How many years does blackcurrant bear fruit: life and yield

Table Of Contents

When does the currant begin to bear fruit?
How long does a currant live?
How many years can one crop grow in one place?
How to extend the life of a plant?
Why can currants stop fruiting?
The highest quality varieties

Blackcurrant is a perennial shrub. Its fruits are valued due to the high content of vitamin C. Therefore, it is often used in the medical and dietary menu. The height of the shrub does not exceed 1.5 meters, it is well formed and quickly bears fruit. Knowing how many years the blackcurrant will live, you will reap a good harvest every year.

When does the currant begin to bear fruit?

Currant begins its growth in early spring. The shrub has mixed buds. After the formation of the shoot, flower tassels appear, which are located along the length of the branch.Branches from the previous year give more fruit. Branches older than four years bring less yield - the berries are small and easily crumble. That is, the most fruitful branches are two-year and three-year. Old branches are cut off as they have no value.

Currant begins to bloom after the gooseberry - first red, then black. The bush blooms for ten days. It is pollinated by bees, so good crops are harvested near apiaries. After flowering quickly tied up. First, the berries ripen at the base, and then on the branch.

Harvesting is carried out annually, its size depends on the characteristics of care. Begins to bear fruit next year. At first, the shrub gives a small crop, but with good care, the volume increases. Currant yields the highest yield in the fourth year. You can improve your yield through proper pruning.

How long does a currant live?

The life expectancy of currants depends on several factors: planting place and time, soil, pruning and care, variety. Like gooseberries, currants are perennial crops.

Black

Maximum yield of blackcurrant starts after 5-6 years of growth. After that, it gradually decreases. After 8 years, the bushes need to be rejuvenated. After 12-14 years, the bush must be uprooted and a replacement prepared.

Red

The life expectancy of red currants is slightly longer. It grows and bears fruit for 16-18 years. After that, the shrubs are removed.

How many years can one crop grow in one place?

The duration of crop growth depends on several factors:

Susceptibility to secretions of own roots accumulated in the ground.
Depending on the growth of currant - alone or with other crops. In the second case, root secretions are processed by another crop and do not remain in the soil.
Diseases and pests in the ground.

Currant grows in one place for no more than 15 years.

How to extend the life of a plant?

Despite the unpretentiousness of the currant, the yield decreases over time. To prolong the life of a culture, it is necessary to rejuvenate. This is a procedure for removing old and low-yielding branches. Rejuvenation is carried out in autumn or spring. When pruning, do not forget that the bulk of the crop ripens on two- and three-year-old branches.

Steps of rejuvenation in spring:

The procedure must be carried out on a warm day when the earth warms up to 5 degrees.
Removal of dry, broken and diseased branches.
Pruning incorrectly growing branches (deep into the bush) that do not allow young shoots to develop.
Removing old branches and zero shoots.
Leave strong branches and shoots for 3-4 years.

You can determine the age of the branches by the bark. On old ones it is dark, and on young ones it is light brown or grayish. In addition, the old branches are covered with moss.

In autumn, rejuvenation is carried out after the leaves fall, but before the first frosts appear. Stages are similar to spring.

Some useful tips for rejuvenation:

work only within the allotted time;
tool must be sharpened and disinfected;
after the removed branches it is not permissible to leave stumps. In the center of a bush, it is difficult to cut a branch exactly with the ground, so leave the cut no more than 2 centimeters from the ground.
the place of the cut is processed with garden pitch, which is prepared by oneself or bought in a specialized store.

After the rejuvenation procedure, the currant needs time to get stronger, so the harvest will appear only next year. It is not recommended to rejuvenate the culture more than three times. An old shrub cannot be revived in this way. With proper rejuvenation, next year the shrub will bring a big harvest.

Why can currants stop fruiting?

There are a number of factors that contribute to the fact that the plant has ceased to produce a good harvest. Firstly, this is the old age of the bush. With proper and proper care, seedlings bear fruit for up to ten years. With a long growth in one place, the bush ceases to bloom. Most likely, rejuvenation has not been carried out for a long time. Currant fruits appear on branches that have not reached the age of 4 years.

Over time, the culture ceases to bear fruit. In this case, you need to uproot the bush and plant a new one. You can try to save the plant by the process of rejuvenation and feeding. Perhaps next year, currants will again bring a good harvest.

Secondly, not the right climate. Perhaps in the spring, the culture was subjected to frost. Because of this, young buds died, and the shrub does not bear berries. To avoid such consequences, it is not recommended to plant blackcurrants on the south side. Also keep the soil moist, so provide additional water during dry times.

Third, the lack of pollinators. Many varieties of currant self-pollinate, but sometimes there are those that require additional pollination for a good harvest.

Another factor in poor fruiting is considered a disease - terry. You can determine the disease during the flowering period. In the affected flowers, the petals are narrowed, and the pistils grow strongly. As a result, the flower brush resembles a thin branch covered with yellow scales instead of berries. Due to the disease, currant leaves lose their aroma. Such shrubs need to be urgently uprooted and burned, since it is impossible to get rid of the disease.Because of it, from 20 to 100% of the crop is lost.

The most common cause of unsuccessful fruiting is pests. Insects eat pistils on flowers and ovaries on berries, and sometimes infect the entire currant bush. Biological methods will help in pest control. In an advanced case, chemicals are used.

Very dense bushes also affect poor harvest. This is due to the fact that the shrub will give nutrients to maintain foliage, and not to harvest fruits. Therefore, it is recommended to prune bad branches once a year.

The highest quality varieties

To achieve a good harvest and long fruiting, select blackcurrant bushes based on the region where they will be grown. Most common varieties:

Pearl. An early ripe variety with sweet berries. The variety is resistant to frost and dry weather, and also does not require care.
Sofiyivska. An early variety with large oblong fruits, shiny and firm skin. After ripening, the berries sit firmly on the branches and do not fall off.
Jubilee Digging. Seedlings with medium spreading bushes. The fruits ripen at the same time and are stored for a long time. The variety is popular with summer residents.
Pygmy. This variety belongs to the dessert variety. It has sugar large berries. It is not popular among summer residents, as it requires special care. Resistant to disease and temperature changes.
The beauty of Lvov. The variety belongs to the late. It has bushes of medium size, with thick and straight shoots. The fruits are medium in size, with a sweet and sour taste. Mostly consumed fresh.
Vigorous. Late variety, with weighty dark brown fruits. It tolerates temperature changes well, but requires additional care and pollination.
Lazy. Culture with an average ripening period. It has large dark brown fruits. It produces a small yield, which is increased by additional pollination.
Mermaid. The plant has sweet berries with a thin skin. It tolerates frost, diseases and is not exposed to pests. The main difference of the variety is the long-term storage of berries.
The gift of Smolyaninova. Shrub with huge wrinkled leaves and large fruits weighing 3-5 grams. From one bush you can get from two kilograms of crop.

Currant is considered a grateful crop, which, with the right care, will live for a long time and will please with good yields.