Content
Imperial currant is a variety of European origin, which includes two varieties: red and yellow. Thanks to its high winter hardiness and unpretentiousness, the crop can be grown in all regions of the country, including the Urals and Siberia. With proper care, one adult bush can harvest 7–8 kg of medium-sized berries.
History of selection
Imperial currant is a variety of European selection, bred abroad. It comes in red and yellow varieties, with the golden one being the most popular. Currants have good winter hardiness, which allows them to be grown in different regions of Russia:
- Moscow region and middle zone;
- southern regions;
- Ural.
This currant variety is not included in the Russian register of breeding achievements. Thanks to its unpretentiousness, the culture has become known to many summer residents. According to their reviews, imperial currants can be grown even in Siberia and the Far East.
Description of the variety of red, yellow currant variety Imperial
The description and characteristics of the yellow and red varieties of Imperial currant are almost the same (except for the color and partly the taste of the berries). The bushes are compact or semi-spreading, of medium vigor, 120–150 cm high. At the same time, plants of the red variety may be slightly taller than the yellow ones.
The leaves are light green, five-lobed, medium sized. On young shoots they are leathery and large, but on older shoots they become smaller. The branches become lignified with age, their surface acquires a grayish-brown tint.
The berries of the yellow Imperial currant have a sweeter taste, while the red variety has a noticeably sour fruit.
The berries are oval-shaped, small in size (one weight is 0.6–0.8 g). The brushes are also small - 4–5 cm each. The fruits appear translucent in the light, their skin is thin, but at the same time durable, which ensures good preservation of the harvest. Color depending on the variety: light yellow, cream, bright red.
The harvest of the yellow variety is most often consumed fresh, and the red variety is used for preparations for the winter (jam, marmalade, fruit drinks, etc.).
Characteristics
Both varieties of Imperial currant are distinguished by good resistance to weather conditions. They can withstand frost and drought, therefore they are considered universal (in terms of choosing a region for planting).
Drought resistance, winter hardiness
The description of the variety states that the plants are resistant even to extreme frosts (down to -40 degrees). The crop can be grown in different regions, including Siberia and the Far East.
The drought resistance of imperial currant is also quite good.But in order to maintain normal yields, additional watering should be organized during the dry period.
Pollination, flowering period and ripening time
Imperial currant is a self-pollinating variety. It does not need bees, but to increase productivity it would not be a bad idea to plant representatives of other varieties nearby. The flowering period occurs at the end of May, and the harvest is harvested from the last ten days of June to mid-July. Therefore, the variety is classified as mid-early.
Productivity and fruiting, keeping quality of berries
Fruiting of Imperial currant begins in the third year after planting
Maximum yield is observed from the age of five, when one bush produces 4–8 kg (depending on care and weather conditions). The skin of the berries is quite strong, so the shelf life is high (but only in cool conditions).
Transportability is not as good as blackcurrant. If it is not possible to ensure low temperatures during transportation, the maximum delivery time to the place of sale or processing is two days.
Resistance to diseases and pests
The immunity of Imperial currant is average. It is known that she often suffers from anthracnose. But under improper growing conditions, other infections may also occur:
- white spotting;
- powdery mildew;
- glass rust;
- septoria.
For prevention, it is recommended to carry out preventive treatment with any fungicide every year (in early April):
- Bordeaux mixture;
- "HOM";
- "Fundazol";
- "Skor";
- "Ordan" and others.
The most dangerous pests are:
- bud moth;
- sawfly;
- aphids (leaf and gall).
As a preventive measure, in early spring the bushes are treated with boiling water. In summer, insects can be dealt with using traditional methods. For example, treat with an infusion of garlic cloves, onion peels, a solution of wood ash or a decoction of potato tops or marigold flowers. However, if these methods do not help, you will have to use chemical insecticides:
- "Aktara";
- "Fufanon":
- "Biotlin";
- "Decis";
- "Green Soap"
You can start collecting the crop only 3–5 days after the last spraying.
Advantages and disadvantages
Imperial currants are distinguished by high yields. This is an unpretentious plant that can be grown in most Russian regions.
Imperial currant produces consistently high yields
Pros:
- good yield;
- pleasant taste of berries (especially yellow ones), their versatility;
- low maintenance requirements;
- immunity to certain diseases;
- winter hardiness;
- drought resistance;
- compact crown;
- normal keeping quality.
Minuses:
- no immunity to anthracnose;
- the fruits are small and prone to overripe;
- red berries are not very sweet;
- Transportability is average.
Features of planting and care
It is better to schedule the planting of Imperial currants at the end of September or at the beginning of October. If the deadlines are missed, the seedlings can be planted the next year (in April). For the culture, choose a dry (not in a lowland, without groundwater) and well-lit area with fertile soil. Light, fertile loam is best.
If the soil is infertile, it needs to be dug up 1–2 months before planting and compost or humus added (a bucket per 1–2 m2). Currants grow poorly on clay soils, so you first need to add 1 kg of sand or sawdust (based on the same area).
Standard algorithm for planting Imperial currants:
- A month before the start of the procedure, it is necessary to dig holes with a depth and diameter of 40–50 cm at intervals of 1.5 m.
- Place broken bricks, pebbles, and expanded clay on the bottom.
- Cover with a fertile mixture - surface (turf) soil with black peat, compost and sand in a ratio of 2:1:1:1.
- The day before planting, you should soak the roots in a mixture of clay and water, to which you can add a growth stimulator - “Epin” or “Kornevin”. Pre-cut the roots, leaving 10 cm.
- Plant in the center, bury and compact the soil so that the root collar goes underground to a depth of 5 cm.
- Water with warm, settled water and mulch the tree trunk.
It is better to plant Imperial currant seedlings along a fence that will protect from the wind.
Standard agricultural technology for growing crops:
- Watering young seedlings weekly (in a bucket), adult bushes - twice a month. In hot weather, moisten the soil every week using 2-3 buckets.
- Application of fertilizing from the second season. In the spring you will need urea (20 g per bush), chicken manure, mullein, and after harvesting - superphosphate (40 g) and potassium salt (20 g).
- Loosening and weeding - as needed. To ensure that fewer weeds grow, the plantings are mulched with sawdust, straw, and pine needles.
- Pruning – remove broken and frostbitten branches every spring. In the first years in the fall, they begin to form a bush, thinning the crown and removing all three-year-old shoots.
- In late autumn, the last watering is done and the seedlings are covered with agrofibre. Mature bushes can be grown without additional shelter. It is enough to lay a high layer of mulch (5–10 cm).
Conclusion
Imperial currant is undemanding to care, as summer residents often write about in their reviews. The bushes are moderately spreading, do not take up much space and do not require frequent pruning. They produce a fairly good harvest of red and yellow berries, which are used for winter harvesting.
Reviews with photos about red and yellow currants of the Imperial variety
