People have known about the healing properties of currants since ancient times. When a person depended solely on the gifts and grace of nature, infusions and decoctions of medicinal herbs helped him survive the winter and not get sick. Currants and its beneficial properties are mentioned in the Sbornik Izvbornik (Grand Duke of Kiev) in 1073 and 1076.
Currant varieties
Today, every summer resident tries to plant currant bushes on his site in order to have a “pantry” of vitamins at hand.
This is an unpretentious plant, but if you want to always get a high yield of berries, you should ask yourself in advance how to fertilize currants in spring for a better crop.
There are more than 200 varieties of this shrub, each of which differs not only in taste, but also in the composition of nutrients, the ripening time and resistance to weather conditions.
Depending on the region, experienced gardeners plant 2-3 varieties of currants of different ripening dates to enjoy berries all summer. The only thing that worries them is how to fertilize currants in spring, because the composition of the soil is the first requirement for a high yield.
Varieties resistant to drought are suitable for arid areas, and in regions with short and cool summers, frost-resistant species.
Special Feeding
There are varieties specially grown for growth in cold climates. They have a high yield, have small berries that are easy to pick, as they ripen in bunches. These are frost-resistant varieties that tolerate temperature extremes, but in order for their fruits to become larger, you should know how to fertilize currants in spring.
The best fertilizer for varieties with small fruits will be the infusion of potato peel, since starch affects the increase in berries in size. This is an old folk method, in which a liter jar of dried potato peel should be poured with 10 liters of boiling water, closed, wrapped and insisted until it cools completely. Experienced gardeners recommend this infusion to water bushes with small berries in spring during flowering. It must be borne in mind that 3 liters of infusion are used per bush.
Mid-late varieties are good not only for their unpretentiousness and endurance, but also for the fact that their fruits have the highest content of ascorbic acid.
When fertilizing to increase the size of berries, you should think about how to fertilize currants in spring to develop its root system.
Feeding with phosphorus and potash fertilizers
For all its unpretentiousness, currant makes a claim precisely to the quality of the soil. The poorer it is, the more the gardener will have to feed her.
Gardeners with experience say that there is nothing better than fertilizing black currants in spring with potassium phosphate fertilizers. It is enough to dilute 10 grams of potassium sulfate and 40 grams of superphosphate per one bush.
Since the root system of the currant goes only 40-60 cm deep, it is possible to make a furrow on the sides of each bush and pour divorced fertilizers into them. Phosphorus affects the size of the fruit, and potassium affects their sweetness. If these substances are not enough in the soil, the bushes “talk” about this with the appearance of a yellow border on the leaves.
Currant Organics
When the soil is depleted, organic fertilizers are considered a good “fertilizing” for it. In this case, after a year, 5-6 kg of organics per 1 m2 should be applied. For well-cultivated land, it is enough to add 4-5 kg / m2 every two years.
Experienced gardeners know how and how to fertilize the currant bushes in the spring, so as not to damage the root system, but to strengthen it. Fresh manure can “burn” them, so a well-rotted humus or liquid top dressing is used, which is desirable to produce 4 times a year. This will allow the plant to receive all the necessary substances from the soil and give abundant crops of large berries.
Liquid top dressing
Before fertilizing currants in spring with liquid top dressing, its vegetation period should be divided into 4 cycles:
• The first top dressing is performed during the period of bud swelling, when the bushes awaken after the winter and grow.
• The second time "feeding" is carried out immediately after flowering, as this is the most critical period in the bush. Ovaries appear, their growth is enhanced and additional nutrition is required.
• The third top dressing concerns directly the period of filling berries. The best option for liquid fertilizers at this stage for him is phosphorus and potassium, as the bush most needs it.
• The last term for fertilizer is after harvesting, which becomes the key to a good future crop. The only things to avoid during this period are nitrogen fertilizers. They delay the maturation of flowering buds.
If you follow the rule of four-time feeding, you can not puzzle over how to fertilize currants in the spring for a better crop.
Dilution of liquid top dressing
A good option for liquid organic feed is infusion of bird droppings at a rate of 1:10 and mullein (1 kg / 4 l of water).
Experienced gardeners say that there is no better option than fertilizing currants in spring with "green" fertilizers. To prepare it you will need:
• A large tank, which is filled with just over half of any fresh grass - quinoa, nettle, chamomile, dandelions - everything that ruthlessly breaks out on the site, like a weed.
• Without tamping the grass, fill the container to the top with water, cover it loosely and leave it in a warm place for fermentation.
• Sometimes mixing, wait until the infusion brightens and fermentation stops. This usually takes 10-12 days.
• Dilute the resulting “green” fertilizer in the ratio of 1 liter of infusion to 10 liters of water and water directly under the currant root.
Seasoned summer residents throw stale bread or old jam in a container with grass for better “ripening”. This enhances the fermentation process.
Fertilizing the soil before planting currants
In order not to think about how to fertilize currants and gooseberries in spring, especially young bushes, it is better to properly prepare the soil before planting.
If autumn landing is carried out, then landing pits in the ground must be done 2-3 weeks before it. Their depth should be 40 cm and a width of 50-60 cm. The bottom layer of soil from the pit should be mixed with organic fertilizers and laid 3/4 back into the holes. Peat or compost, superphosphate (150 g), potassium sulfate (40-50 g) and wood ash (40 g) are used for fertilizers.
When the soil settles slightly, you can begin to plant fruit bushes. It is important to remember that immediately after a dive, the bushes must be carefully watered, and the aerial part should be cut to 18 cm in the fall, and to 3-4 lower buds in the spring.
If planting is carried out after the winter "hibernation" of the earth, then you should know how to fertilize currants in spring immediately after a dive.
To do this, you can use organic and complex minerals, and if the soil is acidified, it is imperative to use lime at a rate of 300-800 g per 1 m2. It is better to apply it even at the stage of digging up the garden, and put fertilizers directly into the planting pits.
Extra currant care
Even when the summer resident knows how to fertilize the currant bushes in the spring, this alone is not enough for a high yield. Additional actions are required to help plants successfully bear fruit from 10 to 15 years.
• It is important to plant the currants on the plot correctly. It is better if it will be several bushes at a distance of 1.5-2 meters from each other.
• Also consider the distance from the fence. Many summer residents plant currants close to him, trying to save time, but this will significantly reduce productivity. Currants love space and light.
• Carry out preventive examinations of the bushes, removing affected leaves and pruning weak shoots. Also, experts recommend that after thawing the soil, a currant “shower” is held. To do this, boiling water is poured into a watering can with a strainer and sprayed onto the plants from above.
Knowing how to fertilize currants in spring, and conducting a routine inspection, you can get a large crop of this berry every year.