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Red currant, like its black and white varieties, are among the most popular berry bushes grown in Russia. Caring for it is quite simple and usually does not present any difficulties for the gardener, for this they love and appreciate it. You can plant red currants in your garden in the spring, as well as in the fall; this is very convenient, first of all, for those who have difficulties with planting material.
Features of growing red currants
Unlike its black variety, red currants are not as popular. This is largely due to the nuances of using the crop. Black currant fruits have a more pronounced taste; their berries contain much more vitamins and microelements. The leaves of this shrub are used for home canning.Red currant is seriously limited in its use; its berries have a less rich and more watery taste, and their content of vitamins and nutrients is slightly lower.
Despite this, red currants are grown mainly for fresh consumption, making compotes or jam. The growing season of this shrub begins quite early in the spring, immediately after the average daily temperature rises above 0 °C. Over the course of a year, currants produce quite strong growth, especially at a young age. The basal shoots also grow abundantly, which must be partially removed, leaving annually only 2-3 of the most powerful shoots, growing evenly around the circumference of the bush.
Red currants bear fruit for quite a long time. Unlike the black one, which produces crops mostly on shoots that are 2-3 years old, the red one can produce a good harvest on 7-8 year old branches. Therefore, these bushes live longer, they require less pruning, the shoots do not grow very much in width, stretching upward more. Red currants bear fruit along the entire length of the shoot, while the main crop of black currants grows in the lower part.
There are few differences in care between these berry bushes. All varieties of currants prefer the same conditions for growth; they require a well-lit place and loose, well-drained soil in the area. Watering is needed regularly, but very moderately; the soil should not be over-moistened. Currants react very painfully to excess water in the roots and may die. However, drought is also unacceptable for her. It is advisable to feed the bushes several times a year, especially if the soil is poor. The root zone must be cleared of weeds and mulched.Currant bushes are not covered for the winter; it is enough to simply cover them with snow.
How to plant red currants in spring: step-by-step instructions
Spring is not the optimal time for planting berry bushes, which include red currants. A more favorable time for this is autumn, since at this time of year there are no problems with seedlings, the time interval for carrying out work is quite wide and you do not need to do everything literally running. However, autumn planting may not be possible in regions with early winter, since the planted seedlings may not have time to take root before the onset of frost, so they are guaranteed to die in the winter or next spring.
When is the best time to plant red currants?
To plant a red currant seedling in open ground in the spring, you need to choose a time when the seedling's buds have not yet blossomed, but the ground has already thawed. In different regions of the country this time falls in April or early May. If leaves appear on the seedlings, rooting will be worse. As the weather warms, the survival rate of young bushes decreases, especially for seedlings with an open root system, and planting at this time without a root formation stimulator in most cases ends in failure.
Where is the best place to plant red currants?
Often, gardeners plant red currants according to the residual principle, allocating a place for it near a fence somewhere in the backyard of the garden. With this approach, you cannot expect a good harvest. To plant red currants, you need to allocate an open sunny place, preferably without cold winds and drafts. You should not plant it too close to buildings or structures; the optimal distance is 1.5-2 m.Red currants will also grow well if you plant them next to low trees with a loose crown that allows diffused sunlight to pass through.
The soil for currants should be loose, breathable and moderately moist. Fertile soils with neutral acidity are well suited for this crop. Water should not be retained in the soil; its excess causes diseases in currants. Therefore, low-lying, swampy and wetlands cannot be chosen for planting this shrub. Groundwater must lie at a depth of at least 1 m. If this figure is less than recommended, then an artificial embankment must be made before planting the shrub.
Many garden crops are suitable as precursor plants for red currants:
- vegetables;
- greenery;
- green manure;
- legumes;
- cereals;
- flowers.
You cannot plant red currants after gooseberries or raspberries; these shrubs have common enemies - pests and suffer from similar diseases.
How to prepare a landing site
The site for planting red currants in the spring must be prepared in the fall. The place must be cleared of weeds, debris, and stones. The top layer of soil needs to be dug up and organic fertilizer must be added at the same time. Humus is best suited for this purpose; add 1-2 buckets per 1 square meter. m. It is advisable to add wood ash to the soil composition in an amount of 0.5-1 kg for the same area. Additionally, you can use mineral fertilizers (superphosphate, potassium sulfate), but they can also be applied in the spring, when planting seedlings directly.
How to plant red currants
The size of the planting hole for a red currant seedling must be guaranteed to be larger than the volume of its roots.As a rule, a hole with a diameter of 0.5-0.6 m and the same depth is sufficient. It is advisable to dig holes in advance so that the soil has time to settle and become saturated with air. The soil removed from the hole is mixed with mineral fertilizers and ash, if these components were not added in the fall when digging up the site. A little of this mixture is poured into the bottom of the hole, and then 1-2 buckets of water are poured into it and allowed to soak in.
The planting procedure itself is the same in both spring and autumn. The seedling needs to be placed in the planting hole at an angle of approximately 45 °, its roots should be straightened and covered with prepared soil, periodically compacting it. In this case, the root collar is buried by 5-8 cm, which ensures rapid growth of new shoots and accelerated formation of a strong fruit-bearing bush. After the hole is completely filled, a small circular ditch 8-10 cm deep is made around the seedling, which is completely filled with water. You can instead build an earthen roller of the same height around the bush, which will prevent the water from spreading. After watering, the root zone is mulched with peat or humus to avoid evaporation of moisture from the soil.
What to plant next to red currants
A white variety is usually planted next to red currants, but varieties of different ripening periods can be used, this will allow the harvest time to be extended. Often, for ease of work, gooseberries are placed near these bushes; these plants have similar agricultural techniques. But black currants next to red ones will grow worse; such proximity depresses both.It is not recommended to plant red currants next to bush cherries or other trees that form numerous root shoots; this can further thicken the bush and make it difficult to work with.
To protect against insect pests, onions or garlic are often planted next to this shrub; the pungent smell of these plants repels aphids and currant mites.
How to properly care for red currants
Red currant is a rather unpretentious plant, however, in order for it to feel good and bear fruit abundantly, it is necessary to carry out a number of mandatory measures. These include:
- watering;
- feeding;
- pruning;
- loosening and mulching of the root zone.
Watering and fertilizing
Despite the fact that red currants are moisture-loving crops, they need very moderate, albeit regular, watering. Its root system is quite branched and powerful, which makes it more resistant to drought than the black variety. However, lack of moisture has a detrimental effect on the bush. The shoots, already characterized by small annual growth, begin to lag far behind, and the berries become smaller and fall off without having time to fill.
To avoid this, red currant bushes should be watered regularly during the period of setting and ripening berries, especially if the summer is dry. The water consumption rate at this time is 3-4 buckets per 1 bush, the frequency of watering is once every 6-10 days. In order to better retain moisture in the soil, a groove 8-10 cm deep inside the crown projection is often built around the bush. During watering, it is filled with water and then covered with dense material, for example, a piece of roofing felt.Mulching the root zone with peat, humus or straw will also help retain moisture in the soil longer.
Caring for red currants necessarily includes the application of fertilizers. Urea is most often used to feed shrubs in early spring. It is enough to add 20-30 g to each bush, scattering the granules in the root zone. At the beginning of summer, it is advisable to use organic fertilizers for feeding, for example, slurry or infusion of chicken manure. Instead of organics, you can use urea and superphosphate.
During the period of filling and ripening of berries, red currants need microelements. It is better to do this fertilizing using a foliar method. For this you will need:
- Boric acid – 2.5 g.
- Manganese sulfate – 5 g.
- Copper sulfate – 1 g.
- Ammonium molybdate – 2 g.
- Zinc sulfate – 2 g.
All components are dissolved in 10 liters of water. Shrubs are treated with this composition. This should be done in the evening so that the solution has time to be absorbed before the water evaporates from the surface of the leaves.
The last time in the season, red currant bushes are fed in late autumn. At this time, the row spacing is dug up with the simultaneous application of rotted manure, and superphosphate is also added under the bushes (50-100 g for each bush).
Trimming
Red currant bushes are pruned annually, in early spring or autumn. During the procedure, diseased, broken, excess shoots, as well as thickening root growth, are removed. Old shoots begin to be removed after 7-8 years, thus the bush gradually rejuvenates. Unlike black currants, the annual growth of red currants is not pruned, since most of the harvest ripens on them.
Protection from diseases and pests
With proper agricultural technology, red currants get sick relatively rarely. However, if there are violations in care, especially those associated with excessive watering, powdery mildew or other fungal diseases may appear on the bushes. They are combated by treating the bushes with various fungicides. Red currants are also affected by viral diseases such as mosaic and terry disease. Most often, their carriers are insect pests, such as aphids, weevils, kidney and spider mites, etc. Various chemical and biological preparations are used to destroy them.
Preparing for winter
Red currants are resistant to low temperatures and do not require shelter for the winter. All you have to do is cover the bushes with snow. Before winter, a layer of mulch is removed from the root zone of the shrub, and the soil is dug up. This measure ensures that most of the insect pests overwintering in the upper layer of the earth simply freeze out.
Advice from experienced gardeners on caring for red currants in spring
Many gardeners recommend adhering to the following rules when growing and caring for red currants.
- It is imperative to treat the bushes with hot water in early spring. This can be done using a regular watering can. Sprinkling with boiling water kills currant mites, as well as fungal spores.
- Red currant bushes, unlike black currants, grow more upward than outwards. Therefore, when planting them, the intervals between neighboring bushes can be made smaller.
- To prevent the bush from falling apart, it is advisable to install a fence around it.
- Don't rush to cut out old shoots. With good care, red currants can bear fruit for up to 15 years.
- The mulch layer should not touch the currant shoots.Otherwise, the bark may crack at the contact points, which can lead to infections.
- If the bush becomes sick with mosaic or terry disease, it is better to remove it entirely and be sure to burn it. These viral diseases cannot be treated; if you delay, you can lose neighboring plantings.
Additional information about planting red currants in spring can be obtained from the video
Conclusion
It is possible to plant red currants in the spring in many regions, and for areas with the early arrival of winter this method has no alternative. The planting process itself is quite simple and usually does not cause difficulties even for beginners; the most important thing when planting in spring is to comply with the deadlines. If you choose the right time and place for planting, the shrub will take root well and will delight you with excellent productivity for a long time.
