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The winter-hardy currant variety Beloved with red berries was bred by Belarusian breeders. The culture is famous for its high yield, reaching 9 kg per bush. The berries serve as a preservative for pickling vegetables, and are also used in the preparation of desserts, jam, and juice. It would be better to get acquainted with the description of the currant variety Beloved photo, as well as reviews from gardeners.
Main characteristics of culture
In general terms, the description of the Beloved red currant can be characterized as a low-growing, moderately branched bush, densely covered with clusters of berries. For a more detailed description, it is worth studying all the features of the variety:
- The currant bush produces thick young shoots. After lignification, old branches acquire gray bark. Oblong-shaped buds form on the shoots.
- The leaf is large, five-pointed, somewhat similar to the shape of a maple. The surface is rough without gloss.
- The inflorescences are small, saucer-shaped. Yellow flowers with a greenish tint appear in early May, and by the middle of the month they have already faded.
- The berries are collected in clusters. After ripening they acquire a bright red color. The size of all the berries is almost the same. The taste is dominated by sweetness, but there is also a lot of acid. One berry weighs about 0.8 g.The clusters can hang on the branches for a long time. The berries do not fall off spontaneously and retain their taste and beautiful appearance.
Currants are delicious fresh, can be processed, and go well with apples when making jam. The berries contain sugar - up to 12%, acid in the form of vitamin C - up to 30.2 mg/100 g.
Red currant Beloved has gained popularity due to its productivity. The average is 9 kg per bush. In the first year, a young plant produces up to 3 kg of berries. The yield of an adult bush with good feeding and weather conditions reaches 12 kg. The ripening of berries begins in late June. With a prolonged spring, the dates shift to the beginning of July.
The variety is considered 60% self-fertile. Even with poor bee coverage, self-pollination will occur, which guarantees an annual harvest. Beloved currant bushes tolerate cold winters well. The variety is adapted to the weather conditions of the middle zone. Wintering occurs without necessarily covering the bushes.
The video talks about the Beloved variety:
Positive and negative traits of the variety
Positive features will help to better characterize the description of the Beloved red currant variety:
- The variety is considered winter-hardy. Plantings of Nenagladna red currant do not require shelter for the winter, which greatly simplifies caring for the crop.
- Due to its high yield, the Beloved variety is grown commercially. Nurseries harvest up to 11 tons of berries from 1 hectare.
- A high self-fertility rate of 60% allows you to obtain a harvest without the participation of insects.
- The beloved has a strong immune system.Rarely affected by powdery mildew.
- Red currant berries are tasty due to their high sugar content and healthy due to vitamin C. Additionally, the composition contains organic and mineral substances, pectin.
- According to their intended purpose, the berries of the Beloved variety are considered universal. Currants are used to make preserves, juices, and fresh desserts.
A negative feature of red currant is its poor resistance to leaf spot.
Landing Features
Excellent currant grows on loamy and non-acidic soil. The presence of nutritional components in the form of organic matter and minerals is mandatory. Currant bushes develop well on loose, drainable soil. The root system will not be damaged even if groundwater is up to 60 cm deep, you just need to organize the bed on a hill.
The place for planting red currants is chosen to be sunny, not shaded by trees. The bush goes well with gooseberries. The Beloved variety cannot be planted near black currants. The bushes will not get along side by side. Other vegetation does not have any effect on red currants.
The best time to plant seedlings is early autumn. For currants, dig a square hole measuring 50x50 cm or a round one, with a diameter of 50 cm and a minimum depth of 60 cm. The distance between the holes is at least 2 m. The bushes cannot be placed closer, since there is not enough space for them to fully develop. Part of the bush will be in the shade and the roots will intertwine. About two hours before planting, a redcurrant seedling is prepared by tearing off the dry roots and immersing it in water.For rapid development of the root system, the drug “Kornevin” is added when soaking.
The lifespan of the Beloved red currant is from 20 to 25 years. In order for the bushes to grow comfortably, a number of preparatory measures are carried out before planting:
- The hole for the seedling is dug deeper than 60 cm. A layer of wood chips or finely chopped branches is poured onto the bottom. The organic matter is sprinkled with fertile soil on top.
- About 0.5 kg of chalk is mixed with 1 tbsp. l. potassium fertilizer. A layer is laid out at the bottom of the hole and compost is poured on top.
A lot of water is poured into the hole. After the liquid is absorbed into the ground, all layers will settle and become compacted.
When the water-filled layers settle, a mound of soil is poured at the bottom of the hole. The Beloved currant seedling is lowered into the hole, spreading the roots along the tubercle. The stem is slightly tilted to the side and they begin to fill the hole with earth. The first 3 buds on the seedling from the roots are completely covered with soil. If the soil is too sticky or heavy, sand is added to loosen it. After filling the roots, the currant seedling is watered abundantly. Liquid mud will better envelop the root system, creating better conditions for the bush to take root.
After water is absorbed, bare roots may remain on the surface. They are simply sprinkled with earth, but not compacted. The upper part of the seedling is cut off with pruning shears immediately after planting or before the procedure. A cutting with four healthy buds is left above the ground. With the onset of spring, branches will grow from them. The buds left in the ground will sprout basal shoots.
For the winter, a 12 cm high mound of earth is poured around the seedling. This will make it easier for young currants to survive frosts.In the spring the mound is raked. A normally overwintered currant seedling will grow 4 branches over the summer. Next autumn they are shortened with pruning shears, leaving ¾ of the length.
Pruning an adult bush
Spring pruning of the currant bush is carried out in the second year of life. The branches are cut close to the stem to avoid stumps. Only four strong shoots are left on the bush. All other weak branches are removed.
Using a similar pattern, pruning is done every subsequent spring. On each shoot left from last year, four strong shoots are again left. As a result, in the fifth year, a full-fledged adult bush with 10 main branches is formed. By this time, starting from the third year of life, the Beloved currant brings the most abundant harvest.
After the formation of the bush is completed, you cannot shorten the branches, even if they are too long. Red currants have a distinctive feature based on the formation of fruit shoots at the tops of old branches. It is they who will bring most of the harvest next year. An old branch with young shoots bears fruit for about 10 years, then it is removed at the very root. At this place a new shoot grows that requires shaping.
Feeding bushes
Considering the description of the Beloved red currant variety, photos, reviews, it is worth paying attention to feeding. The bush is undemanding when it comes to soil fertility, but over time it needs to be replenished with nutrients. The fertilizer applied when planting a seedling will last for a maximum of three years. With the onset of the fourth spring in early April, red currants are fed with urea at the rate of 25 g per 1 bush.
Flowering will begin in May, and the currants are fed with mullein diluted with water, maintaining a ratio of 100 g/1 liter.To increase yield, surface fertilizing is done by spraying. A solution is prepared from 10 liters of water and 2 g of dry boric acid powder. Spray currants in the evening if there is no rain.
A good top dressing is a 10 cm thick mulching layer. Humus or peat is scattered on the surface of the ground around the bush. Potassium and phosphorus-containing fertilizers are poured into the soil during loosening in the fall or spring once a season. Granules cannot be scattered on top due to the low probability of penetration of useful substances to the roots.
Watering plants
Red currants do not need to follow a watering schedule. The bushes have enough moisture extracted from the ground. If the weather is hot outside for a long time, the bushes are watered while the berries are pouring. You need a lot of water, up to five buckets. First, a hole is raked around the bush and a bucket of water is poured out to moisten the soil. After complete absorption, add the remaining 4 buckets of water. The procedure is performed in the evening to avoid steaming the roots in the hot sun soil.
Reviews
There are many reviews from gardeners about the beloved red currant. The variety has spread widely throughout all regions of the country. We invite you to familiarize yourself with several interesting thoughts from gardeners.
