Currant Riddle: description and characteristics of the black variety, planting and care, reviews

Currant Mystery brings a lot of harvest, belongs to medium-early varieties. Recommended for cultivation by the state register in the Central and North Caucasian regions. Often the berry bush is cultivated in other regions of Russia, as well as in the CIS countries. To successfully grow a plant, you should familiarize yourself with all the agrotechnical nuances.

History of breeding culture Riddle

The currant variety Riddle was bred at the Moscow University of Horticulture VSTISP by breeder V. Litvinova in 1957. A variety of Nina and Rival were crossed, the Riddle is a hybrid. Since 1977, listed in the state register.

Biological description of the variety

The fruit variety of currant attracts gardeners with large berries with a chic taste. It is grown for the purpose of personal consumption or for sale. Since the variety is of medium yield, it is often bred for the manufacture of dishes, preparations for the winter. Bushes are self-fertile, do not require a number of pollinators. If there are already pollinating crops on the plot, this will increase the yield of currants.

Shrub and branching of the root system

Currant bushes are famous for their compact shape, medium size, spreading, density. Currant is a long-liver, compared with its counterparts. The next season after planting, you can get a crop. With proper care, shrubs live up to 15 years.

The variety is distinguished by thick shoots with a reddish top and a five-lobed medium-sized leaf. Brushes are also medium in size, up to 5 cm, without pubescence. There are about 7 berries on them.

Flowering, yield and berries

Flower occurs in the middle or end of May, depending on the climatic conditions of the region. Inflorescences are medium-sized, cup-shaped, petals of a pale pink color, bent. The Riddle variety produces berries that weigh up to 2.2. g, medium size. They are fragrant, rounded black in color with yellowish dots, sweet and sour table taste and dense skin. The variety is medium-yielding, up to 3 kg of currants are harvested from 1 bush in late August or early September. Commodity qualities of fruits at the highest level. The taste is sweet and sour, the tasters rated it 4 points.

Scope of application

Berries of universal purpose, they contain a lot of vitamin C. Currants are used to prepare jelly, juices, syrups, wines, liqueurs, jelly, marshmallows. You can also make yogurts, candy fillings.

The plant is famous for its medicinal properties: lowers blood pressure, eliminates fever, stimulates metabolic processes in the body. The fruits have antibacterial, antipyretic, immunomodulatory properties.

Based on currant Riddle, medicines are made in the form of cough syrups, lozenges.

Resistant to low temperatures and drought

A variety of currant Riddle is characterized by medium winter hardiness, withstands colds down to -26 degrees. It tolerates dry periods safely, if they are short-lived. Prolonged lack of moisture is fraught with a reduction in yield, wilting of bushes.

Susceptibility to diseases, bugs

Currant has a strong immunity to powdery mildew, anthracnose, bud mites. If the bushes are not cared for, the protective properties are weakened.

Advantages and Cons of Riddles

The currant variety Mystery has many advantages, but there are also negative sides.

Resistance to diseases, bugs

Pros	Cons
Large fruit	Demanding care
Straight growth, which makes it easier to care for and pick berries	The need for periodic removal of peripheral shoots

Features of planting and care

Currants should be taken care of regularly, because the variety is capricious. It is necessary to water, fertilize, cut the bushes on time. Periodically, preventive treatments are made from beetles and diseases. The planting process is standard, no special nuances of agricultural technology are implied. Currant Riddle is planted in the same way as its counterparts.

The land should be fertile, slightly acidic, with a neutral reaction - pH 5.0-5.5. The culture prefers loamy soil. The bushes thrive in well lit places protected from the wind.

You can still highlight the area in partial shade. Groundwater in the territory should lie no higher than 1.5 meters.

Optimal landing time

Experienced gardeners recommend planting Riddle currants in early September or late March.

It is important that the air temperature warms up to +10-15, there is no threat of frost returning.

Preparation of seedling and plot

If the soil is fertile, such as loam, fertilization before planting is not required. In the case of acidic soil, lime is added to it for digging, per 1 square meter from 0.3-0.8 kg. Also, 100-150 g of granular superphosphate, 2-4 kg of organic matter, 20-30 g of potassium sulfate in the ratio per 1 sq.m. are added to the soil. It is necessary to plow the soil to a depth of 20 to 22 cm.

Disembarkation Technology

Riddle Currant should be planted from the south or southwest side. Planting holes are dug 505050 cm in size, half a bucket of water is poured into them, the seedling is placed at an angle of 45 degrees, 4 cm deeper than it grew in the mother liquor. This planting method stimulates the intensive formation of rhizomes and shoots.After, the seedlings are watered with 0.5 buckets of water per bush. To avoid rapid evaporation of moisture, the site is mulched with peat, humus, dry soil or sawdust.

Irrigation and fertilization

Currant Riddle is a moisture-loving variety, its rhizome is located in the upper soil layer at a depth of 20 cm.

It is important that she receives the required amount of fluid during intensive growth, the formation of ovaries, which occurs at the beginning of June. Also, the bushes need moisture during fruiting, which falls at the beginning of July, and after harvesting - August-September. Winter watering is carried out in October, the water consumption is 20-30 liters per bush.

Fertilizers play an important role during the growing season of currants. 3 feedings are required per season. Nitrogen compounds are used in March - ammonium nitrate 30 g, urea 20 g, bird droppings 1:12 or mullein 1:6 in a ratio of 1.5 buckets of water for each bush. You can feed currants after picking the fruit.This is important for strengthening plants.

Preventive treatment

Attacks of harmful beetles, diseases, adversely affect the he alth of currants, the quality and quantity of fruits. The greatest danger is aphid, powdery growth. Bushes should be regularly inspected to identify possible beetles, the onset of diseases. If sick, damaged shoots are found, they are removed. To reduce the risk of damage to the bushes, they should be treated with Bordeaux mixture at the beginning of the growing season.

Loosening and mulching beds

Weed the plot should be to a depth of 6-8 cm, 2-3 times a week. To reduce the frequency of loosening, cover the circumference of currant bushes with mulch. The procedure is done immediately after plowing, the earth is covered with humus 5-10 cm thick. Organics are placed from branches with a distance of 0.2 meters.

If a weed has appeared, it is urgently removed. Weeds inhibit the development of bushes, take away nutrients from the soil .

Shaping a bush

Pruning currants is necessary to remove unnecessary, injured, dried branches. Otherwise, the plant will waste energy and nutrients on them. Most of the ovaries are located on last year's increments of four-year and five-year branches. Shoots over 6 years old need to be cut out, diseased, dried specimens are also removed.

With the systematic, timely formation of bushes, the fruiting of currant bushes is extended up to 15 years. In autumn, at the end of leaf fall, the main pruning is carried out. In March, before the buds open, the stems damaged by frost are shortened to he althy tissue, dead and injured branches are removed. In summer, it is advisable to pinch the tips of young shoots to stimulate their tillering, giving the bushes a neat appearance.

Shelter for the winter

Experienced gardeners recommend covering currants for the winter. The procedure is carried out in late October or early November. The bushes are pre-cut, fertilized. The branches are bent to the soil, grouping 3-5 pieces and pressing down with boards or bricks. If frosts reach -35 in the region in winter, the shoots are buried. You can not cover them from above, especially with metal sheets, they have a high thermal conductivity. Buried branches will be covered with an ice crust and will not receive oxygen. During spring frosts, the bushes are again covered with cloth, voluminous paper bags.

How to propagate the Riddle

Currant Riddle reproduces vegetatively, this is the most effective way. There are several more methods:

reproduction by petioles, when branches from one-year-old shoots 25 cm long are used;
green cuttings, from a young branch cut off a shoot 15 cm long;
layering - use layering from the mother bush up to 3 years old.

Each of the growing techniques is available to a beginner gardener.

Reviews about the variety

Responses about currant Riddle will help you make a choice.

Nikita Savelyev, 59, Kazan

Hello! Currant Riddle is my favorite variety. I have been growing it for 15 years, the berries are incredibly tasty. I recommend to everyone!

Victoria Bernik, 60, Kyiv

Hi everyone! I love currants since childhood, I planted the Mystery variety in the garden in 2005. Last summer I updated plantings with new bushes, using the fruits for personal consumption.

Zhanna Alybayeva, 54 years old, Zaporozhye

Hello everyone! Riddle currants have been grown since the fall of 2009, although the variety is capricious, the berries are incredibly tasty. I cook pies out of them, decorate desserts.