There Is Never Too Much Currant

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Despite the fact that red and black currants are close relatives, it is better to propagate them at different times. If for black currant the recommended periods are such months as October-November, then the optimal time for planting lignified red cuttings falls on the second or third decade of August

Everything has its time

Reproduction of currants is available in different ways. Immediately it should be noted that seed reproduction in a personal plot is not practiced. Such experiments do not end well, since these offspring rarely inherit varietal traits. It is also extreme - this is the division of the bush, which is not very convenient to perform. The easiest way is to reproduce by layering or cuttings. They begin to root the cuttings in the spring months, and closer to autumn they are ready to separate from the mother bush. But they start grafting and rooting of planting material in August-September. Since August, they are taken for reproduction of red and white currants, and in the fall it is the turn of its black sister.

Choosing a mother bush and twigs for cuttings

The future fruiting of the shrub and the quality of the berries themselves largely depend on how high-quality the planting material will be. Therefore, only the best representatives of the variety are assigned for these purposes. For propagation of currants, cuttings are cut only from healthy and high-yielding bushes. In addition, the age of the plant also matters - the mother shrubs should be no more than 10 years old.

Both root and lateral shoots are used as cuttings. The chosen branch should be two to three years old. They must be sufficiently ripe, at least 0.7 cm in diameter. Make sure they have healthy kidneys. Cuttings from such branches are cut into a length of about 15-20 cm - it depends on the location of the buds. Each stalk should have 5-6 buds. The lower cut of the cutting should be made under the bud, and the upper cut above the bud. For planting material, it is not recommended to use the upper unripe part of the branch.

Rooting cuttings

If you managed to complete the work on harvesting cuttings at the optimal time, then you need to start planting in the ground immediately. You must first remove all the leaves. For better rooting, gardeners also use this technique: they soak the cuttings in water, dipping them with one end a third of their length in water. But this must be done in advance, therefore, cutting the cuttings is performed 3 weeks earlier than usual. Also, the sections can be treated with a rooting stimulant. This procedure is performed a day before landing.

If the harvesting of cuttings was belated - also okay, they can be stored in basements, buried in the ground or in wet sand. The planting of such planting material begins in early spring. In the fall, late harvested cuttings should not be planted, because they will take root worse.

In order for small cuttings to turn into strong seedlings, they are planted in beds, in greenhouses, greenhouses. Landing is performed along the cord in rows. In the row between the plants, an interval of 15 cm is left, the distance between the two rows in the bed is 30 cm each, and the paths between the beds are left about 80 cm wide.

Cuttings should be planted in the ground in an inclined position, maintaining an angle of about 45 °. The stalk is buried in the ground so that only two buds remain on the surface, with one located at ground level. The earth needs to be well tamped around the cutting, and the planting should be watered and mulched. To do this, you can use humus, peat, dark plastic wrap. If the choice fell on organic materials, a layer of mulch is made about 4-5 cm.