RED CURRANT: LANDING AND CARE, QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

It so happened that red currants are less common in gardens than black currants. Therefore, questions about the agricultural technology of this culture arise more often.

Do I need to plant a pollinator variety for red currants?

Irina Khromchenko, Chelyabinsk region

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- No, it's completely optional. Even a redcurrant bush planted alone will produce a crop, but if two bushes are planted side by side (even of the same variety), the yield will be higher.

Why does the bark peel off on the shoots of red currant?

Larisa Survaseva, Komi

— This is not a sign of any disease or pest damage, but is completely normal for this crop. Similar can be observed in raspberries and honeysuckle. Nothing needs to be done.

The red currant has stopped fruiting. What could be the reason?

Anton Paramonov, Leningrad region

-The most obvious is the aging of the bush. On the shoots, especially on their tops, there are short fruit twigs called fruitlets. It is on them that flower buds are laid, which give a harvest. Red currant pods can live up to a maximum of 10 years, so when pruning, do not leave branches older than 7 years.

Red swellings appear on the leaves of the currant. What can be done?

Ilya Gordeev, Penza

- This is a sign of damage to the most common pest of currants - red gall aphids. Unfortunately, varieties resistant to red gall aphid have not yet been bred. We'll have to carry out pest control. Of the most harmless - spraying with a solution of drinking or soda ash (3 tablespoons per 10 liters of water). However, such spraying is best done before swelling appears. When the aphid has already penetrated the inside of the leaf, processing will not help.

Or purchase more effective chemicals (with the active ingredient imidacloprid) and spray the bushes in the spring over the buds. Be sure to process the tops of the shoots. After the ovaries of berries appear, spraying can be repeated. This will help to cope not only with aphids, but also with sawflies, moths. However, keep in mind that after processing before harvesting, at least a month should pass.

Some branches of my currant are drying up. Is it from old age or is it affected by some kind of disease or pest?

Pavel Tatarinov, Kaliningrad

— One of the probable reasons is glass damage. This pest eats the core of redcurrant shoots, and they dry out. There may be other reasons as well. For example, the close occurrence of groundwater or a layer rich in salts (carbonate soils). In this case, the currant roots, having reached this layer, begin to suffer: the branches may dry out, the leaves begin to turn yellow. Shoots could freeze in winter, and therefore die. I advise you to cut off such shoots, inspect the core and then decide how to proceed.

Recommend a variety of red currant for making thick jelly.

Evgenia Garipova, Ryazan

- Currant varieties with at least 6% pectin content are suitable for good chelation: Asya, Bayana, Valentinovka - 10% pectin; Vika, Gazelle, Dana, Marmalade, Niva, Spark, Orlovchanka, Gift of Summer, Rose, Yuterborgskaya - 11% pectin.

I saw new varieties of long-cystic red currants for sale. Isn't this a hoax? What varieties are better to choose?

Elena Batyushkova, Moscow region

- Indeed, such varieties exist and look just great, especially if you decide to form them on a trellis or in the form of a bole. Beautiful long brushes with large tasty berries in varieties Valentinovka, Dar Orla, Orlovskaya Star, Rondom, Rovada, Samburskaya, Asya. Excellent sweet and sour taste of berries in the varieties Bayana, Marmeladnitsa, Natalie, Sugar, Rose, Lydia. All these varieties grow in almost all regions of the middle zone, with the exception of the northernmost ones.