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Blackcurrant berries contain many vitamins and useful trace elements, which puts them one step higher from red fruits. Housewives even learned how to use the leaves in preservation and pickling. A striking representative of the black-fruited culture is the Sokrovische currant variety, bred by Siberian breeders.
Description of the variety
Treasure currant bushes grow up to 1.5 m high. The branches do not fall apart on the sides. The bush is formed of medium thickening. Young shoots grow even without bends. The yellow-green skin is covered with a shallow edge. On old branches, the bark turns brown. The shape of the leaf is three-pointed. A wrinkled skin is observed on the surface of the leaf plate. The leaf grows on short and thick petioles.
The flowering of the currant is friendly. Small flowers are collected on racemes. The petals are yellow-green in color with a creamy tint. The shape of the flower resembles a small calyx. Bunches grow single or fused in three. The short stalks are covered with a shallow edge. Up to ten berries are tied on one bunch.
Considering the Treasure currant, a description of the variety, photos, reviews, you should pay attention to the fruits. A feature of the culture are large black berries with a purple tint. A ripe fruit weighs 1.6–2.1 g. The berries are the same size, rounded and slightly oval. The pulp contains many small grains. The skin is covered with a slight coating, which gives it a matte color. However, after rain or watering, the berries glisten by reflecting sunlight. The skin is thin, almost imperceptible when eaten. The taste of the berries is sweet with a slight acidic sensation.
The fruit ripens early. Currant bushes overwinter well, are weakly affected by fungus and mites. A distinctive feature of the Sokrovische variety is self-pollination. The harvest can be obtained without the participation of bees and other insects. During the season, about 4 kg of berries are harvested from one black currant bush. In a productive year, the branches are not able to support the weight of the fruit on their own. So that the bush does not fall apart, it is propped up with stakes or tied.
Black currant has many positive qualities, but gardeners have identified some disadvantages. The main disadvantage is the rapid aging of the shrub. The variety is demanding in adherence to agricultural practices and does not tolerate drought well.
The video tells about the black currant variety Treasure:
Planting rules for seedlings
The site for planting black currant seedlings is prepared in advance. Dig the soil to the depth of the bayonet, remove everything weeds and their roots. The place is chosen sunny, well-ventilated, but without drafts. Currants grow well on slightly acidic soil. Increased acidity is quenched with chalk, old clay plaster or dry cement. Depending on the acidity index, from 0.5 to 1 kg of a desalination agent is mixed into the hole when planting a seedling. A good result is given by crushed egg shells.
Currants take root Treasure in the spring, but autumn seedlings take root better. The root system of the bush is in constant development. Before the onset of winter, the currants will get stronger, easily endure frosts, and in the spring they will give a strong increase.
When buying blackcurrant seedlings, you need to do a thorough examination of the entire bush, including the root system. The branches should be intact with healthy buds. The bark is monochromatic without spots.The length of the root system is from 15 to 20 cm. If the seedling is sold in a pot, it is removed along with a lump of earth. The soil should retain its shape and be all braided with thin roots.
The rules for planting black currant Treasure consist of the following points:
- The preparation of the garden for planting seedlings begins in two months. First, during digging, the roots of weeds are removed. Treasure variety loves nutrients. For soil enrichment in a bed for every 1 m2 scatter 10 kg of compost or humus, 50 g of potassium and 100 g of superphosphate. The soil, together with the fertilizer, is dug to the depth of the shovel bayonet.
- Before planting, the roots of a black currant seedling of the Treasure variety are soaked in water. For better development, you can add the drug Kornevin.
- While the seedling is soaking, they start digging the hole. A hole is dug 40 cm deep and 50 cm in diameter. A bucket of fertile soil mixed with compost is poured at the bottom. At high acidity, a desalination agent is added. Pour 5 liters of water into the hole.
- A blackcurrant seedling is lowered by its roots to the bottom of the pit, tilted at an angle of 45about and begin to gently sprinkle with loose soil, deepening the root collar to 8 cm.
- The upper part of the seedling is cut with a secateurs. A twig with four buds is left above the ground. Pruning is required, otherwise the bush will age quickly.
- The soil around the seedling is lightly tamped by hand. Around the hole, an earthen rim is poured and two buckets of water are poured. After absorbing the liquid, the moist soil is covered with mulch from peat or sawdust 5 cm thick from above.
If several currant bushes of the Sokrovische variety are planted on the site, then a distance of 1 m is maintained between the bushes. On plantations, row spacings with a width of 2 m are arranged for ease of maintenance and harvesting.
Care for mature bushes
According to the description, the Treasure currant variety is undemanding in special care, but the bush cannot be left to grow to its own devices. The culture necessarily requires watering, feeding, pruning and weeding.
In order for oxygen to reach the roots of black currant, you need to loosen the soil. It is advisable to do this after each watering. Weeds are weeded as the grass grows. It is necessary to loosen the soil carefully, shallowly. The root system of the Sokrovische variety currant is located in the upper layers of the soil and it is necessary to try not to damage it with a hoe. If there is no time to often loosen the soil, then it is enough to perform the procedure twice a season: in the spring during feeding and in the fall after harvesting the berries.
The intensity of watering the Sokrovische variety depends on weather conditions, but currants need water at four important stages of life:
- with the appearance of the ovary;
- when the berries begin to ripen;
- at the end of the harvest;
- in late autumn after the foliage has fallen.
In dry weather, watering of black currants is carried out plentifully, more than one bucket per bush. However, water should not stagnate in the hole. Moistening the soil to a depth of 50 cm is considered optimal.
The Treasure variety responds well to feeding. To increase yields, fertilizers must be applied twice a season. In spring, bushes up to four years old are fed 50 g of urea. For old currants, the amount of fertilizer is reduced to 30 g. In autumn, after harvesting the berries, each bush is fed 5 kg of compost, 20 g of potassium and 50 g of superphosphate.
Four times a season, the Treasure variety needs liquid fertilizers:
- in the spring when the buds open;
- at the end of flowering;
- when the berries begin to ripen;
- at the end of the harvest.
Poultry manure infused in water at a rate of 10: 1 acts as a liquid fertilizer. You can stir 1 part of mullein in 4 parts of water. When using mineral fertilizers, 10 g of potassium and 20 g of phosphorus are added to 10 liters of water. Any liquid top dressing under each currant bush is poured 1 bucket.
Pruning currant bushes of the Treasure variety is required. A neglected shrub will not bring a crop and will age quickly.They are engaged in shaping every autumn after the foliage falls. The pruning scheme looks like this:
- The top of the planted seedling is cut off, leaving a twig with four buds above the ground.
- In the second year, all grown branches are cut off, leaving shoots with 4–7 buds.
- In the third season, all old branches and long new shoots are shortened by about 1/3.
- Starting from the sixth year, all old branches are cut out from the bush. Further formation takes place according to the considered scheme.
The period from 5 to 7 years of life for black currants of the Sokrovische variety is considered the peak of full fruiting. The bush at this time should consist of 10-15 full-fledged developed branches.
Additional pruning can be done in early spring. The procedure is aimed at removing frozen and snow-damaged branches. Pruning is carried out before bud break.
Fight disease
The Treasure variety is considered resistant to disease, but preventive measures are needed. Most pests are bred in dense thickets of grass. The simplest way to get rid of the enemy is to weed in time.
Since autumn, parasites overwinter on currant twigs. In order to prevent their awakening, in the spring the bushes are poured from a watering can with hot water at a temperature of 60-70aboutWith the addition of soda. A hot shower further stimulates the currants, speeds up the flow of sap, and awakens the kidneys.
Testimonials
The reviews of many gardeners about black currant Treasure are the most flattering. Summer residents fell in love with the variety because of the stable yields of tasty large berries.
