How to grow currants from seeds at home: planting and care with video

Currant bush can be grown from seeds, and it is important to understand how to properly harvest seeds and plant, what conditions to maintain for the full development of the crop. When using seed material, a plant grows with new characteristics, this is the main difference from the propagation of currants by layering and cuttings. The first harvest is harvested no earlier than after 4-5 years.

Can currants be grown from seeds？

Propagation of culture by seeds is used to breed new varieties. Basically, it is not possible to preserve all the properties of the mother bushes.The characteristics of plants can change both for better and for worse. For amateur gardeners, this method of growing currants is an opportunity to obtain an improved version of the crop and further carry out vegetative propagation.

Advantages and disadvantages of the method

As with other methods, when propagating currants with seeds, certain advantages and disadvantages are distinguished. Having assessed the features of this method of growing a crop, each gardener will be able to determine for himself the feasibility of planting seeds. The benefits are as follows:

• variety of fit options;
• opportunity to get bush seedlings of your favorite variety;
• implementation of breeding activities in order to develop improved varieties;
• possibility of growing at home.

There are also negative points:

• the process of growing a crop is laborious;
• the bush begins to bear fruit at least 4-5 years after planting;
• in most cases, the characteristics of mother bushes are not preserved;
• in apartments it is impossible to maintain the required temperature during the wintering period, which leads to failures in the natural vegetation cycle and an increased risk of plant damage by pests and diseases;
• when growing indoors, the volume of berries decreases.

Seed harvesting

Preparing material for planting currants is easy, the main thing is to select the best fruits. Dry the seeds naturally or in a dryer. Ripe berries are gently kneaded or cut, then washed. The resulting material is pre-dried.

You can harvest the seeds in another way.In this case, the berries are partially dried, and only after this process is completed, the seed material is removed. It is allowed to use fruits that have fallen and lay under the snow. Such a berry is well prepared for planting, as it undergoes a natural stratification process.

How to grow currants from seeds？

There are several options for growing currants from seeds. It can be grown in a greenhouse or in an apartment and planted in spring or autumn. Another option is possible - sowing in open ground before the onset of cold weather or in pots with further storage in the cellar.

Culture grows equally in open ground and in a warm room, the difference may appear later.

Outdoor

Sow seeds 2-3 weeks before the onset of cold weather. This is the optimal period for growing currants in open ground. Do not wait longer as the plant may sprout before winter sets in.

Choose a well-lit place, close up the seeds at a shallow depth. Be sure to use a marker, which in the spring will help determine the desired piece of land. Germination occurs after the soil has warmed and thawed.

In September, sowing is carried out in pots. The containers are stored in the cellar until spring, periodically checking the soil moisture. Drying out is not allowed. In April, pots are added dropwise in the garden, choosing a site well lit by sunlight.

In the greenhouse

With the onset of spring, a box filled with moist earth is prepared for the seed. The container with seeds is covered with a film and left in a sheltered room. When shoots have appeared, the box is freed from the film and moved to the windowsill.

When the height of the seedlings is 15 cm, they switch to picking. Separate pots are used for transplanting. At stable temperatures, after the appearance of the first leaves, young plants are moved to pre-prepared holes on an open plot of land.

In the future, currants are regularly and abundantly watered through a divider. Plants take root, after which the volume of water used is reduced. The optimal distance between the holes is 1 m.

The greenhouse method is not suitable for those who plan to produce large volumes of fruit. In addition, when growing a crop in a greenhouse, the risk of negative effects of pests and the development of diseases increases. To prevent this, it is important to regularly care for plants and process them in a timely manner.

At home

The home method of growing currants is designed for dwarf plants. The red variety is not suitable, pick up the black variety of the crop. In other ways, only black currants are also usually grown.

In advance, you need to purchase a planter with a height of 25 cm or more. The pot is placed on the loggia or balcony. It is not easy to maintain the required temperature in the apartment, because the plants grow slowly and develop poorly. When implementing this method, one should not expect high yields.

Advice from seasoned gardeners

An important condition is a light, fine-grained soil containing a sufficient amount of nutrients. In such soil, it is easier for sprouts to germinate. You can purchase ready-made soil or prepare the necessary mixture yourself from garden soil, charcoal and compost or humus.

To plant seedlings, an additional component is used for clay soil - sand. The soil is kneaded by hand or sifted through a sieve and without fail disinfected in the most convenient way. Some advise watering the earth with a hot solution of potassium permanganate, other gardeners warm the soil in the oven. Everyone has their own methods.

For growing currants from seeds, pots with holes are selected through which excess moisture will penetrate. A drainage layer is formed at the bottom. Coarse sand and small pebbles are suitable for these purposes.

Gardeners are advised to store dried seeds in paper bags at a temperature of +2 to +5 degrees. With the onset of spring, the seed is kept near the battery for several days, only after that it is sown in pots. Before planting plants in open ground, pits up to 1 cm deep are prepared and abundant watering is carried out. The pits are covered with sand or dry fine earth.

During the growing period of plants in pots, they are carefully observed. At first, do not allow exposure to direct sunlight. Place containers in the shade, if necessary, provide protection from the cold at night.

The future shrub is regularly watered, the area around it is carefully weeded and loosened. Fertilizers are applied to the soil. To reduce the growth of weeds, after watering the earth is mulched with humus or compost.As a result, moisture is retained in the soil longer, and plants receive additional nutrients.

In the first year of plant life, a thorough examination is carried out, which makes it possible to detect fungal diseases at the initial stage of their development. For preventive purposes, soil and currants are sprinkled with wood ash, sprayed with garlic and soap from aphids. For irrigation, a solution of copper sulfate is used.

One should not expect significant development in one year. More intensive growth is observed in the second year, and in the third year young bushes are formed. During the flowering period, the bushes shake slightly, which has a positive effect on pollination and the formation of berries.

Plants and fruits can differ significantly in quality, taste, appearance, the result is unpredictable. The berry may be smaller or larger, juicier, sourer or sweeter. But in any case, the process itself gives a lot of pleasure to gardeners.In addition, it is always possible to develop a variety with a long fruiting period or other improved characteristics.

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