How many years does black currant live in one place, the timing of fruiting
Black currant is a perennial shrub. Its fruits are valued due to the high content of vitamin C. Therefore, it is often used in medical and dietary menus. The height of the shrub does not exceed 1.5 meters, it is well formed and bears fruit quickly. Knowing how many years the black currant will live, you will harvest a good harvest every year.
When does the currant begin to bear fruit?
The currant begins to grow in early spring. The bush has mixed buds. After the formation of the shoot, flower tassels appear, which are located along the length of the branch. The branches of the previous year give more fruits. Branches older than four years bring less harvest - the berries are small and fall off easily. That is, the most productive branches are two and three years old. Old branches are cut because they have no value.
The currant begins to bloom after the gooseberry - first red, then black. The bush blooms for ten days. Pollinated by bees, so good harvests are harvested near the apiaries. After flowering, it quickly sets. First, the berries ripen at the base, and then on the branch.
Harvesting is carried out annually, its size depends on the characteristics of care. Begins to bear fruit next year. At first, the shrub gives a small yield, but with good care, the volume increases. The greatest yield is given by currants in the fourth year. You can improve your crop by properly pruning it.
How many years do currants live?
The lifespan of a currant depends on several factors: the place and time of planting, soil, pruning and care, variety. Like gooseberries, currants are perennial crops.
Black
The maximum yield of black currant begins after 5-6 years of growth. After that, it gradually decreases. After 8 years, the bushes need to be rejuvenated. After 12-14 years, the shrub must be grubbed and a replacement must be prepared.
Red
The life span of red currants is slightly longer. It grows and bears fruit for 16-18 years. After that, the shrubs are removed.
How many years can you grow one crop in one place?
The duration of the growth of a culture depends on several factors:
- Susceptibility to the secretions of its own roots, accumulated in the ground.
- Depending on the growth of currants - one or with other crops. In the second case, the root exudates are processed by another crop and do not remain in the soil.
- Diseases and pests in the ground.
In one place, currants grow for no more than 15 years.
How to extend the life of a plant?
Despite the unpretentiousness of the currant, the yield decreases over time. To prolong the life of a culture, it is necessary to rejuvenate. This is a procedure for removing old and low-yielding branches. Rejuvenation is carried out in the fall or spring. When pruning, remember that the bulk of the crop ripens on two- and three-year-old branches.
Stages of rejuvenation in spring:
- The procedure must be carried out on a warm day, when the ground warms up to 5 degrees.
- Removal of dry, broken and diseased branches.
- Pruning improperly growing branches (deep into the bush), which prevent young shoots from developing.
- Removal of old branches and zero shoots.
- Leave strong branches and shoots for 3-4 years.
You can determine the age of the branches by the bark. On old ones it is dark, and on young ones it is light brown or grayish. In addition, the old branches are covered with moss.
In autumn, rejuvenation is carried out after the leaves have fallen, but before the first frosts appear. The stages are similar to those in spring.
Some useful tips for rejuvenation:
- work only within the allotted time;
- the tool must be sharpened and disinfected;
- after the deleted branches it is not permissible to leave stumps. In the center of the shrub, it is difficult to cut a branch straight to the ground, so leave the cut no more than 2 centimeters from the ground.
- the cut site is processed with garden varnish, which is prepared independently or purchased in a specialized store.
After the rejuvenation procedure, the currants need time to get stronger, so the harvest will appear only next year. It is not recommended to rejuvenate the culture more than three times. Old shrubs cannot be revived in this way. With proper rejuvenation, the shrub will bring a big harvest next year.
Why can currants stop bearing fruit?
There are a number of factors contributing to the fact that the plant has ceased to produce a good harvest. First, it is the old age of the bush. With proper and proper care, seedlings bear fruit for up to ten years. With a long growth in one place, the bush stops blooming. Most likely, rejuvenation has not been carried out for a long time. Currant fruits appear on branches that have not reached the age of 4 years.
Over time, the culture ceases to bear fruit. In this case, you need to uproot the bush and plant a new one. You can try to save the plant by rejuvenating and feeding. Perhaps next year the currants will again bring a good harvest.
Secondly, the climate is not suitable. Perhaps in the spring, the culture was subjected to frost. Because of this, young buds died, and the bush does not bear berries. To avoid such consequences, it is not recommended to plant black currants on the south side. Also keep the soil moist, so provide extra watering during dry times.
Third, the lack of pollinators. Many varieties of currants are self-pollinated, but sometimes there are those that require additional pollination for a good harvest.
Another factor of poor fruiting is considered a disease - terry. You can determine the disease during the flowering period. The petals of the affected flowers are narrowed, and the pistils grow strongly. As a result, the flower brush resembles a thin branch covered with yellow scales instead of berries. Due to illness, currant leaves lose their aroma. Such shrubs need to be urgently uprooted and burned, since it is impossible to get rid of the disease. Because of it, from 20 to 100% of the crop is lost.
The most common cause of unsuccessful fruiting is pests. Insects eat pistils on flowers and ovaries on berries, and sometimes infect the entire currant bush. Biological methods will help in pest control. When the case is neglected, chemicals are used.
Very dense bushes also contribute to poor harvests.This is due to the fact that the shrub will give nutrients to the maintenance of foliage, and not to harvesting fruits. Therefore, it is recommended to prune bad branches once a year.
Highest quality varieties
To achieve a good harvest and long-term fruiting, select blackcurrant bushes based on the region where they will be grown. The most common varieties:
- Pearl. An early ripe variety with sweet berries. The variety is frost and dry weather resistant and does not require maintenance.
- Sofievskaya. An early variety with large oblong fruits, shiny and firm skin. After ripening, the berries sit firmly on the branches and do not fall off.
- Jubilee Digging. Saplings with medium spreading bushes. The fruits ripen at the same time and are stored for a long time. The variety is popular among summer residents.
- Pygmy. This variety belongs to dessert. It has sugar large berries. It is not popular among summer residents, as it requires special care. Differs in resistance to diseases and temperature changes.
- Beauty of Lviv. The variety is late. It has medium sized bushes with thick and straight shoots. Fruits are medium in size, with a sweet and sour aftertaste. Basically, they are used fresh.
- Vigorous. Late variety with heavy, dark brown fruits. It tolerates temperature changes well, but requires additional care and pollination.
- Lazy person. Culture with an average ripening period. It has large dark brown fruits. It produces a small crop, which is increased by additional pollination.
- Mermaid. The plant has sweet berries with a thin skin. It perfectly tolerates frosts, diseases and is not exposed to pests. The main difference of the variety is long-term storage of berries.
- Gift of Smolyaninova. Shrub with huge wrinkled leaves and large fruits weighing 3-5 grams. From one bush, you can get from two kilograms of harvest.
Currants are considered a grateful crop, which, with the right care, will live a long time and will delight you with good yields.
