How to plant currants in the spring with seedlings in open ground

For those who are engaged in the cultivation of fruit and berry crops in summer cottages or household plots, there are no rest periods. Gardeners and summer residents are constantly working to prepare for the summer summer season, for harvesting, and study information about planting future seedlings. Planting currants in the spring with seedlings is carried out if it was not possible to do this in the fall for some reason.

How to choose currant seedlings

Currant is a berry shrub that has high frost resistance and can consistently bear fruit with proper care for 10 to 15 years. Experienced gardeners recommend planting currant seedlings in open ground in the fall. Planting blackcurrant seedlings in spring is also possible, but certain conditions must be observed that take into account the characteristics of the culture.

In order for the shrub to take root in the spring, varieties of the zoned type are chosen. They must be fully suitable for the selected climatic zone, meet the basic requirements.

External description of seedlings suitable for planting in spring:

• the age of the process is 1,5 – 2 years;
• the presence of at least 3 skeletal roots;
• absence of damaged dry areas on the roots or on the aerial parts.

Experienced gardeners recommend choosing blackcurrant seedlings for planting in spring in specialized nurseries that grow and sell fruit and berry crops.

When to plant currant seedlings in spring

Early autumn is suitable for planting. Due to climatic conditions in some regions, associated with cold snaps that begin earlier than meteorologists predict, many gardeners practice spring planting. This applies to all regions of the country, except for the south. The advantage of landing during this period can be called:

• successful rooting before the onset of cold weather: more than 4-5 months are given to blackcurrant seedlings for this process;

• rooting in spring is more successful due to active sap flow and development of processes;
• due to active soil moistening after snowmelt, the risk of lack of moisture is minimized.

The main disadvantages of planting seedlings in the spring are the possible invasions of insects in the summer, as well as the possibility of the spread of infections to which young fragile shrubs may be susceptible.

When planting in the spring, choose a period of time when the ground becomes soft enough to dig. The air temperature during landing should not be below +5 °C.

The landing pit is prepared 1,5 – 2 weeks before the actual landing. This means that the level of warming up of the earth from the moment of initial digging will increase by the time of planting.

How to plant currants in spring seedlings

Preparation begins long before the seedlings are placed in the ground; blackcurrants can be planted in the spring only after preparation. Take into account the location, as well as the fact that the currant will grow in the selected area for about 10 – 15 years.

Selection and preparation of the landing site

Currant is a crop that bears fruit well in sunny open flat areas. The berries begin to shrink with partial shading of the bushes, therefore, when placing, they adhere to the basic rules:

• landings in lowlands with possible stagnant water, high occurrence of groundwater are excluded;
• planting under the shade of tall buildings or trees with wide crowns is excluded;
• do not recommend planting blackcurrant seedlings in places where through winds often occur.

Gardeners call blackcurrant an unpretentious berry, they note that it does not place high demands on the soil. Nevertheless, when planting in the spring, it is taken into account that a shrub can produce a stable and high-quality crop only if the right soil is chosen.

The possibility of planting currants on heavy peat soils with a high clay content is completely excluded. For normal development, seedlings are suitable for loamy or sandy loamy soils with an acidity level close to neutral.

The landing site begins to prepare in advance. Dig a hole up to 55 cm deep, up to 60 cm in diameter. The top layer of soil is mixed with prepared fertilizers. At the preparation stage, organic fertilizers such as manure or humus are used, as well as mineral mixtures with a high content of phosphorus and potassium. The prepared mixture is poured into the dug hole, covered with a moisture-proof material. After 2 weeks, they dig a hole again and proceed to direct planting.

Preparing seedlings for planting

One of the conditions for successful rooting is the correct preparation of the selected seedling. 24 hours before planting, it is carefully examined, dried roots are removed with secateurs, and soaked in water. For disinfection, a manganese solution is used, and root stimulants are used to activate growth. The soaking time can last from 10 to 15 hours. It depends on the condition of the planting material.

Then the seedlings are taken out and treated with clay mash. This is a special mixture that gardeners prepare on their own. It consists of clay, water, a small amount of manure. The texture of the mixture should be creamy. After immersion, it completely sticks to the roots, prevents them from further drying out.

Rules for planting currant seedlings in the spring in the ground

When landing, one of the main conditions is the observance of the distance between the bushes. For the correct development of the superficial root system, which currants possess, 60 – 70 cm is necessary. 1,5 – 2 m are left between rows, it depends on the degree of growth of the variety.

The procedure for planting currants in the spring with seedlings or cuttings is quite simple, there are video tutorials designed for beginner gardeners who are afraid to make a mistake. When disembarking, you must follow the sequence of actions:

1. At the bottom of the prepared hole, a small hill is formed by hand.
2. On the central part of the top of the hill, a blackcurrant shoot is placed, its roots are straightened on the sides.
3. Holding the seedling, at the same time fill the side parts of the hole with prepared soil. Periodically shake the young plant a little to prevent the formation of voids.

   

4. After the final filling of the landing pit, the top layer is tamped, watered with warm water at the rate of 2 liters of water per 1 bush.
5. When the water is completely absorbed, the trunk circle is made out with a small trench, mulched with the selected material.

Features of planting black and red currants

When planting a red currant variety with seedlings in the spring, it is necessary to take into account the special requirements of the shrub for the location. Red currants need more light for stable and annual fruiting. The lack of light has a negative effect on the characteristics of the fruit, the berry becomes smaller, the bush begins to hurt.

The second feature when planting red seedlings in spring is control over soil acidity. If black shrubs can easily tolerate a slightly increased acidity of the soil, for red currants this circumstance will become a reason for the development of diseases and the spread of infection. To reduce the acidity of the soil, ground chalk or slaked lime is used, the compounds are added to the soil a few weeks before planting.

Care after landing

The adaptation of the future shrub depends on the subsequent care:

1. Watering. After planting in the spring, blackcurrant seedlings are watered abundantly and left until the ovaries appear. The following procedure is carried out after complete drying of the topsoil. During the hot summer, the only condition is to control that the soil does not dry out, remains constantly moistened. With the last watering after the autumn cooling, from 5 to 10 liters of water are brought in, taking into account that the shrub has time to absorb moisture before the onset of frost.
2. Feeding. 20 days after planting blackcurrant seedlings in open ground, the first top dressing is done. Up to 20 g of nitrogen-containing fertilizer is applied to each of the bushes. This is necessary to activate the mechanisms that are responsible for increasing the green mass.

   

3. Preparation for winter. Young currant bushes need additional preparation for the upcoming first wintering. In autumn, 30-40 days before significant temperature drops, the bushes are completely cut off. This is done only with young seedlings. Mature bushes will not need full pruning. Despite the fact that seedlings can be selected for the climatic zone and have high frost resistance, in the first year of adaptation after spring planting, they are recommended to additionally cover them with special materials. First, the trunk circle is mulched, then the trench is renewed from the soil and the bushes are covered with agrofiber or burlap. To prevent cold wind or snow from getting inside, the shelter is additionally weighted with improvised materials.

Tips from experienced gardeners

Often, novice gardeners make mistakes when planting blackcurrant shoots in the spring. A slight violation of the basic rules can affect the subsequent rooting and adaptation. To avoid mistakes, it is advised to plant bushes in accordance with agrotechnical requirements:

1. In the presence of weak blackcurrant cuttings, it is advised to soak throughout the day using heteroauxin or indolylbutyric acid.
2. To activate the development of the root system in the summer, it is recommended to regularly loosen the root circle after each rain or heavy watering. At the same time, gardeners use tools with minimal depth so as not to damage the root system, which is superficial in currants.
3. Subject to the distance between the bushes, one should not forget about the indentation from the hedge or fence, next to which shrubs are planted. The distance between the bush and the hedge should be at least 1 m.
4. When planting, do not forget about the location of the root neck. After the soil is completely compacted, it should be deepened by 5 – 6 cm.
5. Currants are not recommended to be planted next to raspberry bushes. Berry crops will compete for nutrients and inhibit each other’s development.

Visually about how to plant blackcurrants in the spring – in the video:

Conclusion

Planting currants in the spring with seedlings is associated with some features of the culture. Too early planting can lead to freezing of the root system. Late planting of cuttings with developed green leaves threatens to inhibit development, leading to the spread of infection on the bushes. Subject to the basic agrotechnical practices of planting a crop in the spring, careful control over the level of soil acidity, as well as choosing strong suitable seedlings, the bushes will have time to take root before the onset of frost, and next year they will be pleased with a bountiful harvest.