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Blackcurrant has been cultivated in Our Country for more than a thousand years – this berry shrub has been known since the times of Kievan Rus. And for all these years, it has enjoyed unflagging popularity due to the high content of vitamins and the indescribable aroma that comes from both its fruits and leaves. Any newly-made owner of a garden or summer cottage, first of all, acquires currant seedlings and dreams of good harvests of tasty and healthy berries. But much in the cultivation of blackcurrant depends on the correct choice of variety, which would bring yields in any, the most diverse climatic conditions of our large country. At the same time, every gardener strives to find for himself a variety that would be tasty, productive, and at the same time would not require much trouble to care for him.
In this case, it is worth taking a closer look at the blackcurrant variety with the interesting name Bagheera. It has been known for quite a long time, but still has not lost its leading position in the abundance of berry varieties. A description of the time-tested Bagheera currant variety, as well as photos and reviews of those who have dealt with this berry, can be found in this article.
History of creation
The blackcurrant variety Bagira was obtained by crossing the Swedish variety Bredthorp and the Belarusian variety Minai Shmyrev. The case took place back in 1985 at the All- Research Institute of Horticulture named after I.V. Michurin, located in the Tambov region. The authors of the variety are well-known breeders K. D. Sergeeva and T. S. Zvyagina.
At the same time, an application was submitted for variety testing, and only after almost 10 years, in 1994, Bagira’s blackcurrant was entered in the State Register of Breeding Achievements of Our Country. It is noteworthy that this particular blackcurrant variety, one of the few, was zoned for the six most diverse regions of Our Country:
- Northwestern;
- Volga-Vyatka;
- Middle Volga;
- Ural;
- West Siberian;
- East Siberian.
Such a wide range of regions recommended for the cultivation of this blackcurrant variety is due to its particular resistance to both heat and dry conditions, as well as frost.
Variety description
Blackcurrant bushes Bagheera are characterized by medium vigor and medium spreading. They can reach two meters in height. There are quite a lot of leaves on the branches, so you can’t call bushes sparse, but rather, on the contrary, thick.
Young growing shoots are straight, medium in size and have a light green color. Lignified shoots are distinguished by a yellowish tint, which can turn brown in the upper part of the branches.
Medium-sized sessile single kidneys have an ovoid-elongated shape with a pointed apex. Their color is golden brown.
The leaves have a standard five-lobed shape with a wavy edge, medium in size. The color varies from light green to green. The surface of the leaves is smooth, leathery, matte. Leaf petioles have a slight anthocyanin coloration with slight pubescence.
Sometimes the leaves remain on the bushes until the first frost and even go with them under the snow. This property can be very beneficial for people who enjoy blackcurrant leaf tea as they have a long supply of them for the long winter. In addition, blackcurrant leaves are often used in pickling many vegetables, which can take place already in late autumn and fresh leaves will come in handy.
The flowers are medium in size and have the shape of glasses. Brushes of medium density reach a length of 5-8 cm. They have a conical hanging shape. From 4 to 7 berries are formed in the brush. The nodes often have 2-3 brushes.
Currant variety Bagheera can be classified as medium-late in terms of ripening. Since the berries ripen around mid-July.
Bushes of this variety are able to quickly bear fruit – a small crop can be harvested already in the year of planting. Although the most abundant crops from the Bagheera currant can be expected for 2-4 years from planting seedlings.
The yield is at a quite decent level – from one bush you can collect from 3,5 to 4,5 kg of berries. In industrial terms, the yield is up to 12 tons of berries per hectare of plantings.
Currant Bagheera has good resistance to anthracnose and powdery mildew, but it can be affected by rust. Unfortunately, the scourge of all currants – the bud mite does not bypass it, but it is resistant to the spider mite.
Well, and, as noted earlier, the Bagheera currant variety is distinguished by its amazing unpretentiousness to growing conditions – it equally easily withstands severe frosts and spring frosts, as well as heat and drought.
Characteristics of berries
Bagheera blackcurrant berries are absolutely universal in use. Due to the high content of sugars – up to 12%, they are eaten with pleasure directly from the bush and therefore are very loved by children.
They are also quite suitable for freezing and drying, they make delicious and fragrant winter preparations and even homemade wine and liqueurs.
The size of the berries is quite large, although they are not among the champions in size among blackcurrant varieties. The mass of one berry is on average 1,5-2,3 grams.
The number of seeds in the fruits is small, they have an oblong shape.
The berries themselves are characterized by a traditional round or flat-round shape. They have the same size throughout the volume of the brushes.
The color of the berries is black, with a shiny surface. The pulp has a tender and juicy texture. The skin is not very dense, but at the same time the separation is dry and the berries are quite decent transportability, especially if they are collected with whole brushes.
According to taste, Bagheera currant berries are rated at 4,5 points on a five-point scale. They also have a rich aroma. It is interesting that this variety was among the ten most delicious and dessert varieties of blackcurrant of domestic selection.
According to the chemical composition, berries are characterized by the content of:
- Dry soluble substances – 17,1 -20,7%;
- The sums of sugars – 8,8 -12,1%;
- Ascorbic acid – 154,8-191,5 mg / 100 g;
- Pectin – 1,2%;
- Titratable acidity – 2,7 -3,6%;
- P-active substances – 1132,0 mg / 100 g.
The berries of the Bagheera currant variety, although they ripen almost simultaneously, are able to remain on the bushes for a long time without crumbling and without losing their taste.
The preservation of the berries after picking is also good, they can easily wait until it is their turn to be processed.
Advantages and disadvantages
Currant Bagheera has been popular among gardeners for more than a quarter of a century due to the following advantages:
- Resistance to various adverse growth conditions and unpretentiousness in cultivation.
- Relative large-fruited berries and their wonderful taste characteristics.
- Good, above average, productivity.
- Excellent keeping quality and transportability.
The main disadvantage of this variety is its vulnerability to bud mites and insufficient resistance to some fungal diseases. However, with the modern variety of choice of protection drugs, these shortcomings can be successfully dealt with.
Reviews of gardeners
Gardeners in general are generally satisfied with the Bagheera blackcurrant, although it can perform differently in different conditions.
Conclusion
Bagheera currant has every reason to satisfy the most demanding tastes of gardeners and bring not only a rich harvest of tasty, healthy and large berries, but also become a real decoration of the site.