Currant on a trunk: planting and care, how to grow your own hands step by step

Growing certain varieties of currants on a bole can significantly reduce labor intensity, facilitate care and harvesting. This is a great option for a small area, as the bushes take up less space than with traditional techniques, and they can be planted at a small distance from each other. The formation of the trunk is carried out for three years. Any gardener can complete the task.

What is standard currant?

Shtamb - a section of the trunk from the soil level to the first branches of the lower level.Standard currant has the appearance of a small tree. The required shape of bush plants is given immediately after planting. As a result, there are more fruits, they are larger, more aromatic and tastier. Positive changes are associated with a better supply of sunlight.

Advantages and disadvantages

Growing on trunks is an easy way to get a good harvest. There are many more advantages than using traditional methods. This list looks like this:

• use garden space effectively;
• planting a cutting with one kidney is possible;
• the sun's rays are evenly distributed;
• bush plants have a decorative look;
• brushes of berries and the fruits themselves are large, the aroma is more pronounced, the taste is more pleasant;
• care and harvesting is done with less labor (berries can be shaken off by hand without harm to the bush);
• nutrients are not spent on the formation of root shoots;
• berries ripen faster;
• crop losses are minimal;
• reduced risk of disease and pest damage;
• increased crop life and fruiting period.

With so many pluses, the minuses are negligible. But still they exist and should be taken into account, if possible, eliminated. Disadvantages of standard crop growing:

• the trunk is high, because it is not completely covered with a layer of snow, which is associated with the need for pre-winter shelter (black variety is more susceptible to frost than red or white);
• when strong winds break the trees, so a strong support is required;
• after 7 years there is a sharp decline in yields, there is no possibility of its recovery.

Fit features

When figuring out for yourself how to grow standard currants, you should familiarize yourself with the features of planting the crop. Spring and autumn are suitable for work. The specific period is chosen depending on the climatic zone. For example, if there is a lot of snow, planting is done in the fall, with little snow cover - in the spring.

Prepare a landing pit of standard sizes - 0.5 x 0.5 x 0.5 m. Lay humus or compost and add 2 cups of ash. Next, a reliable support is driven in, which the plant needs all its life. The seedling is placed in the pit vertically, without tilt, then attached to the support. Spread roots are buried and provide abundant watering.

Choice of currant varieties

Suitable for both dark and light currants. But in order to get the expected result, it is necessary to choose the right varieties of standard plants. Below are the most common options:

• Blackcurrant. This type of bush plant is the most popular, but suffers more from severe frosts. The best varieties include Commemorative, Monastic and University currants, Stork. Do not grow black currants in Siberia and other areas where low temperatures prevail.
• Red currant. No special conditions required. Red currant grows well on the trunk. The main thing is to choose the right variety of culture. The most common options are Bayan, Rondom, Natalie, Viksne, Sugar variety. The fruits are great for making desserts.
• Yellow (white) currant. This variety is highly valued in Europe. The best variety is Imperial yellow. Flowering is later than that of dark currant, therefore the culture does not suffer from frosts.

How to grow currants on a trunk with your own hands？

You can grow a stem plant with its own root stem and on a rootstock. The first method is old and has been successfully used for many years. Gardeners first implemented this technique over 100 years ago. The second method is no less common, it is often used in nurseries in Europe. After grafting, the side shoots appear again and again, this is carefully monitored and the extra parts of the plant are removed in time.

Own-root stem

In this way, you can form any seedling: both taken from the site and bought in the nursery. The procedure is as follows:

1. In the spring, when sap flow has not yet begun, all shoots are cut, except for one - the most developed and straight, the length of which is from 80 cm to 1 m.
2. Pinch off the top of the selected shoot.
3. Leaving 3-4 kidneys on top, the rest, located at the lower level, are blinding.
4. After the side shoots have formed, they are pinched over the 3-5th leaf.
5. In the second year, the growing shoots are re-tweezed.
6. In the future, pruning is performed for sanitary or thinning purposes.

Stamp on rootstock

For a scion, a lignified cutting with dormant buds is prepared, the optimal thickness is 4-5 mm. Too young cuttings may not take root. Step by step:

1. Initially promote vertical plant growth. The stock is prepared by layering or rooted cuttings. The plant is planted when the stock material reaches the required dimensions (thickness - 4-5 mm, height - 80 cm). To make the trunk thicker faster, side branches are gradually removed.
2. You can prepare a cutting of any variety of currant from those that are suitable for growing on a bole.However, many gardeners recommend giving preference to bush plants that are resistant to the negative effects of pests and low temperatures. The required scion length is 3-4 buds.
3. Inoculation into the bole is carried out by improved copulation.
4. Next, they move on to blinding the kidneys on the trunk.
5. When the side shoots of the scion are 10-15 cm long, tweezing is done over the third leaf. This is the maximum length, with a higher value of the indicator, the integrity of the base of the plant may be violated.
6. After a year, pinch out new side shoots.
7. In the third year, the plant is periodically pruned, thinned if necessary.

The nuances of caring for standard currants

In order for the standard plant to grow resistant to negative factors, and the fruits to be large, juicy and tasty, several important points are taken into account:

• Proper fit. The rules for all varieties and varieties of culture are different. Full compliance with the technological process also implies an understanding of the features of preparing the pit, fertilizing, garter.
• Feeding. Not everyone adheres to this rule, but in vain, because by applying top dressing, you can significantly increase the yield.
• Protection against pests and diseases. Currant is a vulnerable crop, therefore there is a need for the implementation of preventive and therapeutic measures. With this approach, there is a high probability of preserving the crop.
• Pruning and watering. It is important to cut off excess branches in a timely manner and water the plant regularly.

Irrigation

Excess moisture and stagnant water are undesirable. However, watering should be carried out regularly, avoiding overdrying of the soil. Otherwise, the quality of the crop will deteriorate not only in a particular year, but also in subsequent ones.The buds of plants that lack moisture are very weak, the berries are smaller and quickly crumble. The effects of drying out are observed for a long time.

Abundant watering is required only in autumn and during fruiting. Root growth continues almost until the end of the autumn season, therefore, from September to the end of October, standard currants are watered 2-3 times more.

Loosening, mulching

Tillage begins in the last days of April. When loosening, they maintain a depth of 7 cm. Next, the soil is mulched. The optimal thickness of the mulch layer is up to 10 cm. Loosening is performed every 14 days, weeds are also weeded.

Fertilization

When planting plants, lime is added to the soil (0.3-0.8 kg/m^{2 at pH 4-5.5). For 1 sq. m of soil, it is enough to apply a mixture of the following substances: potassium sulfate - 25-35 g, granular superphosphate - 150-200 g, organic matter - 3-4 kg.}

Fertilizers containing potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen are very useful for currants. To saturate the soil with these elements, you can apply manure or humus. It is also important to remember the dangers of chlorine, so before buying, you should carefully study the composition of the selected fertilizer. Sprinkling with fresh cow's milk helps to increase yield, it is first combined with water in a ratio of 1:10.

Cutting

Late autumn and early spring are suitable for pruning, namely, the period when the leaves have already fallen off or have not yet formed. The plant is formed from 16-20 branches of different ages, annually leaving 3-5 zero shoots. Branches that have been fruiting for 6-7 years are removed.

Carry out a thorough inspection of the bush plant, as a result of which they cut off very long and too low, branched, crooked and tangled branches that prevent the normal growth of other shoots. After completion of work, sections larger than 8 mm are treated with garden pitch.

Garter

Usually, the need for a garter occurs in the fourth or fifth year of the plant's life, when the tree is large, sprawling. In areas with gusty winds, a garter is used as a way to protect against negative impacts. Correctly performed pruning helps prevent pronounced sagging of the branches. Leave up to 20 shoots, the remaining branches are attached to the support.

Winter shelter

Currants are prepared for wintering by doing the following:

• 14 days before frost currants stop watering, which allows the plant to shed its leaves;
• collect fallen leaves and remove old layer of mulch;
• the length of the branches is reduced by 10-15 cm if this stage was skipped last year;
• loosen the soil if fertilizers were not applied after harvesting, fertilize with a potassium-phosphorus composition, then spud to a height of 10 cm, mulch with sawdust or fallen leaves from ornamental plants (optimal layer thickness - 5-7 cm);
• watering is allowed just before the frosts and only if the soil is very dry (previously push back the mulch).

In the northern regions, branches are bent to the snow cover, which reduces the risk of freezing. Growing currants on a bole is a creative process. This approach to planting a plant allows you to save space in your garden and place a lot of trees on a small plot of land. As a result, the bush plant acquires an attractive appearance and brings a good harvest. There are many advantages, and there are practically no disadvantages.

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