2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
The common black currant, which gives us vitamin berries, is a valuable medicine. Most often, we look at her as a source of berries for jam or twisting with sugar, sometimes remembering her qualities of a doctor. But currant bushes are not considered an ornamental plant. Although, with good care, they are a real decoration of the natural garden
Distribution in nature
Wild currant is a regular in humid forests, meadows and forest edges, grows along the banks of streams and forest rivers in Europe and Asia. The monks of Ancient Russia, who bred the monastery gardens, introduced currants into the culture back in the 11th century. Today there are many varieties of cultivated black currant.
But people still collect wild currants. It is believed that her healing powers are stronger, and the aroma is more fragrant.
Description
Currant, I think, will be recognized by everyone who at least sometimes came into contact with nature. Or recognizes it by its specific currant aroma.
Branching currant bushes grow lush and reach a height of 1.5 meters. Three to five lobed leaves are coarsely serrate along the edge. From the hanging clusters of inflorescences, clusters of black berries develop, similar to miniature grape clusters.
Growing
Black currant is a rather unpretentious shrub. It tolerates slight drought and short-term waterlogging of the soil. Frost resistant.
He prefers to settle in sunny places, but also tolerates partial shade.
Its unpretentiousness extends to the quality of the soil. It grows well in poor soils, but to get a bountiful harvest of large black berries, you need rich garden soil and organic fertilizing.
Black currants are easily propagated by cuttings, root cuttings and shoots.
Use in the garden
Currant bushes are decorative throughout the summer season. In spring it is a dark green, showy foliage with pronounced venation. In mid-May, the bushes are covered with abundant drooping flower clusters. And when the flowers turn into clusters of black-purple large berries, you can't take your eyes off the currants.
Autumn foliage greens either turn yellow with bright purple or orange spots, or redden, playing with different shades of red.
Currant bushes in collaboration with fruit trees (irga, viburnum, blue honeysuckle, Japanese quince) and other ornamental shrubs, for example, silvery elk, spirea, chubushnik, will create an excellent decorative group in the garden.
The black currant bush will be appropriate for small decorative reservoirs. The shrub familiar to our eyes looks great near a group of detached large stones or against the background of a retaining wall lined with natural stone.
From currant bushes, you can arrange a hedge that separates your site from neighbors, or dividing the summer cottage area into functional zones.
Healing actions
In addition to the vitamin properties known to everyone (15-20 grams of fresh berries provide a daily dose of vitamin C), black currant has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, diaphoretic, choleretic, diuretic, anti-sclerotic, antirheumatic effects, and also regulates the activity of the human digestive system.
Vitamin salads
• In spring, vitamin salad is prepared from currant and primrose leaves. For 1 part of currant leaves, take 4 parts of primrose leaves. The washed leaves are finely cut, ground walnuts are added and seasoned with sour cream.
• Washed and mashed fresh berries and finely grated carrots are mixed (1: 1 ratio). If you have sour cream or whipped cream, you can garnish your vitamin salad with them.
Collection and procurement
High-quality, disease-free leaves together with petioles are harvested in June-July. The fruits are harvested when ripe.
Dry in a ventilated area. When using dryers, the temperature should be no higher than 40 degrees. In properly dried fruits, vitamins are almost not destroyed.
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Black Currant. Growing
The benefits of black currant berries have been known for a long time. A large amount of vitamin C makes it indispensable in the diet. The fragrant finished product is good in any form: fresh, frozen, compote, jam, jelly. How to properly plant and care for a valuable crop?
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Black Currant: Cuttings Bush
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Black Currant
Black currant (Latin Ribes nigrum) - berry culture; a representative of the Currant genus of the Gooseberry family. Under natural conditions, black currant grows in moist deciduous, coniferous and mixed forests, along coastal thickets, along the edges of swamps, along the banks of rivers and lakes and on wet floodplain meadows in the European part of Russia, the Urals, Siberia, Kazakhstan, China and northern regions.
