Description and characteristics of the Velaya currant variety, planting and care

Veloy currant is an early ripening berry crop that is popular among gardeners. She pleases with her early abundant harvest of sweet berries. The variety is characterized by increased resistance to low temperatures and resistance to heat. Unpretentious, does not require special care rules.

A little history

A variety of black currant varieties is Vela - the result of crossing the varieties Leningradsky Giant and Odzhebin, obtained within the walls of the All-Russian Research Institute for Plant Growing named after. N. I. Vavilova. In some sources, Vela is called the Leningrad sweet.

Main advantages and disadvantages

Velaya currant, like any berry crop, has its own positive properties and disadvantages.

Positive sides

Gardeners growing Vela currants note the following advantages:

1. Young shoots of a varietal plant are distinguished by good growth results, and you can get a decent harvest from them the next year.
2. Large fruits delight with excellent taste.
3. Veloy provides gardeners with a stable volumetric harvest of berries. With proper care, one berry bush can produce up to 4-5 kg ​​of sweet fruits.
4. The berries are versatile for use. They are delicious when eaten fresh, and are also great for home processing; they can be dried and frozen.
5. Veloy is a self-pollinating crop; it is not necessary to plant other varieties on the site for pollination.
6. The berries have a dense structure, so they remain intact during transportation.
7. It is characterized by winter hardiness and resistance to diseases and pests.

Flaws

The Veloy variety has no particular noteworthy disadvantages. But you still need to keep in mind:

• the berries ripen at different times, this causes problems during harvesting, you have to collect them in several stages;
• although the description says that the fruits come off dry, but overripe berries burst and leak.

As you can see, there are more advantages than disadvantages. This achieves the popularity of the Veloy variety among gardeners.

Description of Velaya currant

Bushes and root system

Velaya currant bushes are semi-spreading, without thickening. The life of a berry crop begins with the formation of basal annual shoots, which are called increments. On annual growths, buds are laid, with growth buds in the lower part, and a growth shoot with a brush in the middle part of the bush.

The shortened fruit branch is located in the apical part; it is from these 1-2 year old branches that the main harvest is obtained. Currant shoots of different ages are erect. In the first year of development, the branches are unevenly pinkish in color and have pubescence. Branches 3-4 years old have a beige or gray-brown tint.

The root system of the bushes is fibrous; the roots are not very deep (from 30 to 60 cm), so regular watering of the bushes is required in dry summers.

Bloom

Large flowers are glass-shaped, bisexual, greenish-white with a delicate pink tint. The petals are rounded and collected in an ovoid cup. Each cluster has up to eight evenly spaced ovaries to produce berries.

Berries and yield

The round currant berries are large, thin black skin with a glossy sheen. The fruits are tender and juicy, sweet, the sugar content is high, up to 9.9%. Each cluster ripens from 1.6 to 3.5 g of fruit.

Important! With the right agricultural technology, you can take 5-6 kg of fruit from a Vela bush.

Characteristics of culture

Resistant to drought and low temperatures

The fast-growing variety Veloy is distinguished by increased winter hardiness and is also characterized by drought resistance. It was bred for central Russia, therefore it is adapted for cultivation in cold regions. Can successfully withstand cold winters and summer heat.

Susceptibility to insects and diseases

Vela currant can be affected by bud mites, aphids, anthracnose and powdery mildew.The variety is resistant to diseases and pests. To prevent their appearance, the bushes must be treated in the spring with a solution of nitrafen or chlorophos with karbofos.

Planting a bush

Its further development directly depends on the correct planting of Velaya currants.

Pre-planting work

Veloy currant responds well to fertile soil with a weak alkaline index.
The place for planting currants should be level or slightly sloping to prevent stagnation of water, as well as illuminated and protected from draft winds.

The area for currants is dug up using a shovel full with the addition of manure, superphosphate and potassium fertilizer. Can be dug up in the fall for spring planting. Dig round holes to a depth of 30-35 cm, with dimensions of 40 by 40 cm, put in drainage (expanded clay or gravel), fill three-quarters with fertile soil with fertilizers (1-2 buckets of humus, 200 g of superphosphate, a glass of ash in each hole) , mix fertilizers with the soil.

Planting seedlings

Ready seedlings must be kept in a growth stimulator for about a day. You can soak it in a solution of ordinary natural honey with the addition of a tablespoon per bucket of water. The above-ground part of the planting material is shortened to 15-20 cm before planting.

Currants are planted obliquely, leaving 2-3 buds on each shoot. Water generously at the rate of 4-5 liters of water into each hole, some is poured under the roots, the rest - after backfilling. The roots of the seedling are carefully straightened, covered with soil, and shaken so that there are no voids left. To maintain moisture in the soil, the ground around the bushes must be mulched with sawdust, humus or peat.

Plant care

Irrigation

Velaya currant is a moderately moisture-loving berry crop; it is watered in early spring and autumn before wintering. Sprinkler irrigation can be used on dry days.The plant requires a lot of water during flowering and during fruit set.

Attention! Veloy does not like excess water. If there is excess moisture, bushes may become covered with lichens.

Top dressing

Currant bushes are demanding of nitrogen fertilizers; if there is a lack of them, the berries become small and shoot growth may stop. Nitrogen fertilizing can be applied in the form of an infusion of herbs, mullein, or bird droppings.

A lack of potassium also affects the berries; they become less sweet. Potassium, along with other trace elements, is contained in wood ash; for this purpose, it is often sprinkled under bushes.

Fertilizing is necessary in spring and autumn, as well as during fruit filling and ripening.

Loosening the beds

When caring for currants, oxygen access to the root system is important. To do this, the soil must be kept loose. Loosening under the bushes should be done carefully after watering and rain so as not to damage the currant roots.

Formative pruning

In order for Veloy currants to please you with an abundant sweet harvest, it is necessary to do pruning every year (in spring, summer and autumn) using garden pruning shears. The autumn pruning procedure is necessary to remove old branches and excess unproductive shoots.

In the spring, broken and diseased branches are pruned, each healthy branch is trimmed by 5 cm. A few of the healthiest, strongest and most productive shoots are left. Starting from 5-6 years, skeletal branches that have lost productivity are removed.

In summer, you can trim branches lying on the ground, weak ones with little branching. In this way, currant bushes are formed with a predominance of strong, developed and productive shoots.Every year, after pruning, the currant bush is left with 4-5 branches from several generations. After 3-4 years, the plant will acquire 15 skeletal productive branches.

Preventative treatments

Without preventive treatments, it is impossible to achieve good growth and abundant harvest from currants.

You need to regularly inspect the bushes and get rid of diseased buds, leaves and shoots.
In early spring, when the snow under the plants has not yet completely thawed, currant bushes are doused with hot water. With the use of such a hot shower, the causative agents of kidney mites and scale insects are destroyed. This is a good prevention of powdery mildew.

All these simple methods will help save currant bushes from diseases and pests.

How to cover plantings for the winter

After carrying out preventive measures, watering, fertilizing and processing, they begin to prepare measures to cover the currants for the winter. The branches of the bushes are pulled together with a rope towards the top in a spiral. This method will help preserve the buds on the shoots, since there will be no friction against each other.

You can bend the shoots to the soil and cover the top of the branches with plywood, slate or other available material. You can wrap currants with insulation, for example, agrofibre.

It is not recommended to cover the bushes too early; fungus may develop from high humidity.

Methods of propagation of Velaya currant

Currants are propagated by cuttings, layering and dividing the bush. Propagation by cuttings is the most common method. Cuttings are cut in October from annual growths with a length of 15-20 cm, removing the leaves. Planted obliquely, leaving two buds on the surface of the ground, watered and mulched.

When propagating by layering, strong annual shoots are selected before flowering, bent to the ground and fixed with wire hooks, placed in grooves about 10 cm deep. In autumn, the bent branches are cut off from the mother bush and planted in a permanent place.

Reviews

Gardeners speak well of Vela currants. They note its unpretentiousness in care and productivity. We are unanimous in the opinion that with proper care of berry bushes, currants provide an abundant harvest of sweet fruits.

Valentina, 46 years old, Novosibirsk

My husband and I purchased Vela currant seedlings from a nursery. We have been growing it for 4 years. We believe that the variety is fertile and pleases us with a harvest of large and sweet berries. Does not cause any difficulties in care.

Vladimir, 25 years old, Moscow region

Mother is engaged in gardening. In the summer at my mother’s dacha I enjoy Vela currant berries. Very sweet and fragrant.