Blackcurrant Veloy: variety description and characteristics, planting and care with photo

Veloi currant is an early-ripening berry crop that is popular among gardeners. She pleases with her early abundant harvest of sweet berries. The grade is characterized by the increased resistance to low temperatures and resistance to a heat. Unpretentious, does not require special rules in care.

A bit of history

A variety of blackcurrant varieties is Veloy - the result of crossing varieties of the Leningrad giant and Odzhebin, obtained within the walls of the All-Russian Research Institute for Plant Growing. N. I. Vavilov. In some sources, Vela is called the Leningrad Sweet.

Main advantages and disadvantages

Veloj currant, like any berry crop, has its positive properties and disadvantages.

Positives

Veloj currant growers note the following benefits:

1. Young shoots of a varietal plant have a good growth result, you can get a decent harvest from them the next year.
2. Large fruits delight with great taste.
3. Veloi provides gardeners with a stable volumetric yield of berries. With proper care, one berry bush can produce up to 4-5 kg of sweet fruit.
4. Berries are versatile to use. They are delicious when eaten fresh and are also great for home processing, drying and freezing.
5. Veloi is a self-pollinating crop, planting other varieties for pollination is not required.
6. The berries have a dense structure, so they are kept intact during transportation.
7. Distinguished by winter hardiness and resistance to diseases and pests.

Flaws

There are no special noteworthy disadvantages of the Veloy variety. But still keep in mind:

• berries ripen at different times, this causes problems when harvesting, you have to harvest in several stages;
• although the description says that the fruits come off dry, but overripe berries burst and leak.

As you can see, there are more advantages than disadvantages. This achieves the popularity of the Veloy variety among gardeners.

Description of currant Veloy

Shrubs and root system

Velaya currant bushes are semi-spreading, without thickening.The life of a berry culture begins with the formation of basal annual shoots, which are called increments. On annual growths, buds are laid, growth in the lower part, growth shoot with a brush in the middle part of the bush.

The fruit shortened branch is located in the apical part, it is from such 1-2 summer branches that the main crop is obtained. Currant shoots of different ages are erect. Branching in the first year of development with an uneven pinkish color is pubescent. Branches 3-4 years old have a beige or gray-brown hue.

The root system of bushes is fibrous type, the roots are not very deep (from 30 to 60 cm), so regular watering of the bushes is required in dry summers.

Flowering

Large flowers are glass-shaped, bisexual, greenish-white with a delicate pink tint. The petals are rounded and collected in an egg-shaped cup. Each raceme has up to eight evenly spaced ovaries to form berries.

Berries and yields

Round currant berries are large, thin skin is black with a glossy sheen. The fruits are tender and juicy, sweet, the sugar content is high, up to 9.9%. Each bunch ripens from 1.6 to 3.5 g of fruit.

Important! With the right agricultural technology, 5-6 kg of fruits can be taken from the Veloy bush.

Culture characteristic

Resistant to drought and low temperatures

The fast-growing variety Veloy is distinguished by increased winter hardiness, and is also characterized by drought resistance. It was bred for central Russia, therefore it is adapted for cultivation in cold regions. Can successfully endure cold winters and summer heat.

Insect and disease susceptibility

Currant Veloy can be affected by bud mites, aphids, anthracnose and powdery mildew. The variety is resistant to diseases and pests. To prevent their appearance, the bushes must be treated in the spring with a solution of nitrafen or chlorophos with karbofos.

Planting a bush

Further development directly depends on the correct planting of Veloy currant.

Pre-planting work

Veloi currant responds well to fertile soil with a weak alkaline index. The place for planting currants should be flat or slightly sloping to prevent stagnant water, as well as lit and protected from through winds.

The plot for currants is dug up on a full bayonet of a shovel with the introduction of manure, superphosphate and potash fertilizer. Can be dug up in autumn for spring planting. They dig round holes to a depth of 30-35 cm, with dimensions of 40 by 40 cm, lay drainage (expanded clay or gravel), cover three-quarters with fertile soil with fertilizers (1-2 buckets of humus, 200 g of superphosphate, a glass of ash in each pit of humus) , mix fertilizer with soil.

Planting seedlings

Ready-made seedlings must be kept in a growth stimulator for about a day. You can soak in a solution of ordinary natural honey with the addition of a tablespoon to a bucket of water. The aerial part of the planting material is shortened before planting to 15-20 cm.

Currants are planted obliquely, leaving 2-3 buds on each shoot. It is plentifully watered at the rate of 4-5 liters of water in each hole, a part is poured under the roots, the rest - after backfilling. The roots of the seedling are carefully straightened, covered with soil, shaken so that there are no voids. To preserve moisture in the soil, the ground around the bushes must be mulched with sawdust, humus or peat.

Plant care

Irrigation

Veloi currant is a moderately moisture-loving berry crop, it is watered in early spring and autumn before wintering. Sprinkler irrigation can be used on dry days. The plant requires a lot of water during flowering and during fruit set.

Attention! Veloy does not like excess water. Bushes with excessive moisture can be covered with lichens.

Feeding

Currant bushes are demanding on nitrogen fertilizers, with a lack of them, the berries become small, the growth of shoots may stop. Nitrogen top dressing can be made in the form of an infusion of herbs, mullein, bird droppings.

Lack of potassium is also reflected in the berries, they become less sweet. Potassium, along with other trace elements, is found in wood ash, for this purpose it is often sprinkled under the bushes.

Feeding is necessary in the spring and autumn, as well as during the filling and ripening of fruits.

Loosening beds

When caring for currants, oxygen access to the root system is important. To do this, the soil must be kept in a loose state. Loosening under the bushes should be done after watering and rain, carefully so as not to damage the roots of the currant.

Shaping cut

In order for the Veloi currant to please with a plentiful sweet harvest, it is necessary to prune every year (in spring, summer and autumn) using a garden pruner. Autumn pruning is necessary to remove old branches and excess unproductive shoots.

In the spring, broken and diseased branches are cut, each of the he althy branches is cut by 5 cm. Some of the he althiest, strongest and most productive shoots are left. Starting from the 5th-6th year, skeletal branches that have lost their yield are removed.

In summer, you can cut branches that lie on the ground, weak with little branching. Thus, the formation of currant bushes with a predominance of strong developed and productive shoots is carried out. Every year, 4-5 branches from several generations are left at the currant bush after pruning. In 3-4 years, the plant will grow 15 skeletal productive branches.

Preventive treatments

Without preventive treatments, it is impossible to achieve good growth and a plentiful harvest from currants.

Regularly inspect the bushes and get rid of diseased buds, leaves and shoots.
Early in spring, when the snow has not completely thawed under the plants, currant bushes are poured with hot water.With the use of such a hot shower, the pathogens of the kidney mites and scale insects are destroyed. This is a good powdery mildew prevention.

All these simple methods will help save currant bushes from diseases and pests.

How to cover plantings for the winter

After carrying out preventive measures, watering, feeding and processing, they begin to prepare measures to shelter currants for the winter. The branches of the bushes are pulled together with a rope towards the top in a spiral. This method will help keep the buds on the shoots, as there will be no friction against each other.

You can bend the shoots to the soil, cover the top of the branch with plywood, slate or other improvised material. You can wrap currants with insulation, for example, agrofiber.

It is not recommended to cover bushes too early, fungus may develop from high humidity.

Propagation methods of currant Veloy

Currants are propagated by cuttings, layering and dividing the bush. Propagation by cuttings is the most common method. Cuttings are cut in October from annual growths with a length of 15-20 cm, removing the leaves. Planted obliquely, leaving two buds on the surface of the earth, watered and mulched.

When propagating by layering, strong annual shoots are selected before flowering, bent to the ground and fixed with wire hooks, laid in grooves about 10 cm deep. In autumn, bent branches are cut off from the mother bush and planted in a permanent place.

Reviews

Gardeners speak well of the Velaya currant. They note her unpretentiousness in care, productivity. We are unanimous in our opinion that with proper care for berry bushes, currants provide a bountiful harvest of sweet fruits.

Valentina, 46, Novosibirsk

Currant seedlings Veloy purchased with her husband in the nursery. We have been growing it for 4 years now. We believe that the variety is fertile, pleases us with a harvest of large and sweet berries. Does not cause difficulties in leaving.

Vladimir, 25, Moscow Region

Mother is gardening. In the summer, at my mother's dacha, I feast on Vela currant berries. Very sweet and fragrant.

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