Content
For those who are engaged in the cultivation of fruit and berry crops in their summer cottages or backyards, there are no rest periods. Gardeners and summer residents are constantly working on preparations for the summer dacha season, for harvesting, studying information about planting future seedlings. Planting currants in spring with seedlings is carried out in the event that it was not possible to do this in the fall for some reason.
How to choose currant seedlings
Currant is a berry shrub that has high frost resistance and can bear fruit stably with proper care for 10 to 15 years. Experienced gardeners recommend planting currant seedlings in open ground in the fall. Planting black currant seedlings in the spring is also possible, but certain conditions must be observed, taking into account the characteristics of the culture.
In order for the shrub to take root in the spring, varieties of the zoned type are chosen. They must fully suit the selected climatic zone, meet the basic requirements.
External description of seedlings suitable for planting in spring:
- the age of the appendage is 1.5 - 2 years;
- the presence of at least 3 skeletal roots;
- no damaged dry areas on the roots or on the aerial part.
Experienced gardeners recommend choosing blackcurrant seedlings for planting in spring in specialized nurseries that grow and sell fruit and berry crops.
When to plant currant seedlings in spring
Early autumn is suitable for planting. Due to climatic conditions in some regions associated with sharp cold snaps starting earlier than meteorologists predict, many gardeners practice spring planting. This applies to all regions of the country, except for the southern ones. The advantage of planting during this period can be called:
- successful rooting before the onset of cold weather: blackcurrant seedlings are given more than 4 - 5 months for this process;
- rooting in spring is more successful due to active sap flow and development of shoots;
- due to active soil moistening after snow melting, the risk of moisture deficiency is minimized.
The main disadvantages of planting seedlings in the spring are the possible invasion of insects in the summer, as well as the possibility of spreading infections, which may be susceptible to young, immature shrubs.
When planting in spring, choose a period of time when the ground becomes soft enough to dig. The air temperature during landing should not be lower than +5 ° C.
The landing pit is prepared 1.5 - 2 weeks before the direct disembarkation. This means that the level of heating of the earth from the moment of initial digging will increase by the time of planting.
How to plant currants in spring with seedlings
Preparation begins long before placing the seedlings in the ground; planting black currants in the spring is possible only after preparation. The location is taken into account, as well as the fact that currants will grow in the selected area for about 10 - 15 years.
Selection and preparation of the landing site
Currant is a crop that bears fruit well in sunny open flat areas. The berries begin to shrink with partial shading of the bushes, therefore, when placing, they adhere to the basic rules:
- landings in lowlands with possible stagnation of water, high occurrence of groundwater are excluded;
- planting under the shade of tall buildings or trees with wide crowns is excluded;
- do not recommend planting blackcurrant seedlings in places where through winds often occur.
Gardeners call black currant an unpretentious berry, they note that it does not make high demands on the soil. Nevertheless, when planting in the spring, take into account that a shrub can give a stable and high-quality crop only if a suitable soil is selected.
The possibility of planting currants on heavy peat soils with a high clay content is completely excluded. Loamy or sandy loamy soils with an acidity level close to neutral are suitable for normal development of seedlings.
The landing site begins to be prepared in advance. Dig a hole up to 55 cm deep and up to 60 cm in diameter. The top layer of soil is mixed with prepared fertilizers. At the preparation stage, organic fertilizers such as manure or humus are used, as well as mineral mixtures with a high content of phosphorus and potassium. The prepared mixture is poured into the dug hole, covered with a moisture-proof material. After 2 weeks, they dig the hole again and proceed to planting directly.
Preparing seedlings for planting
One of the conditions for successful rooting is the correct preparation of the selected seedling. 24 hours before planting, it is carefully examined, dried roots are removed with pruning shears, and soaked in water. Manganese solution is used for disinfection, and root stimulants are used to enhance growth. The soaking time can last from 10 to 15 hours. It depends on the state of the planting material.
Then the seedlings are taken out and treated with a clay mash. This is a special mixture that gardeners prepare themselves. It consists of clay, water, a small amount of manure. The structure of the mixture should be creamy. After immersion, it completely sticks to the roots, prevents them from further drying out.
Rules for planting currant seedlings in the spring in the ground
When planting, one of the main conditions is the observance of the distance between the bushes. For the correct development of the superficial root system, which the currant possesses, 60 - 70 cm is needed. 1.5 - 2 m are left between the rows, it depends on the degree of growth of the variety.
The procedure for planting currants in spring with seedlings or cuttings is quite simple, there are video master classes designed for novice gardeners who are afraid to make a mistake. When disembarking, you must follow the sequence of actions:
- At the bottom of the prepared hole, a small hill is formed with your hands.
- On the central part of the top of the hill, a blackcurrant process is placed, its roots are straightened on the sides.
- Holding the seedling, at the same time fill the side parts of the hole with prepared soil. Shake the young plant from time to time to prevent the formation of voids.
- After the final filling of the planting pit, the top layer is tamped, watered with warm water at the rate of 2 liters of water per 1 bush.
- When the water is completely absorbed, the trunk circle is made out with a small trench, mulched with the selected material.
Features of planting black and red currants
When planting a red currant variety with seedlings in the spring, it is necessary to take into account the special requirements of the shrub to the location. Red currants need more lighting for stable and annual fruiting. Lack of light affects negatively the characteristics of the fruit, the berry becomes smaller, the shrub begins to ache.
The second feature when planting red seedlings in spring is to control the acidity of the soil. If shrubs of black varieties can easily tolerate a slightly increased acidity of the soil, for red currants this circumstance will become a reason for the development of diseases and the spread of infection. To lower the acidity of the soil, use ground chalk or hydrated lime, the compounds are added to the soil a few weeks before planting.
Care after landing
The adaptation of the future shrub depends on the subsequent care:
- Watering. After planting in the spring, blackcurrant seedlings are watered abundantly and left until the ovaries appear. The next procedure is carried out after the topsoil has completely dried. During the hot summer, the only condition is to control so that the soil does not dry out and remains constantly moist. With the last watering after the autumn cold snap, 5 to 10 liters of water are introduced, taking into account that the shrub has time to absorb moisture before the onset of frost.
- Top dressing. 20 days after planting blackcurrant seedlings in open ground, the first top dressing is done. Up to 20 g of nitrogen-containing fertilizer is applied to each of the bushes. This is necessary to activate the mechanisms that are responsible for building up green mass.
- Preparing for winter. Young currant bushes need additional preparation for the upcoming first wintering. In autumn, 30 - 40 days before significant drops in temperature, the bushes are completely cut off. This is done only with young seedlings. Mature bushes will not need full pruning. Despite the fact that the seedlings can be selected for the climatic zone and have high rates of frost resistance, in the first year of adaptation after spring planting, it is recommended to additionally cover them with special materials. First, the trunk circle is mulched, then the trench is renewed from the soil and the bushes are covered with agrofibre or burlap. In order to prevent cold wind or snow from getting inside, the shelter is additionally weighted with improvised materials.
Experienced gardening tips
Often, novice gardeners make mistakes when planting blackcurrant shoots in the spring. A minor violation of the basic rules can affect subsequent rooting and adaptation. To avoid mistakes, it is advised to plant bushes in accordance with agrotechnical requirements:
- In the presence of weak cuttings of black currant, it is advised to soak throughout the day using heteroauxin or indolylbutyric acid.
- To activate the processes of development of the root system in the summer, it is recommended to regularly loosen the root circle after each rain or abundant watering. At the same time, gardeners use tools with minimal depth so as not to damage the root system, which is superficial in currants.
- While observing the distance between the bushes, one should not forget about the indents from the hedge or fence, next to which the bushes are planted. The distance between the bush and the hedge should be at least 1 m.
- When planting, one should not forget about the location of the root collar. After complete compaction of the soil, it should be deepened by 5 - 6 cm.
- Currants are not recommended to be planted next to raspberry bushes. Berry crops will compete for nutrients and inhibit each other's development.
Clearly about how to plant black currants in spring - in the video:
Conclusion
Planting currants in spring with seedlings is associated with some features of the culture. Planting too early can lead to freezing of the root system. Late planting of cuttings with developed green leaves threatens with inhibition of development, leads to the spread of infection on the bushes.Subject to the basic agrotechnical methods of planting crops in the spring, careful control over the level of acidity of the soil, as well as when choosing strong suitable seedlings, the bushes will have time to take root before the onset of frost, and the next year they will please with a bountiful harvest.
