Black currant variety Lazy: characteristics, taste

Botanical description

The currant variety Lazy (or Lazy) is represented by a powerful, vigorous shrub, reaching 180 cm in height. The crown is dense, medium spreading. The shoots are slightly curved, thick, smooth. The bark of young branches has a greenish tint, while old branches are covered with brownish-gray bark. The buds are cone-shaped, purple-pink in color and medium in size, located asymmetrically on the branches. The leaf blades are quite large, five-lobed, slightly wrinkled, dark green in color.

The flowers are medium-sized and resemble bells. Approximately 8-9 shiny fruits grow on the cluster. The berry has a moderately thin skin, colored black.

Advantages and disadvantages

The undoubted advantage of the Lentyay blackcurrant variety is its late ripening, thanks to which the berries are available until autumn and can become an excellent source of vitamin C. But this is not the only advantage due to which the popularity of the variety has not fallen for about twenty years.

Due to their thin skin, the berries are not used for sale, but are sent for processing.

pros

• ease of cultivation and care;
• winter hardiness;
• frost resistance;
• high productivity;
• excellent berry taste;
• immunity to anthracnose;
• versatility of use in cooking.

Minuses

• uneven ripening;
• variety of berries;
• tendency to shedding;
• low transportability;
• impossibility of long-term storage.

Characteristic

Over the past two decades, the Lazy currant variety has earned many good reviews from gardeners. This popularity is explained by the excellent taste of the berries and the simple care of the bush. Tender and aromatic fruits are suitable for consumption fresh, frozen and canned. The following is a detailed description of the characteristic features of Lazy.

Drought resistance, frost resistance

The Lazy Tree variety can withstand a significant decrease in air temperature - the bush tolerates frosts down to -34°C. The dry summer season is also not terrible for the bush. Resistance to cold and drought makes currant cultivation easy even for novice gardeners.

Did you know? In Rus', the name of currant comes from the word “stench”. The fact is that a berry bush, especially the black variety, emits a strongly pronounced characteristic odor.

Productivity and fruiting

If all planting and care rules are followed, one bush on average is capable of producing 3.9–4 kg of fruit. Currants begin to bear fruit in the second year after planting. The fruiting period is quite long - if agricultural practices are followed, it will be about 20 years.

In terms of ripening time, the variety is considered medium-late. This form of currant got its name due to the somewhat delayed ripening of the berries.

The fruits can be collected from the end of July to the end of August, in several stages

Berry size, taste

The fruits of the Lazyberry currant are of different sizes, generally large. Weight ranges from 1.7 to 3.6 g.

The pulp has a dense structure, a sweet dessert taste, and a pleasant aroma. There is no sourness in the taste. The tasting score is 4.8 points.

Find out about the benefits and harms of blackcurrant for the human body.

Advantages and disadvantages

• Among the main advantages of the Lazy currant, gardeners highlight:
• resistance to temperature changes and frosty winters (up to -34...-35°C);
• good yield;
• widespread use of berries in cooking;
• immunity to infections and viruses that affect most forms of currants;
• the possibility of harvesting using technological means.

• Unfortunately, the variety also has many disadvantages:
• uneven ripening of fruits;
• different sizes of berries may require sorting;
• very ripe fruits may crumble and lose their taste;
• fruits do not tolerate transportation over long distances;
• The variety is unprofitable to cultivate for sale.

Description of the blackcurrant variety Lazy

In 1995, the Lentyay blackcurrant was included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements. The variety was created at the All-Russian Research Institute for Selection of Fruit Crops, approved and recommended for cultivation in the regions of the Central and North-Western Federal District.

The blackcurrant bush Lazyman is very powerful and tall, its height can reach 180 cm. The young shoots are thick, with green, shiny bark. Older, lignified ones are gray in color, brown towards the top. The branches are not pubescent, with long internodes, evenly thinning towards the ends. Buds with a pointed apex, dark purple, with a pinkish tint, asymmetrical, slightly deviated from the shoots.

The leaves of the Lazy Tay blackcurrant are large, bright green, and slightly shiny. The middle part of the five-lobed leaf blade is much larger than the side ones and has several protrusions. The texture is a little wrinkled. The edges have fine teeth, the stalk is long and thick, and has no pubescence. Bell-shaped flowers with reddish sepals are collected in racemes up to 8 cm long.

Ripe currant berries of the Lazy Tay variety are round in shape, black in color with a brownish tint. Their size is not the same. Average weight - 2.8 g. The taste is pleasant, sweet, refreshing, experts rate it 4.8 points out of five. The pulp is juicy, the skin is dense and thin. Dry substances make up 13.7%, sugars – 8.8%.

Currant Lazy does not tolerate high groundwater

Landing Features

In the cultivation of Lazyberry currants, competent implementation of planting measures is of paramount importance. Only in this case will the seedling settle well in your garden and regularly delight you with delicious fruits. First of all, you need to decide on the timing, as well as select a location on the site and the planting material itself. And further care of the young plant involves timely watering, fertilizing, pruning and shelter for the winter.

Deadlines

Planting can be done in spring or autumn. Experienced gardeners advise choosing autumn planting. If you plant the Lazy Tree variety in the fall (in October, about 2 weeks before the first frost), the shrub will have enough time to take root and adapt to new conditions.

Important! Spring planting is dangerous because the roots may not have time to grow and become stronger, and the growing season will begin too early. In such conditions, a young bush may not survive.

Conditions

To achieve a high-quality harvest, the Lazy Tay currant variety must be provided with bright lighting and protection from drafts. It is advisable to place the seedlings along the fence, but on the sunny side. The fence will serve as a kind of protective shield from the wind.

Choosing a suitable location

When choosing a planting area, heavy soil should be avoided. Choose areas with a predominant clay content and a significant amount of sand.

You can also use sandy loam and slightly podzolic soils - they perfectly transmit oxygen and moisture to the root system.

The acidity level must be strictly within the range of 6–6.5 pH.

In addition, the currant must have the correct predecessor. This will avoid infection with various fungal infections. Preference is given to winter and legume crops.

Find out everything about the large-fruited black currant variety Bagheera.

Selection and preparation of seedlings

Seedlings of the Lazy Tree variety are very difficult to find on the market; they are usually purchased at a nursery. In order not to make a mistake in choosing planting material, when purchasing, pay close attention to its appearance. The rhizomes and branches should be free of any damage, as well as rot and mold. The bark of the plant should be even and smooth.

Before planting, the roots of young plants are dipped in containers with water. In 2-3 hours they will be saturated with the necessary moisture.

Landing algorithm

A seedling of the Lazy Tree variety is planted according to the following proven scheme:

1. Form a hole 35–40 cm deep and 50–60 cm in diameter. The distance between bushes should be 1 m, and between rows - 1.8–2 m.
2. Fill the hole approximately 3/4 of the depth with fertile soil mixed with a bucket of compost, 200 g of superphosphate, and 50 g of wood ash.
3. Lower the seedling into the hole, spreading the roots evenly along the bottom. The plant should be rooted at an angle of 45 degrees. And the zone of transition of the root to the trunk should be buried 5 cm below the ground level.
4. Carefully fill the top of the hole with soil mixed with compost.
5. The final stage of planting is watering - pour at least 2 liters of water under the bush.

Reviews from summer residents

Gardeners' opinions regarding the Lazy Tree variety are mostly positive, but the culture also has some disadvantages.

Maria, Mineralnye Vody: “The Lazy guy variety has its pros and cons. I don’t like that the berries fall off a lot and ripen unevenly. I would prefer to harvest at the same time. But the dessert taste makes up for this drawback. High sugar content is a clear plus, since making jam requires less sugar than when using sweet and sour currants. The bushes need to be watered and fed on time so that the ovaries do not fly around. In summers that are too rainy, the berries burst. Their skin is quite thin, but it is not damaged when harvested.”

Ivan, Liski: “This variety has been growing in my dacha for more than 10 years. The bushes are huge and spreading. The berries are of different sizes, but very tasty and sweet. The culture needs regular care. You have to tinker more with Lazy than with more modern varieties. In dry weather it is necessary to water frequently, in humid weather - moderately. It’s also important to keep an eye on fertilizing; currants love them.”

What can you plant nearby?

The most favorable proximity is guaranteed with yoshta, strawberries, honeysuckle, apple trees, garlic, onions, and most herbs. It is these crops that have a structural composition similar to black currant.

Care

It is not difficult to care for this fruit crop; you just need to comply with a number of conditions:

1. Watering. It is important to consider here that overwatering will weaken the bush. And from a lack of water, it will stop growing and begin to wither. Starting from March and until the middle of the summer season, moisten the plantings 2 times a week. Pour one bucket of water under each plant. In addition to flooding, the method of sprinkling or watering using a drainage receiver is popular among experienced gardeners.
2. Feeding. The nutrients added to the planting hole when planting the seedling should be enough for 2 years. In the spring of the third year, urea is used (40–50 g per 10 liters of water under the bush). At the age of 3-4 years, currants need humus (8 kg per 1 m²), potassium sulfate (30–40 g per 1 m²), double superphosphate (70–80 g per 1 m²).
3. Trimming. For the first time, the bush undergoes this procedure immediately after planting. There should be no more than 4 buds left on it. The following fall, all broken and weak canes are removed. Strong and durable stems, which have 4 buds, are left unaffected. In the fourth year after planting, the shrub is subjected to sanitary pruning - non-viable and diseased branches are removed.

Tips from experienced gardeners for growing

The Lazy Tree variety enters the fruiting period in the second year after planting. In the first few years, it is possible to collect up to 2 kg of berries from one bush. Currants produce the most abundant harvest in the 4th–5th year of life. Try to pick the berries on time, because when they are overripe, they lose their taste. It is better to do this in the morning, after the dew has dried, or in the evening after sunset. Fruits picked in hot weather spoil too quickly, or rather turn sour.

Berries cannot be poured from one container to another, so immediately determine where you will put them. The currants squash and release juice quickly. The best containers are trays, boxes lined with newspaper or cardboard boxes. Apply the berries in a thin layer.

The Lazy Tree variety is more suitable for personal use because it does not tolerate transportation over long distances. You can only take it to the nearest market for sale.

To store the harvest, use thick bags with a zip lock, which perfectly preserve the taste of the berries and do not absorb foreign odors. At a temperature of 0°C, currants are stored for up to 2 months, in freezers for 6-8 months.

Preparing for winter

You need to prepare the berry garden for wintering after the soil underneath it freezes and hardens. The area should be completely cleared of plant remains that serve as a refuge for pathogenic microflora, insects and sucking pests.

Did you know? A natural dye is made from blackcurrant, widely used in food production.

First of all, the plants are tied with twine from the base to the top. This measure allows you to save the lashes from breaking under the weight of snow. With the first heavy snowfall, cover the bushes with a snow coat. Throughout the winter season, periodically hill up the berry garden as snow accumulates.

Reproduction methods

Lazy black currant is successfully propagated by cuttings . Separated parts of the plant can be green, semi- or completely woody. In the second half of September, shoots cut from the bush are divided into cuttings 15 cm long, with five buds on each. The cuts should be smooth, so it is best to make them with a sharp garden knife. For better rooting, the separated parts are placed in water for several hours before planting.

Cuttings are planted in open ground at an angle of 45 degrees. Make sure that 2 buds are located above the ground. The soil needs to be compacted, mulched with organic matter, then moistened and loosened. By winter, the cuttings will take root, and with the arrival of spring, their active growth will begin.

by layering is also popular . But keep in mind that you will get only a few seedlings. Next to the branch, you need to dig a hole 10-11 cm deep, bend the whip there and sprinkle it with earth so that approximately 20-25 cm remains outside. The layering is attached to a small peg. Care involves frequent watering. Already in the fall it will be possible to transplant it to a new place.

dividing a bush is also practiced . Plants are dug up and divided into parts with 2-3 branches. Each division must have roots. The shoots must be shortened by 3/4 of their length, then deepened by 5–7 cm.

Important! By dividing the bush, currants are propagated in exceptional cases, for example, when redeveloping a site or moving it to a new location. But it is important that the plant is more than 6 years old.

How to plant a plant on the site

When planting Lazyberry currants, it is necessary to observe a number of nuances. To get a good harvest, it is important to choose the optimal time for planting, prepare a place at your summer cottage and step-by-step carry out the technology of transferring seedlings to the soil.

The best time to carry out planting work

It is recommended to transfer Lazy Blackcurrant seedlings into the ground in the second half of October, before the onset of the first frost. During the winter period, the plants adapt to new conditions, and the roots are firmly compacted into the ground. In the spring, after most of the snow cover has melted, young shoots will begin to actively grow.

Choosing the optimal location

The area for planting currant crops must be constantly illuminated, since the effect of ultraviolet rays on the bushes has a beneficial effect on the taste characteristics and quantity of the harvest. The optimal place on the site is a line along a fence or building, protected from through blowing. If the site is located on an elevated area, it is better to plant bushes in the central or lower part of the slope.

Suitable predecessor crops for Lazy currants are green manure, legumes and winter rye. The Lazy Tree variety requires slightly acidic soil of loamy, slightly podzolic or sandy loam type.

Preparing the soil and planting hole

Having chosen a place to place the seedlings, it is necessary to prepare the soil for rapid rooting of plants. The process of preparing a planting hole requires the following steps:

1. Clear the area of ​​weeds, debris and plant debris.
2. A couple of weeks before planting, treat the soil with rotted manure or compost, superphosphate, and potassium.
3. Dig holes to accommodate currant seedlings up to 50 cm deep and twice the diameter of the roots. The distance between the pits should be 1-1.5 m between each other and 2.5-3 m between the rows.
4. Sprinkle the bottom of the holes with chalk, wood ash, dried plaster or shells in order to lime the acidified soil.
5. Wait 2-3 weeks and plant currant bushes.

Technology of planting seedlings

Before transferring currant seedlings into the ground, the plant roots are kept in warm water to soften. Immediately before planting, the holes are moistened. Currant seedlings are placed in the holes at a slight angle and the roots are evenly distributed at the bottom. Leave the root collar at a level of 5-7 cm below the soil level. The plants are sprinkled with soil mixed with rotted manure and the root area is watered. To retain moisture in the soil and protect plants, the hole is covered with a 5-8 cm layer of mulch made from straw, peat, and pine branches. The ground part of the seedlings is pruned, leaving 3-4 powerful buds.

Diseases and pests

Despite its high immunity, large shrubs can suffer from ailments and harmful insects such as:

1. Anthracnose. The leaf blades are covered with brown spots and tubercles. To protect and rid the crop of disease, the fungicide “Nitrafen” (300 g of product per 10 liters of water) is suitable.
2. White spotting. Brown spots appear on the foliage and fruits, which soon turn white. For the purpose of prevention and therapy, Bordeaux mixture is used (on average, 5 liters of solution per 100 m² is required) and Nitrafen.
3. Striped mosaic and terry. There are no effective methods to combat these diseases. Affected bushes must be uprooted. However, infection can be prevented if you plant exclusively healthy planting material and do not forget about disinfection of garden tools.
4. Spider mite, two-year fruit sawfly. The insecticides “Aktara”, “Confidor” and “Koragen” help prevent the invasion of these pests and remove them.

Harvesting and storage

Start harvesting in the morning or evening. Since the ripening of blackcurrant fruits is not simultaneous, first it is necessary to remove the largest specimens, then the smaller ones.

Learn how to care for blackcurrant bushes in early spring.

For containers for berries, take trays, boxes or crates where they can be laid out in one layer. Immediately after harvesting, large volumes of the crop are placed in a cool place (basement or cellar). The shelf life under such conditions will be 1–2 months.

Berries can be stored in the refrigerator for about 4 days. Before this, they are laid out unwashed in one layer on a tray or in a container. And thanks to freezing, the fruits will retain their freshness, taste, aroma and most of their beneficial properties for up to a year.

Currants are consumed fresh or grated with sugar. It is also often used for preparing preparations for the winter - excellent jams, preserves, compotes, etc. are obtained.

Cultivating black currant variety Lazy Guy will not cause you unnecessary trouble. By taking into account just a few tips, even a novice gardener will be able to reap a decent harvest of this valuable and tasty berry. And a pearl scattering of shrub fruits will decorate any garden plot.

Advantages and disadvantages

Over a quarter of a century of cultivation of the variety, the strengths of the Lazy currant have been identified:

• 
  excellent sweet taste, practically without the acidity and astringency characteristic of currants;

• large berry size;
• good yield;
• plant longevity;
• good winter hardiness;
• self-pollinating;
• late ripening, allowing you to enjoy the fruits when other varieties no longer bear fruit.

The disadvantages include the bush's susceptibility to powdery mildew and uneven ripening of the berries in the cluster, which complicates the harvesting of currants.

Reviews from gardeners

Gardeners are unanimous in their assessment of the Lazy Tree variety as promising for amateur cultivation. With proper care and disease prevention, the variety will delight you with an abundant harvest of very large and sweet berries .