2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
American currant (Latin Ribes americanum) - berry culture; a representative of the genus Currant of the Gooseberry family (Latin Grossulariaceae). Naturally grows in North America. Typical locations are forests, wet ravines, swamps, gorges and coastal areas.
Characteristics of culture
American currant is a deciduous shrub up to 1.5 m high with a spreading crown and pubescent shoots. The leaves are green, glabrous, pubescent along the veins, 3-5-tillobe, obtuse or sharp-toothed along the edge, with a truncated or heart-shaped base, up to 10 cm in diameter. In autumn, the foliage changes its color to dark purple. The flowers are yellowish-white, numerous, with a bell-shaped receptacle, collected in drooping racemose inflorescences.
Fruits - black berries, up to 1 cm in diameter. American currant blooms in April-May (depending on the climatic zone), berries ripen in June. The berries of the type of currant under consideration are edible, they have a sweet and sour taste, reminiscent of black currants. The species is high-yielding, but only with careful care and a favorable climate.
American currant is valued for the original structure of the bush and the grace of the leaves. Today, there are several of its forms, differing in the shape and size of the leaves. Both large-leaved and small-leaved forms are attractive. This species boasts resistance to environmental pollution, but in terms of frost-resistant properties it is inferior to other members of the genus.
The subtleties of growing
Like other representatives of the genus, American currant can develop normally on any type of soil, with the exception of swampy, saline, strongly acidic and heavy clayey soils. In the latter, cultivation is possible provided there is good drainage. Fertile, light, water-retaining, slightly acidic substrates are optimal for the culture.
With increased acidity, the soil is preliminarily limed, in the future this procedure is systematically repeated. American currant does not accept lowlands with stagnant cold air, as well as areas flooded by melt water in the spring. An equally important condition for successful cultivation is protection from winds and intense lighting, although a light openwork shade is not forbidden.
Soil preparation and planting
Planting American currants is carried out either in early spring or in autumn (but a couple of months before the onset of stable frosts). The planting pit is prepared 14-20 days before the intended planting. The soil removed from the pit is mixed with bone meal and rotted manure (or compost). The introduction of mineral fertilizers is encouraged. Their presence in the soil will speed up the survival process and make it less painful.
Both biennial and three-year-old seedlings are suitable for planting. Each should have at least three strong shoots. The optimal distance between the bushes is 1, 5-1, 8 m. The size of the pit depends on the degree of development and size of the root system. At the bottom of the pit, a low roller is necessarily formed in order, after which the seedling is lowered, the roots are straightened and covered with the prepared soil mixture. It is important to provide the seedling with abundant and regular watering and soil care in the crown projection. In this case, the seedlings will take root quickly and will not die from frost in winter.
Care
American currant needs annual fertilizing with mineral and organic fertilizers. It is advisable to carry out this procedure in early spring. Acidic soils are fed with calcium-ammonium nitrate. From organic matter, preference should be given to rotted manure or compost. American currants are very demanding on humidity. Watering must be carried out every 10-15 days, without waterlogging.
Weeds take a lot of nutrients from plants, so they should be removed as they emerge. Pests and diseases can cause irreparable harm to the health of currants. The most dangerous are spider mites, kidney mites and aphids. Of the diseases, powdery mildew, terry, anthracnose and gray rot should be noted. In the fight against pests, treatments with karbofos are most effective; in case of severe damage, the damaged areas are cut out and burned.
Formative pruning is important for American currants. The first pruning is carried out immediately after planting, all shoots are shortened, leaving 5 cm of their length above the soil surface. This procedure helps to strengthen the root system, accelerate the survival rate and the growth of stronger shoots, and, accordingly, to obtain good yields in the future. In the future, every year the strongest shoots are shortened from currants (by 1/3 or 1/4 part), thickening, broken and damaged shoots are cut out.
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