Many gardeners in the comments ask how red currants can be grown as a tree. A
after all, this allows you not only to increase productivity, but also to use it for decorative purposes (I have it planted along the fence).
Well, I'll share my experience.
I form such trees on a trunk 20-25 cm high - in appearance they resemble miniature apple trees.
I note that the most the best seedlings are obtained from 3-4-year-old developed bushes, from which, a year before turning them into trees, I pinch off the tops of the most powerful long shoots.
At the end of summer I dig them up with big lump soil, then I lower it into a basin of water and, shaking lightly, wash off all the soil from the root system. For a long time? But all the small roots remain intact.
After this, I cut off all immature and crooked shoots, leaving three or four of the most powerful, longest, and straight ones. These are the ones that will become healthy and strong seedlings in the future.
The next operation is the most important - dividing the roots of the bush. I do this with a pre-sharpened stainless steel knife. I treat root sections with a solution copper sulfate(30 g per 1 l warm water), and then all root system I dip it in a mixture of clay and fresh mullein (1:1). I carry out the planting without delay, on the same day. The interval between seedlings is at least 1.5 m.
As for the planting technology itself, preparing holes and soil, there is nothing new here, everything is the same as for ordinary currants.
The only thing: I always compact the soil around the plant gently - only with my hands. Otherwise, some gardeners trample it with their feet and thereby tear off the still weak roots.
Next to the seedlings I drive in slats for garter, which will serve as a support for them for a couple of years until they develop reliable root systems.
In the first year, I lay the foundation of the future crown: I leave three or four side shoots and remove the rest. I form skeletal branches in the second year (I already wrote about the standard above). The rest of the care is without any innovations, except that in May and July I completely cut out the young and soft root shoots.
For better development of currant seedlings on a trunk, I carry out three feedings every year. The first - as soon as the ground thaws to the depth of a spade bayonet. The second - after flowering, and the third - a week later (but not later!) after harvesting. The fertilizing process itself is as follows: at a distance of 40 cm from the trunk, I use a hoe to make a groove about 10 cm deep and pour half a glass of ash into it in an even layer and fill it with diluted mullein (half a bucket). I wait until all the slurry is completely absorbed into the ground and fill the ditch.
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©V.Batamanenko, Shchuchim, Grodno region
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Currant ( Ribes) - a genus of flowering plants of the class Dicotyledons, order Saxifragaceae, family Gooseberry.
The origin of the modern name “currant” has a couple of conflicting versions. According to one of them, the name of the bush comes from the ancient Russian word “smorod”, meaning “stench, bad smell”. According to another version, currants got their “name” from the word “to currant” - which means to emit a pleasant, strong aroma.
The mineral composition of currants is represented by the following components: sodium, calcium, magnesium, copper, sulfur, lead, silver, iron, phosphorus. Also, in currant fruits it was found high content coumarins, pectin and iodine.
Currant berries have a number of components essential for the human body:
- malic, phosphoric and citric acids;
- essential oils;
- tannins;
- phytoncides;
- anthocyanins.
Due to its beneficial properties, currants are often used to alleviate a number of pathological conditions:
- improvement of hematopoiesis in diseases of the lymphatic and circulatory system;
- normalization of blood pressure in hypertension;
- decreased blood glucose levels in diabetes mellitus;
- restoration of immunity in case of vitamin deficiency and after serious illnesses;
- laxative, diuretic and diaphoretic effects;
- treatment of dermatitis and diathesis;
- rheumatism, gout and polyarthritis;
- gastritis and stomach ulcers;
- bleeding gums;
- increased nervous excitability and sleep disturbances.
Beneficial features currants also manifest themselves in decoctions and infusions: decoctions and infusions of currant berries, its leaves, buds and shoots are used for treatment skin diseases. The beneficial properties of red currant are mainly concentrated in the fruits, so its juices and fresh berries.
Harm of currants and contraindications
Currants have a number of contraindications and can be harmful if you have the following diseases:
- increased blood clotting;
- peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum;
- gastritis with high acidity;
- hepatitis of any kind;
- tendency to constipation;
- there is a history of stroke;
- vein thrombosis;
- allergy to currants.
For correct landing currants you need to know:
- How to choose a place for a seedling,
- What are the timing (time) of planting currants,
- What should be the ideal soil for a plant?
- What should be the distance between currant bushes when planting?
- How to dig a planting hole,
- What fertilizers are needed?
The best place to plant currants is in open areas with maximum light throughout the day. Currants grow well on any permeable, optimally moistened soil, but they prefer chernozem loam.
Planting of currant seedlings can be done in early spring, before the buds open, or in the fall, in September, the main thing is to plant the bushes in previously prepared soil. 1-2 weeks before planting it is necessary to dig planting pits or ditches 35-40 cm deep and apply 5-6 kg of fertilizer under each currant bush: rotted manure or compost, 20-25 g of superphosphate and potassium sulfate, and then mix them well with the ground.
The distance between bushes when planting currants should be at least 2-3 meters. On heavy loams, the pits are deepened to 50-60 cm and drainage is arranged at the bottom from a layer of sand, and the fertilizer rate is increased by one and a half times. On the eve of planting, the fertilized holes are spilled with water, and the currant seedlings are shortened, leaving 3-5 buds on each shoot. The seedling is planted vertically, the roots are straightened, covered with soil and watered. The settled soil is trampled down and mulched with peat or straw. It is better not to use sawdust as mulch, because it acidifies the soil and takes nitrogen from it.
For subsequent propagation, the seedling is planted obliquely, deepening root collar by 10 cm, then additional roots and shoots will grow.
Caring for currants: pruning, fertilizing
Caring for currants does not cause much trouble. During the season, it is necessary to remove weeds and loosen the soil in the root zone. Currants need regular, but not abundant watering, otherwise the plant will immediately shed its leaves during drought.
In early spring or late autumn, blackcurrant bushes need to be rejuvenated by cutting out old branches at the root, removing diseased and low-fruiting shoots. Red currant branches are shortened by 5-6 eyes. The main thing is that no more than 10-15 shoots of different ages remain on one bush.
Fertilizing currants with fertilizers
Caring for currants involves timely feeding of bushes with fertilizers. If currants were planted in well-fertilized soil, you can do without fertilizing for the first 2-3 years. It will be enough for the bushes to incorporate mulch material into the soil in the fall, which is placed in the root zone every spring.
After 2-3 years, dry porcelain and potassium begin to be added during autumn digging. mineral fertilizers, at the rate of 30 g per currant bush. Urea and ammonium nitrate are washed out melt water, so they are applied in early spring - directly on the snow or in dissolved form (20-25 g per bush). During flowering, fertilize with organic fertilizers (mullein 1:10 or bird droppings 1:15). To improve fruit set and improve the quality and size of berries, after flowering, currant bushes are sprayed with the preparation “Ovary” or a solution of zinc sulfate.
Reproduction of currants by cuttings, layering, dividing the bush
There are 3 ways to propagate currants:
- By dividing the bush,
- By cuttings,
- By layering.
Let's look at each of these methods in more detail.
The method of propagating currants by dividing the bush is not used very often. This method is great when there is a shortage planting material or when forced to transplant very valuable varieties from the site to another place. Another advantage of this method of transplanting currants is the rapid rooting of a new bush without special techniques and manipulation.
The technique is quite simple: in the fall, at the end of September - beginning of October, or in early spring, the desired currant bush is carefully dug out of the ground, trying not to damage the root system. Using pruning shears or a sharp garden file, absolutely all old branches should be cut out, and young branches should be shortened to a height of 25-30 cm. Using a sharp ax, the bush should be divided into 3-4 parts (depending on its size). The main thing is that each part of the plant that you will plant in the future has well-formed buds and sufficiently branched and healthy roots. In a prepared hole, 60-80 cm deep and fertilized with rotted manure, planting material is installed in the center, covered with earth, which is carefully but tightly compacted and watered thoroughly (1-1.5 buckets for each bush).
Propagation of currants by cuttings
This method of propagating currants is considered the most productive when preserving varieties or breeding hybrids, especially when there is not very much initial planting material. Cuttings are carried out in an already prepared substrate consisting of a mixture of soil, compost and organic fertilizer- rotted manure. Surprisingly, cuttings can be carried out both in spring and autumn (woody shoots are used for this), and in summer, using green currant cuttings. Therefore, there are no specific timings for cuttings.
- Currant cuttings in spring or autumn
One-year-old shoots are taken as lignified cuttings. You need to cut currant cuttings for propagation only with healthy bushes. It is very convenient to do this, combining it with regular pruning of the currant bush. The length of the currant cutting should be within 16-25 cm, the diameter of the cutting should be at least 6 mm. When preparing cuttings, a cut in their upper part is made directly above the bud, retreating upward 1-1.5 cm. In the lower part of the cutting, an oblique cut is made under the bud.
The cuttings are buried obliquely, leaving 2-3 buds above the soil surface. The place where the currant cuttings are planted should be watered abundantly and mulched with a layer of humus or peat. If the cuttings were planted in the spring, then by the fall quite powerful roots will form on them, and the plant can be transplanted to permanent place. At autumn planting With the onset of cold weather, currant cuttings should be covered with spruce branches, fallen leaves or straw to prevent them from freezing. Please note that you need to plant currant cuttings before winter, taking into account the bush’s entry into the dormant phase. For black currants it begins in September-early October, but for red currants it begins at the end of August. It is during these months that it is necessary to begin propagating currants.
- Cutting currants in summer
You need to cut green currant cuttings for propagation in the summer; it is better to do this on a cool day. Branches that are just beginning to undergo lignification are suitable for cutting: they should be quite flexible, but break if sharply bent. On a cutting 10-12 cm long, 3-5 leaf blades are left, but a couple lower leaves the plate is shortened by half or removed completely, leaving only the petioles. The lower ends of the prepared material are immersed in a solution of any growth substance for a day, after which green currant cuttings are planted in prepared greenhouses or greenhouses, buried 2-3 cm in the ground. The main condition for excellent survival rate is high humidity in a greenhouse in the first 3 weeks. Plants should be watered regularly and additionally sprayed in hot weather. In about a month, the currant cuttings will give strong roots, then they can be fed with nitrogen fertilizer and watering reduced. Next spring, young bushes are planted from the greenhouse into the soil, and by autumn they will turn into powerful currant bushes.
Increasingly, currants and gooseberries are now grown not in bushes, but in standard form. And this, judging by the responses and some personal experience, provides significant advantages over traditional cultivation. They consist of making it easier to care for plants and harvest them, to enlarge and improve the quality of berries due to better illumination; In addition, berry plants acquire a unique decorative effect. Achieve such reconstruction berry garden quite simple, and you don’t even have to resort to time-consuming vaccinations.
To make currants or gooseberries grow in a standard form, like a small tree, a simple way has been invented.
When planting a plant, one of the strongest vertically growing shoots is selected from the seedling, the rest are all cut directly from the ground. All branches of the abandoned shoot are removed to the intended height of the trunk, and a tube made of polyethylene or other material that does not transmit light is put on it. The lower end of the tube is buried 10 cm into the soil, and the upper end is raised above the soil to the desired height of the trunk. Such plants can be planted much closer to each other than ordinary bushes. The trees must be tied to a support (pegs or trellis), this is necessary so that they do not break due to strong growth or under the influence of wind and fruit loads. If you do not use a light-proof tube, then remove all lateral branches to the intended height of the trunk, which is usually 60-100 cm. In subsequent years, 4-5 branches are left and the entire crown is formed. Thickening shoots are removed, as well as branches growing downward, damaged and older than 7-8 years. Every year, shoots appear at the base of the bush, which must be removed immediately, preventing them from growing. For better decorativeness, it is advisable to form both standard currants and standard gooseberries with a spherical or spherical crown. Standard gooseberries can be obtained not only by growing them from own rooted seedling, but also with the help of grafting onto golden currants. If the gardener knows how to graft berry plants, good result can be achieved by the method of lateral grafting under the bark, which can be carried out using a cutting with an oblique cut, a rootstock with a T-shaped cut in the bark and combining the rootstock and scion with the grafting wrapped with film. When it is possible to graft several varieties of gooseberries with different colored berries onto the rootstock at once, the tree becomes especially beautiful. Advantages of the standard form of currants and gooseberries: Currants and gooseberries in standard form are suitable for small gardens, since the plant takes up less space. Easier to care for and harvest. Due to better lighting, the quality and size of the berries improves. You can grow more plants in the same area and get a larger harvest. The method is often used for decorative purposes. Cons: There are climate limitations to this method. Research by the Siberian Horticulture Research Institute has shown that squat, well-covered bushes, rather than tall bushes or trees of these crops, are most reliably preserved from frost and freeze less, and therefore bear fruit better. In experiments, the yield of red currants without snow cover decreased by 40-50%, black currants by 40-80%, and gooseberries even more. These figures are based on an average of 20 years of observations. In cold climates, currant and gooseberry trees must be covered or bent down for snow cover in the winter; choose frost-resistant varieties. Growth of the underground part of currant bushes in good conditions can last up to 30-40 years, for gooseberries even longer. At the same time, the maximum age of above-ground shoots is much less: in black currant, skeletal branches can live 6-10 years (with maximum fruiting at 4-5 years), in red and white currants - up to 7-12 years (with maximum fruiting at 5-7 year), for golden currants - up to 12-18 years (with maximum fruiting at 6-8 years). With the natural bush form of growth, the dying skeletal branches are constantly renewed by new shoots growing annually from the base of the bush, and thus the plant greatly extends its life span. When growing a tree in a standard form, due to the constant removal of new root shoots, the life of the tree will be limited to the above periods. A standard form of gooseberry with a graft onto golden currant is advisable. Gooseberry culture in this form is very convenient for picking berries. In addition, due to the relative durability of the golden currant trunk and the grafted skeletal branches of the gooseberry, such gooseberry trees also turn out to be relatively more durable. So think for yourself, decide for yourself whether to have or not have... standard gooseberries and currants on your plot. Porichek variety - Rovada - it’s amazing how beautiful it is.
Blackcurrants are almost always grown in bushes. But shaping in the form of a tree, although more labor-intensive, has a number of advantages. In a bush, each shoot has its own roots, but all shoots come from one main root, so they fight each other. And growing in the form of a tree stops this competition in the bud.
It all starts with a cutting
Currants, formed in the form of a tree, form a powerful root system and a developed branch structure. Everything needs to start with cuttings, which are harvested early in the spring. The upper parts of shoots that are without branches are suitable for cuttings.
When preparing cuttings, you need to take into account that the lower third will be buried in the ground, and on top there will be a piece of cutting with three to four buds. It is necessary to ensure that these buds are evenly located around the circumference of the cutting, then the branches will be uniform, and not on one side.
Each cutting is buried a third of its length into the ground. The earth around is compacted and immediately filled with water. Throughout rooting, you need to keep the soil moist, which mulch can help with. Everyone is covered non-woven material and remove it only when leaves appear on the seedlings. This indicates that the seedlings have taken root and there is no need for shelter.
Year after year
In the first year autumn leaf fall you need to grow bushes in the form of three or four branches. They will appear from the buds that we left on the cuttings. Some seedlings with less than three branches are discarded. We do not cover the cuttings for the winter, since currants are a frost-resistant plant and survive even after severe frosts.
In spring, future trees are finally formed. Forming must be done before the buds open, that is, in early spring. Three or four buds are left on each branch, the excess ones are cut off. From each bud a fruit branch will then grow, on which numerous large berries appear.
Immediately after pruning, the seedlings are transplanted to a permanent place. When replanting, make sure that the stem is not deeply buried in the soil. If left unchecked, the yield will noticeably decrease.
After planting, the bushes are watered abundantly. Since air is harmful to the roots, it is necessary to compact the soil with water. The distance between trees should be at least two meters. Although the seedlings are small, such space seems excessive. But over time, the trees will completely occupy it.
By the second autumn, thick stems and skeletal branches will have already formed on the tree. In this form, the trees go to winter and in the third year they already produce a decent harvest.
Berry fringe
In the fourth year, the trees already reach a height of one and a half meters, and before picking the berries appear as a continuous fringe on the lower branches. The branches may bend under the weight of the berries. From the fifth year, the trees produce the maximum yield, up to 8 kg per tree. Harvests are harvested until the eighth year of life. Then the yield decreases, and by the age of 12 it is advisable to replace the trees.
Currant trees are very attractive in appearance. Such a plant can serve as a decoration for any estate, not to mention its practical benefits.
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There is no garden too small for currants. In any area, even the smallest one, there is a suitable place for someone who is hardy and has excellent health. berry bush. Of course, provided that such an area is not obscured by trees or buildings, and is not exposed to very late frosts. A currant bush looks good in a tub on the balcony or terrace.
From rootstock to strong trunk
Usually currants are grown as a bush. However, this berry plant looks much more attractive in standard form. A standard tree is convenient in conditions small plot, it is easier to care for than a bush and more convenient to harvest. Depending on the height of the standard, there are low standard, semi-standard and standard forms.
Currently, many garden centers offer currants in standard form. Therefore, buying it is not a problem, but it is much more pleasant to form and grow a berry tree yourself. This may seem like a difficult task only at first glance. However, creating such a berry masterpiece is quite easy and even a novice gardener can do it.
To artificially form a trunk, nurseries use the so-called scion - a small piece of one-year-old shoot, which is fused with the rootstock. Golden currant (Ribes aureum) is ideal as a rootstock for currants, which can be purchased at any nursery in the form of rooted cuttings of various heights (for example, golden currant variety "Brechts Erfolg" with a height of 80, 100, 120, 140 and 160 cm).
Due to the fact that it is often difficult to find a suitable cool place to store cuttings for grafting, and currants wake up very early, experts recommend grafting currants in winter, using freshly cut cuttings. In professional language this is called “winter vaccination”. Only when the cuttings are dormant and the rootstock begins to bud can successful fusion be expected. The copulation method (grafting with cuttings) is suitable for currant grafting.
Simple copulation
Take a cutting of an annual shoot - a scion - in left hand the top away from you. Right hand with a knife (it can be a garden pruner or a grafting knife), position it so that the blade is almost parallel to the surface of the cutting. When making a longitudinal smooth cut, move the knife away from you. At the same time, make sure that the kidney located on back side from cutting a scion branch, did not fall under the cut. The length of the grafting cut should be approximately 2 - 3 cm.
The cutting planes on the scion and rootstock should, if possible, be the same size...
On the rootstock, make a cut the same length as on the scion. The upper part should be turned with the cut towards itself. It is desirable that the copulation sections of the scion and rootstock be identical in length and width, so that when joined, the cambial layers (from which all overlying layers are formed) coincide. In the case when the diameters of the grafted cutting and the rootstock do not match, it is necessary to combine the cambial layer on at least one side. If the scion and rootstock sections do not touch each other well, do not be discouraged and do not stop; if in doubt, it is better to make new sections.
... and when connected, fit tightly against each other.
The copulation height is determined by the desired height of the trunk, that is, the height at which the crown should be located in the future. You can determine it yourself, at your own discretion. In practice, the height of the graft depends, first of all, on the thickness of the scion and rootstock, which should be the same if possible. Finally, trim the end of the scion cutting, leaving three to four eyes, and cover the cut with garden varnish.
For tying the junction of grafting components, a special self-adhesive synthetic film for grafting Medifilm is best suited. After tightly tying the grafting site, the thin film vulcanizes and creates a uniform, durable and impermeable layer for air and moisture, which ensures good fusion of the cuttings with the rootstock. When using a special film, there is no need to cover the grafting site with garden putty.
Squeezing the cutting and shoot at the grafting site with one hand, and with the other hand begin to carefully wrap the cut site with grafting film with some tension. In this case, the winding is carried out along a helical line from bottom to top, completely covering the grafting site.
The junction of the scion and the rootstock must be tightly tied with grafting film.
Instead of a synthetic film for tying, you can use a rubber band, which is applied in the same way, making spiral turns from bottom to top (or top to bottom - no difference). After several months, this grafting tape self-destructs under the influence of sun rays and flies around. Natural or artificial bast is, of course, suitable for the same purposes.
When using grafting film or rubber tape, it is recommended to apply a thin layer of garden varnish to the top of the scion cutting. This prevents moisture from evaporating, otherwise the cutting will dry out before it takes root. Since the sponge, unlike special grafting films or tapes, does not stretch in proportion to the growth of the plant, it must be removed after the cutting has taken root (approximately May/June), carefully cutting the bandage using a razor blade or sharp knife.
Copying into butt with tongue
This grafting method guarantees the stable position of the grafted cuttings. In addition, it is provided strong connection rootstock with scion by pinching tongues on both connected parts of the plant. Thanks to the additional incision, the contact surface of the cambial layers increases. If you choose this grafting method, then you must skillfully work with a copulating knife.
When copulating with reeds, sections of the scion and rootstock are supplemented with incisions - reeds.
With this grafting, oblique cuts are made on the scion and rootstock, preferably of the same size. Then, stepping back from the lower edge of the scion cut by 1/3 of the length, parallel central axis a split is made to obtain the tongue. Depending on the cutting, the length of the split should be from 1 to 1.5 cm. In a similar way, a split is made on the rootstock, which is made in the upper 1/3 of the rootstock cutting. After preparing the grafting components, the cut planes are connected to each other so that the scion tongue enters the split of the rootstock. The grafting site is wrapped with film according to the principle described above.
The scion cutting and the rootstock are placed with cuts facing each other so that the scion tongue fits exactly into the split of the rootstock. This ensures a strong connection between the parts of both plants.
After vaccination
After grafting, the plants are placed in an inclined position in boxes or large tubs and covered wet sand or loose soil mixture, keeping them in a cool room, protected from frost.
The grafted plants are placed in boxes or tubs and sprinkled with wet sand or loose soil mixture.
In spring, grafted plants can be planted in open ground by providing them with diligent care. To ensure that the trunk is even and the scion does not break from the slightest wind, it is recommended to tie the grafted plant to a support. In the fall, when a small crown appears, you can transplant the plant to its permanent desired location.
To prevent the crown from breaking, it is recommended to tie the young plant to a support.
Since the shoots of golden currant are intensively overgrown with twigs, a lot of wild growth may appear on the trunk, which must be regularly removed. Grafted plants can be planted not only in open ground, but also individually in small tubs, further adhering to the recommendations described above.
With the help of grafting, you can plant gooseberries on the trunk, which are also grafted onto golden currants. When preparing plants for grafting, the sharp spines of the scion gooseberry cuttings are carefully removed with a knife so as not to get hurt while working. Do-it-yourself standard currant trees can act as an expensive and significant gift to another amateur gardener. Therefore, it would not be a bad idea to stock up on grafted plants for future use.
Thomas Neder
Specialist consultant
Union of Gardening and Landscape Care
district of Coburg, Germany
Translation: Lesya V.
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