- Dig a hole up to 40 cm deep and 50 cm wide;
- The earth is mixed with humus, a tablespoon of superphosphate and a glass of wood ash;
- The hole is filled with 5-7 liters of water, and then the seedling is placed obliquely so that the root collar is 5-7 cm under the ground;
- The tree trunk circle is watered and mulched.
Care
The trunk circle of the Titania currant bush must be kept in order: loosen to 6-7 cm, remove weeds. The bush is watered on time, fed and inspected to see if pests have settled on it.
Watering
For currants, scheduled watering is important depending on the growing season.
- If there is insufficient natural precipitation, currant bushes are watered during the formation of ovaries;
- The second mandatory watering is after picking the berries;
- In October, moisture-recharging irrigation is carried out;
- 30 liters of water are used per bush to moisten the soil to a depth of 0.5 m;
- During the dry period, additional watering is carried out, up to two times a week, especially when the leaves hang down.
Top dressing
For a good growing season and a bountiful harvest, Titania black currants must be provided with rich nutrition.
- During spring tillage, 30 g of urea or other nitrogen-containing fertilizer is added to each bush, fertilizer is added dropwise and watered well;
- In autumn, the soil under the Titania currant bushes is fertilized with humus (5 kg), a tablespoon of potassium sulfate and 2 tablespoons of superphosphate are incorporated into the soil;
- Black currant gratefully accepts foliar feeding with various complex fertilizers containing nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, boron and other microelements.
Trimming
Currant bushes are periodically rejuvenated by removing old branches.
- For the first 3 years, the Titania bush is formed by cutting off thickening shoots in the spring and shortening the tops of the remaining branches by 10 or 15 cm to increase productivity.
- 2 years after planting, the bush grows up to 20 fruiting shoots.
- Now they only carry out sanitary pruning in the spring, removing old, 6-year-old branches and those that have wintered unsuccessfully.
Preparing for winter
The Titania variety is frost-resistant, but if severe cold returns after the winter thaw, it may suffer.In autumn, a thick, 10-centimeter layer of mulch made from humus, peat, and sawdust is placed under the bushes. In the northern regions, branches are bent to the ground and covered with material that allows air to pass through.
Plant protection
Weak blackcurrant bushes of the Titania variety, damaged due to waterlogging, drought, or growing in poor soil without fertilizers, can be affected by fungal diseases. Compliance with the requirements of agricultural technology for the variety is vital. Against bud mites, the bush is treated with acaricides, new generation drugs.
A culture with a high content of vitamin C, pectin and microelements beneficial to humans, known for its adsorbent properties, requires minimal attention. By watering and feeding the berry bush, you can stock up on medicinal products for the whole year.
