Blackcurrant Leningrad giant: variety description, planting and care

In a temperate climate, the blackcurrant of the Leningrad giant variety bears fruit well. This plant loves sun and watering. The variety is self-pollinating, but in the presence of pollinators growing near (other mid-early varieties), the yield increases significantly. Currant bushes are undemanding to care, grow well without human intervention. True, productivity improves with supervision.

Description and characteristics of currants

The variety Leningrad giant (giant) was specially bred in the USSR in the 70s for cultivation in regions with a temperate climate.Obtained from pollination of Stakhanovka Altai with currant pollen Exhibition and Not crumbling. The authors of the variety: Glebova and Potashova. The berries are sweet (7% sugar) and slightly sour (high in vitamin C).

Distinctive features of the Leningrad giant:

• taste of berries - dessert (sweet and sour);
• ripe fruits do not fall off the branch;
• berries are round, black, shiny, with thin skin;
• juicy flesh;
• fetal weight - 2.2-5 grams;
• on one brush - 8-13 berries;
• yield per bush - 4.5 kg;
• beginning of fruiting - in the second year after planting;
• ripening period - mid-summer.

Variety description:

• bush - sprawling, upright, 1.6 m high;
• branches - pubescent green young shoots and lignified grayish-beige adult shoots;
• leaves - 5-lobed, matte, blister-wrinkled;
• buds - pink, oval;
• flowers - pale red, large;
• brushes - medium length, contain 6-13 fruits;
• ripe berries - black, round, large, with a dry margin.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

Pros:

• large fruits;
• dessert flavor;
• good frost resistance;
• do not crumble after ripening;
• keep their shape for a long time;
• do not wrinkle during mechanized cleaning;
• rarely affected by diseases and pests.

Cons:

• low self-fertility (barren flower - 50%);
• planting mid-early pollinator varieties is required to increase yields;
• branches often break under weight of berries (garter needed);
• spring flowers are affected by frost;
• prophylaxis against diseases (powdery mildew) and pests required.

Features of growing the Leningrad giant

Currant seedlings of this variety can be bought from any agricultural company engaged in the cultivation and sale of plants. Usually young bushes with bunches of berries are sold in plastic cups (with a closed root system). You can buy sprouted seedlings from April to October.

After buying a young bush with 2-3 shoots (40-50 cm high) should be immediately planted in the ground using the transshipment method (without destroying the earthen clod around the roots).

Choosing a seat

This variety loves a lot of light and heat. In a shaded area, the berries will be sour and small. It is advisable to plant young bushes in a place protected from the wind, for example, near a building or fence. A hole is prepared for planting, a hole is dug 0.5 meters deep, the composition of the dug earth is improved. You can not plant bushes under the slope of the roof and in wetlands. The distance to a neighboring plant is at least 1 meter.

Steps of planting

A seedling germinated in a container is immediately planted in a prepared hole by transshipment (without destroying the earthen clod). Planting young bushes can be done from April to October. The faster the plant takes root, the better it will overwinter.

Instructions for planting a seedling:

• dig a hole 0.5 meters deep;
• mix the dug-out earth in equal proportions with peat, sand;
• add humus (0.5 buckets), lime (100 grams), ash, mineral fertilizers (50 grams each), fungicides and insecticides;
• pour part of the soil mixture into the hole;
• put a seedling on top (roots with a clod of earth);
• fill the roots and root neck with the remaining soil mixture;
• pour 1 bucket of water under the bush.

Rules for plant care

The variety does not need constant attention. True, in the dry period it is better to water the bush with water, otherwise the berries will be small. In early spring, you can get rid of old branches. For the winter, the bush is insulated with humus and fallen leaves.

Water, top dressing

Currant bushes need additional watering only during the dry period. You need to water the plant in spring, during flowering, in the first half of summer, when the berries ripen, and also in late autumn, before wintering.

Fertilize bushes 1-2 times a year. In early spring, the ground around the bush is watered with a solution of potash and phosphate fertilizers. In late autumn, the trunk circle is fertilized with humus.

Garter, cropping

Shrubs are pruned only in early spring, before the buds awaken. The tops of the branches are not touched; brushes with berries grow on them. Cut off old shoots with cracked bark. Such branches do not bear fruit well and take nutrients from the plant. Be sure to cut off diseased, dry, rotten shoots.

In the summer, during fruiting, brushes with large berries can break branches. In order to support the shoots, a support (annular bush holder) is installed.

Frost protection, preparation for winter

Before wintering, it is better not to cut the branches. Pruning weakens the plant. Before winter, the bush can be watered abundantly. The trunk circle is recommended to be insulated with humus and dry leaves. In winter, it is advisable to constantly pour snow under the bush.

Diseases and pests

The variety has excellent innate immunity. In unfavorable areas, prevention from diseases and pests is desirable. In the spring, the near-stem circle can be disinfected with a weak solution of Bordeaux mixture, the shoots can be whitewashed with slaked lime. During the growing season, fungicides are used ("Skor", "Topaz"). Spraying is carried out a month before harvesting. Insecticides (Iskra, Aktellik) save from pests.

Methods of reproduction

A currant bush growing on a plot can be propagated in several ways. It is better to start breeding in the spring in order to get a young seedling by autumn.

Examples of currant breeding:

1. Layers. In the spring, lignified branches growing on the sides of the bush bend down to the ground. A light soil mixture is poured into the middle of each shoot. The top of the branch is left outside. During the summer, the ground above the bent shoot is watered. The branch sprouts roots and turns into a sapling. In autumn, the young bush is separated from the mother plant and transplanted to a permanent place.
2. Lignified cuttings. In the spring, a two-year-old branch is cut from the bush and dissected into cuttings 10-20 cm long. The twigs are placed in a glass of water, a growth stimulator ("Kornevin") and a plant with a well-developed root system (chlorophytum). After 1-2 months, the cuttings will have roots. Sprigs are planted in cups with earth and watered regularly. The grown seedlings are transplanted into the garden.
3. Dividing the bush. In autumn, the old bush is carefully dug up and divided into several (2-3) parts. Each division should have a root with basal buds and 3-4 shoots. The divided parts are planted in a permanent place.

Harvest and storage of crops

Berries are harvested as they ripen. The harvest is usually in the middle of summer (July). The collected currants are stored in a cool dark place for 1-3 months. Jams, jams, juices are made from berries. Currants can be frozen. After thawing, the berries do not lose their taste and shape.

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