Red currant Marmalade

Red currant bushes are a real decoration for a summer cottage. In early summer they are covered with bright green foliage, and in late season they are loaded with glossy scarlet berries. As you know, growing red currants is much easier than black currants, because this crop is not so capricious, rarely gets sick and takes root well after planting. Typically, red-fruited varieties are grown not for fresh consumption (since the berries are quite sour), but for the preparation of various jellies, jams, marmalades, sauces and ketchups. One of the best varieties of red currant is Marmeladnitsa, the name of which indicates the high content of pectin, a gelling substance, in the berries. Red currants are suitable for both private gardening and industrial use - the characteristics of the variety allow this.

Photos and descriptions of the Marmeladnitsa currant variety are collected in this article. What advantages the variety has and what disadvantages it has are also described below. Gardeners who decide to grow red currants for the first time will find useful information on planting and caring for this crop.

Features of the red-fruited variety

The currant variety Marmelandnitsa was bred in the early 90s of the last century; since 1996 it has been in the State Register of Agricultural Crops.The author of this species was an employee of the Oryol All-Russian Research Institute L.V. Bayanova, who crossed the Rote Spätlese and Maarsis Promenent varieties. The breeder's goal was to develop red currants with the highest possible pectin content.

The resulting variety met all expectations. In addition, Marmeladnitsa red currants can be eaten fresh, however, those with a sweet tooth will not like it - the berries are too sour. But This variety is excellent in sauces and ketchups: it adds exquisite piquancy and a very pleasant sourness to dishes. Well, and, of course, it is a reliable and very strong thickener.

The description of the red currant variety Marmeladnitsa is as follows:

• a crop with late ripening periods - of all the varieties, Marmeladnitsa ripens the latest (in most regions the berries are fully ripened by the second half of August);
• currants are self-fertile, but the yield of the berry can be increased by another 50% if another variety with the same flowering period is planted nearby;
• the bushes are not very tall - up to 150 cm;
• the habit is dense, the shoots are semi-spreading, not numerous (about 7-9 pieces per bush), powerful;
• fruiting of berries on 3-5 year old shoots (in accordance with this, currant bushes are pruned);
• young currant shoots are slightly pubescent, have a dark green tint, and are brittle;
• the buds are large, have a pointed shape, and are located at an angle to the shoot;
• there are several tassels in the nodes - from three to five;
• the length of the brush may vary, as it greatly depends on the quality of pruning of the currant bush (on average, 8-10 cm);
• Marmaladenitsa's leaves are medium-sized, five-lobed, wrinkled, dark green in color, pubescent below;
• the edges of the leaf blades are raised, wavy, the edge is finely toothed;
• The shape of currant berries is flat-round;
• a characteristic feature of Marmalade is the orange-red hue of the fruit, the presence of pronounced white veins;
• the berries are large in size - the fruit can weigh from 0.6 to 1.9 grams;
• fruit tearing is dry, the berries do not fall off or wrinkle when picked;
• Marmeladnitsa fruits are sour, with a piercing, refreshing taste (according to tasters, this red currant is much sour than other popular varieties);
• tasters rate red currant fruits at 4 points (out of five possible);
• sugar content in Marmaladnitsa berries is 7%, acids are 2.2%;
• the variety's yield is high - about 13 tons per hectare or 1.5-2 kg per bush (in private cultivation conditions);
• red currant has amazing frost resistance: at the beginning of winter, the bush can withstand temperatures dropping to -35 degrees without damaging the bark and roots, in the middle of winter the bush can withstand frost down to -45 degrees, Marmalade quickly recovers from thaws and remains frost-resistant down to -33 degrees;
• The drought resistance of red currants is average, and the bush also tolerates heat tests normally;
• The marmalade plant is resistant to bud mites; among the pests, only aphids are dangerous for the variety;
• has high immunity to anthracnose, septoria, powdery mildew;
• The berries tolerate transportation and storage well.

Marmaladnitsa currants have a very valuable quality - excellent winter hardiness.It is this fact that has become the reason for the popularity of the variety among breeders: scientists often use the Marmeladnitsa frost resistance gene to produce new varieties and hybrids of currants.

Advantages and disadvantages

Reviews from gardeners about the Marmeladnitsa currant variety are the most ambiguous: the crop is valued for its productivity and durability, but many do not like the overly sour taste of its fruits. In this case, we can advise summer residents to decide on the purpose of the red currant before purchasing a seedling. If you need a variety for eating berries fresh, you can find sweeter currants. When a summer resident needs berries for processing, he cannot find a better variety than Marmeladnitsa.

Marmalade has many advantages, and they are quite significant:

• large and very beautiful berries;
• high marketability of the crop (late ripening of currants is especially valued - in the fall Marmeladnitsa has no competitors in the fresh produce market);
• very high frost resistance;
• excellent yield, equally stable on industrial and private scales of cultivation;
• high immunity to diseases and pests;
• normal ability to tolerate heat and drought;
• suitability of fruits for transportation and storage;
• easy harvesting, no falling fruits.

In addition to the very high acid content in the berries, Marmalade has several other disadvantages:

• the tendency of fruits to shrink with insufficient care;
• the need for regular soil moisture;
• the formation of abundant growth on the bushes;
• the need for pollinators for full productivity;
• demands on soil composition.

It should be remembered that the Marmeladnitsa currant was bred specifically for cultivation as an industrial crop, the most valuable quality of the variety is the high content of gelling substances in the fruits.

Planting shrubs

It is much easier to grow red currants on your property than black ones. Marmalade can propagate by woody perennial shoots or green cuttings with part of a two-year shoot (only in early autumn).

To plant a shrub you need to choose a suitable place. Marmaladnitsa will feel best in openwork partial shade, because this variety is afraid of heat (the leaves fall off, the shoots dry out, and the berries mummify). But dense shade should also be avoided, as fungal diseases and fruit pests will annoy the bush there.

The soil on the site must be loose and nutritious. The distance between bushes is within 1-2 meters. The optimal time for planting is late autumn, when the movement of juice in the currant shoots stops. In the middle zone, it is customary to plant red marmalade in late October - early November. In the south you can wait until mid-November.

Planting is carried out using the following technology:

1. A couple of weeks before planting the seedling, they dig a hole of standard sizes - 50x50 cm.
2. The fertile layer of soil removed from the pit is mixed with humus, superphosphate, and wood ash.
3. The Marmalade seedling is placed in the center of the hole and its roots are straightened so that their tips do not bend upward.
4. Sprinkle the currants with soil, making sure that the root collar of the seedling is no deeper underground than 7-10 cm.
5. The soil is lightly compacted and watered abundantly.
6. At the end of planting, mulch the hole with straw, peat or humus.
7. The top of the currant is trimmed so that 3-4 buds remain on the seedling.

Rules of care

Marmalade requires intensive and competent care - the size of the bush, the quality of the fruit and the yield directly depend on this. However The most common stages of caring for this crop are:

1. 1. Water Red currants are only needed during periods of drought or extreme heat. The rest of the time, the bush should have enough natural precipitation. Additional irrigation may be needed during the fruiting period. It is better to water the bushes in the evening, pouring 20-30 liters under each plant.
   2. To keep moisture in the soil longer, it is recommended to fill the circle around the trunk mulch. This will also protect the surface roots from overheating.
      
   3. Trim You need red currants in the spring, before the buds open. Autumn pruning can weaken Marmalade, and then it will not survive the winter well. Immediately after planting, you need to leave 5-7 shoots and cut out the rest. In the second year, 5 two-year-old shoots and 4 one-year-old shoots are left. In the third spring after planting, the bush is formed so that there are four shoots of different ages left on it. The optimal pruning scheme is shown in the photo below.
      

1. Nutritious feeding are very important for the productivity of Marmalade. In early spring, it is recommended to feed currants with urea. During the flowering period, water the soil with a solution of bird droppings or cow manure, and spray the shoots with foliar mineral fertilizers. In September, the soil is thoroughly fertilized by adding manure, humus or compost.Potassium and phosphorus should be added to the soil no more than once every 2-3 years.
2. Pest diseases rarely plague red currants, but for prevention purposes it is better treat the bushes before flowering, use folk remedies, biological or insecticidal preparations.

Marmaladnitsa's frost resistance is simply excellent. Only in the most northern regions is it better to play it safe and cover the circle around the trunk with a thick layer of mulch or tie up the shoots, bend them to the ground and cover them.

Review

Conclusion

Marmaladnitsa is an excellent variety, characterized by versatility. This currant is often grown on an industrial scale; it is no less effective in small garden plots and dachas. The variety has a lot of advantages, but not all summer residents are ready to put up with the capriciousness of the crop and the excessive acidity of the berries.

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