Perhaps the pride of any gardener is a large number of fruit and berry crops on the site. Probably every time I tried to grow blackcurrant in my garden. One of the best species is considered to be black currant of the Vologda variety . It is winter-hardy, resistant to many diseases and pests. And the taste and aroma of the fruit are simply incomparable! Let's talk about how to grow blackcurrant Vologda, how to care for it and how to achieve maximum yield!
Pride of domestic selection
Vologda is called that way - the pride of domestic breeders. This variety was obtained as a result of crossing two varieties - Bradthorp and Compact in the All-Russian Institute of Selection and Technology. The authors of Vologda black currant are A.N. Zarubin and V.M. Litvinova.
1995 was marked by the fact that Vologda was included in the State Register of varieties approved for use in five regions of Russia - North-West, Volga-Vyatka, Central, Middle Volga and Far East.
Black currant Vologda: description
This variety is distinguished by a dense spreading bush, the height of which reaches 1.5 m. The currant shoots are very strong and straight. Leaves are densely green, large. On each branch there are ten-centimeter brushes, on each of which - up to 14 fragrant berries! The weight of one fruit varies from 1.4 to 3 g. Their taste is sweet and sour. The ripened fruits of black currant Vologda do not crumble when ripe, but can burst. By the way, 100 grams of ripe berries account for about 140 mg of vitamin C! The fruits have a fairly high tasting score - 4.5 points on a five-point scale.
Advantages of Vologda
The main advantage of this variety of currants is their strong immunity. It allows Vologda to adapt to the climatic conditions of almost every region of the country. In addition, this shrub has good winter hardiness, tolerates temperatures up to -30 degrees! Another advantage of Vologda black currant is its harvest: at least 3-4 kg of marvelous fruits with dessert taste can be harvested from one bush. The berries are universal - they can simply be eaten, or you can make various preparations and even wine. And the variety is resistant to bud mites and powdery mildew.
Variety disadvantages
Despite all the advantages, Vologda has a number of disadvantages. These include the following flaws:
- berries ripen at the same time and unevenly;
- when overripe, the fruits crack strongly;
- often the bush becomes too spreading - despite the timely pruning.
Seedling Selection
Description of blackcurrant variety Vologda did you like? Have you decided to drop her off at your site? The choice of seedlings must be approached as responsibly as possible! It is worth giving preference to biennial plants. One-year ones are also suitable, however, with one condition - the shoot must have a strong root system - 2-3 lignified roots and many filamentous roots. Please note that the length of the root system must be at least 15 cm. By the way, its color also matters: a too dark color indicates that the shoot was overdried or frostbitten. It is better to choose a plant with yellow-brown roots.
A healthy plant does not show signs of wilting, leaves and buds should not have spots and cones.
Choosing a place and time of landing
Blackcurrant Vologda prefers lowlands. In this case, the humidity should be very high! It is important to choose a place in the sun, in addition, the plant must be protected from the wind. By the way, gardeners often place Vologda along the fence.
The root system of the currant of this variety does not have a dormant period, that is, during the winter the bush will have time to take root, and by the spring it will already begin active growth! Therefore, it is worth planting Vologda seedlings in late September - October, about a month before the cold weather. If the deadlines are missed, blackcurrant should be planted at the very beginning of April, before the buds begin to bloom.
Landing Vologda: step by step instructions
In order for the seedlings to take root, grow well and bring a big harvest, you need to follow certain rules for planting them in the soil.
- The place chosen for the currant must be carefully dug up, remove debris and weeds. This shrub does not tolerate soils of high acidity, and therefore, if such a problem is present, it is necessary to add lime to the soil - half a kilogram per 1 sq. Km. m
- The depth of the landing pit should be about 40 cm, and the diameter should be 60 cm.
- At the bottom of the prepared pit, you need to pour out 0.5 buckets of compost, the same amount of rotted manure. The latter can be replaced with fertilizer: 20 grams of potassium, 200 grams of superphosphate and 40 grams of phosphorus.
- Then the pit should be abundantly watered.
- The shoot must be installed in the pit at an angle of 45 degrees, spread its root system. Such a slope will form a stronger bush.
- Gardeners recommend sprinkling Vologda with earth and tamping a little.
- Under the planted bush, you need to carefully pour three or four buckets of water.
- Immediately after planting, the bush should be trimmed. If the root system is strong, you can trim by a third, if the roots are weaker, cut better half. This will allow you to get a good increase in the first year.
- In order to prevent the plant from drying out, around the shrub you need to form a hole that is mulched - with dry grass, peat or sawdust.
Description of shrub care
Good gardeners know that for a plant to grow strong and bear fruit well, it needs to be provided with timely care.
In early spring, Vologda black currant (the description of the variety is presented above) you need to arrange a hot shower. It is not difficult to do this, and the benefits of this procedure can hardly be overestimated: all pests that winter in the bush die instantly. In a bucket of water with a temperature of 70 degrees, you need to add 250 g of baking soda and thoroughly water the plant.
In general, currants have a special relationship with water. It is necessary for the development of the plant. One bush will require about 50 liters of water. Vologda rarely needs to be watered, but water should pass 30-40 cm.
There are two ways to water:
- Sprinkling irrigation is the most common watering option. But it has a serious drawback: the soil is compacted and absorbs moisture unevenly.
- The stone receiver is much more convenient. It is not difficult to organize it: at the root system it is necessary to dig a hole 40 cm deep, fill it with gravel to the very top. After each watering, it is necessary to cover the pit with roofing material. So the water gets to the "destination" faster.
The earth near Vologda should be loosened and weeded from time to time. It is worth filling it with wood ash, and spread a low layer of compost on top. This will get rid of pests, weed grass and will save moisture.
Top dressing
The late blackcurrant of Vologda requires fertilizer application. Insufficient amounts of nutrients will cause the fruits to become small and acidic, and yield significantly reduced. Fertilizers introduced during planting will last only a couple of years. Starting from the third year, Vologda needs to be fed. How to fertilize this plant?
- Mineral fertilizers should be applied every fall. For 1 square. m will need 30 g of phosphate and nitrogen fertilizers, 15 g of potash.
- Organic fertilizers are also applied in the fall, immediately after leaf fall. For 1 square. m need 2-3 kg of fertilizing.
- Phosphate-potassium fertilizers are required immediately after flowering currants.
- Vologda needs nitrogen fertilizers three times a year - immediately after snow melting, during flowering, and immediately after picking berries.
Currant pruning rules
The formation of shrubs and sanitary pruning are the most important measures in the care of the plant. They need to be carried out annually. You already know that the first pruning of Vologda blackcurrant is made immediately after planting the bush.
Starting from the third year, you need to remove the old branches. Defining them is quite simple - they are much darker and denser than young shoots. It is important to control the number of new branches: there should be 13-15 on the adult bush.
When pruning old shoots, pay attention to the state of branches and buds - it is better to remove weak and fragile ones! By the way, you need to cut out those shoots, on which the buds are swollen, because this is a sign of a kidney tick.
Pests and diseases
If small spots of brown color appear on the leaves of currant, and after the leaf dries and falls, this may be a sign of anthracnose. Before budding, the plant must be treated with Bordeaux fluid. For 10 liters of water you will need 100 grams of the composition.
Yellow pillows, formed on the ovaries, flowers and leaves of Vologda, speak of glassy rust. In this case, you need to spray the bushes with Bordeaux liquid three times - during the blooming of leaves, the formation of buds and immediately after flowering. If the lesion is very strong, 10 days after the last treatment, you need to conduct another one.
A sign of a kidney tick is a noticeable bloating of the kidneys. Get rid of the pest with the help of chemical compounds will not work. Branches with affected kidneys need to be cut and burned. In case of severe infection, the entire bush needs to be destroyed.
The glass-holder leaves noticeable damage on the leaves, flowers and berries of blackcurrant. You can get rid of it after budding. To do this, simply spray Vologda with a solution of wormwood, onion peel or needles!
Harvesting and storage
Blackcurrant Vologda is a medium-late ripening variety. Flowering shrubs begin in the second half of May, but fruit ripening usually occurs at the end of July - August. Room temperature does not allow to store fruits for more than two days. After the berries rot. How to keep the harvest?
There are several options: you can freeze currants, dry it, grind with sugar or cook jam from it. In all cases, Vologda currant will retain its beneficial substances.
Dry the fruits in the oven, the temperature should be 45 degrees. Once the berries are soft and lethargic, the temperature should be increased to 80 degrees. With the oven ajar, drying the berries will take about three hours.
Frozen berries can be stored for several months. To do this, they must be thoroughly washed, dried, sprinkled with a thin layer on a large dish and put in the freezer. After a couple of hours, you need to get the berries, pour them into containers and put them back.
Blackcurrant varieties Vologda: reviews of gardeners
Professionals and amateurs recommend this variety to those who do not want to spend a lot of time and effort on plant care. Vologda takes root in any conditions, and its immune system allows you to enjoy delicious fruits without much effort.
By the way, many gardeners admit that they plant Vologda on their site as an ornamental shrub. This has a certain meaning: heavy black clusters shimmer in the sun, and the curved foliage is beautiful.
If you believe the reviews of blackcurrant, Vologda has a good ability to reproduce. Young shoots not only take root easily, but also do not carry pests.