Watering currants: how to carry out during ripening and after harvest

Currants are planted in many garden plots. The shrub is characterized by unpretentiousness, takes root on any soil without problems and, as a result, bears fruit well. Berries are eaten fresh with pleasure, and they are also suitable for making jam. However, an important condition for the proper development of currants is competent watering. How exactly to organize it, you can find out further.

When to water currants

As you know, if the soil is sufficiently moist, this is the key to good currant growth. In order to get a rich harvest every year, you need to take care of the proper care of the crop.In this case, the most important condition is watering the plant throughout the growing season.

Many gardeners are wondering how often to water blackcurrants in summer in order to get a good harvest.

Basically, shrubs need to be watered when they really need it. Along with this, the culture is watered four times a year according to the following schedule:

The first watering is carried out at the end of May, when the currants are just beginning to form ovaries (from the end of May to the beginning of June).
The second watering is done at the time when the fruits are poured (in June or early July).
The third watering is organized immediately after the end of the harvest (between August and September). By the way, the question of whether currants need to be watered after harvesting usually causes a lot of controversy. So, some believe that this is not necessary, but this statement is fundamentally not true.
The fourth watering is carried out before the start of wintering, usually somewhere in October.

It is also worth bearing in mind that if the time has come to moisten the currants, but it is rainy, naturally, additional watering does not make sense. By following this rule, you will never harm the bush.

Suitable ways

There is an opinion that the first watering of currants is done in early spring, and you need to do it with boiling water. This is done to neutralize the colony of pests that overwintered on the bushes. Also, this method destroys fungal spores that can provoke certain diseases in the plant. And, of course, so that the currant could wake up from hibernation.

By the way, this method works and gives good results. The only caveat is the choice of the right time. The best option is to do such watering before the kidneys wake up. More often it is the end of March.

If we talk about spring and summer watering, it is made not with cold, but with slightly warm settled water.

Often the owners of garden plots resort to the sprinkling method, when moisture evenly covers the ground around the bush as if it had rained. However, there are also adherents of drip irrigation, however, in such a case, you need to constantly monitor the level of soil moisture so as not to flood the bushes.

How much water is needed

So, how much water does a shrub need in order for it to fully develop, and as a result, the summer resident got a decent harvest of tasty and he althy berries. The plant loves moisture. However, if he waters too much, he won't like it either.

If you spray water on the surface of the site, in the end it will lead to the rapid growth of weeds. If the culture is flooded, the currant will get sick. We will show you how to avoid this.

So, before watering, the soil will certainly be loosened to find out how deeply it has dried. If you see that more than 15 centimeters of the earth is dry, the shrub will need 40 liters of water. In the event that we are talking about 10 centimeters, water must be taken no more than 20 liters. If the soil is dry up to 5 centimeters, it is better to postpone watering.

Moisturizing

Properly done hydration is not all a culture needs. So, it is necessary to understand how to retain moisture, in particular at the currant root. This question is relevant during the watering of currants during the ripening of berries. Mulch will help solve the problem. After watering the plants, it is worth mulching the shrub using any means. It can be humus, hay, sawdust, peat. One of the listed components is always on the plot of a gardener or gardener.

The fact is that the mulch will perform the function of a kind of shelter, under which the earth remains loose and moist for a long period of time. In addition, air circulation will not be disturbed, which is important for the roots of the plant.

Helpful tips

In order to achieve the maximum effect from watering currants, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with some tricks, in particular:

Determine the time when you want to water the currants. A few days before the scheduled date, draw the right amount of water into the barrels so that it settles and warms up, since currants should be watered only with settled water of a suitable temperature. Barrels can stand directly on the garden plot, because in summer the ambient temperature will not allow the water heated by the sun during the daytime to cool down.
Before watering the currants, weed the earth by removing the old layer of mulch that needs to be disposed of.
Water shrubs should be done before sunset, as at night the root system will take as much moisture as needed.
Water plants during the day is not recommended, as it can get burned.
Immediately after wetting the plant, it will not be superfluous to fertilize, solving two questions at once: watering and top dressing. Suitable fertilizer option: urea, starch, potassium humate.
If the summer is dry, the number of waterings can be increased, but each time, without fail, you need to check how deep the earth has dried.