Why Do Currants Have Small Berries?

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Video: Why Do Currants Have Small Berries?

Video: Why Do Currants Have Small Berries?
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Why Do Currants Have Small Berries?
Why Do Currants Have Small Berries?
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Why do currants have small berries?
Why do currants have small berries?

A decrease in the size of berries in currants is a sure sign that not everything is in order with berry bushes. And there can be a great many reasons for this: too deep loosening of the soil, untimely or incorrect pruning of berry bushes, damage by various pests, lack of fertilizing, etc. timely fight against pests and diseases attacking it

Loosening the soil and pruning shrubs

A wide variety of factors can influence the size of the forming berries. Often, summer residents contribute to a decrease in the yield themselves. The fact is that the fibrous root system of the currant is located very close to the surface. And when gardeners begin to loosen the soil around the bushes too deep, they often damage their vulnerable roots. And any damage to them is a stressful situation for the berry bushes: they gradually begin to weaken, and the berries quickly become smaller and are characterized by uneven ripening. Accordingly, in order to avoid such troubles, it will not hurt to abandon loosening too deep. To preserve the looseness of the soil and reduce moisture loss, it is recommended to mulch the soil (in this case, the mulch layer, ideally, should be equal to six centimeters, and the mulching diameter of the trunk circle should be sixty centimeters). And all the weeds growing nearby is quite enough to simply mow.

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Another reason for the reduction in the size of the berries is untimely or incorrect pruning. Currant bushes that have not been pruned age quickly, and in overly thickened plantings, berries are deficient in heat and light. In addition, weakened or diseased branches are the very first to be attacked by various ailments and pests. These processes are especially intensive in large-fruited varieties. That is why it is necessary to regularly prune such currants, especially carefully pruning branches that have reached the age of three (and sometimes it will not hurt to get rid of two-year-olds).

Pests

Pests are another fairly common cause of berry size shrinkage. Damaged and weakened branches that are not cut in time also tend to bear fruit, but the berries on them are of very low quality. Also, weakened twigs are subject to sunburn, which is additional stress for them. And sparse and small leaves are simply not able to create adequate conditions for the full growth of berry crops. All this makes weakened plants a desirable treat for pests.

Caterpillars and slugs especially often harm currants. In addition, wasps, glassworms or aphids can easily attack it. In order to save the long-awaited harvest, it is extremely important to timely detect pests on the site and carry out the appropriate processing of berry bushes.

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Lack of dressings

Growing currants on the site contributes to the rapid depletion of the soil. To stop this process, you need to take care of systematic feeding, because a deficiency of nutrients will inevitably lead to a decrease in the size of the berries. In order for the yield to remain consistently high, you should regularly feed the growing currant with mineral and organic fertilizers. And berry bushes need to be replanted from time to time, as the soil also tends to "get tired". As for the timing of the transplant, they are not fundamental in this case, however, it is important to take into account the fact that the average fruiting period of currants is from ten to fifteen years. In general, when determining the timing of transplants, they are guided by soil fertility, climatic conditions and the quality of care.

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