Content
Currants have long won universal love - their matte black, red or light berries, in addition to their excellent taste, have healing properties. They are characterized by a rich content of beneficial vitamins and minerals and are used for colds and other diseases. Many people are sure that planting currant seedlings in the fall guarantees a wonderful harvest next year.
Gardeners who have been growing currants for many years are well aware of their beneficial properties and the rules of agricultural technology.
Properties and application
Currant is a perennial shrub that belongs to the Gooseberry family. Its bushes have a lush crown and reach one and a half to two meters in height. They have a strong root system, reaching a depth of up to 1.5 meters. Depending on the species, the shade of green leaves varies - from bright to dark. They fall late and often last until frost. Due to this, as well as the beauty of the plant, currants are often used as an ornamental shrub.
The type of black currant differs from others not only in the color of the berries, but also in the high content of fragrant essential oil, which is found in the berries of the plant and its leaves.Its leaves are particularly beautiful - they have jagged edges, are smooth on top, and have golden veins on the underside.
Red currants resemble black currants in the shape of the bush. Its ripe berries with a slight sourness hang beautifully from the bush in bright red clusters.
White currants are high in glucose. Its white berries with a yellowish tint are collected in small clusters.
Several centuries ago, golden currants were exported from America. Now it is widespread and delights gardeners with delicious yellow berries and beautiful leaves.
There are many other types of currants, but these are mainly wild or ornamental shrubs.
Leaves and berries are rich in ascorbic acid, especially black currants. It is also characterized by a high content of other vitamins and minerals, organic acids, and tannins. The plant is popular in folk medicine due to its anti-inflammatory properties. In the form of infusions and decoctions, it is an effective additional remedy in the treatment of:
- blood diseases;
- diabetes;
- stomach ulcers;
- insomnia.
However, when using the healing properties of currants, we must not forget about contraindications. They are connected:
- with increased blood clotting;
- hepatitis;
- thrombosis;
- individual intolerance.
Benefits of autumn planting
You can plant seedlings in both spring and autumn.But the best option is considered to be the autumn planting of currant bushes, since: during the winter, the soil around the planted bush becomes compacted, reliably securing the root system; roots damaged during transplantation will be restored; currant seedlings will take root faster, since the ground shoots will be at rest, and all the nutrients will go to the roots.
Thanks to these processes, the plant will grow faster in the spring.
You should properly plan the time of planting currant seedlings so that the bush has time to take root before the onset of frost. But it is also not recommended to plant them too early - if the autumn is warm, the buds will begin to revive. The most comfortable time for planting currant seedlings is 3-4 weeks before frost. Typically this period falls between mid-September and early October.
Site selection
You can plant currant seedlings in the fall anywhere, and then transplant. However, it is much better to immediately choose a permanent place, then the bushes will take root faster.
- For planting, you need to choose open, sunlit areas. This condition is extremely important - the intensity of photosynthesis in green currant leaves greatly affects the size and taste of the berries.
- The planting site of the bushes should be protected from strong winds.
- Currant seedlings love moist soils, but not swampy ones, otherwise they will be overcome by fungal diseases.
- The plant grows well in loam if it is provided with normal drainage.
- Currant bushes develop well after crops such as vegetables, legumes and cereals. It is not recommended to plant them in an area where gooseberries or raspberries grew.
- Taking into account the size and height of currant bushes, you should not plant them in the center of the plot. The best place is near the fence, 1.5 meters away from it.
Preparing seedlings for planting
To plant currant bushes, two-year-old seedlings with three to four roots and their shoots that have already developed up to 15 cm are usually selected. The ground part of the bush should be represented by one or two shoots up to 30 cm long. To protect currant seedlings from drying out, they should be kept wrapped in cellophane film during transportation and until planting. In order for them to take root faster, you need:
- put currant seedlings in water for an hour and a half;
- After carefully examining, cut off weak or damaged shoots from the root system;
- free the seedling shoots from the leaves;
- keep the roots in a nutrient solution.
Planting seedlings
The intensity of development and yield depend on the correct planting of currant seedlings.
Well preparation
The area chosen for currants must be well leveled and dug up, and then begin preparatory work:
- if the soil is highly acidic, you should sprinkle it with lime and dig it again;
- 3 weeks before planting currant seedlings, prepare spacious holes so that plant roots can be freely placed in them - up to about 40 cm deep;
- so that the growing bushes do not interfere with each other, you need to leave a distance of about one and a half to two meters between them;
- for varieties that form a more spreading crown, the distance between the bushes needs to be increased;
- line the bottom with humus with the addition of a small amount of wood ash and sand;
- During the preparatory period, potato peelings can be poured into the hole - they are favorable for the development of young currant seedlings;
- if there is little time before planting, you can simply pour a mixture of starch and ash with water into the hole;
- If mineral fertilizers are added to the hole, they should not be allowed to come into contact with the roots to avoid burns.
Landing
You need to remember a few simple rules that should be followed when planting currant bushes:
- plant the seedling deeper than it grew in the nursery, so that the root collar remains at a depth of several centimeters;
- cut off the ground part, leaving 2-3 buds on the shoot - the trimmings can also be planted in moist soil so that they begin to grow;
- currant seedlings should be placed at an angle of 45 degrees to the ground - the shoots should fan out;
- the buds located at the bottom of the shoot should be sprinkled with earth - new roots and shoots will appear from them, which will form a strong bush in the first year;
- currant bushes will take root better if you take measures to preserve moisture, for example, by mulching the bushes with humus or compost - mulch will also protect the roots from freezing in winters with little snow;
- Leave a hole around the bush and water generously.
Currant care
Currant seedlings require regular watering, especially in dry times, otherwise they will quickly shed all their leaf cover. It is very useful to water the bushes with the water in which the potatoes were boiled. To increase productivity, you need to properly shape the bushes using pruning. It should begin immediately after planting. Only 3-4 buds are left on the shoots.
Mature bushes are usually pruned in early spring or late autumn.When pruning them, old branches that have reached five years of age are removed from the base so that they do not interfere with the growth of young shoots. The branches growing inside the bush are also removed. On each of them, up to one and a half dozen shoots of different ages are left. All parts of the plant should be evenly illuminated by the sun - then the harvest will be larger and the berries tastier.
If currant seedlings are planted in fertile or well-fertilized soil, then you can not feed them for two to three years. It will be enough for them to loosen the soil around the bushes at the same time as embedding mulch into it. However, after this time, every autumn or spring it is necessary to fertilize the currant bushes with mineral and organic fertilizers.
In the fall, phosphates and potassium salts are usually added in an amount of 30 grams to each bush during digging. It is better to add nitrogen compounds in the spring so that they are not washed away with meltwater. The dose for one bush will be up to 20 grams. It is necessary to feed currant seedlings during the flowering period. At this time, organic fertilizers are used - mullein diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10 or chicken droppings - 1:15.
Growing currant seedlings
Many gardeners receive currant seedlings for planting using cuttings. It can be carried out at any time, from spring to autumn. Autumn and spring cuttings should be carried out using lignified one-year shoots. Often cuttings are prepared during pruning:
- shoots are taken only from healthy bushes;
- its length can reach 20-25 cm, and its diameter up to 6 mm;
- the cuttings are cut, leaving one and a half centimeters from the outer bud at both ends;
- cuts should be oblique and even.
Cuttings planted in soil prepared from a mixture of rotted manure with soil and compost. They need to be planted deep, leaving only up to three buds on the surface and in an inclined position. Then the plantings are watered and mulched. When cuttings are taken in spring, by the end of the season, young currant seedlings have already formed a strong root system, which allows them to be transplanted to a permanent place. When cutting in autumn, you need to correctly select the timing for the currants to enter the dormant phase - for different species they differ by several weeks. Shoots need to be protected from freezing.
For summer cuttings, green shoots are selected that will soon become woody - they still retain some flexibility, but they break if sharply bent. Ready cuttings up to 12 cm long with several leaf blades are planted in a warm and humid greenhouse, where they will take root. Next year in the spring they can be transplanted into open ground.
Planting and caring for currants is not particularly difficult. If you do this correctly, it will delight you with a beautiful view and a rich harvest.
