How to plant red currants: care and cultivation

Redcurrant, as well as black and white varieties, are among the most popular berry bushes grown in Our Country. Caring for her is quite simple and usually does not present any difficulties for the gardener, for which she is loved and appreciated. On the garden plot, you can plant red currants in spring and autumn, which is very convenient, first of all, for those who have difficulty with planting material.

Features of growing red currant

Unlike its black variety, redcurrant is not as popular. This is largely due to the nuances of using the crop. The fruits of blackcurrant are distinguished by a more pronounced taste, its berries contain much more vitamins and microelements. The leaves of this shrub are used for home canning. Red currants are seriously limited in use, their berries have a less saturated and more watery taste, and the content of vitamins and nutrients in them is slightly lower.

Despite this, red currants are grown mainly for fresh consumption, making compotes or jams. The vegetation of this shrub begins quite early in the spring, immediately after the average daily temperature rises above 0 ° C. For a year, currants give a fairly strong increase, especially at a young age. Root shoots also grow abundantly, from which it is necessary to partially get rid of, leaving only 2-3 of the most powerful shoots annually, growing evenly around the circumference of the bush.

Red currant bears fruit for quite a long time. Unlike the black one, which yields mostly on shoots of 2-3 years of life, the red one can also produce a good harvest on 7-8 year old branches. Therefore, these bushes live longer, they need less pruning, the shoots do not grow very much in breadth, stretching upwards more. Redcurrant bears fruit along the entire length of the shoot, while in black the main crop grows in the lower part.

There are few differences between these berry bushes in care. All varieties of currants prefer the same conditions for growth, they need a well-lit place and loose, well-drained soil in the area. Watering is needed regular, but very moderate, it is impossible to overmoisten the soil. Currants react very painfully to excess water in the roots and may die. However, drought is unacceptable for her. It is advisable to feed the bushes several times a year, especially if the soil is poor. The root zone must be cleared of weeds and mulched. For the winter, currant bushes do not cover, just fill them with snow.

How to plant red currants in spring: step by step instructions

Spring is not the optimal time for planting berry bushes, which include red currants. A more favorable time for this is autumn, since at this time of the year there are no problems with seedlings, the time interval for work is quite wide and it is not necessary to literally do everything by running. However, autumn planting may not be possible in regions with early winters, as planted seedlings may not have time to take root before frost sets in, so they are guaranteed to die in winter or next spring.

When is the best time to plant red currants?

To plant a seedling of red currant in open ground in spring, you need to choose a time when the buds of the seedling have not yet blossomed, but the ground has already thawed. In different regions of the country, this time falls on April or early May. If leaves appear on the seedlings, then rooting will be worse. With warming weather, the survival rate of young bushes decreases, especially in seedlings with an open root system, and planting at this time without a root formation stimulator in most cases ends in failure.

Where is the best place to plant red currants?

Often, gardeners plant red currants according to the residual principle, allocating a place for it near the fence somewhere in the back of the garden. With this approach, a good harvest is not to be expected. For planting red currants, it is necessary to allocate an open sunny place, preferably without cold wind and drafts. You should not plant it too close to buildings or structures, the optimal distance is 1,5-2 m. Red currant will also grow well if you plant it next to low trees with a loose crown that allows diffused sunlight to pass through.

The soil for currants should be loose, breathable and moderately moist. Fertile soils with neutral acidity are well suited for this crop. Water should not linger in the soil, its excess causes diseases in currants. Therefore, low-lying, marshy and wetlands cannot be chosen for planting this shrub. Groundwater must lie at a depth of at least 1 m. If this figure is less than recommended, then an artificial embankment must be made before planting a shrub.

Many horticultural crops are suitable as precursor plants for red currants:

• vegetables;
• greenery;
• green manure;
• beans;
• cereals;
• flowers.

You can not plant red currants after gooseberries or raspberries, these shrubs have common enemies – pests and suffer from similar diseases.

How to prepare a landing site

The site for planting red currants in the spring must be prepared in the fall. The place must be cleared of weeds, debris, stones. The top layer of soil must be dug up, at the same time organic fertilizer must be applied. Humus is best suited for this purpose, it is added 1-2 buckets per 1 sq. m. It is advisable to add wood ash to the soil in the amount of 0,5-1 kg for the same area. In addition, mineral fertilizers (superphosphate, potassium sulfate) can also be used, but they can also be applied in the spring, with the direct planting of seedlings.

How to plant red currant

The size of the planting hole for a red currant seedling must be guaranteed to be larger than the volume of its roots. As a rule, it is enough holes with a diameter of 0,5-0,6 m and the same depth. It is advisable to dig holes in advance so that the soil has time to settle and be saturated with air. The soil taken out of the pit is mixed with mineral fertilizers and ash, if these components were not introduced in the fall when digging the site. A little of this mixture is poured onto the bottom of the pit, and then 1-2 buckets of water are poured into it and allowed to soak.

The planting procedure itself is the same in spring and autumn. The seedling must be installed in the planting hole at an angle of approximately 45 °, its roots should be straightened and covered with prepared soil, periodically compacting it. At the same time, the root neck is deepened by 5-8 cm, which ensures the rapid growth of new shoots and the accelerated formation of a strong fruit-bearing bush. After the pit is completely filled up, a small annular ditch 8-10 cm deep is made around the seedling, which is completely filled with water. Instead, you can build an earthen roller of the same height around the bush, which will not allow water to spread. After watering, the root zone is mulched with peat or humus to avoid evaporation of moisture from the soil.

What to plant next to red currants

Next to the red currant, its white variety is usually planted, while varieties of different ripening periods can be used, this will extend the harvest time. Often, for the convenience of working, gooseberries are placed near these bushes; these plants have similar agricultural practices. But black currants next to red ones will grow worse, such a neighborhood depresses both. It is not recommended to plant red currants next to bush cherries or other trees that form numerous root shoots, this can further thicken the bush and make it difficult to work with it.

To protect against insect pests, onions or garlic are often planted next to this shrub; the pungent smell of these plants repels aphids and currant mites.

How to properly care for red currants

Red currant is a rather unpretentious plant, however, in order for it to feel good and bear abundant fruit, a number of mandatory measures must be taken. These include:

• watering;
• top dressing;
• pruning;
• loosening and mulching the root zone.

Watering and feeding

Despite the fact that red currant belongs to moisture-loving crops, it needs very moderate watering, albeit regular. Its root system is quite branched and powerful, which makes it more resistant to drought than the black variety. However, the lack of moisture adversely affects the shrub. Shoots, already distinguished by a small annual increase, begin to lag far behind, and the berries become smaller and crumble, without having time to pour.

To avoid this, during the period of setting and ripening of berries, redcurrant bushes should be watered regularly, especially if the summer is dry. The rate of water consumption at this time is 3-4 buckets per 1 bush, the frequency of watering is 1 time in 6-10 days. In order to better retain moisture in the soil, a groove 8-10 cm deep is often built around the bush inside the crown projection. During irrigation, it is filled with water, and then covered with a dense material, for example, a piece of roofing material. Mulching the root zone with peat, humus or straw will also help to keep moisture in the soil longer.

Caring for red currants necessarily includes fertilizing. For feeding shrubs in early spring, urea is most often used. It is enough to make it 20-30 g for each bush, scattering the granules in the root zone. In early summer, it is advisable to use organic fertilizers for feeding, for example, slurry or chicken manure infusion. Instead of organics, urea and superphosphate can be used.

During the period of filling and ripening of berries, red currant needs trace elements. Such top dressing is best done in a foliar way. This will require:

• Boric acid – 2,5 g.
• Manganese sulfate – 5 g.
• Copper sulfate – 1 g.
• Ammonium molybdate – 2 g.
• Zinc sulfate – 2 g.

All components are dissolved in 10 liters of water. Shrubs are processed with this composition. This should be done in the evening so that the solution has time to be absorbed before the water evaporates from the surface of the leaves.

The last time in the season, red currant bushes are fed in late autumn. At this time, the aisles are dug up with the simultaneous introduction of rotted manure, and superphosphate is added under the bushes (50-100 g for each bush).

Trimming

Red currant bushes are pruned annually, in early spring or autumn. During the procedure, diseased, broken, extra shoots, as well as thickening root shoots are removed. Old shoots begin to be removed after 7-8 years, so the bush is gradually rejuvenated. Unlike black currants, red currants do not prune their annual growth, since most of the crop ripens on it.

Protection against diseases and pests

With proper agricultural technology, red currants get sick relatively rarely. However, in case of violations in care, especially those associated with excessive watering, powdery mildew or other fungal diseases may appear on the bushes. Fight them by treating the bushes with various fungicides. Redcurrant is also affected by viral diseases such as mosaic and terry. Most often, their carriers are insect pests, such as aphids, weevil, kidney and spider mites, etc. Various chemical and biological preparations are used to destroy them.

Preparation for winter

Redcurrant is resistant to low temperatures and does not require shelter for the winter. It is enough just to fill the bushes with snow. Before winter, a layer of mulch is removed from the root zone of the shrub, and the soil is dug up. Such a measure contributes to the fact that most of the pests wintering in the upper layer of the earth simply freeze out.

Tips from experienced gardeners on caring for red currants in spring

When growing and caring for red currants, many gardeners recommend adhering to the following rules.

• Be sure to treat the bushes with hot water in early spring. This can be done with a regular watering can. Sprinkling with boiling water kills currant mites, as well as fungal spores.

  

• Red currant bushes, unlike black currants, grow stronger upward than in breadth. Therefore, when planting them, the intervals between adjacent bushes can be made smaller.
• To prevent the bush from falling apart, it is advisable to install a fence around it.
• Do not rush to cut out old shoots. In red currants, with good care, they can bear fruit for up to 15 years.
• The mulch layer should not touch the currant shoots. Otherwise, the bark may crack at the points of contact, which is fraught with infections.
• If the bush is sick with mosaic or terry, it is better to remove it entirely and be sure to burn it. These viral diseases are not treated, if you delay, then you can lose neighboring plantations.

For more information on planting red currants in spring, see the video. 

Conclusion

It is possible to plant red currants in spring in many regions, and for areas with an early arrival of winter, this method is uncontested. The planting process itself is quite simple and usually does not cause difficulties even for beginners, the most important thing in spring planting is meeting deadlines. If you choose the right time and place for planting, then the shrub will take root perfectly and will delight you with excellent yields for a long time.