Red currant. Planting and care. Blanks

Distribution of red currant in Russia is relatively narrow. Although she has many virtues. It has an increased drought resistance and safely tolerates spring frosts (unlike black currant). Almost unaffected by diseases and pests (powdery mildew, swallowing, kidney mite). Red currant, planting and caring for which is not complicated, can produce high stable yields of 25 years. The berries are delicious and beautiful.

Red currant bushes are deciduous, perennial, up to two meters high. Sent upwards, the branches grow old slowly, restrainedly grow for a long time.

Flowers are collected in a brush for 5-35 pcs. The entire berry branch ripens in a week, starting from the base and ending with the top. Fruits are red. Less often are colorless, yellowish, brown. Ripe berries hang for a long time on a branch, which makes their taste not spoil.

Fruit-bearing branches have a 4-6-year-old age. Consequently, shoots can be shortened only in the autumn. Vegetation of shrubs begins in early May, which allows you to avoid frosts. The growth of shoots ends in August-September, and they manage to prepare for the cold.

Light-loving red currants, planting and caring for which includes the choice of an open space, should be protected from the wind from the north side. In the lowered forms of relief it is better to place it on ridges or hills, 25-30 cm high with a distance between bushes to one and a half meters.

This culture tolerates any soils, but prefers sandy loam or loam with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction and the occurrence of groundwater no higher than 1.5 meters.

The red currant is quite unpretentious, planting and caring for which involves an ordinary scheme of its placement in the garden. Pits for this are prepared with a depth of 30-40 cm and a diameter of 40-50 cm with the introduction of one bucket of humus, half a glass of superphosphate, two tablespoons of potassium. Deepen seedlings (the optimal age is 1-2 years) can be 7-10 cm. The planting should be done at the end of September or in the spring, until the buds are blooming. If in the autumn, watering is required minimum, in the spring - two or three times. It is desirable to wallow the soil.

Red currant, planting and caring for which also requires the formation of a bush, gives the first harvest for the second year. Pruning achieves the required number of uneven-aged branches. On one bush there should be 10 fruiting shoots and 4 germs of renewal. Pruning is carried out in the spring, at the beginning of vegetation.

Before making the decision to plant it, it's good to know how useful the red currant is. The use of berries in fresh and processed form improves intestinal motility, increases appetite. It is used as a diaphoretic, antipyretic and laxative. Juice has a fortifying and refreshing effect.

Very useful in fresh form is red currant. Billets from it, too, do not concede on medicinal and taste qualities. From berries cook jam, make jams, compotes, twist with sugar, just freeze. Used in various sauces, gravies, syrups, pickles. Squeeze the juice, boil it for more concentration and in the winter enjoy the summer flavors.