Blackcurrant Gift of the Arctic

Black currant The gift of the Arctic is one of the earliest ripening - the berries ripen in early August. SDElsakova bred this variety on the Polar OS VIR by crossing the hybrid form "Igarka" and "Stakhanovka Altai" with the variety "Imandra". Since 1992, the currant variety "Gift of the Arctic" has been listed in the State Register and zoned for the Northern region (Republic of Komi, Karelia, Murmansk, Arkhangelsk regions).

Blackcurrant Gift of the Arctic: variety description

Blackcurrant Gift of the Arctic: photo of the variety

Black currant The gift of the Arctic is a short, compact, but rather dense bush. Young shoots are plump, green, pubescent, anthocyanin coloration may be present. Anthocyanins are substances contained in the cells of a plant that can give it a tinge of violet, bluish, reddish or orange foliage or fruit.

A large three-lobed leaf blade has no pubescence; it is smooth, matte and leathery. The central lobe is elongated, but the basal lobes are weak.

The currant flowers of the Podarok Zapolyarya variety are large (compared to other varieties) and bright pink. The fruit cluster is short, with four to six berries densely packed on it.

The berries are brown-black, round in shape, their average weight is from one and a half to two grams. The skin is thin, the separation is dry, the taste is very pleasant sour-sweet, estimated by the tasters at 4.8 points.

Blackcurrant Gift of the Arctic: advantages and disadvantages

Even in the presence of shortcomings, varieties that can winter and bear fruit in the Northern region, berries of the currant variety, Gift of the Arctic, are highly valued. But still, in order to finally decide on the choice of a plant, each gardener carefully studies its strengths and weaknesses. The advantages of the "Gift of the Arctic" currant include the following qualities:

• High self-fertility (about 70%), that is, the variety does not need additional pollinators, even if there is one bush in the garden, you can harvest every year.
• Taste and aroma of berries, their universal purpose and transportability.
• Excellent yield - from 3.5 and more kilograms per bush. When grown on an industrial scale, up to 11.5 tons per hectare is obtained.
• The excellent winter hardiness of the black currant variety The gift of the Arctic is one of the most important qualities, given the climate of the Northern region.
• Good resistance to fungal diseases and damage by the main "currant" pests (kidney mite, sawfly, plesiocoris bug, aphid).

But in addition to the advantages of the Arctic Gift of the currant, there are some disadvantages, including:

• Insufficient resistance to powdery mildew, so the gardener will still have to carry out annual preventive treatments of the bush crown.
• Reaching full ripeness, part of the berries of the Blackcurrant variety "Gift of the Arctic" can crumble, so you can not delay harvesting.

Conclusion

Anyone who has tried to grow crops not in the southern regions, but in unfavorable weather conditions, it will be obvious that the disadvantages of the black currant Gift of the Arctic can not be compared with its advantages. First of all, you should pay attention to the fact that this is a winter-hardy fruitful variety that will provide you with large, tasty and healthy berries. And any shortcomings can be dealt with by carefully caring for the garden and maintaining the health of the plants.