Why red and black currants do not bear fruit: what are the reasons, what to do

Despite the well-established opinion that currants are an unpretentious plant that yields in any conditions, there are exceptions. It happens that blackcurrant does not bear fruit, although at the same time the bush looks healthy, it blooms, but it is impossible to wait for the berries.

The gardener needs to find out the reason for the lack of a crop, do not rush to uproot the bush as unusable. Perhaps agricultural technology was violated or the disease of the bush was to blame. Only after analyzing the situation and studying the possible causes, it is worth making a conclusion about what actions to take to correct the situation.

When does the currant begin to bear fruit?

Depending on climatic conditions, black currants begin their growth in spring, from late March to mid-April. On it, the kidneys begin to move a little earlier than on the red one. Fruit clusters appear at the end of shoots growing from mixed buds. They are evenly spaced along the entire length of the branch. The shoots of the second year are considered the most fruitful. The largest berries are tied on their upper part. The growth of four-year shoots brings small berries, quickly crumbling. On branches older than 4 years, the growth is weak, the berries are defective. Such shoots do not bear fruit, gradually dry out, and to replace them from the base of the bush, from the root collar, new, young ones grow. For gardeners, shoots no older than three years are of interest, the rest should be cut out in time.

Redcurrant bears fruit most strongly on shoots 2-5 years old and older. On its skeletal branches, at their very top, fruit branches grow, where flower buds bloom. The bulk of the berries are on the tier, located between the growth of the past and this year.

Despite the fact that blackcurrant bud breaks earlier, the red one blooms first. Its flowering period is about 10 days. Flowers of berry bushes are pollinated by bees, so the presence of apiaries near the garden significantly increases the future harvest.

The ovaries are formed quickly: by mid-July the berries are ready. You can not miss the time of collection so that they do not crumble. There is no particular difference in the ripening time of berries between early and late varieties. The exception is blackcurrant Harmony, which ripens 2 weeks later than other varieties.

The berry bush bears fruit every year. The size of the crop depends on the variety, compliance with agricultural technology, proper pruning. Black currants enter full fruiting from the fourth year after planting, red – from the second.

Why currants do not bloom

It has been noticed that blackcurrant growing in the forest most often has no problems with flowering and bears excellent fruit. Unfortunately, this does not always apply to berry bushes growing in garden plots. If young plants bloom, then adults may not even lay buds, all the more, bear fruit. An old bush is considered to be over 15 years old. If you do not carry out timely pruning for the purpose of rejuvenation, do not give it top dressing, then such an instance remains to be uprooted and disposed of.

Some gardeners note that blackcurrant does not bloom, although its bushes are young, develop well, have a lush bright green crown, and powerful growths. No amount of fertilizing, watering, and careful care can make them bloom. The reason is that the plant “fattens” – increases the green mass due to the high nitrogen content in the soil. In order for flowers to appear on the currant, it is necessary to eliminate the imbalance in obtaining nutrients, limit nitrogen fertilizers, and introduce phosphorus and potassium under the root.

To resume flowering, experienced gardeners advise:

• plant different varieties of currants on the site;
• protect plants from late frosts by all available means;
• observe the distance between the bushes – 1 m;
• for top dressing, use potato peelings;
• regularly cut old, damaged and diseased branches;
• carry out periodic spraying with Bordeaux liquid.

Why there are no berries on the currant

Even with powerful bushes, the complete absence of diseases and pests on them, strong flowering in spring, you can not get the desired harvest. In the first two weeks after flowering, the ovaries crumble, the plant does not bear fruit. The phenomenon is associated with the complete or partial sterility of the variety. In such a blackcurrant, berries are tied only under the condition of cross-pollination, when pollen from bushes of other varieties gets on the flowers. The most self-fertile varieties include:

• Vologda;

  

• Belarusian Sweet;

  

• Openwork;

  

• Dashkovskaya.

  

If it is not possible to plant a highly self-fertile blackcurrant, several varieties should be purchased for cross-pollination.

The reason for the lack of berries on the shrub may be the acquisition of low-yielding non-varietal plants that look powerful, have dense foliage and do not bear fruit. This variety is considered a weed.

In addition to the indicated reasons why blackcurrant does not bear fruit, the reasons may be as follows:

• cold weather, when, with a piercing spring wind, the possibility of pollination by insects is sharply reduced;
• viral diseases that prevent the formation of ovaries, leading to blackcurrant infertility;
• planting in a shaded place where the plant ceases to bear fruit;
• lack of moisture in the soil.

Wrong choice of seedling

Blackcurrant may not bear fruit if the seedling is chosen incorrectly, the planting material is of poor quality. When purchasing it, you should pay attention to a number of characteristics:

• the root system should be highly developed (up to 20 cm), branched;
• shoots – reach a length of 50 cm;
• the seedling must be free of leaves.

In their presence, plants planted in autumn freeze slightly in winter. Through the leaves there is a loss of moisture, and the blackcurrant root can be overdried, which adversely affects its rooting and further development. Before planting, the root system should be slightly shortened and soaked for several hours in water.

Often gardeners complain that even if all the rules for choosing a seedling are followed, red currants do not bear fruit 2-3 years after planting. The reason is the damage to flowers by return frosts or the death of fruit buds in winter. This is due to the fact that the variety is incorrectly selected for a particular climatic zone. So, varieties for the southern regions of Our Country cannot withstand the harsh conditions of the North-West, the Urals and Siberia. In such plants, the buds begin to grow early and, falling under the influence of low temperatures, do not bloom and do not bear fruit. It is possible to freeze entire last year’s shoots, where the main crop should be formed. When they die, there is no way to wait for the berries.

Improper care

Violation of the basic rules for caring for a shrub can lead to infertility of blackcurrant:

• wrong site selection
• improper landing or transplant;
• non-compliance with the frequency and norms of watering plants;
• lack of regular annual pruning;
• illiterate fertilizing;
• lack of preventive examinations and treatments for diseases and pests.

The best place for blackcurrants is a lighted area with little shading. Berry bushes do not bear fruit in wetlands, pits, depressions, where cold air stagnates during return frosts, the risk of developing pathologies increases. When the garden is located in a lowland, special mounds are made for planting blackcurrants.

Placing bushes next to the fence leads to a decrease in yield if the distance from it is less than 1 m. It is worth considering that red currants are planted at a distance of 1,25 m between bushes and 2 m between rows; black – placed at a distance of 2,5 m between the bushes and 2,5 – between the rows. Only at such a distance they successfully bear fruit.

Watering should be carried out at least 4 times per season. In hot and dry summers, 50 liters of water should be poured under each bush weekly. Otherwise, black and red currants do not bear fruit, or the berries ripen, but are very small.

Pruning of old, dry, damaged branches should be carried out annually, in the fall. It leads to the formation of a strong blackcurrant bush and an increase in its yield.

The plant will actively bear fruit with the timely application of fertilizers: in the spring – nitrogen, during the setting and ripening of berries – phosphorus and potash.

For the prevention of diseases, gardeners advise treatments with Bordeaux liquid, herbal infusions, boiling water (in early spring).

Adverse weather conditions

Before purchasing a seedling, you should make sure that it is suitable for specific climatic conditions, zoned for the region of growth. If a plant has a low level of frost resistance and at the same time it is acquired for an area where snowless winters, severe frosts, cold north winds are not uncommon, then freezing of the buds is inevitable. Such blackcurrants will also suffer during spring and early autumn frosts, most likely they will not bloom and bear fruit.

Blackcurrant varieties that feel great in the southern regions include:

• Early sweet;

  

• Dove;

  

• Gulliver;

  

• Overture.

  

Planting and growing them in the North-Western regions of Our Country can lead to freezing of the kidneys and the absence of ovaries.

The most resistant to lower air temperatures are varieties zoned for Siberia and the Urals, capable of bearing fruit in harsh climatic conditions:

• Bagheera;

  

• Ural beauty;

  

• Kola souvenir.

  

The spring return of cold weather can overtake in any region and lead to shedding of the ovaries after flowering. Experienced gardeners advise spraying to protect blackcurrant bushes from frost. Moisturize several times a night not only the crown of plants, but also the soil under them. Everything is covered with a thin crust of ice. When it thaws, heat is released, saving shoots, flowers, ovaries from death. This method of protection should be combined with the traditional covering of plants with non-woven material, burlap. Such methods will increase the chances that the plant will successfully bear fruit.

Diseases and pests

The harvest of berries on blackcurrant may be absent due to pest attacks and disease damage.

The most common pathology is terry or reversion.

Among its main symptoms:

• elongation of the leaves, changing their shape;
• the disappearance of the aroma of berries;
• the flowers are deformed, stretched and painted in a dirty pink color;
• a massive barren flower or a twisted ovary develops.

In the presence of such symptoms, the plant cannot be saved. Simply cutting branches will not help, the plant will not begin to bear fruit. It is necessary to uproot the entire bush and burn it. In the place where he grew up, blackcurrants should not be planted for at least 5 years. If such actions are not taken, then all the bushes will soon be struck by terry.

American powdery mildew significantly reduces the yield of blackcurrant.

Among her symptoms:

• the appearance of white bloom on young leaves;
• the transition of the lesion to berries and old leaves;
• twisting and their further death.

For treatment, spraying with phytosporin, Bordeaux liquid, ash or soda solution, serum is used. Branches blackening as a result of powdery mildew damage are cut and disposed of.

Among the blackcurrant diseases are goblet and columnar rust, which are of fungal origin, weakening plants, preventing it from fruiting, significantly reducing the yield, if no action is taken.

The main pests include:

• kidney mite – affects young kidneys, developing inside and inflating them;
• glass butterfly – the leaves wither, the ovaries fall off;
• ants – eat away the inside of the flowers.

What to do if the currant blooms, but does not bear fruit

The actions of the gardener depend on what is the reason for the lack of fruiting after flowering:

• if the planting site is wrong, transplant the seedling in the fall to a more suitable place;
• acidic soil – liming it;
• the plant “fattens” – to reduce soil fertility by introducing clay soil, ash, bone meal;
• “aging” of the bush – to carry out preventive pruning;
• lack of moisture – increase watering;
• lack of self-pollination – plant honey plants nearby;
• terry – cut diseased shoots or destroy the entire bush;
• insect pest attack – treat with chemicals.

Preventive measures for abundant fruiting

In order for the plant to fully bear fruit, it is necessary to perform a number of actions that will ensure a rich harvest and prevent factors that can reduce it:

1. Plant several varieties of blackcurrant with different flowering periods.
2. Choose varieties zoned for a particular area.
3. Do not thicken planting shrubs.
4. Properly feed blackcurrants with potato peels, nitrogen, potash and phosphorus fertilizers;
5. Follow a watering and pruning schedule.
6. Conduct periodic preventive inspections of the bushes, and in case of detection of diseases or pests, take urgent measures.

Conclusion

There are many reasons why blackcurrant does not bear fruit. Most of them can be corrected by changing your attitude to shrub care. Thanks to the huge selection of varieties, it is not difficult to choose a self-fertile blackcurrant in all respects or several bushes capable of cross-pollination. With a careful attitude to plants, any gardener will always receive a decent harvest of blackcurrant berries and correct all the shortcomings of care, if any.