How to water currants

Watering berry bushes, including currants, plays a huge role in obtaining a crop. The root system of these plants is located close to the soil surface and does not have the ability to absorb moisture from deeper horizons. Therefore, you need to water the currants regularly, however, to achieve maximum efficiency, watering must be done in compliance with certain rules.

Features of watering currants

Currant loves moist soil and is considered a moisture-loving plant. The lack of moisture in the soil negatively affects its general condition. The lack of water leads to the fact that the leaves of the currant curl, and the berries become smaller and dry. Shrub growth slows down, young shoots do not ripen. A particularly severe drought can even lead to the death of a currant bush.

However, blackcurrants should not be watered too often. Excess water in the soil can cause considerable damage to the shrub. Stagnation of fluid in the roots can lead to their decay; in conditions of high humidity, pathogenic bacteria and fungi intensively develop, which provokes the appearance of various diseases. The normal level of soil moisture for currants is 60%.

How often should currants be watered

In many cases, currants have enough precipitation. This is especially true for regions with a cool climate, in which the soil dries out relatively infrequently. In this case, additional moistening of the soil is not required.

How to water currants in summer

In the summer, the need for watering currants is determined by the weather and the amount of rain. During dry periods, it is necessary to moisten the soil under the bushes with a frequency of 1 time per week. Especially carefully you need to monitor the condition of the soil during the period of setting and ripening berries. The lack of water in the soil at this time can lead to the fact that the fruits that have not yet ripened will begin to fall off. This means that the shrub turns on the natural mechanism of regulation, getting rid of part of the crop, the ripening of which takes a lot of moisture. This is done to maintain water balance in other parts of the plant in order to avoid its death. Thus, the dropping of berries is a clear sign of a lack of moisture in the soil.

With insufficient precipitation, currant bushes need to be watered even after harvesting. Maintaining moisture in the soil at this time allows the shrub to quickly recuperate, especially if fruiting was plentiful. In addition, after fruiting is completed, new flower buds begin to form on the currant, which will become the basis of the next year’s harvest.

Spring watering currants

The very first watering of currant bushes in spring is recommended to be done before the start of the growing season, when the buds are still dormant. Usually this is the end of March, at this time in most regions the land is already free of snow. Watering is carried out by sprinkling, and the water should be hot, about + 70-75 ° C. To enhance the disinfecting effect, you can add a few crystals of potassium permanganate to the water.

An ordinary watering can is used for watering, with the help of which currant bushes are evenly irrigated. Such a measure has a beneficial effect on the shrub, since it performs the following functions.

1. Kills fungal spores that cause powdery mildew and other diseases.
2. Kills larvae of insect pests wintering on the bush, primarily currant mites.
3. Hot water contributes to the rapid thawing of the soil in the root zone, which allows the plant to begin vegetation earlier. In this case, it should be borne in mind that there should no longer be return frosts.

A useful video on how to properly water currants with boiling water in spring: 

Repeated spring watering of currant bushes may be needed at the end of spring, during the formation of flower ovaries. By this time, the moisture accumulated in the soil after the snow has melted has already been used up or evaporated. If the winter was not snowy, and the spring stood warm and dry, then watering is definitely necessary. Otherwise, you need to navigate according to the state of the soil, it may well turn out that there is enough water in it, in which case it is better to refuse additional moisture.

Watering currants in autumn

In autumn, currant growth slows down. With a decrease in average daily temperatures, the evaporation of water decreases, both from the leaves of the bush and from the soil. Precipitation at this time of the year in the vast majority of cases is enough, and additional watering is usually unnecessary. However, in late autumn, before the onset of cold weather, in late October or early November, it is necessary to carry out the so-called “water-charging” watering of currants. It is done so that all tissues of the plant are saturated with moisture, this significantly improves the winter hardiness of the shrub and reduces the likelihood of it freezing in winter.

How to water currants

For watering currant bushes in spring and summer, you can choose any of three methods:

• Watering in a trench.
• Sprinkling.
• Drip irrigation.

The first method is that a small trench or groove is arranged around the bush. Its diameter should be approximately equal to the projection of the crown. So that its walls do not crumble, they are strengthened with stones. During irrigation, the groove is filled to the top with water, which is gradually absorbed and moisturizes the entire root zone. Often the moat is covered from above, preventing debris from entering it and preventing moisture from evaporating.

Sprinkling is the easiest way to water currant bushes, but no less effective. This shrub responds well to crown irrigation, a water shower washes dust off the leaves, and contributes to the activation of photosynthesis processes. For sprinkling, use a watering can or hose with a spray nozzle. This procedure should be carried out in the evening, so that drops of water do not focus the sun’s rays and do not lead to leaf burns. It is better to use settled and warm water.

Drip irrigation began to be used for watering currant bushes relatively recently. The arrangement of such a system is quite expensive, but it can significantly save water, which is very important for regions or areas that experience a shortage of it.

Is it possible to water currants during flowering

Flowering currants do not need to be watered. An exception can be made only if the spring was early and dry. With a lack of moisture in the soil, flower ovaries may begin to crumble. Watering during this period should be done only by the root method, with warm water.

Some gardeners at this time spend only spraying the bushes with a honey solution (1 teaspoon of honey per 1 liter of water). This is done to attract flying insects, which are pollinators for currant flowers. Due to this, the flower ovaries crumble less, the yield increases.

Tips from experienced gardeners

Currant has been cultivated in Our Country for a very long time, therefore, lovers of growing berry bushes in their backyards have gained a lot of experience working with this crop. Here are some recommendations that experienced gardeners advise to follow when watering:

• To determine the amount of water that needs to be used to water the currant bush, you should make a recess in the ground on the spade bayonet. If the top soil layer has dried out by less than 5 cm, then it is not necessary to additionally moisten the soil. If the earth has dried out by 10 cm, then it is recommended to use 20 liters of water for irrigation for each bush, if by 15 cm, then 40 liters.
• After watering, the root zone must be mulched. Mulch retains moisture well in the soil, thanks to it there are no sharp temperature fluctuations in the root zone. In addition, mulching further enriches the soil with nutrients. Peat, humus, straw or hay, sawdust can be used as mulch. At the same time, it must be remembered that the thickness of the mulching layer should be small so as not to disturb the air exchange of the root layer of the soil. For example, if dense peat or humus is used as mulch, then the mulch layer should be no more than 5 cm for sandy soils and no more than 3 cm for clay soils.

• It is better to collect water for irrigation in advance in barrels or other containers. Then she can warm up.
• Sprinkler irrigation should be carried out either in the early morning or late in the evening. Shrubs must dry before being exposed to direct sunlight, otherwise there is a high risk of sunburn on the leaves.
• It is very convenient to apply mineral fertilizers into a groove dug around a bush for irrigation. So the rain won’t wash them away.
• In late autumn, before water-charging irrigation is done, the soil in the root zone of currant bushes needs to be dug up. So the moisture will be better kept in the soil. The layer of mulch for the winter needs to be removed, so the earth will freeze more. This will kill parasites hibernating in the trunk circle.

Conclusion

To get a good harvest, you need to water the currants regularly, but with a mandatory eye on weather conditions. In cold wet weather, additional watering will do much more harm to the shrub than good, and in some cases can lead to disease and death of the plant. To avoid this, you need to constantly monitor the moisture content of the soil and prevent it from drying out or waterlogging.