Currant Gross: description of the variety, photos, reviews

Content

1 Characteristics of the variety
- 1.1 Advantages and disadvantages
2 Features of cultivation
3 Review
4 Conclusion

Black currant is one of the most delicious and healthy berries in the garden. Probably, on every summer cottage there is at least one bush of this crop. Modern selection includes more than two hundred varieties of black currant, including foreign and very successful domestic hybrids. One of the best developments of Russian scientists is the Valovaya variety. This currant has a lot of advantages, the most important of which are considered to be high yield and resistance to external factors (from climatic and weather conditions to immunity to dangerous infections). Definitely, the Gross currant variety deserves the closest attention; its qualities are quite enough to become a favorite of gardeners and summer residents.

A description of the Gross currant variety, with photos and reviews from farmers, is given in this article. Beginning gardeners will find recommendations for planting and caring for crops and learn how to propagate them.

Characteristics of the variety

The Gross currant variety was “born” back in 1998. Despite the huge range of more modern hybrids and varieties, Gross remains one of the most popular crops and is successfully grown in a wide variety of volumes.

Black currants were bred at the Russian Breeding and Technological Institute. To obtain a new species, the famous Large currant was pollinated with pollen from such hybrids as Bredtorp and Khludovskaya. The resulting variety, Gross, is classified as a member of the Kryzhovnikov family.

Description of the variety Gross:

the bushes are medium-sized and medium-leafed, but quite spreading;
the thickness of the shoots is average, young branches are colored green, old ones are brown;
there is no pubescence on the shoots;
the shape of the leaves can be either five-lobed or three-lobed;
The leaves are medium in size, matte green in color, with a small fluff on the back side;
a characteristic feature of the Gross variety is wrinkled and even bulging leaves;
The root system of black currant is very well developed, the length of old roots can be 150 cm or more;
the inflorescences are bisexual, therefore the Gross culture is considered self-fertile;
The flowers are large in size, pink in color, saucer-shaped;
the length of each cluster with berries is 8-10 cm;
the petioles on the racemes are of medium thickness and green;
The shape of currant berries is round, the surface is glossy, the size of the fruit is large;
the average weight of berries is 1.5 grams, there are fruits weighing 2.5 grams;
the taste qualities of the Gross variety are excellent - the flesh is dense, the aroma is strong, the pleasant sweet-sour taste;
The commercial qualities of black currant are good, all the berries are beautiful and of approximately the same size and shape;
the berries are picked dry, so they do not drain and withstand transportation;
The variety has a high yield - from 3 to 4 kg from each bush;
The plant has a long lifespan - about 25 years;
The peak yield occurs in the 3-4th year of fruiting, then the volumes gradually decrease;
ripening dates are early - currant berries ripen in early July;
from the moment of flowering to the ripeness of the fruit, it usually takes 35-40 days (the exact timing depends on weather conditions);
Gross is considered a frost-resistant variety - this crop will withstand temperatures dropping to -35 degrees without shelter;
The variety is not affected by summer heat or short drought;
Currants have excellent immunity to anthracnose, powdery mildew and bud mite - the most dangerous diseases of the crop.

Attention! Black currant Gross tolerates well the neighborhood with other bushes of both black-fruited and red-fruited varieties.

Advantages and disadvantages

Reviews about Gross currants are the most positive: gardeners and summer residents love this crop and rarely replace it with more modern varieties. Growing this variety of black currant is beneficial both in summer cottages and on an industrial scale - Valovaya has a lot of strengths.

Advantages of domestic blackcurrant:

- high productivity;

resistance to weather conditions;
excellent frost resistance;
immunity to the most common infections;
good commercial quality;
large berries;
long growing season;
early maturation;
self-fertility;
excellent taste and strong aroma.

Important! Currants of the Gross variety do not need “pollinating neighbors”. Even if a bush of this crop grows alone in the garden, the quality and quantity of the harvest will not suffer in any way.

The Russian variety has no major drawbacks. Some gardeners note a decrease in yield as the bush matures. As practice shows, the number of fruits at Valovaya decreases very slightly over the years and, all the same, the yield remains at a decent level.

Features of cultivation

Gross currants are completely unpretentious, and they must be grown in the same way as any other variety of chokeberry crop. One of the qualities of this variety is its unpretentiousness to the type and composition of the soil: with the right fertilizing, you can grow Gross currant on almost any land.

Advice! The best place to plant the Gross bush is partial shade or a slightly shaded area of the garden. This quality turns out to be very useful, because currants can be planted near a tree or not far from other shrubs, which significantly saves space.

Planting shrubs

There is nothing complicated in planting currant bushes; the most important thing in this matter is to purchase high-quality varietal seedlings. You should buy planting material from good nurseries, then you will be pleased with the results.

Shrubs of the Gross variety cannot be called compact; they are low, but spreading. Therefore, the interval between neighboring plants must be at least two meters, otherwise it will be inconvenient to care for the crop.

It is better to prepare holes for planting bushes in advance and fill them with fertilizers, at least a couple of months in advance. The dimensions of the holes for the Gross variety are small: 50x50x50 cm. It is recommended to pour a complex of fertilizers into each hole:

1 bucket of humus or compost;
two handfuls of superphosphate;
half a glass of potassium salt;
about a liter of wood ash.

Advice! If the soil on the site is too heavy or clayey, it must be loosened. To do this, add river sand or peat to the planting hole.

Gross currants can be planted both in spring and autumn. Considering the good frost resistance of this variety, in most areas of the country, autumn planting of shrubs is preferable: the roots should have time to take root, and the young plant will not burn under the hot summer rays.

During the planting process, the soil in the hole is watered abundantly. The roots of Valovaya are carefully straightened and their direction is monitored: the roots should not “look” up. After the plant is planted, the ground around it must be mulched (with organic material or, in extreme cases, just dry soil).

Important! Immediately after planting, the shoots of the Gross currant should be shortened, leaving only two or three buds. This will allow the root system to develop normally.

If planting was done correctly, within a year the first berries will ripen on the bushes.

Competent care

It is not difficult to care for the Gross currant variety, because it is completely unpretentious. The gardener will be required to take the same actions as with any other currant bushes:

Watering during periods of prolonged drought. To prevent the water from spreading, it is recommended to make a small rim around the currant circle around the trunk. At the stage of forming and filling the berries, the number of waterings can be increased. When the berries begin to turn black, it is better not to water the plant - the fruits may crack.
The soil under the bush should be loosen after each rain or before watering. Mulch will help make caring for currants easier; it will retain moisture in the soil and prevent crust formation and overgrowth. weed.
Feeding Gross currants must be performed correctly. Chokeberry crops need little organic fertilizer, because their excess will only lead to an increase in green mass.It is enough to add organic matter once every three years; it is better to do this in the fall. Mineral fertilizers are recommended to be used in the spring; fertilizing with them should be done annually.
In order for Gross to bear fruit for a long time, and its yield does not drop sharply, the bush needs to be properly trim. In the first five years after planting, currants require formative pruning, during which all shoots except the 3-4 largest are cut out every spring. From the sixth year of “life”, the oldest branches of Valovaya are cut out, leaving large young shoots instead - the number of cut and left branches should be the same. This replacement of shoots contributes to the rejuvenation of the bush, and the yield of berries does not fall.
The Gross variety is resistant to currant diseases, but pests can cause great harm to the bush. Therefore, in late autumn and early spring, the soil under the currants must be dug up and the top layer of soil or mulch replaced. It is recommended as a preventive measure spray Gross bushes with chemical and insecticidal preparations, you can use folk remedies (for example, in early spring, water the plants with boiling water).

Attention! The most common pest of black currants is aphids. Aphids are carried by ants, so anthills must be destroyed first. They are poured with boiling water or special preparations.

Culture propagation

The Gross variety is very easy to propagate: even one purchased bush can turn into an entire blackcurrant plantation in a few years. The branches of spreading bushes often lie on the ground, and if the soil is not regularly loosened, they take root and become independent plants.

A low-lying branch can be deliberately lowered to the ground and buried - after a while roots will appear, and the bush can be separated from the mother plant (it is better to do this in the spring).

Advice! If the gardener is not faced with the task of propagating the Gross crop, it is better to build a special frame around the bush. It will support the branches and prevent them from falling to the ground.

Review

Irina Sergeevna

When I was choosing currants for my dacha and reading reviews from more experienced gardeners, I was attracted to the Gross variety. This crop has been growing on our site for six years now and, in principle, we are quite happy with it. Currant berries are large and beautiful. The taste, although declared by the manufacturer as sweet and sour, in our area turns out to be more sour (perhaps this depends on the climate). Gross is great for making jams and preserves; in our family, most of the berries are eaten fresh. During all this time, the currants never got sick; I only had to fight the ubiquitous aphids. By the way, the plant can withstand frosts of -33-35 degrees without shelter, which is good news.

Conclusion

The attractiveness of the fruits of the Gross currant is confirmed by the photo - the love of gardeners for this variety is completely justified. In addition to the good taste and large size of the berries, the crop has many more advantages, including resistance to drought, frost and infections. Gross is unpretentious; there are usually no difficulties with growing, propagating and caring for this currant.