Currant Exotica: variety description, planting and care, reviews of gardeners with photos

Large-fruited, early ripening Exotica currant has taken the place of old, gradually degenerating varieties. Russian gardeners fell in love with the hybrid culture for its attractive varietal properties - large-fruitedness, early ripening, resistance to fungal diseases.

Variety history

The blackcurrant variety Exotica is a domestic product of cross-pollination of the Golubka variety with pollen from Ershistaya and Orlovia varieties, bred in 2001. Employees of the Siberian Research Institute and the All-Russian Research Institute of Fruit Crops Breeding took part in the creation of the hybrid currant.

The variety is recommended for cultivation in the Central regions.

Description and characteristics

Currant Exotica is a berry bush with large leathery leaves dotted with fine wrinkles. The edges of the leaf blade are serrated. The plant blooms in mid-May with large white flowers, the fruits ripen by mid-July.

Bush

Exotica bushes are upright, medium density. Currants of this variety, with proper care, reach the height of human growth. The shoots of the current year are light green. The old ones are lignified, powerful, not bending under the load of the crop. Adult branches are gray, yellowish at the tops.

Berries

Exotica fruits contain a high concentration of vitamin C. They ripen on a bunch similar to grapes.

The color of thin-skinned berries is black with a sheen, the shape is spherical. The weight of one piece is 3-5 g, the amount per brush reaches 10. The taste of fleshy pulp is spicy sweet and sour, refreshing, with a pleasant aroma.

Peculiarities of culture

When breeding large-fruited Exotica, scientists took care to consolidate the useful varietal characteristics that Russian gardeners appreciated.

Susceptibility to diseases and pests

In the central regions of Russia, powdery mildew, a bud mite, cause the greatest damage to currants, because of which gardeners began to destroy old bushes and cultivate new varieties. Exotica is a modern variety with immunity against fungal disease, resistant to mites.

Currant Exotica is resistant to septoria or white spot, columnar rust.

In early spring and after harvesting, the bushes are treated with Bordeaux liquid, preventing anthracnose, against which there is no immunity. Of insects, currant glass, gooseberry moth, and aphids are dangerous.

Drought resistance and frost resistance

Currant Exotic is not drought resistant. For normal development, the plant requires moderate moisture. Excess water negatively affects the crop, the culture is affected by fungal diseases, the fruits become covered with mold. Frost resistance (up to -26C) allows planting crops in the central regions of Russia and Siberia.

Early maturity and productivity

Fruit filling ends in the first half of July. Of the early varieties of blackcurrant, the Exotic variety is the largest-fruited.

With proper care, an average of 3.5 kg is collected from one bush. The disadvantage of the variety is a decrease in yield due to the negative impact of late frosts at the beginning of the flowering of the crop.

Transportability and application of currants

Out of the possible 5 transportability points, Exotic currant deserved 3.8. The decrease in the maximum value was affected by the thin skin of the fruit, leading to cracking during the picking of berries.

With intact integrity, the crop is stored fresh for 10 days and frozen for up to six months.

Juiciness, pleasant sweet and sour taste of the fruit is widely used in the preparation of jam, jam, juice, tinctures. Grinded currants are used to make stuffing for baking, prepare sauces.

Vitamins, a complex of minerals in the composition of the culture are fully preserved until cooking. Therefore, fresh fruits are of great benefit. The daily requirement of the body for vitamin C is covered by eating 10-20 berries.

Fitting technology

For successful blackcurrant vegetation, gardeners are advised to follow the advice on choosing seedlings, location, timing and planting techniques. An agrotechnical event carried out according to the rules is the key to obtaining a full-fledged harvest.

Best timing

It is better to plant Exotics in autumn.In the spring it is difficult to determine the timing. If you delay, the plant will die. This is due to the fact that the variety quickly begins to vegetate, the seedling does not have time to adapt, root. If the planting material is purchased in the spring, then choose the time when the ground thaws by 20 cm.

In autumn, the dates are extended in time depending on the climatic conditions of the region. In the southern regions - until mid-October, in the northern regions - August, early September.

Site and site preparation

When there is a lack of sunlight, the Exotic variety stretches its shoots up, the branches weaken, the berries become smaller, and the taste does not change for the better. Currant needs a sunny place, protected from the winds.

Location of neighboring plants - no closer than 1 meter. In this case, the culture has enough nutrients, there is no shading.

Suitable flat areas, contraindicated lowlands. From stagnant moisture or groundwater lying above one and a half meters from the surface, currant bushes get sick. The best option is the western gentle slope.

Seedling selection

Planting material is purchased from nurseries, proven horticultural associations. Zoned two-year-old seedlings take root better and adapt to climatic conditions without visible flaws, dried parts of the bark.

Pay attention to development, length (not less than 20 cm), lignification of the root system.

Disembarkation algorithm

To prevent soil subsidence, a hole half a meter in diameter and 40 cm deep is prepared in advance 14-20 days before planting. The fertile layer of the earth is diluted with a bucket of organic matter (manure, humus), 200 g of superphosphate, ash are added. If there are several plants, keep the distance between them 1-1.3 meters.

Fitting technique:

• pour a bucket of water into the prepared pit;
• the seedling is kept at an inclination of 45 degrees, deepening the root neck by 10 cm;
• when burying, make sure that the roots do not stick up, but are evenly distributed in the pit;
• fall asleep with earth, lightly rammed on top;
• mulching the near-stem circle.

In order for the bush to develop correctly, three buds are left under the surface of the soil and above it. Extra branches are removed with pruners.

For greater productivity, other simultaneously flowering currant varieties are planted next to the exotic.

Organize care

The development of bushes, size, taste and number of fruits depend on proper care.

Irrigation and fertilization

Exotic currants are watered in dry, clear weather once a week, trying not to splash foliage and stems. The bush needs two buckets of water at a time. The variety is especially demanding for irrigation before budding, pouring berries.

Staying a plant in one place for a long time depletes the substrate. The crop needs top dressing with mineral fertilizers and organic matter from early spring to autumn.

Before bud break, urea is added under the bushes to promote vegetation. Two weeks later, a second top dressing is carried out with organic matter rich in nitrogen - infusions of mullein, bird droppings. If for the preparation of top dressing, manure per bucket of water requires 2 kg, then bird droppings - 1 kg.

From mid-summer and autumn, currants are fertilized with mineral complexes with a predominance of phosphorus, potassium or superphosphate and potassium sulfate. After leaf fall, closer to the cold weather, compost or manure is brought under Exotic, which helps the bush to winter safely.

Shaping a bush

Pruning currant bushes Exotic stimulates the branching of basal shoots, the growth of young branches on old skeletal ones. Thickening, plant damage by diseases and pests is prevented.

The first pruning is done immediately after planting. Shorten the shoots, leaving 3-4 buds. In the second year, they get rid of the sick, thickening shoots. Starting from the third year, old, barren branches are cut out under the base, leaving 4 powerful basal shoots each.

Without fail, get rid of damaged by diseases, broken branches. With a weak growth of basal shoots, two skeletal branches are removed, which continue to bear fruit weakly.

Old branches differ from young ones in darker bark color, smaller buds on the tops. A properly formed adult bush includes 10-15 skeletal branches formed in different years. There are 3-4 branches per year.

Preparing for winter

Preparatory activities include:

• sanitary pruning of diseased deformed branches;
• shallow digging of the circumferential circle;
• abundant watering;
• Mulching the land with sawdust, bark, hay.

In the southern and central regions of Russia, covering material for wintering currants is not used. In the northern regions, the branches are wrapped with a rope, the culture is insulated with cardboard, agrofibre. A snowdrift is piled into the base of the bush.

Reviews of gardeners about the exotic variety

In general, judging by the reviews, blackcurrant Exotica is highly appreciated by gardeners, but some shortcomings are also noted.

Pavel Nikolaevich, 60:

“I planted several currant bushes of different varieties on the site at the same time. After 3 years, I realized that the Exotic variety is the best. The berries are large, uniform, ripen in early July. The only negative is that they quickly crumble if not collected in time. ”

Anna, 35:

“I didn't like Exotic. I agree that the fruits are large, early ripening. But frankly sour for my taste.”

Maria, 42:

“The most delicious jam is obtained from Exotica currant, which I have been growing for 5 years. The variety is resistant to powdery mildew, undemanding to care. The main thing is to cut out old infertile branches every autumn, feed and water them in time. I noticed one minus - not enough dry separation. When harvesting, the thin skin of some of the berries is damaged.”

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