How to plant currants in spring

It is necessary to plant currants in the spring according to special rules. The shrub has its own requirements for time, place and planting algorithm; only if they are met will it grow beautiful and produce a bountiful harvest.

Features of planting black currants in spring

Black currant is a very popular shrub in summer cottages. The plant decorates the garden and bears delicious fruits, but it has some features that must be taken into account when planting.

• The culture loves moisture, but does not tolerate waterlogging.It needs to be planted in an area where the soil is always slightly moist, but there is also good drainage.
• The shrub is a very early plant; it produces buds and is one of the first to bloom. Accordingly, it needs to be planted early, ideally immediately after the soil warms up.
• The culture does not tolerate carbonate and sandy soils. It is not recommended to plant it in dry soil in the spring; even if it can develop, it will have to be cared for very carefully.
• For good flowering and high-quality fruiting, blackcurrant bushes need regular feeding. Although the plant is considered quite hardy, it will not be able to produce large yields on depleted soils. In addition, regular feeding serves as additional protection against diseases and pests - strong, healthy and developed currants are more resistant to fungi and insects and are less likely to get sick.

When planting currants in spring in open ground in groups, you need to take into account that the bush grows widely, and, accordingly, when planting, each seedling must be provided with enough living space.

When can you plant currants in spring?

In spring, black currant prefers early planting. It is necessary to wait until the soil warms up approximately 40 cm deep, and day and night temperatures remain consistently positive - not lower than 5-10 ° C. Typically, suitable weather occurs in early or mid-April.

How to plant currants in spring

To properly plant blackcurrants in the spring, you need to understand which areas it prefers and know the planting algorithm. It is necessary to take into account the requirements of the bush to the soil and know what can and cannot be planted nearby.

Where to plant black currants

Planting currants in the shade or in the sun is a controversial issue among gardeners. But the optimal place for the plant is a well-lit, windless area. It is best to choose places where the crop can receive sunlight in the afternoon, but will be slightly shaded by buildings or other trees and shrubs.

The crop prefers moderately moist soil with a good drainage system. The shrub cannot be planted in spring in sandy areas, however, heavy clay soils are not suitable for it. The optimal soil for the plant is nutritious loam.

Groundwater near the bushes should lie no higher than 1 m below the surface of the earth. If they pass closer, then the soil in the area with the fruit crop will be swampy, and it is unlikely to be dried artificially.

How to prepare the ground for currants

Before planting black currants in open ground, the area must be carefully prepared.

• First of all, you need to clear the soil of any weeds - foreign vegetation in an area with currant bushes will take away the strength of the bush and hinder its growth.
• Before planting a crop, you need to dig up the soil - remove the top 50 cm of soil, pour complex mineral fertilizers and organic matter into the soil, and then return the removed soil to its place. It is recommended to do this in advance, in the fall, before planting the crop in the spring.

Distance between currant bushes when planting

Since black currant quickly grows in diameter and develops branched roots, when planting seedlings in groups, you must follow the distance recommendations. There are several options for planting currants in spring.

• If black currants are supposed to be planted as single bushes in a row or in a checkerboard pattern, then the distance between the currants when planting should be about 2 m.
• If you need to plant several bushes at once, then leave 1 m of free space between individual seedlings, and when planting currants in rows, make a 2 m indent between them.
• If you need to plant a whole currant garden on your site or form a decorative group, the distance between the bushes can be left no more than half a meter.

In the latter case, the bushes will not grow so tall and spreading. However, this disadvantage will be balanced by high yields in a small area.

How to plant black currants in spring

The algorithm for planting black currant bushes in the spring looks quite simple.

• The first step is to dig planting holes in the selected area; their depth should be about 40 cm and width about 50 cm. Traditionally, only one seedling is lowered into each hole, so the number of holes should correspond to the number of shrubs.
• If the soil has not been fertilized in the fall, then it will need to be fertilized a couple of weeks before the actual planting of the shrub; 100 g of superphosphate in granules, 60 g of potassium and about 8 kg of manure per square meter are added to the soil.After laying the fertilizer, the hole must be watered abundantly so that the fertilizing can be absorbed into the soil faster.
• When planting in the spring, black currants should be placed in a prepared hole at a slight angle and its roots should be sprinkled with soil. The bush should be planted with the root collar deepened by about 6 cm.
• The hole filled with soil is lightly crushed, and then about 5 liters of water are poured into the tree trunk circle of the seedling.

After watering, the ground next to the bushes can be mulched in the spring. A dense layer of mulch will not only prevent the soil from drying out, but will also insulate the root system in the event of return frosts.

What to plant between currants

Since recommendations for planting currants in the spring advise leaving gaps between the bushes, the gardener subsequently faces the question of how to fill the remaining space. Strawberries and strawberries grow best next to fruit crops. They have similar requirements for soil and moisture levels, and the root system of low berry bushes does not interfere with the growth of currant bushes.

Onions and garlic can also be planted close to the crop in the spring. Edible plants not only feel good next to fruit bushes, but also provide practical benefits. Their pungent odor repels some pests, for example, bud mites, which can greatly reduce yields.

What can you plant next to blackcurrants?

Certain recommendations must be followed when planting other shrubs next to black currants. She almost cannot stand some neighbors, but she grows very well side by side with others.

Two crops will be favorable neighbors for black currants.

• Yoshta is a cultivated hybrid of currants and gooseberries, which is characterized by increased endurance and similar soil requirements. Yoshta is very rarely affected by pests; if you plant a shrub next to a currant crop, this will not harm the health of the plants.
  
• Honeysuckle - currant bushes and honeysuckle are similar in chemical composition, they are distinguished by the same unpretentiousness and high frost resistance. Growing them side by side is very convenient.
  

The apple tree sits well next to the black currant; the tree can be safely planted next to fruit bushes. Plants are neutral towards each other and develop well in close proximity.

Is it possible to plant currants and gooseberries next to each other?

At first glance, gooseberries seem to be a very good neighbor for currant bushes; even the berries are a little similar to each other, with the exception of size. However, in fact, it is strictly not recommended to plant gooseberries next to the crop in the spring.

The fact is that shrubs often suffer from the same pests, for example, the gooseberry moth. Accordingly, when planting close together, the risk of infection of both plants increases significantly.

Is it possible to plant currants next to cherries?

Juicy cherries are another undesirable neighbor for black currants. First of all, cherry trees and currant bushes have different requirements for the soil, so they cannot develop normally in one area.If you plant plants in close proximity, then either one or both of them will begin to bear fruit worse and stop developing.

Is it possible to plant currants next to raspberries?

Raspberries are plants that prefer to grow alone, so planting a bush next to black currants is definitely not worth it. Raspberries grow very strongly in the area and have a depressing effect on neighboring crops - depriving them of space and sunlight. In addition, raspberries need a lot of water; they will take away moisture from currant plantings, which will negatively affect the growth of the latter.

When the buds on currants wake up

Black currant is one of the first crops to start growing in the spring. As a rule, buds appear on the shoots of the plant in early or mid-April, depending on the timing of warm weather. In the southern regions, culture awakens even earlier - already in March.

How currants bloom

The timing of flowering depends on the region in which black currants grow. In the middle zone, the plant usually produces flowers in mid-May, at an average daily temperature of about 15 °C. In the northwestern and northeastern regions, flowering may be slightly delayed, until the end of May. In the south, the shrub can produce flowers in the spring in early and mid-April, as soon as the temperature during the day averages above 10 ° C.

Flowering continues for quite a long time - from 10 to 23 days, and with a slight cold snap the shrub blooms longer. The flowers of the plant themselves are quite modest - small in size, white-yellow or white, dim.

When does currant begin to bear fruit after planting?

You don’t have to wait long for the first blackcurrant harvests after planting in the spring. If correct agricultural practices and careful care are followed, the crop bears fruit the very next year after planting.

Blackcurrant reaches its peak in a few years. The most abundant harvests can be harvested from it starting from the 4th year of life.

How long does blackcurrant grow?

The average lifespan of a crop is about 15 years, and the plant bears fruit for the same amount of time. This is also why you need to carefully select a site before planting currants in the spring; the bush will remain in one place for quite a long time.

What frosts can currants withstand?

Currant bushes are considered frost-resistant - it’s not for nothing that the fruit crop is successfully grown even in Siberia. In winter, plantings can easily tolerate temperatures down to – 35–40 °C if provided with shelter. And in the southern regions and the middle zone, the plant may not be covered at all if frosts are expected to be no lower than – 15 °C.

As for return frosts, the buds of the crop survive in the spring at temperatures down to – 5 °C. Blooming flowers will tolerate cold temperatures down to – 3 °C, and the ovary will remain on the branches at a temperature of – 2 °C.

Mistakes when growing currants

Some gardeners complain that the weather-resistant and unpretentious garden crop refuses to bear fruit or produces too low yields. Usually the problems are related to violation of the basic rules regarding how to plant in the spring and grow shrubs.

Several common mistakes can be listed.

• Insufficient watering. You can often hear the opinion that shrubs can get by with a natural amount of moisture, but this is not true. With a lack of water, the crop slows down, yields drop, and the berries become smaller and less tasty. Ideally, you need to water the bushes at least three times per season, at the end of May during the period of active fasting, during ripening and immediately after harvesting.
• No fertilizer. Even if the soil is thoroughly fertilized before planting the shrub, over time the nutrients disappear from the soil. To maintain the health of the plant, it is necessary to apply annual fertilizing, nitrogenous in late spring, potassium and phosphate after harvest, and organic in the fall, before the onset of cold weather.
• No trimming. Blackcurrant grows and thickens quite quickly. As a result, young shoots receive less moisture, sunlight and nutrients, so yields are noticeably reduced. In order for the plant to bear fruit well, it must be pruned annually - old thick shoots are regularly removed from the bush, thereby ensuring continuous rejuvenation of the fruit crop.

The lack of preventive treatment against pests and fungi becomes detrimental to the yield of shrubs. Powdery mildew, rust, white spot, as well as moth, aphids and bud mites pose a particular threat to the plant. During each season, the shrub should be regularly inspected for damage and should not be planted next to crops suffering from the same pests.

Since pests and fungus on black currants are quite difficult to cure, it is better to carry out prevention in the spring - treat the bushes with insecticides and fungicides, regardless of the presence of pests on the leaves and shoots of the plant.

Advice from experienced gardeners on planting currants in spring

In addition to following the standard rules of planting and growing, you can use special tricks. According to reviews from experienced gardeners, if you plant black currants in the spring following these tips, you can increase the yield of the plant.

• Immediately after planting the seedling in the spring, it is recommended to prune it slightly. All shoots are shortened so that no more than 4 buds remain on the branches. After such pruning, black currants begin to actively develop the root system, which means they quickly become stronger in the soil and begin to bear fruit well the next year.
• Not all blackcurrant varieties are self-fertile; some require pollination by other varieties. And even self-fertile varieties produce more abundant harvests when pollinated. Therefore, ideally, you need to plant several varieties of plants nearby in the spring for high-quality pollination, then there will be more fruits on the bush.

Despite the fact that traditional agricultural technology recommends planting 1 bush in 1 hole, many summer residents break this rule. According to the observations of experienced gardeners, black currant bushes grow more powerful and capable of abundant fruiting if 3 seedlings are planted in a single hole at a time. Sometimes the harvest after this grows 2-3 times compared to bushes planted using conventional technology.

Conclusion

It is necessary to plant currants in the spring according to established rules, at the right time and in good soil.If initially comfortable conditions are created for the plant, then it will grow better, and the blackcurrant harvest will be more abundant.

Recommended Posts

Pruning currants in autumn

Rejuvenation of currants in autumn

Black currant Leningrad giant

Black currant Vologda

Blackcurrant Pygmy

Red currant Ural beauty

Red currant Marmalade

Black currant Gross

Black, white, red, pink currants: the best varieties for the Moscow region