Contents
Redcurrant Alpha is a successful result of the work of breeders. Unlike the “old” varieties, which have a number of disadvantages, this culture has become widespread among gardeners due to its characteristics.
History of breeding
The variety was obtained at the South Ural Research Institute of Horticulture. When it was created, Chulkovskaya and Cascade currants were used. V. S. Ilyin is recognized as the author of culture. Since 2009, redcurrant Alpha has been put up for state variety testing.
Description of the variety of red currant Alpha
An adult shrub reaches a medium size in height, no more than 70-80 cm. The plant does not differ in large sprawling branches and dense foliage. Young shoots are straight, medium thickness. The kidneys are medium-sized, brown in color, deviated from the branch to the side.
The leaves of the red currant Alpha are five-lobed, small. Their color is dark green. On one side, the leaves have a shiny and wrinkled skin-like surface. The blades are pointed, the middle one is larger than the side ones. The base of the sheet has a small notch, shaped like a triangle.
The petiole of the Alpha variety is long, of medium thickness, painted in pinkish-green color.
The flowers are small, saucer-shaped in shape. The ridge is near-pistillate, weakly expressed. The sepal has a pale yellow color with a pink tinge. In shape, it is closed, slightly bent. The formed brushes are long and curved. Their axis is of medium thickness, can be painted green or crimson. The petiole of the brushes is thin.
A distinctive feature of the Alpha variety is very large berries. The weight of each varies from 0,9 to 1,5 g. The fruits practically do not differ in size, have a rounded shape and a light red color. The pulp inside the berries is the same shade as the skin, with an average number of seeds.
The taste of red currant is sweet and sour, received 4,7 points according to the tasting score
Harvested red currants can be sold in various ways: eat fresh, make jam or jams from it. Delicious puddings and fruit soups with the addition of berries are obtained.
Features
Redcurrant Alpha is one of the varieties that bear fruit well with proper care. Studying the characteristics of a plant allows you to choose a place for it on the site and draw up a plan for agricultural technology.
Drought resistance, winter hardiness
Red currant Alpha tolerates low temperatures well. In adult shrubs, the root system grows deep into the ground, which allows the culture to safely survive frosts down to -30 ° C.
But the drought resistance of the shrub is average, the lack of moisture adversely affects the yield of the variety.
Pollination, flowering period and ripening period
Redcurrant Alpha is a self-fertile crop, so it does not need neighbors. This advantage allows a shade-tolerant and light-loving plant to be planted on a plot away from other trees and shrubs.
Currant blossoms can be observed in early May
The ripening period is average, so the harvest begins to be harvested in mid-July in the Central region. Unlike early varieties, redcurrant Alpha begins to sing two weeks later.
Yield and fruiting
The culture is not only large-fruited, but also abundantly fruitful. With proper care, the average yield is 7,2 t / ha. The maximum can be collected up to 16,4 t/ha.
Each shrub can produce from 1,8 to 4,1 kg annually. Long periods of drought, as well as excessive watering, neglect of top dressing and the rules of agricultural technology, negatively affect the level of fruiting of red currant Alpha.
Disease and pest resistance
The variety is known for its strong immune system: it is resistant to powdery mildew, which often affects various varieties of red currant.
Among pests, aphids, goldfish, spider mites and glass cases are dangerous for the plant. To avoid an attack, it is enough to carry out prevention in a timely manner. To do this, it is recommended not to neglect the rules of agricultural technology, to plant nearby crops that repel pests.
The activity of gall aphids can be suspected very quickly. As the insect reproduces, currant leaves swell and change color to reddish-brown. If you do not carry out therapeutic measures, then new shoots do not grow, and the leaves fall off.
Drugs such as Biotlin and Fitoverm successfully fight gall aphids on redcurrant Alpha.
An obligatory stage of treatment is the breaking off of deformed leaves, and then their destruction.
A small beetle with a greenish-golden shell is a currant goldfish. Pest larvae damage the shoots, destroying their core. As a result of their activity, the branches dry up and die. If the beetle is not destroyed, then it will lay eggs, and next year the plant will suffer again from larvae.
Sanitary pruning and spraying redcurrant shrubs Alfa with a 3% solution of karbofos are the main measures to destroy the pest
The spider mite feeds on young leaves and berries. To find it, it is enough to examine the plant. Yellow and red spots appear on the underside of the surface. The shoots of the pest are entangled with cobwebs.
Acaricides are effective against ticks: BI-58 and Fufanon
During spring pruning on the shoots, you can find a black dot in the core of the branch. This is the result of the activity of the glass-box, whose larvae gnaw moves in the shoots. Without treatment, the bush dies from a lack of nutrients.
Treatment of red currant Alpha consists in removing the affected shoots
Among insecticides from a glass case, a 0,3% solution of karbofos is effective.
Advantages and disadvantages
Redcurrant Alpha is a high-yielding and large-fruited crop. The plant has a strong immune system.
Bushes of a variety of medium sprawling, with straight shoots, which facilitates the care of currants
Advantages:
- self-fertility;
- frost resistance;
- dessert taste of berries.
Disadvantages:
- average drought resistance;
- soil requirements.
Features of planting and care
It is recommended to transfer a seedling to open ground in spring, in April-May. Autumn planting is also allowed, a month before frost. Alfa redcurrant bushes develop safely in black earth, sandy loam or loamy soils. The land should be fertile, with a neutral level of acidity.
The optimal place for landing is the southern slope, well lit by the sun. On the north side, it needs to be sheltered from the wind. Shade-grown Alpha redcurrant shrub will produce small, tart berries.
Landing algorithm:
- Two weeks before the procedure, prepare a hole 40 cm deep and 50-60 cm in diameter. It is recommended to keep a distance of 1-1,25 m between bushes.
- Apply top dressing: compost, superphosphate, potassium sulfate and ash.
- On the day of planting, form a small mound at the bottom of the hole, place a seedling on it and straighten its roots.
- Fill the redcurrant Alpha with earth and compact the soil mixture around its trunk.
- Pour 10 liters of water under each seedling.
- Mulch the trunk circle.
In order for the shrub to take root, at the end of planting, it is recommended to prune the branches, leaving shoots 10-15 cm long.
Care of the variety consists of watering, weeding and loosening. An obligatory stage of agricultural technology is the prevention against pests.
In order for the bush to bear fruit abundantly and safely endure winter frosts, it is necessary to prune in spring and autumn.
In addition to sanitary and formative pruning, Alpha redcurrants need top dressing. Urea or ammonium nitrate should be used as fertilizers. Complex preparations are also suitable.
Conclusion
Redcurrant Alpha is a large-fruited and frost-resistant variety. The plant is photophilous, does not like lack of moisture. The shrub annually bears fruit abundantly with proper care.
Reviews with photos about the variety of red currant Alpha
