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Bagheera currant: variety description
Currant “Bagheera” refers to those berry varieties that can be grown without even having experience. Due to its unpretentiousness and resistance to adverse weather conditions, it does not cause much trouble for the gardener, but only pleases with its rich harvest of tasty, large berries.
Description of currant variety “Bagheera”
Black currant of this variety can act not only as a fruiting shrub, but also as an ornamental plant and even a hedge. Due to its resistance to cold weather, it preserves foliage until the first frost and adorns empty gardens and summer cottages. Photo of “Bagheera” currant is presented below.
Currant “Bagheera” – one of the best winter-hardy varieties
“Bagheera” can be described as follows:
- Bushes of medium size grow up to 1,5–2 m in height, have a dense crown of medium spreading.
- Leaves with 5 lobes, deep green with a matte surface. Young seedlings may have light green leaves.
- Clusters are medium, up to 8 cm long, bearing up to 8 berries.
- Fruits are large, regular round shape, weighing up to 2,5 g. The skin has a rich black hue, shiny and strong.
- The taste is sweet with a slight sourness and a pleasant rich aroma.
Delicate, juicy pulp of currant fruit contains a huge amount of nutrients. It includes natural sugars, pectin, ascorbic acid and other vitamins.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
Among the many advantages of this variety, the following can be distinguished:
- “Bagheera” is fast-growing. Begins to bear fruit as early as the 2nd year after planting the seedling.
- The yield is stable and high. You can get up to 5 kg of berries from a bush.
- Good self-fertility. If it is impossible to plant other varieties of currants next to it for cross-pollination, the quality and quantity of the crop does not suffer.
- Good fruit transportability. Thanks to their strong skin, they do not crack, do not lose juice and do not wrinkle.
- The variety has good winter hardiness. It can even withstand severe frosts, down to -33C.
- It tolerates drought well and long-term lack of watering.
- High resistance to many diseases and harmful insects.
- For a long time after harvest, it retains freshness and can be used both for fresh consumption and for processing, freezing, canning.
So, before the beginning of the flowering period, shrubs are sprayed with copper sulfate (17 g per 10 l of water) or Bordeaux liquid 1% (50 g per 5 l of water).
The variety has one drawback, average immunity to rust and kidney mites. Therefore, the plant needs timely prevention of these diseases, which consists of treating the bushes with specialized preparations.
Cultivation of “Bagheera” is within the power of even novice agronomists. Due to its resistance to adverse weather conditions and unpretentious care, currants stand out favorably against the background of other varieties.