White currant - growing a healing and tasty berry on your site. Red and white currants: features of cultivation and care, varieties

" Currant

Nature generously gifted currants, decorating them not only with black and red berries, but also with white ones, endowing each variety with characteristic qualities. White currant bushes enhance gardens, and the fruits are considered healing berries.

The homeland of currants is Europe and Russia, where bushes with red berries were found around the tenth century. White currants appeared some time later, as a result of the “domestication” of the red berry crop.

The plant belongs to the Gooseberry family. It is a perennial shrub one and a half meters high. But in an ideal climate for the plant, the bush can reach two meters.

The bush is decorated with 3-5 lobed dense leaves, the edges of which are jagged. Small, inconspicuous flowers, yellow-green, collected in a brush, bloom in May.

Juicy, tasty fruits are yellow, cream or light pink in color, spherical in shape, with a diameter of 6-10 mm. The ripening period occurs in July and August.

The plant has a number of advantages:

• if agricultural practices are followed, the plant gives annual bountiful harvests and is well suited for reproduction;
• the berries remain on the bushes for a long time and do not fall off until late autumn;
• not susceptible to the currant mite, which is the main enemy of the bush;
• actively bears fruit in both dry and rainy weather conditions, thanks to a strong and very developed root system;
• frost resistance, therefore, will delight you with delicious fruits regardless of the weather;
• It is an unpretentious berry and therefore requires minimal care;
• fruit universal purpose highly rated taste qualities and good transportability.

In addition to the significant advantages of culture, there are also minor disadvantages, namely:

• if the bush is not formed correctly, it begins to bear fruit late;
• in shaded places it grows poorly, bears little fruit and is more damaged by diseases and pests.

Health benefits and harms

In addition to its delicate and unique taste, white currants are considered a source of nutrients, a storehouse of vitamins and minerals.

The healing composition makes the berry one of the most healthy products and allows it to be used not only for preventive purposes, but also in the treatment of many diseases.

Having a whole range useful properties, has a positive effect on almost the entire human body because:

• ensures proper functioning of the heart and vascular system;
• normalizes redox processes, increases immunity and protects the body from viral diseases;
• stimulates the secretion of bile, helps strengthen liver cells;
• absorbs and removes heavy metal salts from the body;
• helps get rid of excess cholesterol;
• is a good antipyretic;
• prevents memory loss and the development of sclerosis in older people;
• rejuvenates the body and slows down the aging process;
• promotes mental and physical activity of the body.

But no matter how useful the berry is, there is a category of people who should refrain from eating it so as not to harm their body. This group includes patients suffering from gastritis, high acidity and a tendency to peptic ulcers.

Since the composition of the berries is rich in organic acids, which can provoke exacerbations of these diseases. Also, you should not get carried away with fruits if you have thrombophlebitis, since due to the high content of vitamin K it can increase blood clotting.

The healing berry is a supplier of useful substances to the body, which has a beneficial effect on human health. The main thing is to remember the contraindications, which will allow you to extract maximum benefits from the product without harming your health.

Rules for planting and growing in autumn and spring

The plant is best planted in autumn. Start the event in the second half of September and until the end of October. The main thing is not to miss the deadline, so that the young seedlings have time to take root in the soil and adapt to the cold weather. external conditions. It can also be planted in the spring, but planting must be done as early as possible, as soon as the soil allows, and before the seedlings have buds.

1. Landing site determinations

Currants are demanding on location, humidity and heat, as they cannot tolerate damp, waterlogged or very shaded areas. The crop will bear fruit best in a sunny, windless area. Taking this into account, seedlings should be planted on the south or southwest side. Planting should be carried out on clayey, loamy and sandy soils. In addition, the level of placement should be taken into account groundwater. And if their depth exceeds permissible norm, then it is imperative to plant them on earth mounds. Excess moisture can cause the appearance of lichens and the death of the plant.

1. Technology for preparing pits for planting seedlings

A few weeks in advance, you need to dig up the area, clear it of weeds and apply fertilizer using compost and wood ash. Dig holes with a diameter of 50 cm and a depth of 40 cm under the bushes. The distance from one bush to another should be at least one meter. Equip the bottom of the pit with humus mixed with soil. If the soil is highly acidic, you need to add lime.

1. Planting process

Qualitative planting material is a determining factor when planting currants, since weak and disease-affected seedlings will not make it possible to grow them into full-fledged, fertile berry bushes. Good seedling should have three large roots, about 15 cm long. Aboveground part must have at least two branches about 40 cm long.

IN planting hole Carefully place the seedling at an angle of 45°, tilting north if possible, so that the root grows to the south. Lower it by fifteen centimeters so that the plant can better develop additional roots and begin to grow quickly. Then carefully straighten the rhizomes and cover them with fertile soil.

1. Necessary measures after landing

Upon completion of the work, carefully compact the soil around the bush, water it well and mulch with humus. Also, cut off the shoots of the seedling and leave only two buds above the surface of the ground. This procedure will promote the development of a healthy root system, the formation of a well-branched bush and the establishment of a strong and healthy crop.

During the first time after planting, you should monitor the soil moisture and water the plant if necessary.

Care involves performing appropriate procedures that will help increase the yield and improve the quality of the berries. Such events include:

1. Watering. White currants love water very much, so they need to be watered often, especially in dry times. To reduce moisture loss, it is recommended to mulch the ground around the bush. The most regular watering is necessary for the plant during the period when the berries begin to appear and when they ripen. To prevent weeds from taking moisture, nutrients And sunlight in the plant, you need to eliminate them in a timely manner.

Moisture getting on the leaves and fruits when watering is unacceptable.

1. Trimming and shaping. In order for the bushes to be strong and bear fruit well, they should be pruned in a timely manner and correctly. The first time pruning is carried out after planting. Remove all branches, leaving three buds at the base of the shoot. This will help the plant direct all its forces to root growth, which will subsequently enable the plant to produce strong fruit-bearing shoots in the spring.

Bunch of white currant sprigs

Perform formative pruning every autumn, leaving about three strong shoots. Cut off the rest of the shoots at the very base.

It is important to carefully inspect the plant and not allow the bushes to thicken or the shoots to age.

1. Top dressing. The plant is responsive to good nutrition, which includes potassium, nitrogen, organic and phosphorus supplements. After each application of fertilizer, you need to mulch the ground with a mixture of peat and manure. This will help fertilizers to be better absorbed, and will also protect the berry crop from weed growth and retain moisture. Will also be useful foliar feeding solutions of potassium permanganate or boric acid. These sprays will increase the size of the fruit and increase its set.

Timely implementation of these procedures will have a beneficial effect on the quality of the harvest and the development of the bush as a whole.

The most famous varieties

Ural white

Variety Ural white mid-early ripening period. The densely growing bush has a moderate height. Slightly curved shoots of medium thickness, have a greenish color with a pinkish pale coating. Large five-lobed leaves have green color with sharp long teeth. Flowers are medium in size, sepals are yellow-green, recurved. Round berries yellow color, endowed with seeds in small quantities. A universal fruit with a pleasant sweet taste and slightly noticeable sourness.

White fairy

White fairy- mid-season variety, self-pollinating. Productivity is high. A medium-sized bush is formed very thick and lush. The brushes are thin and long. Berries o round shape, one-dimensional, weighing from 0.6 to 0.8 grams. The color of the fruit is white, with a yellowish tint. They are distinguished by thin but dense skin. Delicate sweet and sour taste, no aroma.

Dessert Bayana

Dessert Bayana – universal variety late period of maturation. It is one of the best varieties of white beauty in terms of yield, fruit quality and disease resistance. The bush is medium in size, but very dense. The leaf is 3-5 lobed, large, light green, matte, slightly pubescent below, elongated. The berries are white, round, transparent. Juicy fruits having a pleasant sweet and sour taste and thin skin.

White currant is one of the most unpretentious plants in the garden. Equally important are its taste properties, which are characterized by the content of many useful substances, which is why the culture is in special demand and is very popular.

White currants have a more powerful root system than black currants, so with good and careful care they can bear fruit for up to 8 years. Like many other shrubs, white currants need annual fertilization and timely feeding. The quality of the harvest directly depends on compliance with these conditions.

Planting white currants - soil preparation and fertilization

In order for the planting of white currants to be carried out correctly, and for the plant to take root well in its new location, you need to choose a well-lit, dry place and prepare the ground. For this:

1. Digging required quantity holes, the width of which is 50-60 cm and the depth of 35-40 cm. Upper layer soil - more fertile, it is piled on the edge of the pit, and the soil from the lower layers is mixed with mineral and organic additives: from 8 to 10 kg of peat or humus, up to 200 g of superphosphate, 25 g of potassium chloride, up to 40 g. wood ash. Important condition: white currant roots should not come into contact with mineral fertilizers. They will burn the root system, and the bush will begin to hurt.
2. At an angle of 45 degrees. The plant is placed in a dug hole, the roots of the bush are carefully straightened, and slowly covered with soil, layer by layer, thoroughly compacting the soil. In order for the seedlings to be harmoniously located in their “house”, they can be slightly shaken when planting - this will allow the roots to straighten out and the soil to evenly fill the empty spaces between the roots.
3. The bush is slightly buried by a few centimeters so that new shoots can appear on the buried part of the bush, and root system became thicker.
4. The distance between bushes should be at least 1 meter.

Caring for white currants in spring

TO summer period The white currant bush should be prepared in advance. In early spring the following activities are carried out:

• When the first buds on the branches begin to swell, the currants can be watered from time to time hot water, the temperature of which should not exceed 70C. The plant will not suffer from this, but insect pests will have a very hard time.
• The soil under the plant should be slightly loosened and fertilized mineral mixtures. The top of the cultivated soil can be covered with a layer of rotted organic matter. It will act as a shield against insects, protect the roots on dry days and provide excellent nutrition to the plant.
• On sunny, dry days, it is advisable to water the bush abundantly. White currants love water very much. Regularly watered, it can produce excellent, aromatic, juicy berries.
• It is better to pluck out the flowers of young bushes in the first year to allow the plant to grow stronger. Then growing white currants in subsequent years will not cause any trouble.

White currant pruning

To stimulate the shrub to produce a good harvest, it must be freed annually from old, diseased branches, which will no longer be of any use.

Shoots that are 6-7 years old are pruned from white currant bushes. They need to be carefully cut down to the very base, without leaving stumps - breeding grounds for rot and infection. Insect larvae can nest on old shoots. The thinned crown of the plant allows sunlight to pass through well and bears fruit well.

Pruning can be done in the spring before the first buds appear, in the summer after the harvest has been harvested or late autumn when the plant “falls asleep”. Most often, gardeners process shrubs immediately after the berries have been picked. Leaves and unnecessary shoots are removed from the plant. Caring for white currants also includes additional feeding of the soil. It is advisable to water the soil with solutions to which mineral and organic fertilizers are added.

Method of propagation of white currants - cuttings

Having planted several white currant bushes, you can use cuttings to multiply their number. In a strong and established plant, cuttings with 5-7 buds are carefully cut out from the middle part.
If this is done in February, the cuttings placed in water will sprout roots. In spring, the cuttings are placed in moist, well-loosened soil, pressing them at an angle of 45C.
The seedlings are covered with jars or film, protecting them from bad weather. If cuttings occur in the autumn, then the soil is additionally covered with spruce paws and protected with a layer of rotted organic matter.

The cuttings are planted in a well-lit area. Sun rays work wonders with berries: they become sweet and tart in taste. In shaded areas of the ground, the berries of the plant become sour.

Amateur gardeners love to tinker with white currants, as they produce good harvests of healthy and very tasty berries, which make excellent berry jelly, jam, tinctures and other food products. The berry is rich useful microelements and vitamins, which the human body desperately needs in winter. Fruit drinks, compotes, jam with tea perfectly quench thirst, promote recovery during colds, and are very tasty and pleasant. Both children and adults love white currants.

White currant varieties (video)

White currants are much less common than black or red ones. And few people know that white berries contain a lot of vitamins C, A, E and P, and vital acids. They are much sweeter and more fragrant than their relatives; the advantage of white currant varieties is also their low content of allergens; they can be consumed by adults and children prone to allergic reactions.

Light berries help with colds and inflammation Bladder, hypertension, rheumatism, urolithiasis, cardiovascular diseases and overweight. These fruits help to quickly burn fat and improve metabolism; they are used to make compotes, fruit drinks, jelly, and jam. Today we will look at the most popular varieties of white currants.

If you are planning to go to the market for white currant seedlings, then you should ask the sellers:

• What kind of harvest can you expect?
• Is this variety frost-resistant enough?
• How susceptible is he to disease?

The best varieties of white currants for the Moscow region.

The following varieties of white currant take root best in the Moscow region:

• Belyan
• Boulogne white
• Dessert
• Minusinsk white
• Ural white.

Belyan

Belyan- this berry has a taste advantage over other varieties of white currant and, according to tasters, is considered the most pleasant to the taste. The color of the berries is light yellow, the clusters are almost transparent, dense, middle length, hanging. The currant is frost-resistant and has proven itself in middle lane and Moscow region.

• Productivity - up to 4 kg. berries from 1 bush
• Weight of berries - 0.6 to 1.5 g.
• Refers to varieties of medium ripening
• It is drought-resistant, tolerates cold winters down to -34 degrees.

Advantages: drought-resistant, frost-resistant, tasty.

Flaws: The berries have thin skin and may become wrinkled during transportation; it is better to process them on site.

Boulogne

Boulogne- mid-early ripening, the bushes are relatively low, dense, and tolerate dense planting well. The berries are round, cream-colored, with delicate sweet and sour pulp.

• Productivity reaches 3-4 kg. berries from 1 bush
• Weight of berries is from 0.7 to 0.9 g.
• Ripening - mid-July

Advantages: good sweet and sour taste, high yield

Flaws: requires protection from anthracnose, poorly tolerated very coldy

Dessert

Dessert- this variety of white currant takes root well throughout Russia, tolerates frost, and produces a good harvest. Thanks to its powerful root system, it can get by with infrequent watering. Not susceptible to fungal diseases.

• Productivity – high up to 6 kg from 1 bush
• Weight of berries - 1-1.2 g.
• Early ripening

Advantages: you can make compotes, jelly, fruit drinks and freeze for the winter, frost-resistant, resistant to fungal diseases.

Minusinsk white

Minusinsk white- the berry is different good taste(4.6 points), but not the highest yield. The average harvest per bush is about 3 kilograms. The fruits are yellowish and have thin skin. It tolerates cold well, is drought-resistant, was bred for Eastern Siberia, but grows and bears fruit well in the Moscow region. Resistant to powdery mildew and aphids.

• Productivity - 2.5 kg per bush
• Weight of berries - 0.8-1 g.
• Medium ripening

Advantages: good winter hardiness, disease resistant

Flaws: large seeds in berries.

Ural white

Ural white- a frost-resistant variety of white currant. The bushes are low, dense, and the yield is good. The berries have a pleasant delicate taste. It withstands any bad weather, including frost. Self-pollinating variety.

• Productivity - up to 6 kg per bush
• Weight of berries - 1.1 g.
• Maturation - early period

Advantages: not picky in care, ideal for planting in the Moscow region and Volga region, has high frost resistance

Flaws: With infrequent watering, over time, the berries become smaller in size.

Description of the best varieties of white currants

English white

• Productivity - 4-6 kg. berries from one bush
• Weight of berries - 1.1 g.
• Early ripening

Advantages: tolerates frost well, there are enough fruits big size.

Flaws: low self-fertility, affected by anthracnose.

White squirrel

White squirrel— a frost-resistant variety, not susceptible to diseases, begins to bear fruit already from the second year after planting, and is characterized by stable fruiting.

• Productivity - 4.5 kg per bush
• Weight of berries - 0.5-1 g.
• Medium early ripening

Advantages: tolerates frost well, is practically not affected by powdery mildew and anthracnose.

White belyana

White belyana is a frost-resistant variety of white currant that tolerates drought well. The bushes are low, slightly spreading. The berries are slightly oval, with thin, delicate skin, and do not tolerate transportation well, but the taste is excellent - 5 points. The harvest ripens in mid-summer.

• Productivity - up to 4 kg from 1 bush
• Weight of berries - 0.8-1.5 g.
• Maturation - average

Advantages: good winter hardiness, self-fertility, wonderful taste of berries.

Flaws: May be affected by anthracnose

White grapes

White grapes- a mid-season variety of white currant, not afraid of long and cold winters, and tolerates drought quite well. The bush is compact, the berries are round, large, transparent with a yellow tint. The separation is dry. The taste is sweet, dessert.

• Productivity - 4 kg from 1 bush
• Weight of berries - 0.8-1 g.
• Maturation - average

Advantages: not afraid of spring frosts.

Flaws: low self-fertility

Belaya Potapenko

White Potapenko - the variety has good survival rate and is suitable for planting in areas with cold climates. It is almost not affected by diseases. The bush is small and stunted. The berries are white-yellow in color and taste sweet and sour.

• Productivity - 5.8t/ha
• Weight of berries - 0.5-0.8 g.
• Maturation: mid-early

Advantages: early fruiting, excellent taste of fruits that hang on the branches for a long time after ripening.

Flaws:- average yield

White Fairy is the leading variety among white-fruited currants. Tolerates dry summers well. The shape of the fruit is round. The bush is slightly spreading, the branches are thick and of medium length. Berries different sizes, mostly large, weighing from 0.8 to 2 grams. It has White color with a yellow tint. Opened dry. The taste is sweet and sour, has no smell.

• Productivity - 5.2 kg per bush
• Weight of berries - 0.8-2 g
• Ripening - mid-July

Advantages: self-pollinating, produces a good harvest every year, tolerates transportation well, good for dessert

Versailles white

White Versailles is perhaps the most famous and widespread variety of white currant. Consistently different good harvests and delicious large berries. The plant is unpretentious, easily tolerates heat and drought, but frosty winters may freeze slightly. The bushes grow up to one and a half meters. The berries are one-dimensional, large, sweet and sour in taste. It begins to bear fruit in the fourth year.

• Productivity - 4-4.5 kg from 1 bush
• Weight of berries - 0.7-1.3 g.
• Ripens in late July - early August.

Advantages: not affected by powdery mildew, easy to care for.

Flaws: affected by anthracnose.

Dutch white

Dutch white - this variety ripens quite early, has an average yield, and easily tolerates frost. The bush is small, medium spreading. The berries are medium-sized, cream-colored, very juicy. The separation is wet. The fruits have a sweet and sour taste.

• Productivity - 4-5 kg ​​from 1 bush
• Weight of berries - 0.7-0.8 g.
• Early ripening

Advantages: easy to care for, self-fertile, resistant to anthracnose.

Dessert

Dessert - this variety ripens early and has high yield. Resistant to frost and adverse conditions weather conditions. The variety is resistant to various diseases. The bush is not large, but the berries are large, round, transparent, and have a yellow-pink tint. The taste is sweet with sourness.

• Weight of berries - 1.2 g.
• Early ripening

Advantages: large currant, tolerates adverse weather conditions well

Cream

Cream - this variety of white currant takes root well in the Central Black Earth region and proper care brings excellent harvest. The berries are large, cream-colored, thin-skinned and sweet and sour in taste. The bushes are medium in size and may freeze in cold winters.

• Productivity - up to 6 kg from 1 bush
• Weight of berries - 0.9 g.
• Early ripening.

Advantages: large fruit size, almost not affected by diseases, high yield

Flaws: does not tolerate frost well, skin is too thin

Primus

Primus is a variety bred in the Czech Republic. It is characterized by high yield, good winter hardiness and resistance to almost all diseases. The bush is erect, compact. The berries do not fall off for a long time after ripening.

• Productivity - up to 10 kg from 1 bush
• Weight of berries -1 g.
• Ripens in early to mid July.

Advantages: winter-hardy, high-yielding variety, resistant to gall aphid and anthracnose.

Jumping

Prygazhunya - this variety was bred in Belarus by crossing the Red Cross, Cherry and White grape varieties. Medium sized bush. Productivity is high. Tolerates severe frosts and spring frosts well. The berries are round, Pink colour tastes sweet and sour.

• Productivity - 15 t/ha
• Weight of berries - 0.7-0.9 g.
• Medium ripening

Advantages: good yield, winter hardiness

Flaws: affected by leaf spots.

Smolyaninovskaya

Smolyaninovskaya white - suitable for planting in climatic conditions Central and Far Eastern regions of the Russian Federation. Refers to fast growing plants During the summer, branches can grow by 30 cm or more, because of this the crown quickly thickens and requires frequent thinning. The berries are transparent, round and taste sweet and sour.

• Productivity - 6.2 kg. from 1 bush
• Weight of berries - 0.7-1 g.
• Medium early ripening

Advantages: frost resistance down to -30 degrees, high yield, good taste.

Flaws: medium resistance to pests, requires regular pruning.

Juterborg

Yuterborgskaya - this Western European variety is approved for cultivation in the North-Western and East Siberian regions. Mid-season variety white currants. It tolerates drought easily, but has poor resistance to anthracnose. The bush is dense and low. The berries are medium and large, cream-colored, and have a sweet, delicate taste.

• Productivity - 7-8 kg. from 1 bush
• Weight of berries - 0.7-1 g.
• Medium early ripening.

Advantages: It tolerates heat well, has high yields, and the fruits do not fall off for a long time after ripening.

Flaws: weak resistance to anthracnose.

To significantly strengthen your immune system and maintain your health long years, doctors recommend eating just a tablespoon of white currant berries every day during the fruit ripening season. And the juicy and transparent fruits wonderfully quench your thirst: in the hot sun, a few bunches of berries can replace a glass of juice.

• Appearance – perennial shrub up to 1.5 m high
• Family– Saxifraga
• Leaves– 3-5 lobed with jagged edges, petiolate, dense
• Flowers– Small, inconspicuous, yellow-green, collected in clusters, bloom in May, self-fertile in zoned varieties
• Fruit– Berries with a diameter of 8-12 mm, yellowish, cream or light pink in color, ripen in July-August

White currants, compared to black currants, are more productive - the average yield per bush is 8 kg. The crop reacts less to drought and soil salinity, is less demanding in terms of fertilization, and is also fast-growing and long-lasting.

Conditions for growing white currants

White currant is light-loving, so you should not plant it under trees. It is drought-resistant, but with insufficient moisture supply, growth, fruiting and winter hardiness are reduced. Bushes planted on loose, nutritious soils provided with a sufficient amount of organic and mineral fertilizers.

Planting white currants

plant white currants it can be done in the spring before the buds open or in the early autumn (late September - early October). The distance between bushes is at least 1 m. Pits 40 cm deep and 50-60 cm wide are prepared 2-3 weeks before planting. Add to them, stirring, 8-10 kg of compost or humus, 150-200 g of superphosphate, 30-40 g of potassium sulfide. Seedlings are buried in the soil up to 8-10 cm from the conditional root collar, placing them straight or inclined to better education additional roots. Cover with a fertile layer of soil, lightly tamp, be sure to water and mulch with humus or peat. Then the branches are shortened to 4-5 well-developed buds.

At favorable conditions white currant begins to bear fruit in the 3rd year after planting and bears fruit for 15-20 years

Formation of white currants

In the first year after planting, 5-6 strong annual shoots can grow. In autumn, 2-3 weaker ones are removed from them. Over the next three years, 3-4 strong shoots are left every season from the newly grown shoots, the rest are cut out. By the autumn of the fifth year the bush will consist of 18-20 skeletal branches of different ages. Old branches are renewed at the age of 6-7 years and older, leaving strong root shoots for replacement, and the rest, thickening the bush, are cut out at the base. Every year, if necessary, sanitary pruning is carried out, removing broken, diseased branches lying on the ground.

Your own white currant seedlings

White currants are best propagated by horizontal cuttings. To do this, in early spring, a groove 5-8 cm deep is made from the bush, the one-year-old shoot is bent, placed in this hole, pinned to the soil with a metal bracket and covered with peat, light loose humus or compost. During the season, be sure to water, carefully loosen if necessary, and remove weeds. By autumn, vertical shoots will grow on the layering. They are carefully dug up, separated from the mother bush, cut into separate seedlings and planted on permanent place to the garden or nursery for growing.

Spring care

And now about the next ones seasonal work. In early spring, when the buds on the bushes have not yet swelled, without waiting for the snow to completely melt, currant plants can be doused with hot water brought almost to a boil (approximately 10 liters per bush). This “shower” is effective against pests and fungal diseases. The soil under the plants should be slightly loosened, nitrogen fertilizers(18-20 g of ammonium nitrate or 13-17 g of urea per 1 sq.m.). To reduce the evaporation of moisture from the soil, currants can be mulched with leaves, manure or peat in a layer of about 7 cm, after weeding out the weeds. This technique will increase the yield.

White currant - beneficial and medicinal properties

White currant, due to the high content of pectin substances, fiber and potassium in the berries, removes toxic substances and heavy metal salts, including radioactive ones, from the body.

The fruits are rich in vitamin E, have anti-sclerotic properties, slow down the aging process, and help improve reproductive function.

Due to the absence of coloring substances, white currants do not cause allergies in children.

Berries contain a lot of iron and potassium, so consuming them improves blood composition and helps the heart function properly.

Along with red varieties, popular berry crop in our country. Currant bushes can be found everywhere in gardens, orchards, summer cottages. Ripe berries are used to make jelly, compotes, jam, and tinctures. Berries contain many useful substances, so they must be included in children's diets. It is also very useful for older people.

Our ancestors actively used red and white currant berries for treatment and healing of the body. For example, Fresh Juice currants, diluted warm water, used to reduce temperature. The anti-inflammatory properties of the berries were used.

If you decide to plant bushes of this useful berry on your site, be sure to do so. Moreover, caring for them is not at all difficult. I’ll tell you all about what kind of care white currants require, planting and care, propagation of this crop:

Planting white currants

White currant is a strong, frost-resistant plant. However, she really loves warmth and sunlight. It is better to plant shrubs on the leeward side, somewhere on an elevated part of your site. It is very good to plant currant bushes along a fence or other fence. To currant bush grew well, bore fruit abundantly, we need to provide for it fertile soil.

The most suitable period for planting is early autumn (no later than October). It is better to plant seedlings whose root system is not protected with the onset of the first days of September. This way they will have time to better adapt to future cold weather.

Prepare before planting planting pits about half a meter in diameter. The distance from one to the other is at least one and a half meters. For each hole you will need to add humus mixed with soil (5 kg), add 50 g of any phosphate fertilizers, as well as one glass of wood ash. All this, along with the soil, is added to the dug hole. Now place the seedling in it, tilting it slightly.

Root collar It is better to deepen it to 7-8 cm. This will subsequently stimulate the growth of new, young roots and shoots. Then cover well with soil and compact. Now water thoroughly. It is better to mulch each hole with a planted seedling. For these purposes, you can use peat, sawdust or humus.

What do white currants like? Plant care

Trimming

White currants, as well as red ones, require regular pruning, careful watering, and loosening of the soil.

The first time currants are pruned immediately after planting. You need to cut off all the shoots, leaving three buds. Such seedlings will take root better and grow faster.
Well, formative pruning is carried out the first five years after planting the bushes. White currants overgrow extremely quickly, so be sure to trim off excess branches from the very base of the bush. Leave only 3-5 of the strongest shoots.

Watering

To enjoy an abundant harvest, the bushes need to be watered regularly. Currants love water, so when the soil dries out, pour at least a bucket of water under each bush. Especially monitor soil moisture during shoot growth, as well as during flowering and fruiting. Do not forget to weed, loosen the soil under the bushes or mulch it with peat, manure or sawdust.

Diseases

White currants can be damaged by pests and diseases. When appearing on leaves powdery mildew, or septoria, anthracnose, spray the bush with a 1% solution Bordeaux mixture. Only such spraying is possible only before flowering begins. Then it will be impossible to do this.

How are white currants divided? Plant propagation

Propagation of white currants is carried out using layering, using green but already lignified cuttings.

Reproduction by layering:

Layers are called long shoots of a bush that have matured well. They are simply bent to the ground, and then pinned tightly in 2-4 places. Since the shoot is not cut off from the bush, it continues to feed from its roots, soon the branch pinned to the soil will itself begin to take root. Better reproduction carry out cuttings of currants in the spring. Then by autumn the branch will take root well. It can be separated from the main bush and then planted in a new, prepared place.

Propagation by cuttings

Preparation of cuttings is carried out in the summer. To do this, cut off the semi-lignified young shoots of this season located on the sides of the bush. Make sure that each cutting has 2-3 internodes. Remove the bottom leaves and cut off the tops. Cut the remaining leaves by half (to reduce moisture evaporation). Now place the cuttings in a container filled with damp sand 2 cm deep. Give them an inclined position to the surface (45 degrees). Now cover the container with the cuttings with polyethylene (build a small greenhouse).

Strong, woody cuttings are best planted in mid-August - early September. Then they will have time to take root before the first frost and will overwinter safely.

As you can see, there are no particular difficulties in growing white currants on your own garden plot. Its planting and care, reproduction - do not represent special labor. Therefore, if you do not yet have a bush with healthy berries, be sure to correct this annoying misunderstanding and plant white currants on your plot. Be healthy!