Content
Currant Katyusha is a high-yielding Belarusian variety that has taken root well in many regions of Russia, including the middle zone, the Volga region, the North Caucasus and the Urals. Produces tasty, marketable berries. Used fresh, frozen, and also for preparing preparations for the winter.
History of selection
The Katyusha variety was bred at the Belarusian Institute of Fruit Growing of the National Academy of Sciences by a team of breeders: Voluznev A.G., Zazulina N.A., Rainchikova G.P. The Pilot and Paulinka varieties were taken as a basis. The variety has passed successful tests and is included in the Russian State Register of Breeding Achievements.
Black currant Katyusha is characterized by high winter hardiness, therefore it is approved for cultivation in different regions:
- Middle Volga;
- North Caucasian;
- Ural.
The crop is unpretentious, it can be cultivated in the middle zone, including in the Moscow region.
Description of the currant variety Katyusha
The description of the Katyusha variety provides the main characteristics of the bush and fruit. The main indicators are described below.
Bush
Katyusha currant bushes have great growth vigor; the crown is slightly spreading and compact. Medium branching. The shoots are thin, green in the first year, with a shiny surface. Then they become covered with woodiness and become gray-brown, retaining their shine. The surface is without pubescence, the internodes are long.
Katyusha currant buds are medium in size, pink-violet in color, spindle-shaped, sharp at the top. They are located parallel to the shoots. In this case, the apical buds can be either free or non-free. They are quite large, cylindrical in shape. Adjacent to them are several other very small buds.
Currant leaves of the Katyusha variety are five-lobed, small or large in size. The color is light green with a yellowish tint. The surface is shiny, slightly corrugated, there are small wrinkles. The plates are arranged horizontally, almost parallel to the surface. The edges of the leaf blade are wavy. There are deep cuts between the blades, and the corners are sharp.
The middle blades are practically the same in size as the side blades. They are pointed and long, the veins are located at an acute angle. The basal lobes are clearly visible. The veins spread out or go down, “looking” towards the top of the leaf blade. The notches on the plate are small but wide, the base is almost straight. There are sharp serrated teeth. Petioles are colored, without pubescence.
Katyusha blackcurrant berries are quite large
The flowers are medium sized, bright red in color. The pistils of the Katyusha currant variety are located at the level of the stamen or slightly lower. The brushes are not too dense, hang down, and are quite long.
Berries
The currant fruits of the Katyusha variety are large in size - the average weight is 1.4 g.The color is black, the surface is shiny. The shape is elongated oval. The skin is quite dense, there are few seeds, and they are small in size. Pedicels of medium length.
Characteristics of Katyusha currant
Among other important characteristics of the variety, it is necessary to highlight taste, yield, resistance to frost, diseases, as well as ripening time.
Taste qualities
The taste of Katyusha currant berries with an optimal balance of sour and sweet is very pleasant. At the tasting assessment it received almost the maximum score - 4.9 out of 5.0. The fruit contains:
- sugar – a total of 7.8%;
- acids – 2.1%;
- vitamin C – more than 190 mg/100 g;
- pectins – 1.4%;
- total amount of dry matter – 15%.
The purpose of Katyusha black currant berries is universal. They can be used fresh, as well as make jams, puree with sugar, cook fruit drinks and other preparations for the winter.
Ripening time
In terms of ripening time, the crop belongs to the mid-late variety. The berries begin to ripen already in the second - third ten days of July. The fruits reach full maturity in early August. The speed of ripening and harvesting depends on the number of sunny days, weather conditions and care characteristics.
To preserve the maximum amount of nutrients, it is recommended to freeze the crop. Can be stored in the freezer for up to six months.
Productivity
The yield of the variety is very high and is about 11 tons per hectare, which corresponds to 110 kg per hundred square meters or 3-4 kg per adult bush. Such good performance is largely due to self-fertility. Katyusha currants do not need pollinators to form berries.To maintain yields at a consistently high level, it is necessary to regularly fertilize and periodically water the bushes abundantly.
Black currant Katyusha brings 3-4 kg per bush
Frost resistance
The variety is winter-hardy. It is adapted to the climatic conditions of the Middle Volga and Ural regions. In Siberia it can freeze slightly, although it can be grown with obligatory shelter for the winter.
Disease resistance
The blackcurrant variety Katyusha is not immune to fungal diseases. He may suffer from common infections:
- powdery mildew;
- anthracnose;
- columnar rust;
- gray rot and others.
Therefore, it is recommended to periodically inspect the bushes for the presence of mold, stains, powdery plaque and other foreign signs. Every spring, preventive treatments are carried out with fungicides (Bordeaux mixture, Oksikhom, Abiga-Pik and others). If necessary, spraying is repeated in the summer.
Advantages and disadvantages
The Katyusha currant variety has important advantages. It produces very tasty, aromatic berries of universal use. The crop is productive and tolerates winter frosts well even in the Urals.
Marketable berries with excellent taste
Pros:
- increased productivity;
- universal purpose;
- high degree of self-fertility;
- the fruits ripen evenly and are not prone to shedding;
- high winter hardiness.
Minuses:
- demands on soil;
- bushes need to be protected from the wind;
- it is necessary to regularly do foliar feeding;
- weak immunity to fungal infections;
- may be damaged by insect pests.
How to plant
Katyusha currants are planted in open, well-lit places. A little partial shade is allowed. It is desirable to have protection from drafts.The crop grows best at low elevations. Lowlands should be avoided due to periodic stagnation of water. The soil should be light, loose, moderately fertile. Loam with a slightly acidic pH of 6.0 to 6.5 is well suited.
Since planting is planned for the fall (from late September to mid-October), the soil should be prepared in the spring. Compost or humus is added to it (a bucket per square meter); if necessary, sand and sawdust are added (up to 3 kg per 1 m2).
When choosing a Katyusha blackcurrant seedling, pay attention to the condition of the root system. She must be healthy, without signs of disease. It is necessary to have several formed buds.
The holes are dug in advance, their diameter and depth are 50-60 cm. The minimum interval between neighboring Katyusha currant seedlings should be 1.8 m. Small stones, pebbles, and expanded clay are placed at the bottom. This is followed by a layer of fertile soil mixed with humus and peat in a ratio of 2:1:1.
When planting a currant seedling of the Katyusha variety, proceed as follows:
- During the day, the roots are soaked in a mash with water, clay and a few drops of a solution - a growth stimulator, for example, Heteroauxin.
- They dig up the soil and place a Katyusha currant seedling in the center.
- Place it at an angle of 45 degrees to the surface.
- Add soil and compact it.
- Water with a bucket of settled water.
- The shoots are completely pruned, leaving 2-3 buds on each.
- Lay out mulch - it can be wood chips, hay, sawdust, straw, peat.
Step-by-step diagram of planting a seedling
Features of care
Currant variety Katyusha gives a good harvest even with minimal care. Seedlings are watered twice a week, then reduced to once. Adult bushes are moistened as needed.They are given 2-3 buckets at a time.
Starting next spring (after autumn planting), Katyusha currants need to be fed regularly. In the spring, nitrogen compounds are given, for example, urea or ammonium nitrate. During the formation of buds, superphosphate and potassium sulfate are added. After harvesting, the same composition is given.
Mineral fertilizers for black currant variety Katyusha should be alternated with organic ones:
- bird droppings;
- decoction based on nettle greens;
- slurry.
Periodically, the soil is loosened and weeded. In frosty regions, mulch must be laid for the winter.
Conclusion
Katyusha currants are distinguished by high yield, pleasant taste and good winter hardiness. The culture is unpretentious and responds to fertilizing and periodic watering. It is not immune to diseases and pests. Therefore, plantings should be inspected periodically, and sanitary treatments must be carried out every spring.
Reviews from gardeners about Katyusha currants
