How to properly care for currants in the fall, watering and fertilizing, pruning and preparing for winter

Gardeners have many fruit trees and shrubs growing on their plot of land. Caring for each one requires effort and time, and, as practice shows, currants are given the least amount of time. With sufficient care of currants in the autumn, the shrub will delight you with a harvest every season for 12-14 years.

What to do with currants in the fall for a good harvest

Externally, currants look like a strong shrub, which seems to be able to survive drought, attacks from parasitic insects and pests. But for this she needs some care from the gardener. And this applies to black, red and white currants.

Autumn care has its advantages. At this time, most work on the land is reduced, and a person has time to take care of currants. Typically, care consists of the following:

1. Fertilizing with organic and mineral substances.
2. Cultivating a plot of land around a bush.
3. All types of pruning - formative, rejuvenating and sanitary.
4. Watering.
5. Treatment of currants from pests and diseases.
6. Mulching.

Completing all stages of work in the autumn is a guarantee of successful wintering. Care is a kind of help for gaining strength, laying fruit buds and entering the sleep phase. In order for currants to produce a rich harvest from year to year, we must not forget about carrying out autumn work.

How to properly care for red and black currants in autumn

The timing of maintenance work falls on the end of October and the beginning of November. Currant is a shrub that tends to wake up in early spring.

In order not to harm it, it is necessary to have time to complete all the work in the fall.

Before proceeding with pruning and other procedures, it is important to make sure that the sap flow of the crop has been stopped.

Formative and rejuvenating pruning

First on the list of maintenance tasks is pruning. Neglecting this procedure results in a change in the size of the berries for the gardener. Every year they become smaller.

Pruning begins with removing old branches that contain small fruits.The bush is thinned out from branches whose growth is directed towards the very center. It is important to get rid of them, as they thicken the bush.

Broken and weak branches with a small number of shoots are also pruned. As a rule, no more than 6 branches are left on one bush, the minimum number is 4 pieces. The next season, the pruning is repeated, leaving only 3 branches on the bush. Since currants are a densely growing shrub, proper pruning simplifies care for next fall.

Watering

A young bush needs a lot of moisture. One crop requires from 2 to 6 buckets of water. In rainy, cold autumns, watering is not required, provided that the tree trunk circle is well covered with mulch.

On average, gardeners use up to 6 buckets to water one bush. You may also only need 3 buckets. It all depends on the composition of the soil and its ability to pass moisture. Water should penetrate 30-55 cm deep.

Black currants are not watered at the root, as this damages the underground part. At a distance of 10-20 cm around the bush, grooves are dug to a depth of 13 cm. When watering, water is poured into them.

Top dressing

The following are used as fertilizers:

• substances based on potassium and phosphorus;
• compost;
• cow dung;
• chicken droppings.

Fertilizers are applied to moist soil. Therefore, fertilizing is carried out after watering.

Mulching

After pruning, watering and fertilizing, they move on to working with the tree trunk circle. It needs to be mulched. For this purpose, use hay, leaves of trees or shrubs, and compost. In the latter case, it can serve as fertilizer. The mulch layer should not exceed 10 cm.

Rotted sawdust is also a good mulch. The grass that remains after cutting the lawn is also used as a protective layer.If a person chooses leaves and branches of bushes or trees, they should not be fruit-bearing. They give preference to decorative types.

We treat the bite area

The area of ​​land around the bush is cleared of weeds, fallen leaves, various branches and various kinds of “garbage”. All this is burned to produce wood ash, which may be needed in the future for gardening work. If the surface is clean, dig the soil to a shallow depth.

Just 6-8 cm is enough. This will not damage the root system of the bush, but will bring pests to the surface, which will freeze in winter and will not be able to spoil the crop in the next season. Digging increases water and air exchange in the soil. In autumn, the roots continue to absorb moisture and accumulate it in the tissues. In turn, this will help the currants survive the winter and avoid evaporation of moisture from branches that are located on the south side.

Transplanting a plant

Old bushes are transferred to a new location. Regardless of the type of shrub, the procedure takes place exclusively in the fall. Throughout the winter, the soil settles and becomes compacted. Thanks to this, the seedlings will quickly grow in the spring. If the transplant conditions are met, the shrub will develop correctly.

Preventative treatment

After mulching, the currants are observed. When all the leaves fall from the branches, preventive treatment is carried out. An excellent remedy for fungal diseases is Bordeaux mixture. The dosage of the drug should be within 2-3%.

Treatment is carried out only after most of the leaves have fallen - about 85%. The remains are collected by hand. Under no circumstances should it be used as mulching. The leaves are burned along with the cut branches.

For maximum effect, spray every branch and even the trunk circle.This approach also helps to clear the soil of pests, since when sprayed, part of the substance ends up in the tree trunk area.

How to prepare currants for winter

In addition to classical work, currants require a number of additional procedures. We are talking about adding soil and bending branches. If the branches are well covered, they will not suffer in winter. Shrubs growing in the Urals especially need this.

Adding soil

After fertilizing, the currant bushes must be inspected. They could be washed away after watering or as a result of precipitation. The bare area is covered with earth, compacting it with a shovel. To prevent the formation of voids, the area is additionally compacted with feet.

The soil for backfilling is prepared in advance. Ash, earth and wood soot are mixed in equal quantities. Instead of the last component, stove soot is taken. If it is not possible to prepare the mixture, use ordinary soil taken from the garden plot. The bedding layer should be around 10 cm.

Bending down branches and covering them for the winter

Preparing currants for winter necessarily includes this stage. Shrubs tolerate winter without problems if the air temperature is not lower than -25 °C. With more severe frosts, the branches die, and the amount of harvest in the next season is automatically reduced. But with properly organized care, currants will withstand temperatures of -50 °C.

The shrub will survive the winter if the branches are pressed to the surface of the ground. This is done in several ways:

1. The bush is pressed down with a heavy stone or brick. It is not recommended to lay all branches under one brick. They are distributed between 5-6 stones.
2. Wrap the branches with material that does not allow frost to pass through. Each one is separately wrapped in agrofibre.As a result, currants will withstand temperatures down to -40 °C. Polyethylene is absolutely not suitable as insulation, since the plant will not be able to breathe and will die. When growing shrubs in regions with harsh winters, mineral wool is used together with agrofibre.
3. Burying the bush in the soil. Earth is an excellent insulator. Being under a layer of soil, the bush will withstand temperatures down to -35 °C.

Wrapping currants in agrofibre is especially important in snowless winters. In this case, each branch is covered with fabric separately.

It is not recommended to cover the entire bush together with agrofibre, as this will not provide the plant with proper protection.

When a large amount of snow falls, a snow cushion is made at the base of the bushes. Its height does not exceed 10 cm. After this, the bush is completely covered with snow, and it will definitely survive the winter without problems.

Red, black, white, golden - differences in care

Autumn care for currants is the same for each type. The only difference is the timing when the crop is cared for. Depending on when a particular variety begins to bear fruit, watering, fertilizing and autumn pruning begin a week earlier or later. As a rule, gardeners combine care work.

Summer residents try to have time to perform pruning before the onset of winter frosts. If this is not done on time, the currants may die during wintering. At first, it is difficult for beginners to determine when to prepare a plant for winter. Over time, a person learns to recognize when to perform a particular procedure.

Autumn care of currant bushes does not cause much trouble for a person. If you spare no effort and time, the gardener will get a healthy bush with a large harvest.Moreover, the quantity and quality of berries will not decrease with the onset of the new season.