Description of red currant variety Andreichenko, planting and cultivation

Red currants are just as popular among gardeners as black currants. Many old varieties, bred decades ago, can still compete with new varieties. Let's consider the description and characteristics of Andreichenko red currant, its pros and cons, and cultivation features. How to properly plant and care for bushes in the garden, trim and shape them, how to deal with diseases and pests.

Description and characteristics of the variety

The fruits of the variety are ideal not only for eating, but also for processing, making jam and jelly. The Andreichenko variety has a second name - Beloved. The bush can grow up to 1.5 m, round in shape, moderately spreading. The shoots are thick, straight, dark, with greenish tops and dense foliage. The berries are large, round in shape, weigh 0.7-1.2 g, bright red and collected in a dense tassel. The fruits ripen at the same time and do not fall off. The pulp of Andreichenko red currant is sweet, slightly sour, tasty and juicy, the skin is thin but durable. Ripe fruits can be transported; fresh storage is short - about 2 weeks.

The variety is winter-hardy, zoned in the Ural, Middle Volga regions and Siberia. It has gained great popularity in areas with an unfavorable climate for culture; besides Russia, it is grown in Belarus and the Baltic states.

Currants of the Andreichenko variety are mid-season; the berries ripen in mid-July and can hang on the bush for another 4 weeks. The beginning of fruiting is the 2nd year after planting.

The variety is high-yielding; from 1 bush you can collect a maximum of 6 kg of berries. Red currant Andreichenko is frost-resistant and can withstand frosts during the flowering period. Self-fertile, no pollination required.

Pros and cons of Andreichenko currants

Features of growing crops

The variety tolerates the northern climate well, but is sensitive to drought and heat. Therefore, for planting in the southern regions, you need to choose a different variety or water the bushes more often in the summer.

When and where to plant the variety

Red currant Andreichenko is undemanding to the soil, but prefers fertile and well-groomed loams and sandy loams. The bushes will grow well in lighted areas, protected from winds that can break the shoots at the base. Beds with currants should be located on a flat area. Planting time: in spring, before leaves bloom, or in autumn, after leaf fall.

Preparation of planting material

2-year-old seedlings are suitable for planting; they must have healthy roots and shoots, with intact buds. The day before planting, the dried ends of the roots are cut off, the roots are soaked in a solution of a growth stimulator, and kept in it for 0.5 to 1 day.

Planting process

Red currant bushes are planted at a distance of 1.5-2 m from each other and 1 m from buildings and fences. Site preparation: remove plant debris and weed roots, dig and level. Dig planting holes for each bush 0.5 m wide and deep and add 5-6 kg of humus and 0.5-1 kg of ash. Mix with soil 1 to 1.

The seedling is not planted straight, but slightly inclined, sprinkled with soil just below the root collar; with this planting, the formation of the root system and new shoots occurs better. After planting, you need to water the seedling and cover the soil near the shoots with mulch made from sawdust, straw, peat or hay.

How to care for a bush

Young seedlings need special care until they reach 3 years of age. Then the bush begins to bear fruit and becomes an adult. The amount of harvest will also depend on how proper the care is.

Watering and fertilizing the plant

The work package includes watering, weeding or loosening, and fertilizing. Red currants love water, so you need to make sure that the soil does not dry out too much.Be sure to water in dry weather during the period of growth and filling of berries. Under each adult bush you need to pour 2 buckets of water at a time. With a lack of moisture, the fruits become smaller and there are fewer of them.

You can feed with humus and ash or use mineral fertilizers. In the spring, 6-7 kg per 1 square meter is applied to each bush. m, urea and potassium sulfate 20 g each, superphosphate - 100 g. In the fall, only organic matter is added. Fertilizing bushes are fertilized 3 times a season: in early spring, before flowering and after fruit set.

During the period of flowering and the formation of ovaries, you can apply foliar fertilizing with solutions of a fruit formation stimulator so that more berries are formed.

Trimming and shaping

Currants of the Andreichenko variety require formative pruning, old bushes require rejuvenating pruning. Pruning is carried out in spring or autumn. 2-3-year-old bushes are formed by pruning dry, frostbitten, broken and healthy, but superfluous, shoots. There should be 4-5 of the strongest left in the bush. The tops of the shoots are not shortened.

Wintering

For the winter, the soil under the bushes is covered with an insulating layer of mulch: fallen leaves, hay, straw at least 15 cm thick. They remove it in the spring and replace it with a new one.

Disease and pest control

If not properly cared for, it can be affected by anthracnose. Among the pests, Andreichenko's red currants are damaged by aphids. Control methods: spraying with fungicides and insecticides at the first signs of damage.

Harvest and storage

Ripe fruits are harvested when they become red and juicy.They can be stored in the refrigerator for a short time; for long-term storage, they can be frozen or cooked into sweet preparations. Store preserved food in the cellar for 1 year.

Andreichenko red currant is intended for cultivation in cold regions due to its frost resistance. It is not resistant to heat, so it needs frequent watering. The rest of the cultivation is standard. The berries are universally used, suitable for processing and fresh consumption.