Currants are one of the most popular fruit shrubs that are grown in our gardens. The currant fruits picked in summer can be used for preserves, baked goods or eaten raw. The versatile use of these fruits makes it worth having at least a few currant bushes in your garden. However, before planting them, it is worth getting acquainted with the varieties of currants and the rules of their cultivation and care.
Cultivation of currants is quite popular in home and allotment gardens
Currant - species and varieties
There are many types of currants, but the most important are: black currant (Ribes nigrum), red currant (Ribes rubrum) and white currant (Ribes gracile).
Red currant
Garden crops are dominated bycultivation of black currantsand red currants. Although black currant is probably more common, red currant seems to have better predispositions for amateur cultivation. This is due to the better frost resistance of red currant and lower susceptibility to diseases.
Cultivated red currant, like all other cultivated currant species, is derived from 3 wild currant species: common currant (Ribes vulgare), red currant (Ribes rubrum) , rock currant (Ribes petreum). Plants can be grown as shrubs or plants.Red currant fruitsare harvested from late June to early August. The ripening time varies depending on the variety.Harvesting takes place every 3-4 days. Red currants contain a large amount of the B vitamin, as well as iron and calcium. They can be eaten raw as well as used in preserves. The most commonly grown varieties of red currant are: 'Detvan', 'Dutch', 'Jonkheer van Tets' and 'Rondom'. Apart from the fruiting date, these varieties differ in terms of frost resistance and susceptibility to currant diseases.
White currant
This type of currant is less than red or black currants. However, due to its delicious taste and low cultivation requirements, white currant is very popular and often planted in allotment gardens. It is rather unsuitable for plantations, but in amateur cultivation it is worth paying attention to, because it is not very susceptible to diseases and frost-resistant. White currant differs from red currant mainly in the lower amount of dye in the fruit (hence the white, transparent color of the fruit). The method of its cultivation is the same as in the case of red currant.There are mainly twovarieties of currantwhite in cultivation: Slovak 'Bianka' and German 'Biała z Juteborg'.
Black currant
Black currant was often called the St. John's grape, because its fruit ripening period falls around June 24 - on John's name day. The taste of black currants is so distinctive that they are often used to describe the taste of wines, especially Cabernet Sauvignon. The leaves of this currant have a strong smell due to the essential oils placed at the base of the leaves. It blooms in April or May. The fruits are blueberries, juicy, slightly sour, gathered in clusters of 5-10 pieces.
Olderblackcurrant varietiesblackcurrant are non-pollinated and cannot self-pollinate. Currently, however, self-pollinating varieties of blackcurrant are available. When buying a blackcurrant seedling, it is worth seeking advice from a nurserymaker which variety meets the self-pollination condition. It is also worth paying attention to the frost resistance of a given variety and susceptibility to diseases.Currently, the cultivation of blackcurrant varieties such as 'Bona', 'Ores', 'Ojebyn', 'Tisel', 'Titania'. The latter is often recommended for amateur cultivation due to its high disease resistance and resistance to low temperatures.
Cultivation requirements for currants
When cultivating currants, remember that currants can grow on almost all types of soil, except for very calcareous ones. The ideal substrate should be light, fine, deeply tilled and rich in organic matter, with a pH between 6.0-7.0.
The currant cultivation position should be sunny to semi-shaded. Currants grow well in elevated areas, gentle slopes or breezy plains. Avoid low areas and frost pools, as well as heavy soils, where the groundwater level is shallower than 70-80 cm.
Planting currants
In the cultivation of currants it is very important how they will be planted. Bare-rooted currants are planted in spring - from March or late autumn - in late October and early November.The autumn term is considered to be better forcurrant planting , because the currants begin their vegetation very early in spring. Plants from pots can be planted throughout the growing season - from spring to autumn. White and red currants are planted in a row every 1 meter, leaving a 1.5 m spacing between the rows, and black currants - every 1.2 m in the row and 1.8 m between the rows. The seedlings are planted about 5 cm deeper than they grew in the nursery. After planting the plant, water it abundantly and mulch the soil underneath it to prevent weeds from growing.
Fertilizing the currant
Organic fertilizers should constitute the basis for fertilization in home and allotment gardens. Therefore, before planting currants, it is worth fertilizing the soil by digging it with compost to a depth of about 40 cm (the main mass of currant roots will be at this depth). In the case of blackcurrant, it is recommended to fertilize in spring with nitrogen and potassium fertilizers in the amount of 35g per 1m².It is worth spreading a litter of composted manure around the bushes. In the case of white and red currants, potassium fertilization is the main factor. Potassium sulphate works well for this.
Currant care
The basic nursing treatments ingrowing currants , apart from fertilization, include: irrigation, weeding, mulching and cutting.When cutting currantsit is worth noting that u White and red currants are made differently than in the case of black currants. This is due to the fact that white and red currants bear fruit on two-year-old shoots, while black currants bear fruit on annual shoots.
Harvesting and storage of currant fruits
Currant fruitsare harvested when they are fully ripe (depending on the variety - it may be from the beginning of July to the beginning of August) with the stalks, picking them with whole bunches. The fruit is eaten raw or made into preserves.They can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Preferably on the bottom shelf, in a salad container.
Katarzyna Matuszak
