Content
Currants, black and red, are one of the most beloved and popular berry crops among gardeners. It is unpretentious, frost-resistant, and does not require special attention, unlike other fruit-bearing plants. The beneficial properties of wild currants (repis) are due to the composition of the fruit, which contains a whole storehouse of vitamins and microelements, which makes it indispensable for the nutrition of adults and children.
Where do wild currants grow?
Wild currants (repis) grow in forests, along the banks of rivers and swamps, and in ravines. The culture is very widespread in Siberia and the Far East, the Urals and Kazakhstan, as well as in the forests of western and central Russia. Wild currants are grown everywhere in gardens and on personal plots. The exception is in regions with very cold climates.
Description and photo of wild currant
Repis is a powerful, spreading shrub with a height of 1 to 3 m, which is distinguished not only by its decorative value, but also by a fairly good yield of healthy, tasty berries. In appearance, the small three-lobed leaf blades of the plant resemble gooseberry leaves. Rich green, by autumn they are covered with red and yellow spots, which makes the currants very impressive and attractive.
A visual photo of wild currants demonstrates the charming flowering of the bush.
It blooms with bright, large yellow flowers at the end of May, attracting bees with its pleasant aroma. Fruiting begins in mid-July with medium-sized berries ranging in color from red, light brown to black. The shape of the fruit is round, slightly elongated. The taste is sweet and sour, but with a more pronounced sourness. The berries of red currants, which are a type of black wild turnip, are especially sour.
Useful video about the description and growth of repiss:
Useful properties of wild currants
The fruits of wild currants are not only tasty, but also very healthy due to a large amount of vitamins and minerals. Just like the leaves, they have a diuretic, antipyretic, and anti-inflammatory effect. Therefore, they are recommended to be consumed in case of infectious and colds, and reduced immunity. Repis berries are useful for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular organs, and oncology. In addition they:
- improve mental activity;
- reduce blood cholesterol levels;
- strengthen blood vessels;
- cleanse the body of waste and toxins.
Such beneficial qualities of the plant are explained by the unique composition of currant fruits.Turnip berries contain a large amount of vitamins, organic acids, tannins, and essential oils. They also contain pectin, which allows currants to be widely used for making all kinds of jellies and jams.
Contraindications
Currant fruits are not recommended for consumption:
- for acute gastrointestinal diseases;
- hepatitis;
- heart attacks and strokes;
- thrombophlebitis.
People prone to allergies should not eat currants in large quantities, especially red ones. One of the main contraindications to eating berries is their individual intolerance.
Recipes with wild currants
In cooking, the fruits of wild red and black currants are widely used for making jellies, preserves, jams, compotes, and fruit drinks. Proper preparation of preparations for winter consumption allows you to preserve vitamins and beneficial elements, which is especially important for maintaining good health during the cold season. Below are the most popular recipes.
Vitamin jam
To make jam you will need:
- 1.5 kg of berries;
- 1 kg granulated sugar.
The berries are ground in a blender, food processor or passed through a meat grinder. Then mix with sugar until it is completely dissolved. Place jam in clean, prepared jars and store in the refrigerator. Due to the lack of heat treatment, it retains all vitamins and beneficial properties.
Jam Pyatiminutka
From 3 kg of sugar and 2 tbsp. syrup is boiled with water, into which 2 kg of berries, selected from garbage and twigs, are placed. After boiling, cook for 5 minutes.Pour hot into prepared jars and cover with lids. Quick cooking allows you to preserve useful substances, makes cooking simple, and the jam itself is unusually tasty and aromatic.
Jam
Ingredients:
- 1 kg sugar;
- 1 kg of berries;
- 1 lemon.
The lemon is peeled and ground together with the currant fruits through a meat grinder. Mix with sugar and place on low heat. After boiling, cook for 30 minutes, stirring and skimming. The resulting jam is poured hot into jars and sealed. The delicious taste of currants is harmoniously complemented by citrus notes.
Repis fruits are dried and frozen for the winter. During the cold season, it is enough to throw a few dry berries into your tea so that the drink acquires beneficial properties and is filled with the unique aroma of summer. Frozen turnip berries are often used to decorate confectionery products. When frozen, they completely retain all their characteristic properties and composition.
Planting and caring for wild currants in the garden
Wild currant repis is an unpretentious crop to the climate and growing conditions. It is able to grow and bear fruit on any soil: from sandy to clayey. However, in order for the harvest to delight you with its abundance and pleasant taste of fruits, you should choose the right seedlings and place for planting. Planting material should be:
- with a developed root system measuring at least 20 cm, without dried roots;
- with woody branches, each of which has 3 - 4 healthy buds.
After planting, repiss do not require particularly careful care. But do not forget about the basic agrotechnical techniques - watering, fertilizing, pruning.
Selection and preparation of a landing site
Repis currant can grow on any soil.However, in order for fruiting to be good and the shrub to please with its decorative appearance, it is better to plant it in a sunny, well-lit place in fertile, high-moisture soil. To do this, the site is dug up and humus or rotted manure is added to the ground. If planting is planned in the spring, this can be done in the fall. Dig planting holes measuring 40x40 and add compost or rotted humus to each.
Landing rules
The basic rules for planting wild currant repis are as follows:
- seedlings are planted in early spring or autumn in well-lit places protected from drafts and cold winds;
- the area should not be swampy or waterlogged;
- It is necessary to plant 2 repis bushes on the site for full fruit set.
Currants begin to bear fruit in very small quantities from the second year of planting, but a full harvest is obtained only in the 3rd – 4th year.
Landing algorithm:
- dig holes measuring 50x50 at a distance of 1.5 m from each other;
- Rotted manure, humus or superphosphate is added to each planting hole;
- fertilizers are sprinkled with soil and seedlings are planted;
- fall asleep, compact and water abundantly.
Wild currant repis responds well to the addition of wood ash, so it is also added when planting seedlings, at the rate of 2 cups per bush.
Watering and fertilizing
Wild currants are quite drought-resistant and do not require regular watering. However, after planting, young plants need to be watered with warm water once a week. After the leaves bloom, watering is limited, since there is a high probability of powdery mildew developing here.The rest of the time, it is recommended to water repis no more than once every 2 weeks.
In early spring every year, wild currants are fed with mineral fertilizers or bird droppings. The following composition is suitable for mineral fertilizing:
- superphosphate (20g);
- ammonium nitrate (15g);
- potassium sulfate (15g).
In the fall, in order for the bush to be well prepared for the dormant period, humus is added to the soil, at least 5 kg for an adult bush and 1 cup of wood ash.
Trimming
Wild forest currants do not require regular pruning. Its bushes practically do not thicken. Meanwhile, spring sanitary pruning allows you to get rid of damaged, dry and broken branches. During the haircut, weak shoots are also removed. When growing turnips for decorative purposes, formative pruning is carried out, leaving strong, strong shoots and cutting off the apical parts to form the crown.
Preparing for winter
Repis grows almost everywhere, except in areas with very cold climates. Therefore, it does not need shelter for the winter. The frost-resistant crop easily tolerates low air temperatures - up to 40 - 45 degrees below zero under snow cover. Preparation for winter consists of mulching the tree trunk circle with fallen leaves and peat, which will additionally protect the root system from freezing, and in the spring it will become a good top dressing, which has a beneficial effect on the active growth of the bush.
Harvesting
The berries of the wild currant repis ripen in mid-June - early August: it all depends on the specific climatic conditions. Fruiting lasts 1.5 - 2 months, during which the fruits do not fall off and remain firmly on the branches. The harvest is harvested in stages, as the berries ripen and ripen unevenly.
Conclusion
The beneficial properties of wild currants (repis) forced gardeners to take a closer look at this berry crop. Despite the prevalence of cultivated, hybrid currant varieties, it is especially popular precisely because of its unique properties. Often, unpretentious, frost-resistant shrubs are planted to protect the area from cold winds. Well, a pleasant bonus of decorative green spaces is a good harvest of tasty, incredibly healthy berries.
