Planting, growing and caring for red currants in open ground

Currant bushes, like other plantings, require favorable environmental conditions for abundant fruiting. When planting red currants, it is necessary to choose a suitable place, observe the growing time and provide comprehensive care in the future.

How red currants grow and what year they bear fruit after planting

The bushes begin to grow actively closer to mid-spring. Under optimal growing conditions, growth can begin at the end of March. The greatest number of fruits are produced by shoots that grow from 2 to 5 years.

Fruit branches with flower buds are formed on the skeletal branches. Usually the fruiting branches are located at the top of the skeletal branch. This placement of fruit branches forms a tiered fruiting pattern, due to which most of the berries ripen in the area between the old shoots and new shoots.

Red currants begin to bear fruit later than black currants and bear fruit in the second year after planting. The yield increases every year, and with proper care, full fruiting occurs after 3-4 years. In order to increase productivity, it is recommended to periodically plant new varieties, shape the plants and adhere to the rules of agricultural technology.

Optimal growing conditions

For active development and fruiting, shrubs require a warm climate, constant natural light and fertile soil. The yield and taste characteristics of the berries directly depend on the created environmental conditions.

Planting in open ground

In most cases, currants are grown in open ground. When planting, you need to decide in advance on the timing, select a site, properly prepare the seedlings and plant according to one of the optimal schemes.

Timing of planting work

Currants can be planted in different seasons.Planting dates depend on the region where currants grow, the specific climate, weather conditions, the selected variety, soil type and a number of other third-party factors.

in autumn

The optimal period for planting currant bushes is the last days of September for the central part of the country and the first weeks of October for the southern regions. In case of later planting, young seedlings will not have time to adapt to new conditions, which will lead to a decrease in yield or their death. For successful wintering, plants need to be firmly rooted in the soil.

in spring

If it is not possible to plant red currant bushes in the fall, it is possible to transfer the seedlings to the ground with the onset of spring warming. It is better to plant bushes in April to eliminate the possibility of return frosts. It is important to take into account that bushes planted in the spring will lag behind in development compared to those transferred to the ground in the fall.

What kind of soil does he like?

Loose sandy loam or light loamy soils are well suited for planting any variety of red currant. The soil acidity indicator should be neutral or weak.

Preparation of seedlings

The yield of currants largely depends on the quality and proper preparation of planting material. Seedlings with a well-formed root system grow and bear fruit best. For the active development of bushes, 3-5 skeletal roots up to 20 cm long and a pair of ground shoots 35-40 cm long are enough.

To prevent the fine roots from drying out before transplanting the plants, you should wrap them in soft cloth and cover them with polyethylene. Before transplanting plants into the ground, it is necessary to trim the bases of the roots and dip them in a solution of clay with mullein and water.

Disembarkation scheme

For stable fruiting, it is important to plant red currant bushes correctly, following the basic pattern. You can plant bushes along fences or in an open area in a free manner. The distance from bushes to fruit trees should exceed 2.5 m.

When planting in several rows, the row spacing is 1.5-2 m. Depending on the degree of foliage and spreading of the crowns of the shrubs, they are placed at a distance of 1-1.2 m.

Where should redcurrants be planted on the site: in the shade or in the sun?

Plants are recommended to be planted in open areas that are well lit by the sun throughout the day. Lack of light leads to a reduction in the quantity and quality of the crop. If grown in greenhouse conditions, you should remove the cover during the day or compensate for the lack of natural light artificially.

Caring for red crops

Having completed planting berry bushes, it is worth familiarizing yourself with how to care for red currants in order to get a large harvest. For development and intensive fruiting, it is enough to adhere to standard care rules, including the following:

• application of fertilizers and growth stimulants;
• regular watering;
• formation;
• protection from diseases and pests;
• shelter for the winter;
• timely transplantation and reproduction.

Top dressing

The use of fertilizers is one of the main conditions for the active development of bushes. During the growing season, plants quickly consume nutrients from the soil, so reserves of nutrients must be periodically replenished. For this purpose, mineral and organic fertilizers are used several times throughout the year. In particular:

1. In the spring, after the snow cover melts, the soil is treated with a mixture of compost, potassium sulfate and superphosphate.Fertilizers with a high nitrogen content are also suitable for spring processing.
2. Before flowering, the soil is fertilized with urea or ammonium nitrate in a ratio of 15 g and 25 g per square, respectively. After flowering, currants are fertilized with liquid mullein or a solution of bird droppings.
3. In autumn, 100-120 g of superphosphate and 35-40 g of potassium chloride are added to each bush. After treating the soil, a layer of mulch from a mixture of rotted manure and peat is placed on top of the tree trunk circle.

Watering

Red currant is one of the moderately moisture-loving plants. The greatest need for regular watering occurs in summer, in hot weather. Also, constant moisture is required after flowering, when the first berries begin to ripen.

It is recommended to water the plants early in the morning or after sunset so that most of the water has time to penetrate to the roots. To keep the soil in the tree trunk area moist longer, you can resort to mulching as an additional measure. When using mulch, there is no need to loosen and weed the soil.

Trimming

In red currants, fruit buds grow on the bases of young shoots and small prunings on old branches. Due to the peculiarities of bud formation, the crop grows in equal proportions on both young and old branches. Compared to black currants, red currants are formed less frequently.

The optimal number of branches of different ages on one plant is 15-20. To do this, it is necessary to leave 2-4 young shoots growing in different directions every year after planting seeds or mature seedlings. All other stepsons are circumcised.

The fruiting period of the shoots reaches 6-8 years, after which they need to be removed.

During the process of crown formation, it is also necessary to combat damaged, drying out and low-yielding branches. Old branches can be identified by visual signs - they always have a darker shade. Pruning is carried out in late autumn or early spring. In summer, it is enough to just pinch the bases of young shoots.

Forming bushes on a trellis

Using a trellis in a summer cottage increases productivity, promotes enlargement of berries, ensures smooth ripening, and simplifies pest control. You can make a trellis near the boundaries of the site, avoiding places where the shadow falls. The structure can be made from different materials by placing 3 rows of wire at a height of 50, 100, 150 cm.

The bushes are planted under a trellis, deepening 10 cm more than usual. In the second year after planting, powerful shoots are left and tied to a wire. With further growth, the skeletal branches are pruned moderately, preventing strong growth. Over time, old branches are removed and replaced with new shoots.

Formation of standard currants

When growing standard varieties of currants, it is necessary to take into account several features. Including:

• Bushes can be placed at a distance of about 30 cm from each other;
• cuttings with one bud at the top are suitable as seedlings;
• bushes can grow in one place and bear fruit for more than 15 years.

The formation of standard varieties involves periodically cutting off excess shoots and pinching the tops. The absence of root shoots leads to a decrease in productivity.

Preventive treatments against diseases and insects

To protect currant bushes from diseases and damage by harmful insects, preventive treatments are required. Spraying is carried out according to step-by-step instructions in several stages:

• after the snow melts, remove fallen leaves from under the bushes, loosen the top layer of soil and treat with copper sulfate;
• at the time of budding, the plantings are sprayed with Bordeaux mixture with a concentration of 3%;
• During fruit ripening and after picking berries, a 1% Bordeaux mixture is used.

Organic and chemical preparations help save plants from pest damage. Among the natural means for processing currants, the following are common: soap solution, herbal infusions, infusion of tobacco, garlic or onion peels. If signs of insect damage are observed on the foliage and branches, it is advisable to use more powerful preparations, for example, a solution of colloidal sulfur, insecticides Karbofos and Vofatox.

Wintering bushes

Despite the frost resistance of red currants, in regions with a cool climate it is worth covering the plants for the winter. Using a shelter allows you to create favorable conditions for the preservation of plants at temperatures below -25 degrees. Agrofibre can be used as a material to protect plantings.

If severe frosts are expected, you can additionally use mineral wool. The material is wrapped around each branch separately.

It is also allowed to leave bushes for the winter under natural snow cover. To do this, the branches are bent as close to the ground as possible so that in winter they are completely covered with snow. Placing it near the ground will help warm the branches and protect against through blowing.

How to plant red currants

The process of planting currants allows you to gradually increase the number of shrubs on the site.During each season, plants grow new branches that need to be cut off and planted in new places for rooting. If you do not plant currants, excessive thickening will have a bad effect on fruiting, size and taste of the berries.

Methods for growing red currants

Cultivation of red currants is carried out mainly vegetatively - by dividing the bush, layering or cuttings. The seed method is used in rare cases, since the berries do not inherit all the characteristics of the variety.

In order to prevent the spread of diseases as a result of currant cultivation, it is important to pay attention to growing healthy planting material. Preparation of layering and cuttings should be carried out from special queen cells. The mother seedlings are placed in isolation from other plantings, including wild currants.

After the bushes have propagated, standard care is carried out for the rooted shoots, including watering, mulching, weed removal and preventive protective spraying. Over the course of several years, new plants begin to bear fruit, while old ones gradually lose productivity and must be dug up.