Household plots are rarely decorated with fruit bushes, alpine currant is an exception. Dense greenery, abundant flowering and bright berries distinguish it from other plants, so it is often used to ennoble the green area around the house.
Description
Alpine currant is an ornamental bush, up to 2 meters tall. It is not picky about the choice of soil, can grow in rocky areas, is weather resistant, withstands both cold and heat. The leaves of this species are very small, densely arranged on the shoot. It blooms for 10 days, the fruits are red, they look festive against the background of green foliage.
Berries adorn the shrub in summer and autumn, propagate the plant with seeds, cuttings. Due to the small size of the leaves, the bush lends itself well to shaping; not only simple geometric shapes can be made from it, but also intricate figures. Schmidt is an ideal currant variety for hedges: evenly trimmed low shrub fences look neat enough. But the biggest plus is that the berries are healthy and tasty!
Growing conditions
The shrub is propagated by seeds, woody cuttings or layering. The easiest way to propagate currants is with cuttings. For cuttings in the spring, you need to cut off shoots with buds about 20 cm long. They need to be rooted in light, loose soil. After rooting in autumn, seedlings are planted in a permanent place and heavily pruned. Can be propagated by layering or dividing the bush.
When propagated by seed, sowing is carried out in autumn or spring. Seeds are pre-stratified (stratification is one of the ways to prepare seeds for sowing; it consists in long-term storage of seeds at low positive temperatures). Alpine currant seedlings are easy to transplant, but they need top dressing.
Unfortunately, bushes can be attacked by aphids, spider mites and rust. If you spray alpine currants with insecticide and fungicide, it is quite possible to get rid of them. Alpine currant prefers a sunny location, although it can tolerate shade. For good growth and fruiting, rich, fertile, well-drained, moderately moist soils are needed.
Planting is carried out in autumn or spring, placing bushes at a distance of about 1,5 meters. Before planting the seedlings, they must be examined, diseased and broken branches, long and bare roots should be cut. It is very important at all stages of storage and preparation of plants for planting to prevent drying of the root system. It is useful for plants to immerse them in water for several hours before planting. If the water content of the plants is good, it is enough to dip the roots in the soil mash.
In the first years after planting, it is advisable to apply nitrogen fertilizers every April and compost should be applied under each bush in the fall. In the spring, you need to loosen the ground and prune the bushes, removing the old, affected branches to the very base.
The most popular varieties of alpine currant are:
- Aurem – a wide bush, young leaves are golden in color;
- Pumila – dwarf variety with small leaves;
- Laciniatum – characterized by strongly indented leaves.
Agrotechnics
Agrotechnics for planting and growing any kind of currant, including alpine, is basically the same. Berries are highly resistant to frost and high temperatures, and this is perfectly combined with a good crop resistance to shedding.
Average yield per bush: 8 kg. It must be remembered that the productive age of the fruit-bearing branches of the currant is about 5-6 years. Therefore, they can be left on the bush longer, gradually renewed due to strong zero shoots, the bush itself can be productively used up to 15 years, maintaining its condition with rejuvenating pruning, proper nutrition and soil maintenance.
Landing is more convenient for two people. One person puts a bush in a hole, supports it at the required height and straightens the roots, and the other falls asleep. Plants lightly shake and press the ground to the roots with their foot so that there is no void between them.
After compaction, the earth is again filled up and finally trampled down around the bush. The stem parts that are in the soil provide a reserve of basal shoots and additional roots, the formation of a wide multi-stemmed bush. Shallow landing is not allowed. For better growth, the bush is planted at an angle of 45 °. With a slight twitch, it should not pull out. Planted plants are watered with water at the rate of 3-5 liters per bush.
Video “Caring for currants”
A video on how to properly prevent and eliminate diseases characteristic of a bush that has not been cut.
