Why blackcurrant berries crack: causes and what to do, prevention

As a rule, during the season, the main dacha works are aimed at creating optimal conditions for the growth and development of useful cultivated plants. But you also need to pay attention to the preservation of the quality of the harvest of berries. Many summer residents are concerned about the questions: why ripe blackcurrant berries crack and how to prevent this phenomenon. When solving the problem, it is important to take into account the type and structure of the soil, the topography of the site, and the climatic nuances of the region.

Main reasons

Blackcurrant is considered an unpretentious crop, the cultivation of which does not cause much trouble. The plant is moisture-loving, but when watering it is important to follow some rules.

Frequent irrigation of the soil is carried out before the filling of berries. If the irrigation regime is not changed, the bushes gain excess moisture, and the ripening currant berries begin to burst.

Also, the vagaries of the weather cannot be ruled out. If, after heavy watering or prolonged rain, it becomes colder, the moisture stops evaporating, and the soil moisture rises. Stagnation of liquid can cause cracking of berries.

What to do if the berries on the black currant are cracking

I need to restore watering mode. This takes into account the region where currants are grown. In the southern regions, the soil is irrigated once a week. In the northern regions, more frequent watering of the soil is carried out before the stage of ripening of berries (in the phases of flowering and formation of the ovary).And for periods of pouring berries and harvesting, watering the bushes is reduced.

It is advisable to plant currant bushes on sloping areas. In this case, excess water during irrigation, rain moisture will naturally drain, excluding excessive soil moisture under the bushes. In areas located in lowlands, small mounds can be formed on which crops are planted.

Prevention measures

To prevent cracking of blackcurrant berries, it is necessary to exclude moisture stagnation in the soil. Main Events:

• it is advisable to equip the surface drainage system in areas located in the lowlands. The collected melt, rain, flood water is discharged into the storm sewer.Or, on a site planted with currant bushes, they dig special channels to collect and remove excess moisture;
• stagnation of moisture may be due to too heavy soil (clay). In this case, the easiest way is to change the structure of the soil. To make water leave faster, clay soils are mixed with sand;
• regular loosening of the soil can be considered as a preventive measure. Thanks to this, moisture will evaporate faster and seep deep into the soil;
• Mulched beds prevent the soil from drying out quickly. Thanks to a layer of straw 10-16 cm thick, it will be possible to water the currant bushes once a month. In this case, you will not have to worry about a sharp waterlogging of the soil in the event of a sudden long rain;
• moisture-loving plants planted next to currants (irises, rhododendrons, ferns) will help regulate the humidity of the earth.

In order for blackcurrant bushes to grow on drier soil, they can be planted in an artificially elevated area. The relief is changed in such a way that rain, melt water flows naturally towards the drainage system.

When growing currants, it is important to control soil moisture. It must be borne in mind that excess moisture can contribute to cracking of the berries. However, the lack of water will lead to a decrease in yield or even cause the berries to fall off.

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