Red Ribes. Features of planting and care

Red currant is a small deciduous shrub that belongs to the gooseberry family. It grows almost everywhere. The wood of the shrub is greenish with a light heart. Flowers are small, collected in a brush. The berries of the plant are bright red, juicy, sour in taste, collected in bunches, the approximate size of one berry is 8-10 mm. The fruits are used mainly in jams, other preservation. Berry juice is used to strengthen a weakened body, with digestive problems. Juice and fruit drink from currant berries quenches thirst well.

Red currant, thanks to the content of potassium, vitamin C and iron, helps to work the human cardiovascular system. For people on a low-calorie diet, it will serve as a delicious dessert. If you have a poor appetite or low hemoglobin, this berry will again come to the rescue. The only restriction should be observed by people suffering from gastrointestinal ulcers, especially in the acute stage. Sour berry juice can cause unwanted effects.

Red currants are not often sold in stores; they can also be purchased in markets during the ripening season. But if you are the happy owner of a piece of land, you can grow a bush for yourself and your loved ones for joy. In this article, we will share some of the secrets of growing red currants.

Red currant for beginners - growing and care. Red currant varieties

First you need to decide on the variety of currants. The ripening period of the berries depends primarily on the variety. Varieties are distinguished by the shape of the leaves, the size and shade of the berries.

Among the popular varieties of currants are:

Dutch red is a Western European variety of currant. Its berries turn almost brown when ripe. The variety is distinguished by a decent height of the bushes, while they are quite compact, with narrow, like blades, leaves.

Early sweet yields a very early harvest, berries can be harvested in early July. On a long stem, rather small berries are collected, which are distinguished by excellent taste and aroma. At the same time, the berries can be eaten for a long time directly from the bush, they do not crumble for a long time.

Jonker van Tets is a variety with large, bright berries. It tolerates severe winters well, is not afraid of fungal diseases.

Konstantinovskaya - medium-sized berries ripen in the first half of July. The disadvantage of the variety is that it is susceptible to fungal diseases.

There are, of course, many more varieties of currants. The main thing is to choose a variety intended for your region.

Planting red currants: choosing a place

After choosing a variety, you need to decide on a place for planting a bush. A sunny, well-ventilated open area is best. Sunlight gives the berries strength and sweetness. The soil should be loamy. It is necessary to ensure good air penetration into the soil, loosen it. If the site has high groundwater, then the bush is planted on a hill, not forgetting to provide drainage. Check soil pH before planting. If the soil is alkaline, currants may develop poorly or die. Add alkalizing additives.

Red currants calmly endure heat and even a short drought. You can plant currants both in the spring, before bud break, and in the fall.

A week before planting the shrub, you need to prepare a hole 50 cm in diameter. The depth must be more than 40 cm.We pour drainage at the bottom of the pit, it can be small pebbles or expanded clay. Then the potting mix. It can be compost, a mixture of manure, necessarily rotted, ash and fertile layer. Organic fertilizers such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium are well accepted by currants. In order for the bush to take root well, you can add a mixture of superphosphate with potassium sulfate 1: 2 to the planting pit. Chloride fertilizers should not be given to currants. Always read carefully the composition of compound fertilizers before purchasing.

Planting red currants: timing, features and watering

Before planting the bush, place its roots in water with the addition of drugs to stimulate root growth for 2 hours. Examine the roots carefully before planting to remove weak, rotten, fungal infections. If the strong roots are very long, they should be shortened by 2 times. At the same time, attention should be paid to the buds on the roots. If they are directed upward, new shoots of the bush will form from them. When planting, make sure that all roots are buried in the ground.

When choosing a landing time, preference should be given to the beginning of September. The shrub will have time to take root before winter and will be able to endure well both winter and unstable weather in spring.

The distance between the bushes is determined depending on the size of the adult plant. It is enough to leave one and a half meters of free space between compact bushes, at least two meters between spreading ones. After planting, 2-3 ten-liter buckets of water are poured under each plant.

Care: watering, pruning, weed control and winter preparation

Currants in the garden can live for 15 years or more. To extend this period, at the age of 8 years, the rejuvenation of the bush is carried out. This procedure consists in cutting the bush to the roots, excluding young shoots. It must be borne in mind that after rejuvenation, the bush does not bear fruit for one year. In order not to be left without a crop, subject your bushes to this procedure in turn. At the age of 10, you can also rejuvenate the bush.

Weed the currants regularly so that the weeds do not interfere with the aeration of the soil under the bush. Do not use chemicals to control weeds, toxic substances can get on the bush or plant roots, which badly affect the crop.

Loosen the soil in spring and autumn to improve the oxygen saturation of the soil. Two years after planting, the first fertilization of the bush is carried out. In the future, it is also necessary to fertilize the bush 2 times a year in order to return to the soil the substances that were used during the ripening of the berries. However, if you notice in the first year that the plant does not look very good in spring, there are dry branches or branches that are not sufficiently elastic, then you can apply top dressing earlier. To do this, it is enough to dilute manure or chicken droppings with water.

Currants should be watered in dry weather. If the ground is dry under the bush at the depth of the shovel bayonet, please the plant with two buckets of water.

Red currants tolerate winter cold well, if the depth of the snow cover is sufficient. If the weather spends, there are frosty snowless days, you can protect the bushes with spruce branches or covering material

If you especially liked a certain variety of currants, you can propagate it in your area. For this, in early spring, young shoots of the selected bush are bent to the ground and pinned. Then several times over the summer this place is covered with earth for better rooting. In autumn, the layers are separated from the main plant, dug up and transplanted to a place prepared according to all the rules.

These simple tips will help you enjoy rich harvests of red currants, increase the wealth of your garden, surprise your loved ones with jams and healthy smoothies.

Red currant photos