Black currant. Currant. Origin of the word and Slavic legends Pruning blackcurrant bushes

Currant ( Ribes) - a genus of flowering plants of the class Dicotyledons, order Saxifragaceae, family Gooseberry.

The origin of the modern name “currant” has a couple of conflicting versions. According to one of them, the name of the bush comes from the ancient Russian word “smorod”, meaning “stench, bad smell”. According to another version, currants got their “name” from the word “to currant” - which means to emit a pleasant, strong aroma.

The mineral composition of currants is represented by the following components: sodium, calcium, magnesium, copper, sulfur, lead, silver, iron, phosphorus. Also, a high content of coumarins, pectin and iodine was found in currant fruits.

Currant berries have a number of components essential for the human body:

malic, phosphoric and citric acids;
essential oils;
tannins;
phytoncides;
anthocyanins.

Due to its beneficial properties, currants are often used to alleviate a number of pathological conditions:

improvement of hematopoiesis in diseases of the lymphatic and circulatory system;
normalization of blood pressure in hypertension;
decreased blood glucose levels in diabetes mellitus;
restoration of immunity in case of vitamin deficiency and after serious illnesses;
laxative, diuretic and diaphoretic effects;
treatment of dermatitis and diathesis;
rheumatism, gout and polyarthritis;
gastritis and stomach ulcers;
bleeding gums;
increased nervous excitability and sleep disturbances.

The beneficial properties of currants also manifest themselves in decoctions and infusions: decoctions and infusions of currant berries, its leaves, buds and shoots are used to treat skin diseases. The beneficial properties of red currants are mainly concentrated in the fruits, so its juices and fresh berries are used for treatment.

Harm of currants and contraindications

Currants have a number of contraindications and can be harmful if you have the following diseases:

increased blood clotting;
peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum;
gastritis with high acidity;
hepatitis of any kind;
tendency to constipation;
there is a history of stroke;
vein thrombosis;
allergy to currants.

To properly plant currants you need to know:

How to choose a place for a seedling,
What are the timing (time) of planting currants,
What should be the ideal soil for a plant?
What should be the distance between currant bushes when planting?
How to dig a planting hole,
What fertilizers are needed?

The best place to plant currants is in open areas with maximum light throughout the day. Currants grow well on any permeable, optimally moistened soil, but they prefer chernozem loam.

Planting currant seedlings can be done in early spring, before the buds open, or in the fall, in September, the main thing is to plant the bushes in previously prepared soil. 1-2 weeks before planting, it is necessary to dig planting holes or ditches 35-40 cm deep and apply 5-6 kg of fertilizer under each currant bush: rotted manure or compost, 20-25 g of superphosphate and potassium sulfate, and then mix them well with earth.

The distance between bushes when planting currants should be at least 2-3 meters. On heavy loams, the pits are deepened to 50-60 cm and drainage is arranged at the bottom from a layer of sand, and the fertilizer rate is increased by one and a half times. On the eve of planting, the fertilized holes are spilled with water, and the currant seedlings are shortened, leaving 3-5 buds on each shoot. The seedling is planted vertically, the roots are straightened, covered with soil and watered. The settled soil is trampled down and mulched with peat or straw. It is better not to use sawdust as mulch, because it acidifies the soil and takes nitrogen from it.

For subsequent propagation, the seedling is planted obliquely, deepening the root collar by 10 cm, then additional roots and shoots will grow.

Caring for currants: pruning, fertilizing

Caring for currants does not cause much trouble. During the season, it is necessary to remove weeds and loosen the soil in the root zone. Currants need regular, but not abundant watering, otherwise the plant will immediately shed its leaves during drought.

In early spring or late autumn, blackcurrant bushes need to be rejuvenated by cutting out old branches at the root, removing diseased and low-fruiting shoots. Red currant branches are shortened by 5-6 eyes. The main thing is that no more than 10-15 shoots of different ages remain on one bush.

Fertilizing currants with fertilizers

Caring for currants involves timely feeding bushes with fertilizers. If currants were planted in well-fertilized soil, you can do without fertilizing for the first 2-3 years. It will be enough for the bushes to incorporate mulch material into the soil in the fall, which is placed in the root zone every spring.

After 2-3 years, during the autumn digging, they begin to apply dry phosphorus-potassium mineral fertilizers at the rate of 30 g per currant bush. Urea and ammonium nitrate are washed out by melt water, so they are applied in early spring - directly on the snow or in dissolved form (20-25 g per bush). During flowering, fertilize with organic fertilizers (mullein 1:10 or bird droppings 1:15). To improve fruit set and improve the quality and size of berries, after flowering, currant bushes are sprayed with the preparation “Ovary” or a solution of zinc sulfate.

Reproduction of currants by cuttings, layering, dividing the bush

There are 3 ways to propagate currants:

By dividing the bush,
By cuttings,
By layering.

Let's look at each of these methods in more detail.

The method of propagating currants by dividing the bush is not used very often. This method is excellent when there is a shortage of planting material or when very valuable varieties are forced to be transplanted from a site to another place. Another advantage of this method of transplanting currants is the rapid rooting of a new bush without any special techniques or manipulations.

The technique is quite simple: in the fall, at the end of September - beginning of October, or in early spring, the desired currant bush is carefully dug out of the ground, trying not to damage the root system. Using pruning shears or a sharp garden file, absolutely all old branches should be cut out, and young branches should be shortened to a height of 25-30 cm. Using a sharp ax, the bush should be divided into 3-4 parts (depending on its size). The main thing is that each part of the plant that you will plant in the future has well-formed buds and sufficiently branched and healthy roots. In a prepared hole, 60-80 cm deep and fertilized with rotted manure, a planting material, is covered with earth, which is carefully but tightly compacted and thoroughly watered (1-1.5 buckets for each bush).

Propagation of currants by cuttings

This method of propagating currants is considered the most productive when preserving varieties or breeding hybrids, especially when there is not very much initial planting material. Cuttings are carried out in an already prepared substrate, consisting of a mixture of soil, compost and organic fertilizer - rotted manure. Surprisingly, cuttings can be carried out both in spring and autumn (woody shoots are used for this), and in summer, using green currant cuttings. Therefore, there are no specific timings for cuttings.

Currant cuttings in spring or autumn

One-year-old shoots are taken as lignified cuttings. You need to cut currant cuttings for propagation only from healthy bushes. It is very convenient to do this, combining it with regular pruning of the currant bush. The length of the currant cutting should be within 16-25 cm, the diameter of the cutting should be at least 6 mm. When preparing cuttings, a cut in their upper part is made directly above the bud, retreating upward 1-1.5 cm. In the lower part of the cutting, an oblique cut is made under the bud.

The cuttings are buried obliquely, leaving 2-3 buds above the soil surface. The place where the currant cuttings are planted should be watered abundantly and mulched with a layer of humus or peat. If the cuttings were planted in the spring, then by the fall quite powerful roots will form on them, and the plant can be transplanted to permanent place. At autumn planting With the onset of cold weather, currant cuttings should be covered with spruce branches, fallen leaves or straw to prevent them from freezing. Please note that you need to plant currant cuttings before winter, taking into account the bush’s entry into the dormant phase. For black currants it begins in September-early October, but for red currants it begins at the end of August. It is during these months that it is necessary to begin propagating currants.

Cutting currants in summer

You need to cut green currant cuttings for propagation in the summer; it is better to do this on a cool day. Branches that are just beginning to undergo lignification are suitable for cutting: they should be quite flexible, but break if sharply bent. On a cutting 10-12 cm long, 3-5 leaf blades are left, but on a pair of lower leaves the plate is shortened by half or removed completely, leaving only the petioles. The lower ends of the prepared material are immersed in a solution of any growth substance for a day, after which green currant cuttings are planted in prepared greenhouses or greenhouses, buried 2-3 cm into the ground. The main condition for excellent survival is high humidity in the greenhouse in the first 3 weeks. Plants should be watered regularly and additionally sprayed in hot weather. In about a month, the currant cuttings will give strong roots, then they can be fed nitrogen fertilizer and reduce watering. Next spring young bushes are planted from the greenhouse into the soil, and by autumn they will turn into powerful currant bushes.

The method of propagating currants by layering is quite simple and effective. In the spring, always before the flowering phase, grooves are dug around the bushes selected for their varietal and taste qualities to a depth of 5-7 cm. The strong lower shoots of the plant are shortened by a third of the length, carefully bent to the soil, laid horizontally in the grooves and securely pinned to the ground. This can be done with hooks made of ordinary wire. From one adult currant bush, no more than 6-8 shoots are used for layering. The bent branches are not initially covered with earth, but as soon as vertical shoots appear on them and reach a height of 12-15 cm, the grooves are carefully filled with moist soil mixed with peat. Only the green tops should be left above the surface. As they grow, they are spudded two to three times per season. By autumn, currant cuttings are already well rooted; they are dug up, separated from the mother branch with sharp pruners or a knife and transplanted to a permanent place.

Currant diseases and pests - description, photo, treatment

Like all members of the gooseberry family, currants are susceptible to a number of major diseases:

Currant anthracnose

a fungal disease that attacks leaves. Diseased foliage becomes covered with red or dark brown spots, currant leaves turn brown, curl and dry out. To combat anthracnose, spray with a solution of copper sulfate (40 g per 10 liters of water) or Bordeaux mixture (100 g per 10 liters). Affected leaves are torn off and burned.

manifested by the following symptoms: the flowers become small and double, acquire a purple color and gradually dry out, the leaves of the plant become deformed and lengthened, become three-lobed (instead of five-lobed), the number of cloves on them is reduced, the characteristic aroma of currant disappears, small veins on the leaves become thicker and coarser , berries are not formed, and the bush itself becomes barren. Black currants are susceptible to this disease much more often than red and white ones. This disease can be transmitted by aphids, mites and bedbugs; these pests are especially active in the spring during the formation of flower clusters. As a preventive measure and treatment of currants, currant bushes should be treated with insecticides and fungicides that destroy pests. Treatment is carried out in spring and early summer. Currant branches affected by the disease must be pruned, deformed and swollen buds should be cut off immediately. To destroy pests, you can treat the bushes with biological preparations (0.3% lepidocide or 1% bitoxidacillin) or chemical preparations (0.2% acarin, 0.1% fufanon, 0.04% fitoverm). Sometimes the only way to combat terry disease is to completely remove the diseased bush so that it does not infect the currant bushes growing nearby.

Striped mosaic

a viral disease of currants, which is transmitted by mites or aphids. The cause of the disease can also be grafting of an affected cutting onto a healthy plant. A sign of this disease is the appearance of a bright yellow pattern on currant leaves in the form of large veins. As a preventive measure, it is necessary to use only healthy planting material, be sure to treat the bushes with pest control agents, and carefully inspect the plants for the presence of this disease. There is no cure for striatal mosaic. The currant bush will have to be uprooted and burned. A new plant should not be planted in its place for 5 years so that it is not affected by the same disease.

affects all parts of the plant. At first, the buds, leaves and berries are covered with a whitish coating, which is easily erased, but over time it becomes dense and brown. Affected currant leaves become deformed and dry out, and fruits are set in very small quantities. As a means of control, all affected parts of the plant should be cut out and burned. Then treat the plant and soil with a solution of copper sulfate (300 g per 10 liters of water) or Topaz and Fitosporin.

densely occupies leaves and young shoots, and ants actively crawling along the branches will help you notice the appearance of pests. To avoid depletion of the plant, at the very beginning of the appearance of aphids, currant bushes are sprayed strong solution laundry soap. Also, as a treatment, you can treat the currant bush with an infusion of garlic, tobacco, or spray the leaves with a solution of karbofos.

Currant glass

or rather, the caterpillar of this butterfly gnaws the currant branches from the inside, making moves in the direction from the ground to the tops of the shoots. As a result, entire currant branches dry out and die. As a preventive measure, the loosened soil under the bushes is covered with a mixture of ash, tobacco, mustard and hot pepper, at the rate of half a glass per bush. Spraying with Intavir, Iskra or Fitoferm is also effective.

or Septoria blight is characterized by round brown spots on the leaves that subsequently turn white. A plant can become infected through spores found in fallen leaves. Currants should be treated in the same way as for anthrocnose: by spraying with a solution of copper sulfate or Bordeaux mixture.

appears as rusty-yellow spots on the leaves. Orange-yellow blisters also appear on the back of the leaves. The culprit of this disease is a fungus brought from coniferous plants (Siberian cedar or Weymouth pine). Measures to combat this disease: spray currant bushes with 1% Bordeaux mixture 3 times: when the first leaves appear, when buds appear on the bush and after the currants bloom. As a preventive measure, you need to remove fallen leaves and loosen the soil under the currant bushes.

appears as yellow-orange swellings on the leaves of the plant. This is a fungal disease that can be caused by frequent rain and high humidity. The fungus also multiplies on sedge, so if currants grow close to this plant, then fungal spores may well get on it. To treat currants, you can spray the foliage and soil around the bush with a 3% solution of nitrafen (in spring or autumn). If treatment is carried out in the summer, then you can take a 0.4% suspension of 80% cuprosan + 1% colloidal sulfur. You need to spray currants several times: before flowering, immediately after flowering, 2 weeks after the 2nd time, and also after picking the berries. It is important to treat the underside of the leaves well. As a preventative measure, it is necessary to collect and destroy fallen leaves, weed the ground to remove weeds and dig up the soil under currant bushes.

Currant leaf gall midge

manifests itself in May, as a result of which the currant leaves turn brown, curl and dry out. This pest eats the young leaves of the plant and can lead to its death. As a method of combating this pest, damaged currant branches should be cut off, and the rest of the bush should be sprayed with a solution of chlorophos and karbofos (20g + 30g per 10 liters of water). For prevention, the soil under currant bushes must be dug up in the fall.

In ancient times, currants grew in abundance on the banks of the Moscow River, so the famous water artery of our country was then called “Smorodinovka”.
Unripe currants contain 4 times more nutrients than when fully ripe. Therefore, you should not chase children away from the bush when they are picking green berries.
Black currant leaves, placed in jars of homemade preserves, not only improve the taste of vegetables and mushrooms, but also enrich them with their beneficial substances.
Currant is an excellent honey plant, and its honey has medicinal and preventive properties.

Currant (Ribes) - this genus is a representative of the gooseberry family. It unites about 200 plant species, 50 of which are naturally found in the Northern Hemisphere. In the monastery gardens of Rus', this crop began to be grown in the 11th century, and then it ended up in European countries. In Russia, currants are very popular among gardeners. Along with red and black currants, golden and white currants are also grown. However, of all types, black currant is considered the most healthy and tasty. Its fruits are eaten fresh, and jellies, jams, compotes, syrups, liqueurs, wines and liqueurs are also prepared from them. Also this plant used as raw materials for the pharmaceutical industry.

Currant represents perennial shrub, which can be spreading or compact. Its height varies from 100 to 200 centimeters. The greenish fluffy stems turn brown with age. Young shoots grow from dormant buds every year. The plant's root system is powerful, and it penetrates the soil to a depth of about 0.6 m. Three-lobed or five-lobed leaf plates with a serrated edge have a diameter of 3–12 centimeters. The front surface of the leaves has a dark green color, and the back surface has pubescence along the veins. Racemose drooping inflorescences consist of light pink or lavender bell-shaped flowers. The fruit is a fragrant berry. The color and size of the fruit is influenced by the type and variety of the plant. Flowering occurs in May and June, and fruiting occurs in July and August. The plant begins to bear fruit in the second year after planting in open ground. Currants are considered a popular crop, as are, for example, strawberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries and blueberries. It is cultivated by gardeners on their plots, and currants are also grown on an industrial scale. Currants are a relative of another popular crop - gooseberries.

What time to plant

Currants are considered long-lived compared to other garden and berry crops. The very next season after planting in open ground, it bears its first fruits. If the bush is provided with good care, it will bear fruit for more than 15 years. It is best to plant currants in open soil in the first weeks of autumn, but in extreme cases this can be done in the spring. It is recommended to purchase a two-year-old seedling with 3 skeletal roots. Examine him carefully before purchasing, as he may be very weak or sick.

A suitable area should be well lit and protected from strong gusts of wind. Non-acidic, well-drained soil is suitable for this crop. If the soil is acidic, then this can be corrected by adding lime to it for digging (per 1 square meter from 0.3 to 0.8 kg), this is done before planting the plant. In addition, from 100 to 150 grams of granulated superphosphate, from 2 to 4 kilograms of organic matter and from 20 to 30 grams of potassium sulfate per 1 square meter of land should be added to the soil. You need to dig the soil to a depth of 20 to 22 centimeters.

The length and width of the planting hole should be about 0.55 m, and its depth should be approximately 0.45 m. A distance of 1.5–2 m should be maintained between bushes. Pour 100 grams of superphosphate, 1 bucket of humus and 45 grams of potassium chloride. To prevent the roots of the plant from getting burned, the fertilizers must be covered with a layer of soil, the thickness of which should be from 7 to 9 centimeters. The preparation of the hole must be started 15 days before planting the currants, in this case the soil will be able to settle well. The plant is placed in a hole at an angle of 45 degrees, making sure that its root collar is buried 50 mm into the soil. Spread the roots very carefully. This procedure is very important because it promotes the active growth of new roots and shoots from buds in the ground, resulting in the formation of a strong shrub with many powerful branches. The hole is filled with a small amount of soil, which is compacted well. Then 5 liters of water are poured into it, after which the hole is filled to the top with earth. A furrow must be made around the seedling, which should be filled with water. To avoid the appearance of a crust on the surface of the soil, it must be covered with a layer of mulch (humus). Shorten the shoots to 10–15 centimeters, with 4 or 5 buds remaining on each segment. If desired, stick the cuttings into moist soil where they can take root.

Planting currants in the spring is carried out only as a last resort, and you need to do it before the sap begins to flow and before the buds open. The difficulty of planting this crop in the spring is that at the beginning of the growing season it is very difficult to choose the moment suitable for planting currants. The fact is that the currant bush begins to grow very early, and the soil often does not have time to warm up to the temperature necessary for the plant to take root. If the planting hole was prepared in the autumn and the soil in it had time to settle, then it will be easier to plant currants in the spring.

Currant care

It is very easy to care for currant bushes in the spring, you just need to adhere to the following scheme:

It is necessary to cut out all the buds affected by the mite. If you need to remove most of the buds, then in this case the affected shoots on the bush are cut off almost to the base.
Dig the bush to a shallow depth, and cover the surface of the soil around it with a layer of mulch (humus or manure).
During active growth and flowering, the bush needs regular watering.
It is necessary to weed and loosen the soil around the bushes to a depth of 6 to 8 centimeters at least 2 or 3 times every 7 days. To reduce the amount of weeding and loosening, you need to cover the area with mulch.
After wintering, the plant will need sanitary pruning.
At the beginning of spring, bushes need to be sprayed to prevent diseases and pests.
When the plant blooms (usually in May), it is necessary to carefully inspect the flowers. Any double flowers found will need to be removed. If there are a lot of such flowers on a plant, then it is dug up and burned to avoid further spread of terry.
Feed the bush with nitrogen-containing fertilizer.

In summer, you need to provide timely watering to the currants. How to properly water this crop is described in great detail below. You also need to weed the currants on time, you need to ensure that the surface of the area is always clean. Also in summer, shrubs are fed with organic matter, which must be carried out in conjunction with watering. Inspect the bushes regularly and if pests or symptoms of disease are detected, treat them with an appropriate product. However, remember that 20 days before the fruits ripen, you need to stop any treatment of the plant with chemicals, but they can be replaced with harmless folk remedies. The fruits should be collected selectively as they ripen, while white and red currants are picked with tassels, and black currants - one berry at a time.

When all the fruits have been collected from the bush, it should be watered, after which the soil should be loosened. IN last days In September, the bushes are fed with organic matter and mineral fertilizers. And also at this time, formative and sanitary pruning of bushes is carried out. also in given time carry out planting and propagation of currant bushes. If there is very little rain in autumn, then the shrub will need moisture-recharging winter watering. It should also be treated to prevent pests and pathogens of various diseases, which often overwinter in the plant bark or in the top layer of soil.

If the currant bushes are powerful and healthy, then they are unlikely to get sick, and pests will also avoid them. However, despite this, experts advise not to neglect systematic preventive treatments. What should you use to spray this crop so that it remains healthy throughout the season? Remember that along with the awakening of the buds, pests also wake up, as well as pathogenic microorganisms that hid for the winter in the plant bark or in the top layer of soil. The first time you need to treat the shrub before the buds swell, for this you use a one percent solution of Bordeaux mixture, Karbofos or copper sulfate. You can replace these drugs with Nitrafen, but remember that during treatment you need to spray not only the bush, but also the surface of the soil. At the end of the growing season, the area should be cleared of plant debris and fallen leaves, as pests and pathogens love to overwinter in them. Then preventive treatment of currants is carried out using the same means as described above.

How to water

If there was a lot of snow in the winter, then the currants do not need to be watered often in the spring, because the soil already contains a large amount of moisture after the snow melts. After a winter with little snow, in spring the plant will need systematic watering. During the formation of ovaries and fruit filling, especially in dry, hot weather, the bushes need to be watered with lukewarm water approximately once every 5 days. It is necessary that the soil gets wet to a depth of 0.3 to 0.4 m; therefore, 2–3 buckets of water are taken per 1 square meter of land. You need to pour water strictly under the plant, while making sure that the water does not get on the foliage and berries. Experienced gardeners recommend making watering areas around the bush, which should be limited to a relatively high (about 15 centimeters) roller made of soil. If desired, they can be replaced with circular grooves, the depth of which should be 10–15 centimeters, and they should be made at a distance of 0.3 to 0.4 m from the crown projection. If there is drought in the autumn, then the currant bushes will need moisture-recharging winter watering.

White and red currants require less watering compared to black currants.

Currant feeding

If during planting all the necessary fertilizers were added to the hole, then the currants will not need to be fed for 2 years. Starting from the third year, fertilizers will need to be applied to the soil systematically. At first spring period This crop is fed with nitrogen-containing fertilizer. To feed one young bush, take from 40 to 50 grams of urea. Starting from the age of four, 15 to 20 grams of urea are used to feed 1 bush, and two feedings are carried out. In autumn, 4–6 kg of organic matter (manure, chicken manure or compost), 15 grams of potassium sulfate and 50 grams of superphosphate are added to the soil under the bush. These feedings should be carried out annually.

What do experts recommend using to feed currants so that they are more resistant to diseases and pests, and also produce a rich harvest? From June to July it is necessary to make 3 foliar feedings, for this they use the following nutrient mixture: you need to take 5 grams of potassium manganese, 3 grams boric acid and 35 grams of copper sulfate, they should be diluted separately, and then mixed with 1 bucket of water. You need to spray the plant with this composition on a cloudy day or in the evening when the sun has set, and there should be no wind.

Pruning currants in spring

Pruning currants is necessary because during this procedure all unnecessary, injured, diseased and weak branches are removed, which means that the plant will no longer have to waste its energy and nutrients on them. Most of the ovaries are located on last year's growths of four-year and five-year-old branches. In this regard, branches that are more than 6 years old must be cut out, because they are no longer needed. You also need to cut out diseased and dried branches. With timely and systematic pruning, the fruiting of black currant bushes can be extended up to 20 years, and red currant bushes - up to 15 years.

In the autumn, when the leaf fall ends, the main currant pruning should be done. In early spring, before the buds open, it is necessary to shorten the stems damaged by frost in winter to healthy tissue, and also remove all dead and injured branches. In the summer, it is recommended to pinch the ends of young shoots; this is necessary to stimulate their tillering, as well as to give the bush a neat and regular shape.

After the seedling is planted in open soil, all its stems are shortened to 10–15 centimeters from the surface of the site. In the second year, the bush will need to select 3-5 of the most powerful zero shoots, they will become skeletal branches, and the rest will need to be cut out. On shrubs of the third and fourth year of growth, 3 to 6 most developed zero shoots should be selected, and the rest should be removed. Do not allow the bush to thicken; to do this, you need to remove weak and underdeveloped shoots located in the middle of the bush. Trim the tops off last year's stems. Two- and three-year-old branches are shortened, leaving 2–4 buds on each branch. If you trim the bush correctly and regularly, then by this age it will already be fully formed. In subsequent years, it will be necessary to cut out all branches older than 6 years at the root. Pruning of the remaining branches is carried out according to the scheme described above.

Rules for pruning white and red currants

Pruning of white and red currants is carried out in spring. The rules and pruning patterns are the same as those intended for black currants, however, pinching the tops of growths is not necessary, nor is it necessary to shorten the shoots of the second and third years. You will need to cut out all old branches that are more than 7 years old, you also need to remove all unnecessary young shoots, injured and diseased branches. If a branch older than 7 years continues to bear fruit, it should be shortened to the nearest powerful fork. In this case, it will live and bear fruit longer than usual.

Often, to propagate currants, gardeners use arcuate layering, green or lignified cuttings, and also root two-year-old branches cut from a bush. Red currants are relatively difficult to propagate from cuttings; for this it is better to use layering. Only specialists are engaged in growing currants from seeds, because this propagation method is very long and ineffective.

How to propagate from woody cuttings

This crop can be propagated by both green and lignified cuttings. The most accessible method is to grow currants from woody cuttings, because you can harvest them when you need it. Cuttings are planted for rooting in spring and autumn. Experienced gardeners recommend preparing cuttings in the first weeks of winter, but you need to do it before severe frosts, as they can destroy the kidneys. The length of the cuttings can vary from 18 to 20 centimeters, while their thickness should be 0.8–1 centimeter. It is recommended to cut them from the middle of annual shoots that grow from three-year-old branches or from the root. To prevent moisture from evaporating from the cuttings during storage, the cut areas should be covered with melted paraffin or garden varnish. Then the cuttings should be wrapped in slightly moistened paper and placed in a plastic bag, which should be buried in a snowdrift or placed on a refrigerator shelf. At the very beginning of spring, cuttings should be planted in training beds. They need to be planted at an angle of 45 degrees, a distance of 15 centimeters must be maintained between the cuttings, and the width between the rows should be about 20 centimeters. The lower end of the cutting, coated with paraffin, should be cut obliquely. The planted cuttings should be buried in the soil so much that only 2 buds rise above its surface. Planted cuttings need abundant watering, then the surface of the bed should be covered with a layer of mulch (humus, sawdust or fine peat). Then, arched supports are installed over the bed, which reach a height of about 0.5 m, and a plastic film is stretched over it. The shelter should be removed only after new leaves grow on the cuttings. The garden bed should be watered moderately, and the soil should not be allowed to dry out even for a short time. In the summer, cuttings need timely weeding, watering and fertilizing with mullein. At the beginning of autumn, the cuttings will become seedlings, which can reach a height of 0.3–0.5 m, and they will have 1 or 2 shoots. Well-developed and strong cuttings can be planted in a permanent place in the autumn, while weak ones need to be grown until next autumn.

To root green cuttings you will need a greenhouse. But there is another way. For cutting cuttings, only well-developed shoots are used, but it should be remembered that the top is not rooted. The length of the cutting should reach from 5 to 10 centimeters, and it should have 2 green leaf plates. Cuttings should be placed in a container of water for rooting. After half a month, they will have roots, the length of which will reach 1–1.2 cm. After this, the cuttings are planted in bags that are filled with soil. You need to make holes in the bags in advance to allow excess liquid to drain. The cuttings must be watered once every 2–3 days, and the soil in the bag should have a creamy consistency. After 1–1.5 weeks, watering should be reduced, and the soil should become its normal consistency. The cuttings will be kept indoors until May; by the time of planting, their height should reach 0.5–0.6 m. During transplantation, you just need to cut the bag and pull out the cutting. It is dug into the ground obliquely, and it should be planted 15 centimeters deeper than it grew before.

Reproduction of currants by layering

Propagating such a shrub by layering is very simple and easy. After just a year, you will have powerful seedlings with a well-developed root system. For layering, choose a two-year-old branch that must be absolutely healthy and at the same time grow on the periphery of the bush at an angle. Under this branch you need to make a fairly deep (10 to 12 centimeters) groove. Then the branch is carefully bent and placed in this groove, taking into account that the top of this branch should rise 0.2–0.3 m above the soil surface. In the middle, the branch is fixed with a wire hook or a metal bracket. The furrow must be filled with soil. The cuttings will need systematic watering throughout the summer. By the onset of autumn, the cuttings should become a strong seedling with several branches and a developed root system. If desired, the cuttings can be removed from the ground, cut off from the parent bush and transplanted to a new permanent location.

Currant diseases with photos and descriptions

Currants suffer from the same diseases as many other garden crops, for example, gooseberries. As a rule, a shrub gets sick if it is not properly cared for or due to poor heredity. The most common diseases are described below:

Small brown spots with small tubercles appear on the surface of the leaf blades, which merge with each other over time. The foliage dries out and dies. First, the lower branches are affected, and then the disease rises higher.

Septoria (white spot)

Angular or round spots appear on the foliage. At first they are colored brown, but over time they lighten and acquire a dark border. In some cases, fruit damage occurs.

On the leaf plates there are large light yellow pads, inside of which there are fungal spores.

On the bush you can find ugly “double” flowers that are colored purple colour. On young shoots, darkening and stretching of the foliage is observed, blades appear on it, and the veins become coarser. The foliage loses its smell, and the bush stops bearing fruit.

Gray rot

Brown spots appear on the surface of the foliage. In white currants, this disease can also damage the wood.

Small yellow spots form on the front surface of the leaves. In this case, growths appear on the underside surface containing orange-yellow spores, which are small hairs.

The bark loses its elasticity and resilience, causing it to crack. This leads to drying and death of the branches.

In the first weeks of summer, a yellow pattern appears on the leaf blades around the main veins.

A loose white coating forms on the surface of the fruits and foliage. After some time it becomes a brownish film.

Nectria necrosis

Drying of branches and stems is observed in white and red currants.

It is not always possible to cure currants. To date, no effective medicine has been found for viral diseases. If you do not start treating a fungal disease in time, then it can destroy half the bushes in a season. It should be remembered that if you follow the rules of agricultural technology and with proper care, the plant will get sick very rarely. Inspect currant bushes regularly and begin treatment when the first signs of disease are detected. Also, one should not forget about preventive treatments of currants and the soil around them; for this, a solution of Bordeaux mixture, copper sulfate, Nitrafen or Karbofos is used. Similar treatments are carried out in early spring before the buds swell and in the autumn.

Currant pests with photos and descriptions

Currants can also be seriously harmed by various harmful insects, which also prefer to settle on its close relative - the gooseberry. More often than others, the following pests settle on currant bushes:

The caterpillars of such an insect devour the leaf plates, of which only the veins remain.

The caterpillars of this insect damage the fruits and buds of the plant. They settle not only on currants, but also on grapes, gooseberries, viburnum and other berry crops.

The false caterpillars of this sawfly settle on red and white currants, they devour its foliage.

Fruits damaged by this pest begin to ripen very quickly and dry out.

It feeds on plant sap, sucking it from the leaves. As a result, the shoots become bent, their growth stops, they curl, dry out and fly away from the leaves.

The caterpillars of this butterfly eat the foliage of not only white and red currants, but also gooseberries.

Often such a pest, which produces 7 generations in one season, settles on white or red currants. The affected bush begins to turn yellow, the leaf plates become deformed, and red and yellow swellings appear on their surface. Then the foliage flies away.

Can harm red and black currants, gooseberries, raspberries, strawberries, grapes, elderberries and other plants. The color of the foliage of the affected bush becomes marbled, it begins to dry out and fly off.

Affected black currant berries change their shape to faceted.

It is necessary to combat such pests precisely at the time when they settle on the bush. At the same time, there are a very large number of different quite effective drugs. Some gardeners use folk remedies, while others prefer modern ones. chemicals. You can protect the plant from pest invasion by treating it in spring and autumn. copper sulfate or Bordeaux mixture.

Currant varieties with photos and descriptions

Numerous varieties of currants are divided not only by the color of the fruit, but also by the time of their ripening into: early ripening, mid-early, mid-ripening, mid-late and late ripening.

Pearl. The fruits are sweet, black and very large, weighing about 6 grams.
Venus. Tall shrub. The black fruits have a sweet and sour taste and weigh about 5.5 grams.
Black BMW. The shrub is compact and vigorous. The black sweet fruits weigh about 7 grams.
Jonker Van Tets. The red fruits are very large and have a sweet and sour taste.
Ural white. The spreading bush bears large white fruits. They taste sweet.

Bashkir giant. This variety is resistant to pests and diseases. The very large black fruits have a sweet and sour taste.
Belarusian sweet. The very large black fruits have a sweet taste.
Umka. The shrub is erect and vigorous. The fruits are sweet, large and white.

Sanyuta. The vigorous shrub is quite compact. The sweet and sour black fruit weighs about 5.5 grams.
Osipovskaya sweet. This vigorous shrub is slightly spreading. Sweet large fruits are red in color.

Lazy person. The vigorous, compact shrub produces very large black fruits with a sweet taste.
Valentinovka. Red sour fruits are very large. They are great for making jelly.

Today, golden currants are becoming increasingly popular among gardeners. This shrub is decorative: the fragrant flowers are painted in various shades of yellow, while in autumn the foliage changes its color to variegated and very rich. Depending on the variety, the fruits can be orange, red, yellow, brown, pink or blue-black. But such currants have a slightly lower taste of the fruit than black, white and red.

Currant hybrids

Today, only 2 currant hybrids are popular.

This is a hybrid of common gooseberry, black currant and protruding gooseberry. It was born in 1970. It took specialists about 40 years to create it. This is a very strong spreading shrub, reaching a height of approximately 150 cm, its diameter can also be 150 cm. There are no thorns on the plant. The fruits are covered with a thick skin and weigh about 5 grams. They are painted black with purple tint color. The berries are collected in a cluster of 3–5 pieces. They have a nutmeg flavor that is quite pleasant. The bush is frost-resistant and resistant to certain pests and diseases. Life expectancy is from 20 to 30 years. Very popular in Western Europe.

This hybrid of gooseberries and currants was created in Sweden. Large smooth fruits are painted black and reach 20 millimeters in diameter. They are 3-5 pieces collected in a brush. The plant does not have the characteristic smell of currants. The fruits have the taste of both currants and gooseberries. In Sweden, fruit ripening occurs in mid-July.

Silence carried a stream of smoke,
The moon became sad in the sky.

The main thing is that I have you!
I'll silently pray to myself,
I’ll light a cigarette and renounce again.

The main thing is that I have you!

The main thing is that I have you!

I treasure the photo card tenderly.
You laugh at her, I scream
I'll be back, there's no other way,
Because I have you!
We're going again, and we're going again,
We catch air like a horse's mouth.
Well, let there be a trap ahead.
The main thing is that I have you!

And you are there, there, where the currants grow,
And the birch tree sweeps the sand with a thin twig.
And you are where spring is, and I am here where winter is...
The main thing is that I have you!

And you are there, there, where the currants grow,
And the birch tree sweeps the sand with a thin twig.
And you are where spring is, and I am here where winter is...
But.. it’s nothing, right?
Silence carried a stream of smoke,
The moon became sad in the sky.
Well, let it be - I’m not afraid of sadness.
The main thing is that I have you!
I'll silently pray to myself,
I’ll light a cigarette and renounce again.
It's a pity that I only realized now -
The main thing is that I have you!

It was only in the 16th century that people began to grow currants near their houses. And before that, it grew only along the banks of rivers and streams, in flood meadows and near swamps - that is, in places with the highest humidity. And today in such natural places you can see wild currants, but with smaller fruits than cultivated garden varieties.

General information

The height of garden currant bushes is 1.5 meters or more. Wild currant - its short predecessor, has a height that is several times smaller.

This plant can bear fruit for up to 20 years. However, its productivity decreases significantly after 10 years, the branches dry out, new basal shoots appear, and the fruits become smaller.

Currants got their name due to the peculiar aroma that spreads tens of meters from the bush during the flowering period. In the Old Slavic language, its name sounds like “currant”, translated as “strong smell”.

Wild plants in science

All wild plants represent an excellent source for introduction to culture in an improved form. Collected in botanical and various breeding institutions and used for breeding different kinds plants such as wild currants and gooseberries.

Companions of garden plants are sources of genes for resistance to various pests and diseases, therefore, when developing completely new varieties, they represent a storehouse of active biological substances.

Wild currant: types and varieties, distribution

In the vast forests and on the banks of the rivers of Siberia, on the ridges of the Pamir and Tien Shan, wild plants grow everywhere. It differs from the European plant and represents a separate subspecies, which has a more spreading bush shape and a brown, almost black or brown color of the berries. Residents of these areas enjoy making a pleasant, tasty jam from wild currants.

America (North and South), Asia is the real kingdom of these plants.

There are also grouse grouse in the Far East. Its berries have an oblong-round shape and a bluish-black color with a waxy coating. Local residents have a common name for it - “Aldan grapes”.

Moss currant grows in wetlands from the Ob to the Sea of Okhotsk. It is a squat shrub with creeping branches. It has large and delicate berries, which quickly fall off after full ripening.

The most common type of wild currant is repis, introduced to Europe in the early 18th century from North America.

Usage

Fresh berries are very rich in various beneficial properties, from which jams, jellies, juices, compotes, fruit drinks, etc. are prepared. You can simply close the berries in sterilized jars, sprinkling aspirin on top or pouring boiled lemon juice over them. You can also dry the leaves and fruits of this magnificent miraculous plant. And many people make wild currant jam.

The enormous benefits of these berries are confirmed by the fact that to satisfy the body’s need for ascorbic acid, it is enough to eat 20-30 berries every day. For year-round use, the fruits can be frozen to winter period Use them for food defrosted or drink compote prepared from them.

Wild currants, like cultivated ones, are of great value when freshly picked. Unfortunately, the berries do not tolerate transportation well, but there are ways to preserve their excellent properties. The best thing is to grind fresh berries with plenty of sugar. This helps preserve their properties until the next season.

This amazing healthy berry is known to improve appetite. No wonder they say: “I ate a currant and set my teeth on edge.” This is what it is - wild currant.

Jam

Let's present one of the recipes for jam from wild currants (repis), which is practically no different from recipes for jam from garden fruits.

Four kilograms of peeled currant fruits are thoroughly washed and dried, and poured into a large saucepan. 4 kg of granulated sugar is added to it and the whole thing is cooked over low heat with periodic stirring until the latter is completely dissolved.

After boiling begins, cook for about 50 minutes (you don’t have to remove the foam). And after cooling completely, pour the jam into jars, washed with boiling water.

In conclusion, a little about the beneficial properties of currants

The described plant, especially wild black currant, contains many vitamins, and therefore has excellent medicinal properties.

The fruits have an excellent tonic, blood purifying, vasodilating and diuretic effect.
Rutin contained in currants strengthens blood vessels.
The pigment that gives fruits color (carotene, from which vitamin A is formed) improves cellular metabolism.
Niacin (B3) helps strengthen the nervous system, and vitamin B5 gives beautiful shine to hair.
Iron and calcium are well involved in blood formation.
Manganese and magnesium are beneficial for the functioning of the cardiac system.

It should be noted that such properties are inherent not only in currant fruits, but also in its leaves.

Name: Latinization of the Arabic 'ribas', the name of Palestinian rhubarb (Rheum ribes Z.), which has a sour taste. When the Arabs conquered Spain in 711 and did not find the well-known ‘ribas’ there, which they widely used in their homeland, the name was transferred to red currants, which also have a sour taste.

Ribes japonicum
Photo of Svetlana Voronina

Description: has up to 150 species, distributed in cold and temperate zones of Europe, Asia, North and South America.

Shrubs 1-2.5 m tall, with simple, lobed leaves, numerous small flowers in racemose inflorescences, beautiful clusters of fruits of various colors, most of them edible. They bear fruit from 3-5 years. They require rich, sufficiently moist, loose and well-drained soil. Shade-tolerant, but develop better in lighted and protected places. They tolerate city conditions well. Need constant care. Propagated by seeds, cuttings, dividing the bush, layering. At seed propagation sowing is carried out in the fall in the year of fruit harvest or in the spring after 2-3 months of stratification. For decorative purposes, they are planted singly or in groups; forms with creeping shoots are used to create alpine slides. Because currants can withstand pruning well, they can be used for low hedges and borders.

Currant. Such a boring plant. But without currants, just like without lilacs, it is impossible to imagine a single Russian estate. (By the way, the history of domestic varieties dates back to the 11th century.) And it is with currants, a simple berry bush, that the chronicle of our private garden, as a rule, begins. If you look at it with different eyes, it turns out that it is not only tasty, healing berries and standard jam. Behind the familiar, familiar appearance one can discern the freshness and beauty to which we are simply accustomed. We’re used to it and don’t even notice! But currants are one of those ornamental plants that can decorate not only our garden, but also our lives. Judge for yourself.

In nature, it is found in the northwestern regions of the European part of Russia, in the Carpathians, the Caucasus, Scandinavia, Central and Southern Europe. In forests, among bushes, along river banks, on plains and in mountains up to the subalpine zone, on rocks. Protected in nature reserves.

A beautiful shrub, up to 2.5 m tall, with brown shoots, elegant three-lobed, dark green leaves, up to 4 cm long, sharp-toothed along the edge, shiny above, lighter below, smooth or scatteredly hairy. Autumn leaf color varies from pale yellow to ocher yellow. The flowers are small greenish; staminate, in racemes, up to 4 cm long, of 2-20 flowers; pistillate - very short, 2-3 flowered. The fruits are red, spherical or slightly oblong berries (up to 0.9 cm), tasteless, very colorful against the background of dark greenery.

It is undemanding to soil, tolerates slight salinity, and can grow in rocky areas. Winter-hardy and heat-resistant. One of the few species that tolerates a curly haircut perfectly. It can be used to make not only simple geometric shapes, but also intricate figures. Propagated by seeds, which are sown immediately after the fruits ripen or in late autumn, pre-stratified after harvesting. When sowing in spring, 2-3 months of stratification are required. Benign quality p. 70%. Soil germination s. 20 %. The optimal sowing depth is 0.5 cm. Can be propagated by layering and lignified cuttings.

In GBS since 1938, 35 copies, of which 19 were grown from seeds obtained from the culture, 3 copies. brought by young plants from natural habitats of the Caucasus, 13 copies. seed and vegetative reproduction of GBS. Shrub, height 2.2 m at 13 years, crown diameter 150 cm. Grows from mid-April to early October. The growth rate is average. It blooms from 3-5 years, annually, profusely, from the beginning to the third decade of May, 16 days. It bears fruit from 4-5 years old, abundantly, the fruits ripen in mid-July and do not fall for a long time. Winter hardiness is complete. Seed germination is low. It is easily propagated by summer cuttings and takes root in cold greenhouses without the use of growth stimulants up to 83%.

It has a number of forms: dwarf with yellow leaves - (f. aurea); dwarf with small leaves - (f. pumila); with deeply incised-toothed leaves - (f. laciniata), etc.

‘Aurea‘. A dwarf shrub about 1 m high, wider in width than in height. Young leaves are golden in color. It is beautiful during flowering, when the bush looks openwork thanks to numerous pale yellow flowers on short racemes. By late summer they turn into tasteless bright red berries.

‘Pumilum‘. In GBS since 1976, 4 copies. grown from seeds obtained from Ukraine, and 4 copies. vegetative reproduction of GBS. Shrub, height 1.5 m at 10 years, crown diameter 120 cm. Grows slowly. It blooms and bears fruit from the age of 5. Seasonal development dates are similar to the species. Winter hardiness is complete. Easily propagated by summer cuttings in cold greenhouses: rooting up to 90%.

Early and dense foliage, ornamental foliage, bright berries decorating the bush in summer and autumn, reddish autumn foliage, along with unpretentiousness - make this species desirable in landscape gardening; in single and group plantings, free-growing or shaped hedges, along the banks of reservoirs and slopes. In culture since 1588.

Eastern and central North America. Wet forests, bushes, swamps, river banks, wet ravines, deep gorges.

In spring, this rather tall (up to 1.5 m) shrub with spreading arched shoots is covered with clusters of bell-shaped greenish-yellow flowers. In summer it is decorated with fruits with a diameter of about 10 mm, changing color when ripe from red to black. In autumn, the plant is colored with dark purple leaves. The taste of American currant berries resembles the taste of black berries. In America, in its homeland, one variety is known as a berry plant - Sweet-fruited Missouri. American currant produces high yields in the Central Asian republics, mainly in Uzbekistan, near Tashkent. In Western Europe and Russia, few people know this currant yet.

Spectacular forms of American currant with an original bush structure and graceful leaves were obtained at the All-Russian Research Institute of Genetics and Selection of Fruit Plants named after. I. V. Michurina. The most attractive plants are those with large and small leaves. Large-leaved currant has corrugated leaves and long inflorescences. It can be grown either as a standard tree or as a bush. In small-leaved forms in spring, thin arched branches bend gracefully under the weight of numerous flowers. And in autumn, their foliage turns dark purple, which gives the garden a special charm. Low spreading bushes of this plant are good for edging flower beds and paths. And one more feature of small-leaved forms of American currant: they are very sensitive to the presence of mutagens in the environment and react to these genetically dangerous factors by the appearance of shoots with large leaves.

By far the most sensitive to pollution environment The only woody plants were conifers: spruce, fir, pine and larch. More convenient for assessing genetic activity external environment It turned out to be a small-leaved form of American currant.

This plant is unpretentious to soils, winter-hardy, has late flowering, allowing it to avoid early spring frosts, its fruits are rich in vitamins and sugars. Currants tolerate pruning well, are resistant to diseases and pests, and are easily propagated by layering, lignified and green cuttings. It is used to stabilize slopes and create undergrowth in the central regions of the European part of Russia.

In GBS since 1952, 3 old copies. in the arboretum grown from seeds obtained from the culture, and 3 copies. in the nursery, brought by young rooted plants from Vladivostok. The arboretum and nursery have 19 specimens of seed and vegetative reproduction of GBS, including 12-year-old ones obtained in vitro. Shrub, height 1.7 m at 5 years, crown diameter 150 cm. Grows from late April to early October. It grows quickly, the ends of the shoots take root when they touch the ground. It blooms profusely, from the third decade of May until the beginning of June, 17 days. It bears fruit from the age of 3, the berries ripen in the last ten days of August. Winter hardiness is average. Seed germination up to 75%. Up to 87% of summer cuttings take root without the use of growth stimulants.

Photo from the magazine “In the World of Plants” - 2003 - No. 10

Homeland - central North America. Rocks and rocky hillsides. Mesoxerophyte.

Spreading deciduous shrub, up to 2 m tall. Small bright yellow flowers, collected in short racemes, have a spicy scent. Leaves are 2.5-4 cm wide. The plant feels best in a sunny place; in the shade it becomes loose and takes on an unkempt appearance. The plant is winter-hardy.

In GBS since 1937, 3 copies. grown from seeds obtained from the culture, and 5 copies. seed reproduction of GBS. Shrub, at 8 years height 1.9 m, crown diameter 90 cm, at 20 years height 2.5 m, crown diameter 230 cm. Grows from mid-April to the end of September. Grows quickly. It blooms and bears fruit from the age of 4 (vegetative reproduction - earlier). Flowering is abundant, in the second half of May, 18 days. The fruits ripen in early August. Winter hardiness is complete. Seed germination up to 58%. Cuttings take root easily in cold greenhouses.

Photo from the book by R. Phillips, M. Ricks " Ornamental plants in your garden"

Grows naturally in western North America. In the mountains, in damp places, along valleys and banks of rivers and lakes.

Tall, low-branched shrub, up to 2 m tall, with a beautiful, rounded crown. Young shoots are reddish. The leaves are 3-lobed, up to 5 cm long, glossy, yellow-green in summer and turning red in autumn. Golden-yellow, small flowers with a pleasant, strong aroma are collected in short racemes. Flowering duration is 15-20 days. The fruits are spherical berries, up to 0.8 cm (from orange-yellow and purple-brown to almost black), sweet and sour, edible. Golden currants usually have larger berries than black ones: bright, shiny, with a dry long perianth and a wide variety of colors - from light yellow to black. However, one of the disadvantages of golden currant is its low self-fertility. Therefore, several varieties are planted at the same time for cross-pollination. Fruits from 5-6 years of age. It has a number of large-fruited forms and varieties. In culture since the beginning of the 19th century.

Winter-hardy, undemanding to soil, tolerates air pollution well. Photophilous, but tolerates shading. The most drought-resistant of currants. Propagated by sowing seeds; stratification for 2-4 months accelerates their germination. In autumn, the foliage acquires a picturesque color - anthocyanin, purple, burgundy, orange, red, lemon yellow. Golden currant is highly valued for this quality and is widely used as an ornamental shrub for group plantings and hedges, clipped or free-growing. Golden currants are very attractive during flowering; at this time the bush is unusually covered fragrant flowers that attract bees. Golden currants are sometimes formed not in the form of a bush, but in the form of a tree on a trunk, 70 cm high. In this case, the plant is well lit, which is reflected in the size and quality of the berries.

In GBS since 1937, 14 copies. grown from seeds obtained from culture and from an expedition to the USA, as well as 18 copies. seed and vegetative reproduction of GBS. Shrub, height 2.3 m at 6 years, crown diameter 150 cm. Grows from mid-April to early October. Grows quickly in at a young age, then the growth rate is average. Blooms profusely, annually, from mid-May to early June, 16 days. It bears fruit from the age of 4, the berries ripen in late July-early August. Winter hardiness is complete. Seed germination up to 80%. Easily propagated by summer cuttings in cold greenhouses without the use of growth stimulants. Rooted cuttings bloom the next year.

R.a. var chrysococcum Rydb. - S. z. golden-fruited. In GBS since 1967, 1 copy. grown from seeds obtained from the culture, and 5 copies. seed reproduction of GBS. Shrub, at 11 years height 2.5 m, crown diameter 220 cm. Grows from mid-April to the end of September. Grows quickly. Blooms in the second half of May, 15 days. It bears fruit from the age of 6, the fruits ripen in early August. Winter hardiness is complete. Seed germination is high.

Photo on the left of Natalia Pavlova
Photo on the right is EDSR.

Naturally grows in the northeast of Siberia and the Far East. Floodplains of rivers, along rocky banks, in uremny forests and along their edges. Protected in nature reserves.

Shrub up to 1-1.5 m tall, with 3-5-lobed leaves (13 x 10 cm), slightly bluish-green, glabrous on both sides, less often pubescent along the veins below. The flowers are small, white, in loose 8-13-flowered racemes up to 8 cm long. The berries are black and blue with a waxy coating, odorless, edible. Fruits abundantly.

It is very winter-hardy and due to this it is often used in breeding. Good on the edges and as undergrowth.

In GBS since 1952, 6 copies obtained from seeds from culture, 6 copies brought by young plants from natural habitats of the Far East, 10 copies. seed and 11 - vegetative reproduction of GBS. Shrub, at 7 years height 1.3 m, crown diameter 100 cm. Grows from late March - early April to late September - early October. Grows moderately quickly. Blooms and bears fruit from the age of 3. It blooms in the second or third decade of May, profusely, for 15 days. The fruits ripen in mid-July. Winter hardiness is complete. Seed germination is 43-66%. The rooting rate of summer cuttings is up to 80%, young plants bloom the next year after rooting.

R. d. Fisch. x R. petiolare Douglas - S. d. x S. petiolate. In GBS since 1984, 2 copies. brought from the Botanical Garden of Vilnius (Lithuania), as well as 1 copy. vegetative reproduction of GBS. Shrub, height 1.5 m at 7 years, crown diameter 120 cm. Grows from mid-April to mid-September. Grows quickly. It blooms and bears fruit very profusely, every year, from the age of 3 years. Blooms in the second or third decade of May, 15 days. The fruits ripen in mid-July. Winter hardiness is complete. Seed germination is very low. Roots in cold greenhouses with 62% of cuttings treated with growth stimulants, blooms the next year after rooting.

Grows wildly in the northern part of Western Europe, in European Russia, Siberia, Northern Mongolia and Northeast China. In deciduous forests on damp rocky places. Tolerates slight shade. Mesophyte. Protected in nature reserves.

Shrub up to 2 m tall, with smooth light yellow bark. The leaves are 3-5-lobed, coarsely toothed, mostly glabrous, shiny, up to 5 cm in diameter. Flowers of 5-10 pieces in racemes up to 5 cm long, with a reddish calyx and greenish petals. The berries are red, spherical, sour, edible.

Red currants awaken later than black currants. Small dark, pressed buds wake up at higher air temperatures (+9-10°C). But red currants bloom earlier. The buds and clusters appear first, and the leaves unfurl later. Flowering begins in late May - early June and lasts on average 12-20 days. In all varieties it occurs almost simultaneously.
With early flowering in the absence of leaves, flowers may be damaged by late spring frosts, but red currants generally suffer less from the return of cold weather than black currants.
In red currant, flower buds are formed not only on annual growth, but also on perennial, more durable than black currant, fruit formations - the so-called bouquet branches, up to 5 cm long. Especially many bouquet branches are formed on well-lit and strong branches. Unlike black currants, red currants have flower buds that are not evenly distributed on the shoot, but are grouped in the zone of transition from one annual growth to another. This is the main reason why annual shoots are never shortened when pruning.

The flowers of most varieties differ only in brightness and shades of yellow and green. The exceptions are some descendants of rock currant, with bright purple flowers, and varieties descended from red currant. The latter have yellow-green flowers with unusual red shading. Red currant bushes turn into “foamy lace” during flowering. As a rule, the strength of flowering indicates the yield.

Under favorable conditions, plants begin to bear fruit in the third year after planting and bear fruit successfully for 20 years or more, although the age of individual bushes can reach 40-50 years. The berries ripen two months after flowering.

The decorative effect of red currants depends not only on the color, but also on the size of the berries and the length of the brush that can be different varieties from 4 to 20 cm (20 cm for the variety ‘ Detvan' - 'Detvan'). In descendants of different species, the brushes also differ in direction. So, in red currant varieties they are almost horizontal, in rocky ones they bend in a wide arc downwards, in ordinary ones they are drooping.

In GBS since 1966, 8 copies. grown from seeds obtained from the crop. Shrub, height 1.9 m at 8 years, crown diameter 100 cm. Grows from late April to mid-September. It grows quite slowly. It blooms and bears fruit from the age of 4, annually. Blooms from mid-May, 15 days. The fruits ripen in mid-July. Winter hardiness is complete. Seed germination rate is 53%. 70% of summer cuttings take root.

According to the size of the fruits, among the red currant varieties, the descendants of the variety are distinguished large-fruited(R. vulgare var. macrocarpum) - berries reach 1.5 cm in diameter. The shape of the fruits of red currants is quite similar: round, slightly elongated or slightly flattened. But what a variety of colors! The berries can be transparent, almost colorless (‘ Bayana‘, ‘White fairy‘, ‘Smolyaninovskaya‘), yellowish (‘ Belyan‘, ‘Primus‘ — ‘Primus’, ‘ Dutch white‘ - ‘Hollandische Weisse>, cream (‘ Versailles white«, ‘ Cream‘, ‘Jüterborg‘—Weisse Yutarborgen’, ‘ Danish white‘ -‘White Dutch>, pink, striped, light (‘ Stanza‘ — ‘Stanza’, ‘ Transdanubia‘, ‘Cascade‘, ‘Wilder' - Wilder") and bright red (' Red Lake‘ — ‘Red Lake’, ‘ Gazelle‘, ‘Jonker-van-tets‘ - ‘Yonkheervan lets’, ‘ Beloved‘, ‘Ron's house‘ - ‘Random’, ‘Firstborn’), cherry (‘ Natalie‘, ‘Marshall Prominent‘), almost black (‘ Red Viksne‘, ‘Varshevich‘). Particularly beautiful are the varieties with pink transparent berries (‘ Dutch pink‘ -‘Hollandische rosa’, ‘ Rossoshanskaya‘) - “the seeds are visible right through.”

The fruits ripen more or less simultaneously, starting with the largest berries. The berries may be flattened or greatly reduced in size from the base to the top of the cluster. Due to the presence of early-ripening varieties, in which the ryods ripen simultaneously with strawberries (July 10-25), and late-ripening varieties (July 30-August 10), the fruiting time is quite long. In most varieties of red currant, ripe berries do not fall off for a long time, without losing their taste until the leaves fall. The taste often even improves due to an increase in sugar content. This advantage of red currants makes it possible to take your time picking and enjoy the berries until late autumn.

Red currant leaf fall begins in early October and ends by the end of the month. Young leaves at the tops of shoots often fall off only after repeated frosts. Starting in September, varieties such as ‘ Konstantinovskaya‘, contribute to golden decoration autumn. Yellow leaves By the Intercession, a pink blush touches, the bushes become very elegant and can decorate any landscape.

Homeland of western North America. Mountains of the Pacific coast, on rocks along streams.

Shrub up to 2-3 m tall, with fragrant young shoots and leaves. The leaves are 3-5-lobed, dark green, on pubescent, glandular petioles, slightly pubescent above, covered with whitish felt below. The flowers are red, almost purple, in multi-flowered, erect or drooping racemes. The fruits are black with a bluish tinge.

In GBS since 1952, 8 copies. grown from seeds obtained from the crop, there are 11 copies. vegetative and seed reproduction of GBS. Shrub, height 1.4 m at 12 years, crown diameter 140 cm. Grows from the first or second ten days of April to mid-October. Grows quickly. It blooms annually, from the age of 3, in the second or third decade of May, for more than 3 weeks. The fruits ripen at the age of 5, in mid-August. Winter hardiness is average. Seed germination up to 38%. Easily propagated by summer cuttings.

It has a number of decorative forms: dark red(f. atrorubens) - with dark purplish-red flowers; bright(f. splendens) - with more large flowers the same color as the previous form; dark(f. cameum) - with pink flowers; whitish(f. albescens) - with whitish flowers; terry(f. flore-plena) - with double red flowers; Brockdebanka(. Brocklebankii) - with yellow flowers. An interesting hybrid of blood-red currant and fragrant currant (R. sanguineum x R. odoratum) - Gordon's currant(R. x gordoniana Lem.)- with yellowish-red flowers in long racemes. This plant is not only very decorative, but also more frost-resistant than blood-red currant.

‘Atrorubens‘. Plants with dark blood red flowers. In GBS since 1967, 2 copies. grown from seeds. Shrub, height 1.1 m at 11 years, crown diameter 140 cm. Developmentally no different from plants of the main species. Fruiting is not annual, from 5 years. Winter hardiness is average.

‘Carneum‘. The flowers are pale pink and larger than the species.
In GBS since 1957, 8 copies. grown from seeds and 5 copies. seed and vegetative reproduction of GBS. Shrub, at 12 years height 1.1 m, crown diameter 110 cm. Grows moderately quickly. Seasonal development occurs at the same time as in the species. It blooms at 3 years old and bears fruit at 5 years old. Winter hardiness is average. Seed germination up to 18%. 90% of cuttings take root.

Blood currants are best planted in combination with forsythia, spring perennials and bulbs. This currant is also very beautiful in single, group plantings and hedges. In Europe, it is often grown in standard form, grafted onto golden currants. By grafting blood-red currants into the crown of fragrant currants, you can even get a bush on which golden and red flowers will bloom in different tiers during the flowering period. The fruits are very unusual: black, with a bluish coating.

This species is unpretentious, grows and develops well on fertile and moist soils, tolerates shade, but, unfortunately, is not very winter-hardy - it cannot withstand the climate of St. Petersburg: flower buds often freeze, and in particularly harsh winters, shoots can be damaged above the level of snow cover. But with shelter and under snow, it overwinters successfully.

Photo of Natalia Pavlova

Siberia, Far East, North Korea, Northeast China. The banks of streams, near springs, on rocky soils covered with mosses, forest and peat bogs, among open forests.

Short (no more than 35 cm). The shoots are creeping, the leaves are small, leathery, wrinkled, shiny. Plants can be used for planting in rockeries, along paths to create borders.
The brushes of this currant are very short. The flowers are saucer-shaped with a reddish tint, the berries are pear-shaped, quite large, thin-skinned, difficult to transport and of the most varied colors: from white and pink to brown and almost black, juicy and very pleasant to the taste. It blooms profusely near Moscow and St. Petersburg, but sets very little fruit. In cultivation, this currant requires good, loose, constantly moist soil and shade.

In GBS since 1958, 8 copies. brought by plants from places of natural growth and 6 copies. vegetative reproduction of GBS. Shrub, height 0.3 m at 3 years. Grows from mid-April to late September. It grows slowly. It blooms from the age of 4, non-annually, in the second or third ten days of May, 17 days. It bears fruit from the age of 5, not annually and very weakly, the fruits ripen in mid-July. Winter hardiness is high. Seed germination rate is 50%. Cuttings root easily without treatment with growth stimulants.

R.p. Pall, x R. petiolare Douglas . The shrub is up to 0.8 m tall and has intermediate morphological characteristics. The leaves are similar to R. procumbens. In cultivation only in the gardens of the Baltic states - in Vilnius and Salaspils. In GBS since 1984, 1 copy. brought from the Vilnius Botanical Garden and 20 copies. GBS reproductions propagated in vitro. It grows from mid-April to the end of September. The growth rate is low. It blooms from the age of 5, annually, in the second or third decade of May, for 15 days. The fruits are set annually, in small quantities, only a few ripen, the rest fall off. Ripening occurs in mid-July. Winter hardiness is high. Reproduction methods other than in vitro were not tested.

Often called “river”, as it grows in forests along rivers and streams in Primorye, Northern China and Korea. Edges and clearings of cedar-broad-leaved forests, in rocky gorges. Found in isolated specimens and small thickets. Protected in nature reserves.

Shrub up to 1.5-2 m tall, with dark gray, flaky bark. The leaves are 3-5-lobed, up to 10 cm long, glabrous or slightly bristly on top, with sparse hairs along the veins on the underside. Greenish flowers are collected 15-40 times in dense racemes up to 10-12 cm long. The fruits are red, up to 0.8 cm, sour, astringent. Used on the edges of forest parks. In culture since 1906.

In GBS since 1954, 15 copies. grown from seeds obtained from culture, as well as from seeds and seedlings from natural habitats of the Far East and 10 copies. seed and vegetative reproduction. Shrub, height 0.5 m in the first year, 0.7 m in 2 years, maximum height 1.7 m, crown diameter 180 cm. Grows quickly at a young age, then slowly. Grows from mid-April to early September. It blooms from the age of 3, in the second or third decade of May, for 14 days. It bears fruit from 5-6 years, the fruits are single, ripen in mid-August. Winter hardiness is complete. Seed germination rate is 65%. 63% of cuttings take root in cold greenhouses using growth stimulants.

It grows naturally in California.

Evergreen or semi-evergreen shrub up to 4 m tall. The shoots are covered with numerous, small, golden spines, giving the plants original look. The leaves are leathery, from round to obovate, with a rounded or broadly wedge-shaped apex, 3-5 lobed or crenate-toothed, smooth or glandular-pilose, up to 4 cm long. The flowers are bright red, with long staminate filaments. On the Caucasian coast it blooms from February to April; during this period it is very decorative. No less decorative at the time of fruiting, decorated with abundant, red fruits.

The species is quite winter-hardy, but it is more likely to be found on the Caucasian coast than in middle lane. Easily propagated by seeds and cuttings at any time of the year. Used in single plantings or in small groups near paths in southern Russia.

Photo by Kirill Tkachenko

Sakhalin, Southern Kuril Islands, Japan. Damp forests and thickets of bushes, along river banks, among dark coniferous forests. In the mountains up to 1000 m above sea level. seas and above. Shade-tolerant mesophyte.

It is low-growing, in many ways reminiscent of moss currant and is also well suited for alpine hills. In early spring, buds with large red scales look beautiful. But the main decorative value is the foliage. The leaves bloom very early - already in the second half of April. Sakhalin currant fruits are very fragrant, but in the middle zone it rarely blooms and bears fruit.

In GBS since 1965, 11 copies. brought by plants from natural habitats; there are also plants of vegetative reproduction of GBS. Shrub, height 0.8 m at 9 years, crown diameter 170 cm. Grows from early April to mid-September. The growth rate is average. It blooms and bears fruit from the age of 4 (plants undergo vegetative reproduction from the age of 3). Blooms in the first or second decade of May, 16 days. The fruits ripen at the very beginning of July, every year, but not always abundantly. Winter hardiness I. Seed germination up to 35%. Summer cuttings root well in greenhouses with heated soil and poorly in cold greenhouses.

Grows in the northern and middle parts of European Russia, Siberia and Central Asia. River banks, swamp edges. Rocky areas and meadows, wet forests. Shade-tolerant mesohygrophyte. Protected in nature reserves.

Shrub up to 1.2 m tall, with pubescent, brownish shoots. The leaves are 3-5-lobed, large, sharp-toothed, up to 15 cm, glabrous above, dark green, pubescent along the veins below, with a specific odor. The flowers are small, bell-shaped, lilac- or pink-gray, in 5-10 flower racemes. The berries are up to 1 cm in diameter, black-brown, with a characteristic nutty smell and taste.

In GBS since 1945, 5 copies. grown from seeds obtained from natural habitats and culture, and 3 copies. seed reproduction of GBS. Shrub, height 1.7 m at 13 years, crown diameter 210 cm. Grows from mid-April to September. The growth rate is average. Blooms and bears fruit from the age of 4. Blooms in the second or third decade of May, 18 days. The fruits ripen at the end of July. Winter hardiness is complete. Seed germination up to 63%. 100% of cuttings take root in warm greenhouses.

Blackcurrant is one of the first harbingers of spring. There is still snow in places in the garden, and on the lower branches, warmed by the dark earth, the buds are starting to grow. Plants awaken in early to mid-April, already 2-3 days after positive average daily temperatures are established. The buds, very large and bright, with sticky, fragrant glands, are especially noticeable against the background of melting snow and black earth. In early ripening varieties (‘ Dense cyst‘, ‘Dove Seedling‘, ‘Altai early‘) the buds begin to bloom right before your eyes, and when the unique currant aroma from the delicate green leaves mixes with the smell of the earth, you realize with surprise: life begins its new magical circle of transformations.

In conditions Central Russia Black currant blossoms usually begin in the second half of May. Very often it coincides with the flowering of bird cherry and takes place under extremely unfavorable conditions - strong winds and sudden changes in temperature. The duration of flowering (from 10 to 23 days) mainly depends on the average daily air temperature. Black currant varieties differ slightly from each other in terms of flowering time, only for early ripening varieties this period is somewhat shorter.

Black currant has inconspicuous, bell-shaped flowers collected in clusters with a double perianth and five petals. The sepals are most often reddish, less often greenish. Petals with yellow or green tint. However, there are exceptions to the rules. For example, variety ‘ Heiress‘ can compete with any ornamental shrub. Graceful white flowers with pink petals curved at the ends, as if sculpted from fragile, finest porcelain, are unusually elegant against the backdrop of delicate greenery.

The duration of flowering of the brush corresponds to its length. U European varieties long clusters of black currants. The successive opening of flowers is very slow and sometimes takes up to three weeks. The Siberian subspecies has few-flowered racemes, which is why the flowers bloom for only three to four days.

Black currants begin to bear fruit already in the second year after planting. From this moment the productivity of the bush begins to increase. Black currants usually enter full fruiting in the 5th-6th year. The difference in the ripening time of early and late varieties can be very large - from two to five weeks. Thus, the fruiting period lasts on average from early July to early August, and thanks to varieties such as ‘ Lazy person' And ' Mysterious‘, it increases even more. However, in dry and hot weather these periods are usually reduced. The most attractive varieties are those with large, aligned berries (‘ Nestor Kozin‘, ‘Summer resident‘, ‘Nara‘, ‘Blueberry‘, ‘Binar‘).

Large ones with a slight waxy coating are good in their own way (‘ Dyagterevskaya‘, ‘Moscow‘, ‘Dense cyst‘, ‘Exotic‘) and bright, glossy, shiny berries (‘ Bagheera‘, ‘Vologda‘, ‘Dobrynya‘, ‘Sevchanka‘, ‘Vigorous‘). Some of the most beautiful varieties in fruiting - ‘ Sophia' And ' Katyusha‘. ‘Katyusha’ berries have an unusual pear-shaped shape.

Thanks to the properties of the plant itself, black currant is indispensable for a landscape architect: it grows quickly, is frost-resistant, and leaves fall late (especially in European varieties). These varieties are characterized by protracted growth and often go under the snow with unfallen leaves. Blackcurrant is well suited for group, border, single plantings and medium-sized informal hedges. Varieties with a compact crown, resistant to powdery mildew, and dark green, glossy, dense leaves (‘Delicacy’, ‘Neekdanchik’, ‘White’) are highly decorative.

And, in addition, black currant has numerous decorative forms, including split-leaved (‘Heterophylla’), variegated (‘Variegata’) and marbled (‘Marmorata’), with variegated leaves.

‘Marmorata‘. Low (up to 1 m tall) shrub with original marbled golden-variegated leaves. In GBS since 1967, 4 copies. obtained from various botanical institutions, and 6 copies. vegetative reproduction of GBS. Shrub, height 1.5 m at 10 years, crown diameter 130 cm. Grows from mid-April to mid-September. The growth rate is average. Blooms non-annually, from 4 years. The ovaries fall off. Propagates well from cuttings. Winter hardiness is average.

R.n. var. sibiricum E. Wolf— S. h. Siberian. Shrub 1.5 m tall. Southern regions of Siberia, mountainous regions of Kazakhstan. In GBS since 1951, 7 copies. grown from seeds obtained from the culture, as well as 2 copies. vegetative and 6 copies. seed reproduction of GBS. Shrub, height 1.9 m at 9 years, crown diameter 160 cm. Grows from mid-April to late September. The growth rate is average. It blooms and bears fruit from the age of 5. Blooms in the second or third decade of May, 2-3 weeks. The fruits ripen in mid-July. Winter hardiness is complete. Seed germination up to 70%. Cuttings take root easily in warm and cold greenhouses.

It is extremely important to purchase seedlings only from healthy plants, since black currants are easily affected by the currant bud mite, and the disease it causes - doubleness - can lead the plant to the most deplorable state. For this reason, seedlings in nurseries are sold only after appropriate inspection.

Soil conditions and location . Black currants can grow in different soils. But it is best suited for slightly acidic (pH about 6.5), very fertile, with good water-holding capacity and sufficiently drained soil. Light soils need to be fertilized with a large amount of organic fertilizer, and excessively acidic soils should be limed until the pH reaches 6.5.

You need to choose a place where cold air does not linger, and at the same time sheltered from strong winds that interfere with pollinating insects. Most varieties bloom in early spring, and the flowers are extremely sensitive to cold. In areas where frost is possible, plant only late-blooming or frost-resistant varieties, and still cover the plants on cold nights. Blackcurrant tolerates partial shade, but prefers places exposed to the sun.

Soil preparation . In early autumn, remove all weeds and place an 8 cm layer of manure or compost over the entire intended area, or a 5 cm layer of peat with bone meal, 100 g per 1 m2. If the area is relatively clean, a simple dig is sufficient, but if it is heavily overgrown, it should be two-tiered. Apply complex mineral fertilizer.

Landing and placement . It is advisable to plant two-year-old healthy seedlings with at least three strong shoots. Plant in autumn or early spring, leaving 1.5 m between bushes in a row (1.8 for stronger varieties), and 1.8 m between rows. Dig a hole wide enough for the straightened roots to fit freely in it. To develop a strong root system, the bush must be planted 5 cm deeper than in the nursery, which is easy to determine by the traces of soil on the stems. Fill the hole and tamp down the soil.

Initial trimming . After planting, trim all branches to 5 cm above the soil level. This promotes the development of strong young shoots and a good root system, which will ensure bountiful harvests in the future, although it means giving up the harvest in the first summer. Cut branches can be used for propagation: they easily give roots, and with them (2-3 cuttings together) you can fill empty spaces in a row. After a low initial pruning, the young bush should produce 3-4 strong shoots up to 0.5 m long.

Pruning a formed bush . Black currants produce the best berries from last year's growth, although older branches also bear fruit. Carry out pruning in early spring (in the southern regions of Russia - during the dormant period). The purpose of pruning is to stimulate the constant appearance of new strong shoots for fruiting the following season. This is achieved by radical pruning to the very base of the bush, as well as abundant feeding. It is very important to be able to distinguish young branches from old ones. This is not difficult, since the bark of young branches is noticeably lighter than that of three-year-old branches. There is no need to limit the number of main branches or open the bush. However, between a quarter and a third of old branches should be removed annually. Shorten the branch to strong young lateral growth at its base or slightly above. If there is no such growth, remove the entire branch. Remove all stunted, dry and diseased branches. Leave enough space between bushes.

Feeding and watering . Black currants require abundant organic fertilizer and high humidity in summer. Apply full mineral fertilizer annually. In spring, add ammonium sulfate at 30 g per 1 m2. If the soil is acidic, it should be replaced with lime-ammonium nitrate. Then mulch by placing an 8cm layer of manure or compost around the bush.
In dry weather, water every ten days at the rate of 20 liters per 1 m2, but try not to get water on the branches to reduce the risk of fungal diseases. Watering promotes the growth of new shoots and ripening of berries.

Weed control. Root system bushes lie shallow, so do not dig them, but destroy weeds by surface loosening and hand weeding or using herbicides.

Pests and diseases. The most dangerous for black currants are aphids, kidney mites and spider mites. Use karbofos against aphids and keltan against spider mites. Remove and burn buds damaged by kidney mites. Destroy heavily affected bushes. Among the diseases, the most troublesome are terry, gooseberry powdery mildew, anthracnose and gray rot. Powdery mildew can be combated by treating with iron sulfate and isophene; the latter also helps against spider mites. Bordeaux mixture can be used against anthracnose.

Reproduction . Black currants are propagated by woody cuttings 20-25 cm long and as thick as a pencil. Make an oblique cut above the bud at the top and a straight cut below the bud at the base. Stick the cutting deep into light, well-drained soil until only two buds remain above the surface, and press down the soil around it. The distance between the cuttings should be 15 cm. At the end of the first growing season, dig up the cuttings that have given roots and plant them at a distance of 30 cm. Trim them so that a stump 2-3 cm high remains above the soil surface. Such radical pruning will create a lush plant in the future. bush.

It grows along the banks of rivers and streams, on forest edges, on Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands, and in Japan. A rare species in nature. Protected in nature reserves.

Shrub up to 1.5-2 m tall, with strongly and finely peeling bark. The leaves are thin, densely pubescent below, white-tomentose, sharp-toothed, 3-5-lobed, up to 15 cm wide, which is slightly longer than their length. The flowers are dark crimson, bell-shaped, in racemes up to 8 cm. The berries are red, sour, edible. In cultivation since 1901, it is of decorative interest in single and group plantings.

In GBS since 1975, 12 copies. grown from seeds obtained from natural habitats, and 2 copies. seed reproduction of GBS. Shrub, at 7 years height 2.2 m, crown diameter 110-140 cm. Grows from mid-April to the end of September. Grows moderately quickly, then slowly. It blooms and bears fruit from the age of 4, annually, abundantly, in the second or third decade of May, for 15 days. The fruits ripen at the end of July, not at the same time. Winter hardiness is complete. Seed germination is about 50%. Summer cuttings root very poorly.

Cloudberry - beneficial properties of northern orange

The tundra berry with the gentle name “cloudberry” remains a mystery to many residents of our country - and some have never heard of it at all. But in the North, amber cloudberry has been held in high esteem for several centuries - its beneficial properties and contraindications were known back in Tsarist Russia, and today preparations from it and the berry itself are one of the main tourist brands in the Scandinavian countries. So what made this unusual Arctic berry famous?

Fragrant gold of the North

Moss currant, northern orange, swamp amber, arctic raspberry - all this is the humble cloudberry. The inhabitant of the coldest regions is a close relative of the popular raspberries and blackberries, so these berries are very similar in appearance.

For those who want to know what a cloudberry looks like, the photo will show small drupes of different shades: from pale orange and red to dark brown and amber. Many researchers call cloudberries “a berry in reverse” - it ripens so unusually. “Green” fruits have a bright red color, then turn pale and finally acquire a warm orange hue, similar to translucent amber. The berry also grows quite atypically - in a dense carpet of small, up to 30 cm, shrubs with bright berries on top.

Cloudberries can be found in the most difficult places - peat bogs, wetlands, and also in the tundra. Arctic raspberries are harvested at the end of July-August, when all the traditional “summer” berries are gone, and by the end of autumn the medicinal roots are harvested. Moss currant is very productive: from one swampy hectare you can collect up to 1000 kg of useful aromatic raw materials.

Despite its “cold” specialization, cloudberries are found in many regions of Russia and the world. Where does this berry grow? Most Arctic raspberries are found in the Tomsk and Arkhangelsk regions, the Komi Republic and the Krasnoyarsk Territory, as well as in the Murmansk and Tyumen regions. Swamp amber is also collected in the Pskov, Novgorod, and Leningrad regions. Cloudberries grow abroad - Belarus, Finland and Canada are considered leaders in the collection and processing of Arctic raspberries. Thus, in Finland, the image of the northern berry has been minted on 2 euro coins for 15 years, and every tourist who loves to drink, unfortunately, takes away the fragrant cloudberry liqueur from Scandinavia.

Cloudberries are a storehouse of essential vitamins

Like many berries, a resident of the tundra can boast of a solid set of vitamins: A, E, groups B and C, valuable elements: potassium, iron, copper, various acids and sugars. But the main value of the product is in the ratio of these substances. Thus, 100 grams of cloudberries contain four times more vitamin C than an average orange, and three times more than carrots.

In northern countries, amber berries have long been used as a cure for scurvy and a powerful means of boosting immunity. During the cold season, cloudberries are especially valued - its beneficial properties will help with colds, sore throats and more delicate problems. Arctic raspberries have a powerful anti-inflammatory effect: relieve fever from colds, treat throat diseases and inflammation of the genitourinary system, especially cystitis.

In fresh or processed form, cloudberries are an excellent multivitamin cocktail for the winter: they will saturate the body with essential substances and help with recovery from both the common flu and more serious illnesses.

Arctic berry in folk medicine

It is no coincidence that tasty and healing cloudberries are recognized as a real treasure of the northern peoples - recipes from Arctic raspberries are still actively used in folk medicine.

Sun berries have a powerful hemostatic effect, as well as a diuretic and diaphoretic, which is especially important for colds. A decoction of ripe cloudberries is recommended both for stomach disorders and as an adjuvant for hypertension and vascular problems - the spectrum of action of the northern medicine is so wide.

But cloudberries are famous not only for their fragrant berries - Wikipedia describes the various medicinal properties of the leaves and roots of the northern miracle berry. An infusion of cloudberry leaves treats severe diarrhea, metabolic disorders, cystitis and gout; a decoction of arctic raspberry roots will help with malaria, kidney disease, and persistent colds.

When used externally, swamp amber can also work real miracles: the juice from ripe berries heals marks from tick bites and scabies, and the leaves are excellent at drawing out pus from severe wounds and accelerating healing.

Cloudberry – are there any contraindications?

Despite all the wonderful properties of the berries of the north, cloudberries also have a number of contraindications.

The main rule is that before eating, be sure to make sure that you are not allergic to Arctic raspberries. You should not get carried away with cloudberries if you have a stomach ulcer or diseases of the duodenum, and if you have enterocolitis, the amber berry is strictly prohibited.

Cloudberry in cosmetology

Unique chemical composition and various vitamins have long made the bright cloudberry an active fighter for female beauty. In cosmetology, not only berry juice is used, but also cloudberry seed oil - today leading cosmetic companies produce separate lines based on the northern miracle berry.

Thanks to vitamins E and C, cloudberry products help soothe irritated and dry skin, provide excellent nourishment, and remove tightness. The fatty acids in the Arctic berry help restore the protective barrier of the facial skin, smooth out early wrinkles, restore firmness and elasticity to the skin of the hands, and give shine and fresh color to the hair.

Secrets of use

In pre-revolutionary Russia, all kinds of dishes with cloudberries were regularly served at the royal table, and cloudberry kvass and liqueurs were always found in taverns and taverns. Nowadays, many recipes are half-forgotten, but in vain - after all, fragrant cloudberries are equally tasty fresh, soaked, and dried. And how many things can be prepared from cloudberries! Jams, preserves, marshmallows, bright compotes, pies and cheesecakes...

Fresh cloudberries do not last long - only two to three days, after which they begin to ferment. Therefore, in the very first days, the berries must be selected and processed. One of the simplest and oldest northern recipes is soaked cloudberries.

To prepare soaked cloudberries, you need a wooden tub and ripe, but not overripe, berries. We prepare the syrup in advance - about one glass of sugar per liter of water if you like sweet berries, or half a glass if you want sour cloudberries. Boil the sugar syrup, then cool.

Pour boiling water over the container and carefully pour the orange fruits into it. Fill the cloudberries with water, cover with a clean piece of cloth, and place a wooden lid with a weight on top. We put it in the cellar or underground, after 3-4 months the cloudberries are ready.

This berry can be used for compotes and jelly, to prepare fillings for pies or added to homemade yoghurts.

safeyourhealth.ru

Theme of the week: “Forest and garden berries”

Getting to know the world around you
1.Know 5 - 7 names of garden berries and 5 - 7 names of wild berries.

2.Know where the berries grow (in the garden, in a clearing, in a forest, in a swamp).
3.Know how a berry differs from a fruit. (A berry grows on a bush, a fruit grows on a tree. A berry has many small grains, a fruit has several or one large grain.)
4. Exercise “Continue the sentence”
A lot of ... (cucumbers, carrots, ...) grew in the garden.
In the forest we collect... (blueberries, lingonberries, blueberries...).
There are... (apple trees, pears...) growing in the garden.
5. Learn to explain proverbs.
Autumn is a supply, and winter is a pick-up.
Prepare the sleigh in the summer and the cart in the winter.
6.What is unnecessary and why.
Strawberries, currants, tomato.
Blueberry, White mushroom , blueberry.
Cranberry, swamp, Lingonberries, blueberries.
Salt, cook, sweep, marinate.
7.Game “What can you make jam from?”
From lingonberries, apples, currants, cherries, ....
8. Reading, answering questions, retelling.
"Where does the berry grow? ».
Sour cranberries grow in the swamp. You can also collect it in the spring, when the snow melts. Anyone who has not seen how cranberries grow can walk on them and not see them. Blueberries are growing - you see them: next to the berry leaf. And there are so many of them that the place turns blue. Blueberries grow as bushes. In remote places there is also a stone fruit - a red berry with a tassel, a sour berry. Our only berry, the cranberry, is invisible from above.
Questions.
*How do cranberries grow?
*What other berries grow in the forest?
*How do they grow?
*Which berry is invisible from above?
9. “Treat a friend.”
The child remembers his favorite dish, tells how he “made” it, and “treats” his neighbor to it. For example: “I picked lingonberries in the forest, made jam and am treating you to lingonberry jam.”
10. Exercise “Which vegetables, fruits or berries are possible”
Salt - ..., cook - ..., ferment - ..., pickle - ..., dig - ....
11.Name the jam:
From cranberries - cranberry,
from blueberries - blueberry,
from raspberries - raspberry,
from cherry - cherry.
12.Answer:
What is more in the forest - berries or lingonberries? Why?

Speech development
1. Dictionary expansion.
Nouns. Strawberries, currants, gooseberries, raspberries, blueberries, lingonberries, cranberries, wild strawberries, compote, jam, cloudberries, rowan berries, blueberries, stoneberries, syrup, marinade, pickles, jam, jelly, salad.
Verbs. Cook, cut, chop, ferment, can, salt, pickle, dry.
Adjectives. Salted, pickled, pickled, pickled, boiled, dried.
2. Game “Name it affectionately.” Formation of nouns with diminutive suffixes.
Strawberry - strawberry,
cranberry - cranberry,
blueberry - blueberry,
raspberry - raspberry,
currant - currant,
gooseberry - gooseberry.
3. Game “What is where?”
Models (pictures) of berries and fruits are laid out in different places ( on, under, in, around cabinet, chair, table, etc.). The child collects them and says what he found. Wherein Special attention refers to the use of nouns with prepositions.
4. Game “One - many”. Formation of plural nouns in the nominative and genitive cases.
Raspberries - raspberries - raspberries.
Strawberries - strawberries - strawberries.
Currants - currants - currants.
Rowan - rowan - rowan.
Strawberries - strawberries - strawberries.

Literacy training
1. Topic “Sound analysis of monosyllabic words without consonant clusters.”
2. Exercise “Identify the sound.”
The adult invites the child to recognize the sounds (a, o, u, y, m, n, v, k) by silent articulation.
3. “Come up with a word.”
Vrosly offers a diagram of a sound word: blue, red, blue chips. The child characterizes the diagram and comes up with words based on it. (Onion, poppy, con, ...)
4. Exercise for the development of phonemic hearing.
The adult pronounces the words; the child, hearing a word with the sound “K,” must raise his hand or clap his hands.
Words. Cat, horse, pony, tom, mole, bark, strawberry, etc.
5.Name the vowels in the word LINGONBERRY.
6. How many syllables are in the words COMPOTE, RASPBERRY, BLUEBERRY.
7. Sound dictation.
The adult dictates the words. The child does a complete sound analysis of words; makes up conditional graphic semes: replaces chips with letters.
8. Game “Read words of different sizes.”
The adult invites the child to read the written words (to you, poppy).
V m A a M k
9. Game “Guess the word by its first sounds.”
The pictures are laid out in three rows, which depict
MOTHER, STORK, CAT (poppy).
NIGHT, SHARK, CAR (to us).
CAT, AUTUMN, LEGS (con).
The child must name the pictures, identify the first sounds in the words and guess which word is encrypted by adding these sounds.
10.Work on the proposal.
The child composes sentences with the word MAK and their conditional graphic diagrams. Then it analyzes each word of the sentence.

FEMP
1. Topic “Number 4. Number 4”.
2.To consolidate the idea of the composition of the number 4.
3.Visually demonstrate all the ways to form the number 4:
*1 yes 1, 1 more, 1 more;
*2 yes 2;
*3 yes 1;
*1 yes 3.
4.Graphically depict the number 4.
5. Exercise “Divide into groups.”
An adult gives the child sets of geometric shapes. The child must break objects according to some specific criteria (color, shape, size).
6. Exercise “Finish the pattern, continuing the pattern.”
7. Game exercise “Name the extra picture.”
The child must choose the odd one out of the proposed pictures and be able to explain his choice.
8. Learn to make a mosaic pattern from geometric shapes.