Black currant in the Kuban - growing, dressing, varieties

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In the Kuban currant black tight falls. It is difficult to obtain such harvests as in central Russia. Black currant, cultivation, its harvest, its well-being completely depends on the knowledge and skills of the gardener. The soil and climatic conditions of our region act on the growth of bushes, their fruiting in two directions: 1) negative - worsen life, growth of bushes, yield formation;2) positive - they create longer vegetation of bushes, better provide plants with heat, light, nutrients( Kuban soils are the best), reduce the risk of bushes freezing out( winters are relatively warm).

In this regard, the success of harvesting, growing black currants in the Kuban region depends entirely on the gardener. Does he know how to manage the growth, fruiting of the bushes, help them with various methods of agricultural engineering, technology to tolerate heat, drought, return spring frosts, over-wetting of the soil? Can he correctly and timely use positive natural factors for growing strong, healthy black currant bushes that can tolerate negative( unfavorable) conditions well?

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Knowledge and proper understanding of the biological characteristics of black currant dictate to gardeners the need for all technological, agrotechnical measures for growing bushes and crops, taking into account the soil and climatic conditions of the Krasnodar Territory.

The biological characteristics of the Kuban black currant manifest themselves in different ways. This is plant growth, fruiting bushes, this is the work of the root system, the pollination of flowers, the attitude of the plant to the light, its demands on moisture, soil, nutrients, methods of planting seedlings, and other farming practices of growing crops.

Black currant - berry perennial shrub. Usually it consists of one and a half or two dozen branches - they are all of different ages. The height of the black currant bush can be from 1 m to 2.5 m - it depends on the cultivation conditions or the variety. The shape of the bush depends on the varietal characteristics. The lifespan of the bushes is 10-12 years.

Kuban conditions affect the productive fruiting of black currant bushes. Usually it is 6-8 years. The life of the bushes - 7-9 years. After that, they must be rooted out. Then lay a new plantation. The productive age of individual branches of the bush is 3-4 years, then they must be cut out, replaced with new young branches. To do this, annually it is necessary to grow at least 5 strong basal( zero) shoots from the bush. Each year, in the autumn, the old three-four-year axial branches are replaced. They are simply cut out. Black currant bushes must be rejuvenated annually.

One of the peculiarities of black currant is that the roots do not have growth buds. If you plant a seedling on the root neck, then the stem bush will grow, like a small tree. From the root will not go young shoots. Such a plant is short-lived. You will not harvest much from him either, except that the children will eat. Therefore, black currant seedlings planted deeper. The root neck when planting must be at least 8-10 cm below the surface of the earth. Carefully inspect the sapling before planting - there should be buds at the bottom of the shoots. Try to keep these buds( at least 5) underground. From them grow root shoots. Specialists call them zero. They quickly grow into their own roots. But not all the buds that go underground will give close shoots. Still, the soil and climatic features of the Kuban play a large role. But varietal features are also important.

According to their ability to form root( zero) shoots, black currant varieties are divided into three groups:

  • Group I - varieties with a strong, high ability to form many zero shoots, they grow to 8 per year.
  • II group - varieties with an average ability to form zero shoots, they grow to 4 per year.
  • III group - varieties with a weak, low ability to form zero shoots, they grow in the bush up to 2 per year.

In Kuban conditions, the number of growing zero shoots decreases to 40-50% in all groups, and especially in the 2nd and 3rd groups, they grow 1-2 per year, and often not one, the standard bushes grow. This is one of the reasons for the low yields of many gardeners.

All varieties of his collection are based on many years of study and observation of the Kuban scientist agronomist D.G.Sobolev distributed in the following 3 groups.

The distribution of varieties of black currant into groups according to their ability to form zero shoots in the conditions of Kuban

Note. The ability of varieties to form a different number of zero shoots depends on their biological characteristics, as well as on soil and climatic conditions. In different garden plots, individual varieties may form a different number of them inherent in another group. Consequently, gardeners need to constantly amend the methods of planting seedlings, the formation, pruning bushes. With the age of the bush sprout full, zero shoots is reduced or completely stops.

This grouping on the ability to form zero shoots will help gardeners to choose black currant varieties, methods of their planting taking into account the formation of zero shoots.

To eliminate the growth of standard bushes DGSobolev experienced many different techniques. Two of them are the most simple, effective, accessible to every gardener.

  1. The black and currant varieties of the second and third groups, which form few basal shoots, he plants in a planting hole of 2-3 seedlings or 1 seedling and 3-4 cuttings at a distance of 25-30 cm one from another. The bush( a group of plants) grows with a wide base, many autonomous roots, the branches are evenly distributed along the base of the bush. Planting cuttings to the bush, which does not grow zero shoots, can be done not only in the first year, but in the second or third or fourth years of his life. Put under a stake from the south-east( well lit) side in the autumn from September 15 to October 15.
  2. It leaves at least 5-6 buds in the soil to grow the right amount of basal shoots. In the early spring( early March), carefully with a small spatula or with hands, opens the planting pit, freeing the kidneys from the ground. The pit opens up to the root collar, 7-8 cm deep. The open buds on the shoot of the black currant seedlings gain access to the sun, air, and heat — they quickly begin to grow. From them grow root shoots. The pit gradually falls asleep as they grow, with its own roots.

Black currant fruits on several types of fruit formations:

  • kolchatka - annual growth of up to 3 cm, living for 1-2 years;
  • fruit sprout - annual growth of up to 25 cm;
  • on mixed shoot - annual growth of more than 25 cm in length. Mixed-type fruit buds give escape and flower brush.

Black currant has three or four branching orders. The number of lateral branches of the axial( skeletal) branches varies from different varieties, depending on the varietal characteristics, development of the branches, location in the bush, level of agricultural technology, and bush feeding. In the year of appearance, basal shoots, as a rule, do not branch. But with abundant nutrition in some varieties in the first year, along with their growth, lateral branches of the first order are formed - the next year they yield a crop. The lateral branches are unequal in their growth power. The main crop is formed on the annual increments of the first order of branching. Strong growth of young branches are the most valuable fruiting organs. On three to four years old wood produces few fruits.

Different varieties of black currant have a different ability to form branch shoots. Surge ability is the ability of a variety to form shoots on skeletal( axial) branches and zero( root) shoots.

Varieties are high, medium, and low sparing ability.

Grades I of the group with a strong ability to form many( up to 8) basal shoots are distinguished by a weak, low, poor ability to form side branching. The task of gardeners is to increase the branching of skeletal or zero shoots of these varieties by trimming, in order to create a large, strong fruit producing wood in the second year of the bush's life. To do this, when autumn or spring pruning of black currant bushes at axial( skeletal) branches can be shortened( trimmed) the tops of growths of the first and second order of branching to a strongly developed bud, and from growths longer than 20 cm, cut the top with three to five weak buds. One-year basal shoots shorten( pruned) by 1/3, if their growth is weak. In strong, normally developed basal shoots we cut off half of their length. This stimulates branching, the formation of strong skeletal branches. The skeletal branches of this group are aging earlier, and they must be cut at the age of four.

Grades II groups , with an average ability to form up to 4 basal shoots per year, have an average ability to form side branching. In the fall, we cut only the weak tops.

Grades III of the group, with a weak ability to form up to 2 basal shoots per year, have a high, good ability to branch. They form many lateral ramifications of the first, second, even third order. This would compensate for the lack of basal shoots. In these varieties of black currant during pruning, we remove only non-mature tops with closely spaced internodes, poorly developed buds, on which the main crop will grow.

In the growth of young shoots, the formation of buds, there are a number of features that must be considered gardeners Kuban. These features consist in the fact that basal and young shoots of branching grow intensively in the first half of summer, until the end of June, and in the second half of summer( July-September) buds form on them. In the conditions of Kuban, this cyclicity is sharp, well marked, it must be managed.

In April-June, we hold a complex of agro-events that promote the growth of strong shoots of all kinds. We carry out root or foliar fertilizing bushes. We bring in with irrigation water nitroammofosku 25-30 g per bush 1 every 10 days. If possible, we use manure, bird droppings, which are introduced together with mineral fertilizers in liquid form. If the shoots grow quickly, but thin with long internodes, then the bushes are fed with superphosphate, 20-25 g, potassium sulfate, 15 g per 10 liters of water per 1 bush. Nitrogen fertilizers from fertilizing exclude. If the shoots grow slowly, then increase the introduction of nitrogen fertilizers.

In late June, there is a strong heat, the growth of all types of shoots ceases. There comes a phase of maturation, the formation of flower buds. Kuban weather in July-August is the most unfavorable for blackcurrant. Strong heat, air temperature often rises to + 40 ° C and higher, dry air, soil, rains in July-August rarely and little. Black currant bushes are greatly weakened by overheating of the air, soil, moisture deficiency, are under attack by pests and diseases, their active vital activity is slowed down, the leaves burn out, and the root hairs in the upper soil layer dry out. The formation of flower buds goes bad. They are formed a little, they are weak, inferior. For this reason, the harvest is often meager. During this period, black currant bushes need to be watered, often( 2-3 times a week), to mulch the soil, to protect from direct sun from 11 to 16 hours. To conduct top dressing of bushes with phosphate-potassium fertilizers, to combat pests and diseases.

An important feature of the branches of black currant is their rapid aging, the annual sharp decrease in the annual growth rate of young shoots both along the central axis of the skeletal branches, and also along the lateral branches. Moreover, the decrease in growth begins with the second year of the branch. For example, if the root shoot grew by 80 cm in a year, then in the second year the increment in the branch of the first order of branching formed on its basis is 35-40 cm, in the third year - 18-20 cm, and in the fourth year only 9-12 cm.

The growth rate of young shoots in Kuban conditions on skeletal branches at the 4-5th year of life is reduced to 10-12 cm. These branches give a meager harvest of small berries at the top of the bush, they must be cut, replaced with young basal shoots or branches grown fromPodzazhennyh cuttings.

With the age of the root shoots, it grows less and less, and by 6-7 years it grows 1-2, and in some varieties - not one. Such bushes need to be uprooted, there is nothing to update them. The visible signs of old age of the black currant bush, according to which the gardener decides for himself whether to uproot the bush or leave for another 1-2 years, are: the harvest from the bush, the amount of growth of young shoots on skeletal branches, the number and condition of the growing root branches requiredfor replacement of old cut out branches. If the harvest of berries from the bush is scanty, the growth of young shoots does not exceed 15 cm, there are no basal ones or they are 1-2 and they are weak, unsuitable for replacing the cut branches, then the term of uprooting has come - the bush must be uprooted. Do not expect that in a year or two something in him will change for the better. Will not change. All its potential productive opportunities are already used. Outdated not only the branches, but also the roots.

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