Blackcurrant Harmony

Thanks to the work of our domestic scientists-breeders, many worthy subspecies of such a berry culture as currants have been obtained. And this is not at all surprising, because according to proven data, our country is ranked first in the cultivation of this plant. In this article, we will consider the Harmony black currant, which is considered a fairly fruitful variety of black currant, which also combines a huge number of characteristics and features required by gardeners.

Black currant Harmony: variety description

Currant Harmony: photo of the variety

Black currant Harmony refers to high-yielding varieties with a late ripening period. This plant bears fruit of large size, has good frost and dry season hardiness. Harmony currant is considered early-ripening and self-fertile, The first period of fruiting begins already in the second year of the plant's life, and does not need to be adjacent to other pollinating varieties. Also, a distinctive feature of the subspecies is its high level of immunity to such a common disease as powdery mildew, as well as to a dangerous pest - a kidney mite. Although, at the same time, Harmony currants can become infected with anthracnose, sometimes septoria, and be attacked by gall aphids.

The black currant variety Harmony appeared in 1980, at the Scientific Research Institute of Horticulture of Siberia named after I. M.A. Lisavenko, thanks to such breeder scientists as Z. Zotova, I. Kalinina, N. Nazaryuk, M. Pershina, I. Tesla, through the selection of such subspecies: Dikovinka and Bredthorpe. In 2004, the subspecies was included in the State Register and was zoned for the West Siberian region.

It is worth noting one important fact: the further north the Harmony currant grows, the greater the accumulation of nutrients in its fruits.

The Harmony black currant bush has a medium-sized size and an average spreading rate. The shoots are of medium thickness and slightly curved; they do not have pubescence. Young shoots are green in color, after some time they become lignified and acquire a pale brown tint. The buds are oval and small in size, they are endowed with a brownish-crimson tint and are pressed to the shoots, while the apical bud has a completely free arrangement.

The leaves of the Harmony currant are five-lobed, have a smooth surface and a pale green tint, as well as an average size. Blunt and short denticles are found along the edges of the leaves. The leaves are attached to an elongated purple petiole in the place of a small notch. The blades have sharp tips, the central one is the most elongated in comparison with the lateral ones, and they have a right angle connection. During flowering, this plant is covered with flowers of a pale pink hue and goblet-shaped, which are collected in flower brushes with a length of up to 70 millimeters. These brushes hang from the branches and are endowed with a thin axis. The fruits ripen at the same time and are attached to a medium-sized stalk. The separation from these berries is dry. The fruits have a shiny surface and a black tint, as well as a rounded shape. Each berry can reach an average weight of 2-3.2 grams. In the inner part of the fruit, there are average quantities of seeds. The surface of the berry is covered with a skin of medium thickness. These fruits taste sweet, with a slight acidity.When tasting, they received an assessment of 4.6 points out of five possible. The chemical composition of berries contains about 14 percent of dry matter; pectins 1.5 percent; up to 12.8 percent sugar; titratable acids up to 3.1 percent.

The composition of these berries with a portion of 100 grams includes: proteins 1 gram, fats 0.4 grams, carbohydrates 7.3 grams, calorie content is 44 kcal. If you take the daily value, then the berry contains: vitamin C 222 percent of the daily value, potassium 14 percent, magnesium 7.7 percent, Vitamin B6 6.5 percent, Vitamin H 4.7 percent, Vitamin E 4.8 percent, Vitamin B2 2.1 percent, Vitamin B4 2.6 percent, phosphorus 4 percent.

In the field, the average yield of Harmonia currants is about 14 tons per hectare, while the maximum figure was recorded at 20 tons per hectare. One bush gives an average yield of 4.3 kilograms.

Blackcurrant Harmony: advantages and disadvantages

Currant Harmony: photo of the variety

Like any other plant subspecies, Harmony currant has its own positive and negative characteristics. The advantages of this subspecies include:

• Large-fruited variety.
• High yield level.
• Immunity to the disease powdery mildew and resistance to the pest - kidney mite.
• Good commercial characteristics of berries.
• High level of taste characteristics of the fruit.
• Good transportability.
• Early maturity.
• Self-fertility.
• The fruits have a universal purpose.
• Good resistance to frost and dry season, as well as some dangerous and common diseases and harmful insects.

There are practically no disadvantages of the Harmony currant variety, these can only be attributed to:

• During high humidity, the berries may crack.
• Poor level of resistance to the disease septoria and a dangerous pest - gall aphid.

Black currant Harmony: growing and care

It should be said right away that if you want the Harmony currant variety to give you a bountiful and tasty harvest of berries, then you need to take proper and timely care of this bush, as well as take measures to protect it.

One interesting fact: 100 grams of the fruit of this culture contains Vitamin C, in an amount of 150 milligrams, which, in turn, exceeds the daily value by 1.68 times for a pregnant woman or an adult man.

When choosing a place for planting Harmony currants, keep in mind that it should be sufficiently illuminated, as well as closed from northern and strong winds. Finding groundwater should be at least one and a half meters from the soil surface. This subspecies has a rather negative attitude towards wetlands and gives poor growth and development. This plant loves to grow on light, fertile soils, with good moisture and air permeability, the best option would be the type of soil - loam.

The soil should have a slightly acidic or neutral reaction. If there is an overestimated acidity index, the landing site needs to be lime in advance. For this, slaked lime is used, which is introduced into the soil in an amount of 0.5-1.5 kilograms per square meter, depending on the level of acidity. Another very important point: it is absolutely impossible to plant this crop on a site where raspberries, gooseberries, or currants grew before.

It is possible to plant this culture in spring or autumn. If a temperate climate prevails, then experienced gardeners are advised to plant this plant in the autumn season, from the last decade of September to the first half of October. The landing site should be dug up in advance with added organic fertilizers, about one bucket of humus or compost, 100 grams of superphosphate, one liter of wood ash should go per square meter.This procedure should be carried out approximately 60 days prior to disembarkation.

For disembarkation, experts advise to apply the following scheme:

• There should be a distance of one meter between the plants.
• The row spacing should be two meters.

When planting Harmony currants, you should adhere to the following sequence of actions:

• A landing hole is dug, measuring 50 by 50 centimeters, with the same depth of 50 centimeters.
• About half a bucket of water is poured into this hole.
• The top layer of soil, taken when digging a planting hole, is mixed with one second bucket of compost, two glasses of wood ash and two tablespoons of superphosphate.
• The hole is filled two-thirds with the prepared soil mixture, while creating a small mound.
• A seedling is placed on this mound in the center of the hole, and with an inclination of 45 degrees, and the root system is carefully straightened.
• The seedling is covered with fertile, nutritious soil, carefully compacted, and then watered again abundantly. Then you need to put a layer of mulch.

After the planting procedure, this seedling needs to be cut into two or three buds. The root collar of the plant should be about 5 centimeters below the surface of the soil.

Currant Harmony: photo of the variety

In order for the Harmony currant bush to give you a bountiful, high-quality and tasty harvest, you need to take timely and proper care of such a plant. With the arrival of the warm season, you should take care of watering. The central roots of the plant are not located very deeply, at about a depth of 40 centimeters, so they cannot get the moisture they need for growth and development on their own. The irrigation procedure for this crop is required every week. For a plant at a young age, about 10 liters of water will be enough, while an adult bush needs to pour up to 4-5 buckets of water at a time. It should be noted that during the fruiting of the bush, as well as in dry and hot weather, the watering procedure is carried out every two to three days. This is done so that the berries of this subspecies cannot crumble and reach a larger size.

After watering the black currant Harmony, the soil should be loosened together with weeding from weeds. To simplify maintenance, you can mulch the soil near the plant with humus, rotted manure, peat, sawdust, compost. This will help maintain the looseness of the soil, as well as improve the composition of the soil, protect it from drying out and reduce the growth of weeds.

In the first two years after planting, fertilizing for this plant can not be applied, it will be quite enough for this time there will be fertilizers that were added during the planting of the seedling. Starting from the third year of life, experts advise feeding the culture with such fertilizers and in such a period as:

• At the very beginning of spring (approximately in the last decade of March or the first decade of April), nitrogen-containing fertilizing is required so that the plant can build up green mass and ensure the growth of shoots. A solution of urea is perfect for this, in a ratio of 10 grams per 10 liters of water. It is also allowed to add organic fertilizers, for example, a solution of chicken manure or slurry.
• During the formation of the ovary, around the month of May, fertilizing with nitroammophos (for 10 liters of water 150 grams of substance) should be applied, and in the amount of one bucket per crop.
• In the autumn period, in the month of October, a mixture of humus and one glass of wood ash is introduced.

Blackcurrant Harmony is very good at foliar feeding. To do this, you can use such a complex preparation as Nutrivant Plus Fruit, which contains potassium, phosphorus, nitrogen and many other useful microelements. The bush is treated with this drug, in the form of spraying, about once every 30 days, but only before the beginning of the ripening period of the berries.

Diseases and pests of currant Harmony

In a rather cool spring, during the period of heavy rains, the likelihood of the plant being damaged by diseases of a fungal nature increases. A disease called septoriosis manifests itself in the form of the appearance of brown spots, after a while which turn pale, acquire an almost white tint with a darkish brown edging. If your plant is affected by rust, then on the inside of the leaf you may notice spots of red color, which gradually grow and turn into stripes. Another dangerous disease - anthracnose, is detected by the formed spots on the leaves of a purple hue. If you do not take measures to combat the disease in time, then the foliage turns yellow and eventually falls off, the yield indicator decreases markedly. As soon as you notice the manifestation of fungal diseases, it is required to process the bush with preparations containing copper. It can be Hom, copper sulfate, Bordeaux liquid. You should also reduce watering procedures.

It is important to know that diseases that are viral in nature are considered the most dangerous for this culture, since there are simply no effective means to combat them. At the first signs of such diseases, the plant should be immediately dug up and disposed of by burning, so that the virus does not spread to neighboring plants and crops. In preventive measures for the formation of these diseases, it is required to ensure that the plantings do not have thickening, remove weeds in a timely manner, and collect all fallen leaves and tops in the fall. With the arrival of spring, until the buds bloom, the plant should be treated with Bordeaux liquid for prophylaxis.

Here are some common viral diseases and their symptoms:

• Striped mosaic. It manifests itself as the appearance of a yellow mosaic pattern on the foliage. This virus is mainly carried by harmful insects such as ticks and aphids.
• Terry... The main sign of infection with this disease is the complete stop of fruiting in the plant. You can notice the appearance of this disease during the flowering of the bush. At this time, the buds begin to stretch and their tips become sharp, they completely lose their aroma and acquire the darkest shade. The flowering period itself begins 7-8 days later. The color begins to fall off and does not form ovaries.

Diseases of a viral nature cannot be cured, but they can be avoided. For this, the following preventive measures are carried out:

• Seedlings should be bought only from trusted sellers and completely healthy, with no signs of damage.
• Constantly inspect plants for signs of disease and pests.
• To carry out measures to combat harmful insects, carriers of dangerous diseases.
• Fertilize plants according to the recommended schemes to strengthen the immunity of this fruit and berry crop.
• Trim stems and shoots only with a disinfected and sharp garden tool.

Black currant Harmony can be attacked by such harmful and dangerous insects as moth, gall midges, spider mites, scale insects, sawflies, glassworm, aphids and kidney moths. To combat them, chemical agents are used, such as Aktellik, Karbofos and Fitoverma.

Against the attack of harmful insects, preventive measures are carried out such as:

• Digging the soil near the plant before the winter period of the year, so that the larvae cannot spend the winter in this soil
• Weeding from weeds during the growing season, because harmful insects often hide in the weed grass.
• At the beginning of the spring season, the soil near the crop is covered in order to avoid seasonal emergence of insects to the surface from the soil.
• The area of ​​the plant affected by pests must be cut off and disposed of by burning.

If you notice the presence of insect pests on the Harmony currant during its fruiting period, then the best option would be to use folk remedies that are harmless in the fight against them. It can be a tobacco-soap solution, infusion of wormwood, onion or garlic. At the very beginning of the spring season, in order to avoid the appearance of diseases and pests, the described plant should be spilled with boiling water. To make the effect even stronger, potassium permanganate should be added to the boiled water.

The procedure for pruning and shaping a bush

The pruning procedure in the form of removing the stems is carried out in early spring, before the buds open. Sanitary pruning is carried out as needed, as well as in the autumn period on the eve of wintering. For this, dried, broken stems infected with diseases and harmful insects are cut.

The formation of the bush is carried out in the second year after planting, while leaving only the healthiest and strongest stems, about 3-5 shoots, but the excess processes should be removed. The stems that remain must be pinched from above by two or three buds to stimulate the growth of stems for fruiting. In the third or fourth year, only 6 healthy and strong stems of the last year are left on this culture. In the middle of the summer season, they are shortened so that only up to five buds remain on the stem. It is worth saying that it is imperative to prevent thickening of this culture, to cut off the weakest stems and shoots growing inside this bush. In the fifth year after planting, absolutely all shoots of the first year are cut off, thereby producing a rejuvenation of the culture, because the old stems no longer give a very good harvest. This bush in mature age should consist of five annual shoots, 4 biennial stems, three three-year branches, while the old branches should be no more than three years old.

Wintering

Blackcurrant Harmony is endowed with a good level of frost resistance. Fortified plants in adulthood do not need shelter for the winter. They only need to be protected from rodents, this is done using roofing material or a net that wraps the culture. In order to prevent freezing of the rhizome of this bush in extreme cold, the soil should be covered with a layer of 10 centimeters. In winter, during a snowfall, it is recommended to cover the plantings with a snow cover, this will additionally insulate the plants.

Harvesting and storage

The first period of fruiting in this subspecies of currant begins the next year after planting the seedling. The fruits ripen at the same time, approximately from the last week of July to the first half of August. Plucked fruit brushes should not be folded into small containers, for example, baskets with a volume of up to three liters, or plywood boxes with a volume of up to 5-6 kilograms. The fruits of this variety have excellent keeping quality and transportability over long distances.

In the refrigerator, these fruits can be stored for a little over a month. And when frozen, they perfectly retain their qualities for up to a year.

Berries of this variety will still be an excellent raw material for harvesting. They make wonderful and tasty jam, jam, compote, liqueur and wine. But it will be most useful to use them in an unprocessed, fresh form. Almost the entire amount of vitamins can be stored in the jam without boiling it, if the fruits are rubbed with sugar, as well as when frozen.

I would like to note that the anthocyanins contained in these fruits have a rather favorable effect on the human visual apparatus, they are able to protect the eyes from oxidative stress. For those people who spend most of their time at the computer, this is especially important and useful.

Conclusion

Black currant Harmony is capable of producing a bountiful harvest with a high indicator of taste characteristics, as well as large-sized fruits for universal purposes.But to obtain such a good result, it is required to follow all the recommendations for planting and caring for Harmony currants, then the result will not be long in coming.