Currant Raisin: description and characteristics of the variety, planting and care, reviews with photos

The pride of every amateur gardener is blackcurrant Raisin. Sweet one-dimensional fruits, densely planted on twigs and sometimes resembling a cherry in size, are a characteristic feature of this variety.

History of selection of currant Raisins

In the second half of the 20th century, American powdery mildew from gooseberries completely affected blackcurrants. The Sferoteka spread throughout Europe, and then Russia. To combat this scourge, research began. The scientists concluded that inbreeding of accessions increased disease resistance in donor varieties.At the same time, new sources of immunity are highlighted.

So from the family of Goliath and Black Seedling, breeding number 12-173 appeared - a source of immunity against powdery mildew (spherotheca). With the participation of this issue, a complex hybrid of 37-5 and Dove Seedling was created - the Izyumnaya variety. The author is the outstanding Soviet and Russian scientist A.I. Astakhov (1931-2007).

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

The blackcurrant variety Raisin is endowed with both positive and negative qualities.

Dignity:

• drought and frost resistant;
• resistant to bud mite and powdery mildew;
• resistant to changes in air temperature;
• does not crumble until autumn;
• easy care;
• dessert fruits, honey-sweet.

Flaws:

• poor resistance to septoria;
• difficult to propagate from wood cuttings.

Description and characteristics

Blackcurrant has always been a popular berry in Europe and Russia.

Appearance of the bush

The currant bush is neat, straight growing, in the stage of formation it reaches a height of no more than one and a half meters. The crown consists of branches of different ages. Mostly fresh growths bear fruit.

The leaves are entire, alternate, elegant three-lobed shape, bordered with denticles. The surface is rough and even green. On the reverse side of the sheet of iron, creating an unusual currant aroma when rubbing the sheet on the fingers. The roots of the currant are fibrous in structure, reaching a depth of 35 cm.

Flowers and fruits

Five-petal ovaries (up to 11 pieces) of Raisin currant, blooming, create a fragrant flower brush of a pale yellow hue. Flowering early - in the first third of May. Under adverse weather conditions or improper care, unpollinated ovaries crumble.

Fruits are rounded, large, black, without gloss. With the coincidence of good care and favorable weather conditions, they reach a mass of 3.3 g. They ripen almost simultaneously, do not crumble for a long time. The berries taste sugary, honey-sweet, with an amazing currant aroma.

Yield and fruiting

The genetically declared large-fruitedness of the Raisin currant appears only if the obligatory agrotechnical conditions of cultivation are observed during setting and flowering.

Berries become noticeably smaller with aging branches and differ in size in different soil and climatic zones.

The number of berries in the brush also depends on various factors:

• self-pollination level;
• presence in the environment of bushes of a different variety;
• weather conditions before and after flowering, when due to drought or heat, part of the ovaries crumble.

Currant bears fruit up to 15 years. In good years (usually in the sixth), up to 2.5 kg can be removed from the bush. On an industrial scale, the average yield is 11.2 t/ha (1.71 kg/bush), the maximum is 13.6 t/ha (2.0 kg/bush).

Where is Raisin currant used

Currants are consumed in their natural form, they are also good as raisins, not immediately removed from the branches. At home, they prepare fruit drinks, juices, jelly desserts, marmalades, tinctures, liqueurs. To preserve useful properties until the next season, currants are frozen, dried, preserved in gentle ways.

This is a powerful antiscorbutic, antipyretic and appetite stimulant. Blackcurrant supports immunity, delays aging, helps in the treatment of heart disease, skin diseases, diabetes.

On an industrial scale, high-quality fillings for confectionery, syrups, extracts, wines, liqueurs, dry kissels are produced on its basis. In the vitamin industry, Raisin currant is used in the manufacture of concentrates and preparations of vitamin C.

Drought and frost resistance

Blackcurrant Raisin is drought tolerant and successfully grown in arid areas. It easily survives in frost down to -39 C. The temperature of flowering and fruiting of this variety is 20-25 C.

Susceptibility to diseases and pests

Not afraid of bud mites and powdery mildew. The least studied analogue resists septoria. Pests have to be de alt with in a general manner.

Fit features

Terms of landing operations

It is best to plant black currant varieties Izyumnaya in autumn: in the north of the country - in the third decade of September, in the southern regions - in October, November. The bush will take root before frost, and in the spring it will already receive the necessary nutrition.

In the spring - as the condition of the soil allows and before bud break, there will be little time - before the growing season, the plant should have time to take root minimally.

Determining the place

The most suitable soil for currant Raisins is loose sandy loam or loam. Waterlogging and high humidity of the earth are unacceptable. On acidic soil, the berries become smaller, the harvest is not encouraging. A place for planting currants is selected sunny, well-lit, usually along a fence or paths.

Excluded blown areas. North and northeast winds are especially destructive.

Preparing the beds and plot

The beds must be built, observing the above conditions. Places for planting seedlings should be prepared in advance.

When planting Raisin currants at a distance of up to 2 m between the bushes, the berries will become larger in size and will surprise you with their aroma. The taste of currants will be sweeter, and the harvest will be higher, respectively, and the bushes will delight with harvests longer.

1. If the soil is fertilized, superphosphate mixed with earth, wood ash and urea are added to the hole in a ratio of approximately 200:350:45.
2. We cultivate the depleted soil in advance, digging it deep with the addition of manure, ash and potassium-phosphorus fertilizer.

Selection of seedlings

It is necessary to critically assess the condition of the plant:

• the roots should not show signs of mechanical damage, rot;
• shoots - not damaged by pests, he althy, flexible;
• foliage - resilient, without spots and other possible traces of the disease.

Seedling planting technology

Action guide:

• prepare recesses with sides of about 50 cm with a distance of at least 1.5-1.8 m from each other;
• add a mixture of superphosphate and humus to the loose earth at the bottom of the pit;
• fill with 10 cm of earth;
• currant roots pre-soaked for about 4 hours, lower at an angle of 45 degrees into the recess and straighten them;
• fill the roots and root neck of the seedling with soil for 7-8 cm;
• lightly trample the ground around the trunk, water and mulch;
• in spring, additionally cut branches to 3-4 buds and water the seedling as needed.

Reproduction of the Raisin bush

Experienced gardeners recommend to amateur gardeners the method of propagating Raisin currant with regrown cuttings. To do this, it is enough to press a branch of currant to the ground with a hairpin and fall asleep. When the layer takes root, the cutting with the root is cut off and planted.

You can propagate Raisin currant - by dividing the mother bush.

Organization of competent care

Irrigation and fertilization

Currant Raisin is drought-resistant. But for a good, large harvest, the earth must be abundantly moistened. Watering is preferable in the evenings. Then - mulching. The crowns of the bushes themselves, for lack of rain, need to be irrigated 2 times a week.

Experienced gardeners know the secret of getting large berries: in the spring, generously water the bushes, but be even more careful when the buds swell with flowers.They need at this time, high humidity in the air. With a hose with a divider, you will solve this problem easily, and the currant will gratefully respond to care at the end of the season.

Immediately after planting, young bushes do not need top dressing, but later in the spring 45 g of urea will significantly affect the yield.

During the period of active setting, currants need nourishment: when setting berries - a good bucket of solution, complex, mineral fertilizer for a large bush. After harvesting, you should feed the plants with superphosphate and a glass of ash.

Experts recommend that at least once every 2 years, cover the bushes with humus, followed by backfilling with soil.

Loosening the soil

The currant variety Raisin, like any garden crop, needs loose soil. It must be maintained throughout the season. It is important not to damage the roots close to the surface by loosening. Loosening is not needed if the trunk circle is lined with mulch.

Shaping a bush

• The general rule for the formation of a bush is to leave 3 new shoots every year, cutting off 2 buds from each.
• In the first season, young shoots are cut to 3 buds.
• In the following years, each of the remaining 3 young shoots is shortened by 2 buds.
• Also, in seasons 3 and 4, last year's branches are cut back by 10 cm to encourage branching.
• Branches five years old and older are pruned close to the trunk.
• Then every year the old ones are cut out, leaving the same number of young ones.
• After 10 years, the bush is divided and transplanted.
• A good adult currant bush should have 10-15 strong main branches of different ages.

Shelter for the winter

Currant Raisin practically does not need shelter, only in case of frosts over 39˚C or:

• young bush up to 2 years old;
• recovered from an illness or dropped leaves early;
• waiting for a snowless or very cold winter.

Preventive treatments

To prevent diseases and the appearance of pests in the garden are required:

• timely pruning to prevent dense branches;
• burning cut damaged branches;
• digging between rows in late autumn to destroy pests prepared for wintering;
• early spring treatment with boiling water of each branch before flowering.

You can collect more onion and garlic husks in winter and scatter it under currant bushes in spring: it will not be afraid of many common misfortunes.

Why currants do not bear fruit

1. Not enough sun.
2. Acid soil.
3. Not enough moisture during the budding period.
4. Reversion is a disease in which fruiting stops.
5. Butterfly - glass case.
6. Forest ants eat away the inside of a flower, leaving empty sepals.
7. Soil salinity, even the lightest.
8. Excess fertilizer.
9. Grows in thickets of garden trees.

Reviews of gardeners about culture

Kriulev Yu.P., test gardener from Nizhny Novgorod

Gardeners would like to pay special attention to currant varieties Izyumnaya. The variety with excellent taste qualities (4.7-4.8 points) is resistant to diseases, has good winter hardiness. It does not crumble when fully ripe, but gradually dries out on the bush, as if “raisined”, from where it got its name.

Sergey Chudopalov, cultivar tester:

Izumnaya variety is even better. He is much sweeter. This variety is early, but the berries are so firmly attached to the branches that they can hang wither until winter if they are not pecked by birds. The high sugar content (10-12%) makes them similar to raisins - hence the name. In addition, Raisin is winter-hardy, resistant to powdery mildew, bud mites.

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