Description of the blackcurrant variety Gulliver
The Gulliver blackcurrant bush is spreading and vigorous. The description states that the shoots are powerful, curved, and pubescent. The young bark is olive in color. The buds are brightly colored.
The crown is lush, the leaves are three-lobed, dark green, wrinkled. The flowers are purple, collected in medium-sized inflorescences. Each cluster contains up to 17 berries. The fruits are regularly round in shape, large, and acquire a dark shade as they ripen. They are easily separated from the stalk. Gulliver currants taste sweet and sour.
Important! The skin of this currant variety is dense, which makes it easy to transport the berries over long distances.
Harvest and storage
The fruits of the Gulliver variety are best collected in warm weather during the day, when the first dew has disappeared. You need to pick the berries not individually, but preferably with brushes.
The fruits can be eaten fresh or prepared from them (jam, marmalade, juices, etc.). By the way, fresh currants do not spoil for about two weeks, provided that they are stored in the refrigerator at a temperature of 10-12 degrees.
Berries can also be frozen. They are perfectly stored at 0 degrees. Fruits should be placed in small plastic bags or containers of 2-3 kg. Otherwise, they will not be able to breathe and will deteriorate faster.
Recently, the dry method of preparation has become popular. To do this, the berries must be washed, dried and placed in the oven for 2-4 hours at a temperature of 50-60 degrees. Currants should not be dried in the sun, as this will lose their taste.
Black currant Gulliver is an unpretentious shrub that produces a rich harvest. Gardeners and summer residents especially loved it because of its huge and tasty berries. Also, many are attracted by the fact that the bush is quite spreading and beautiful. It can be used to form a living fence.
Characteristics of the variety
The Gulliver currant variety is completely self-fertile and does not require additional pollination. By planting even one bush on your plot, you can collect a considerable amount of berries for your family.
Drought resistance, frost resistance
The plant tolerates frosts and sudden changes in temperature well and does not respond to spring cold snaps. The buds are resistant to return frosts, and the yield remains virtually unchanged.
In addition, the Gulliver shrub tolerates drought well and does not require special care. It is successfully cultivated in the distant Northern regions and in the south of the country. The shrub overwinters under snow cover.
Important! The description of the Gulliver currant variety states that the shoots and buds can safely withstand temperatures down to -28°C.
Productivity and fruiting
The bush blooms in the second decade of May; the berries take several months to ripen. The first fruits are harvested in mid-summer.
According to reviews from those who planted black currant Gulliver, the variety bears fruit consistently. You can get an average of up to 1.5 kg of berries from a bush. With good care, a summer resident will collect up to 2 kg of fruit.
Area of application of fruits
The fruits of black currant variety Gulliver are universal in use. They are suitable for making jams, compotes, preserves. They are frozen for future use.
In addition, the berries are used for cosmetic purposes, and the leaves and branches are added to tea or preserves.
Resistance to diseases and pests
The blackcurrant variety Gulliver has good immunity to a number of diseases and pests:
- powdery mildew;
- rust;
- anthracnose;
- kidney mite.
However, the bush often suffers from shoot aphids, moths, glass flies, berry sawflies, and currant gall midges.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
Gulliver currants have many positive characteristics:
- large berry size;
- excellent taste;
- possibility of transporting fruits;
- stable yield;
- ease of care;
- resistance to cold and heat;
- immunity to return frosts;
- good immunity against diseases and pests.
The weaknesses of the Gulliver currant include the great growth power of the bush. Planting multiple plants requires a lot of space.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
- According to descriptions of specialists and reviews of amateur gardeners, the blackcurrant variety Gulliver differs for the better from many other varieties:
- early pregnancy;
- self-fertility;
- frost resistance;
- drought resistance;
- very large berries;
- their good taste;
- versatility of application;
- stability of yield;
- ability to adapt to temperature changes;
- good transportability of fruits;
- resistance to many berry diseases and pests.
No significant shortcomings were identified in Gulliver. Some gardeners blame the variety for the excessive spreading of its bush, which requires additional space on the site.
Landing rules
To get the declared yield from a bush, the plant must be planted correctly. And after that, take full care of him.
Recommended timing
The optimal time for planting Gulliver blackcurrant is autumn or early spring. The seedlings are given a permanent place until the buds open. In the fall, work is planned for the end of October, before frost sets in.
Important! Plant the shrub 2 weeks before expected frost. Planting times vary in different regions.
Planting time has an impact on currants. Autumn planting is preferable so that the bush takes root well while there is enough natural moisture in the soil. The gardener does not need to make any special efforts. When the snow melts, the currants will quickly begin to grow.
If the planting of seedlings is postponed until spring, the bush may be sick for a long time, especially in the southern regions. Warming sets in early there, and the scorching sun dries out the land. In order for the plant to take root well, it will require regular watering and careful care.
Choosing a suitable location
Black currants have been growing in one place for more than 15 years, so the planting site is chosen so as not to replant the bush. The Gulliver variety bears fruit well in light partial shade. It can be planted near trees or other shrubs in the garden. Lowlands, wetlands and places with high groundwater levels are not suitable for black currants.
The soil for black currants must be fertile. Heavy soil is not suitable; it must be loosened and coarse river sand, humus and peat added.
Important! The place for planting Gulliver black currants should be protected from cold winds and drafts.
Selection and preparation of planting material
Varietal Gulliver seedlings are purchased from nurseries. Before purchasing, the plant is inspected for damage and its condition is assessed. A well-developed seedling has at least 3 shoots, the roots are up to 20 cm long. There should be no swelling, growths or other visible damage.
Transport seedlings in damp cloth so that the root system does not dry out. A day before planting, the roots are placed in a bucket of water so that they are well saturated with moisture.
Landing algorithm
The blackcurrant pit is prepared 2 weeks in advance. In the photo and video you can see the planting of the Gulliver variety, there is nothing complicated about it:
- Prepare a hole 50 x 40 cm, fill with humus, peat and wood ash.
- Plant the seedling so that the root collar is 5 cm below the ground level.
- Compact the soil around the bush, water well and mulch with straw.
- Trim shoots to 2-3 buds from the ground.
If you need to plant several plants, then leave up to 1.5 m between them. The Gulliver variety grows quickly and has a spreading crown.
How to reproduce
Black currants are propagated in three ways. It is recommended to plant new shrubs in early autumn, in September and early October. You can plant it in early spring, but in this case, rooting is more difficult. The following methods of currant propagation are used:
- dividing the bush;
- cuttings;
- layering.
To divide the bush, in March you need to hill up the bush from which you plan to get sprouts. In the fall, the bush is dug up, new shoots are separated from it and transplanted to another place.
For propagation by cuttings, only annual branches with a diameter of 0.5 cm and a length of up to 20 cm are suitable. Under the buds, the cut is made at an angle of 45 degrees, on the reverse side the cut should be even. The cuttings are planted in pre-fertilized soil at an angle, leaving 2 buds above the soil surface.
Most often, black currant "Gulliver" is propagated by layering. To do this, in the spring, small grooves are made around the bush chosen for propagation. Annual, shortened shoots are placed in grooves, secured with staples and covered with earth. In autumn, rooted shoots are replanted.
When propagating black currants by any method, you must ensure that the soil is moist. In addition, weeds should be weeded.
Aftercare
After spring planting, the bush needs full care. It is watered several times a week, so that the water soaks the earthen ball to the entire depth of the roots.
In the future, the yield of currants and the size of the berries depend on watering. Excessive soil moisture causes root rot, so the Gulliver variety is watered abundantly only at certain stages of growth:
- at the beginning of flowering;
- during the ripening period of berries.
The amount of water per 1 m2 is at least 20 liters. After each procedure, the soil is loosened and mulched with humus.
To increase productivity, experienced gardeners use fertilizers. Black currants require mineral complexes and organic matter. If the planting hole was filled according to all the rules, then the bush is not fertilized for the first 2 years. At the beginning of season 3, they give complete nutrition:
- at the beginning of the growing season - nitrogen fertilizers;
- in summer - phosphorus-potassium mixtures;
- in autumn - wood ash and humus.
For adult Gulliver bushes, 40 g of mineral fertilizers are used; for young plants, 25 g of preparations are applied. Use urea, ammonium nitrate or slurry. In summer, it is good to feed currants with potassium salt and superphosphate.
Timely pruning of shrubs helps prevent the appearance of pests and diseases. Blackcurrant Gulliver is pruned in early spring before the buds open and in late autumn, when all the leaves have fallen. Fruiting occurs on annual shoots, which produce a harvest for 4 years, after which they are cut out. Diseased shoots growing inside the bush and twisted shoots are also removed. Up to 20 fruiting branches are left on one plant.
Important! In the summer they clean the bush. Green basal shoots that will not be used for propagation are removed at the base.
Features of plant care
In order for the planted Hercules black currant sprout to adapt faster and grow, it is necessary to regularly moisten the soil, loosen it, and prune it. Adult bushes also need this care.
Watering
Given the superficial location of the root system of the Hercules blackcurrant, irrigation measures are especially important for it. Abundant watering is required at the stage of ovary formation - in June, as well as during the fruiting phase - in July-August. Do not forget about moistening the soil under the bushes and after harvesting - in August-September.
Fertilizer application
Black currants need fertilizing in spring, summer, and autumn. Organic and mineral complex mixtures are used for these purposes. Hercules blackcurrant bushes require compounds with a high nitrogen content in the spring, and it is more advisable to use organic fertilizers in the summer.
In the fall, when the crop has already been harvested, superphosphate and potassium chloride are added to the soil, diluting them in water according to the manufacturer’s instructions during irrigation.
Loosening and mulching beds
Hercules blackcurrant bushes require soil with good moisture and air permeability. Compacted soil does not allow both the underground and above-ground parts of the bush to fully develop, which provokes a decrease in its productivity. Loosening should be done carefully so as not to injure the roots. Compost, peat, and mowed grass are used as mulch.
Pruning rules
Hercules blackcurrant bushes are erect, tall, and must be pruned every year to reduce the likelihood of disease infection and increase the performance of the variety.
Sanitary
Pruning is carried out mainly in the fall, removing all ineffective branches. Unripe shoots that have undergone deformation, growing in the center or intertwined are also cut out. If there are branches damaged by the disease, they are removed, as well as those that are on the ground.
Formation of bushes
Young black currant Hercules with annual shoots are formed immediately after planting in the ground. Cut off all the branches, leaving stumps no more than 5 centimeters high. This technique allows you to stimulate the growth of new shoots. During the summer season, 3-4 new shoots are formed; in the fall they should not be touched.
In the second year, blackcurrant bushes begin to bear fruit and form powerful shoots. In the fall, strong specimens are selected from them, and the rest are removed. Cut healthy branches can be used as cuttings. And only from the third year it is necessary to rid the bush of three old branches; they can be identified by the dark color of the bark.
Spring pruning
After winter, it is necessary to inspect the Hercules black currant and, if frozen, incapacitated branches are identified, prune them. During this period, you can cut out already fruit-bearing branches that were not removed in the fall.
Summer pinching
This manipulation is recommended to be done in early August. Pinching is used only for young shoots, which, due to their intensive growth rate, can greatly thicken the bush. But first, the plants should be fertilized, watered and mulched.
Shelter for the winter
The first step is to bend the blackcurrant shoots to the ground, grouping them in 3-5 pieces. And a wooden shield is laid on top. It is recommended to tilt the branches in the direction of growth, otherwise they may be damaged. The soil around the bush should be mulched with sawdust, fallen leaves, and compost. Also, black currants are covered with agrofibre or spruce branches in snowless winters.
Preventative treatment
To prevent the development of diseases, it is recommended to treat blackcurrant bushes with a working solution based on Topaz (6 milliliters per 10 liters of water) or Horus, at the rate of 12 grams per 10 liters of water. It is possible to prevent the appearance of pests on bushes by using Confidor maxi, taking into account the use of 1 gram per 10 liters of liquid.
Diseases and pests, methods of control and prevention
Black currant Gulliver needs preventive treatments against pests. According to reviews, copper sulfate has proven itself well. It can be used on its own or to prepare Bordeaux mixture. In the spring, spray with a 3% solution, but after the buds open, only a 1% mixture is used.
Among the traditional methods for preventing pests and diseases, we can recommend scalding plants with hot water. It is carried out in early spring to kill overwintered larvae. The bush is well moistened with boiling water.
Important! The water temperature is not lower than 80°C. In this case, a stable positive temperature of about +5°C should be established outside.
History of selection, growing regions
Currant Gulliver was bred at the All-Russian Research Institute of Lupine in the village. Michurin, Bryansk region. The authors of the variety are Astakhov and Zueva. To obtain it, experts “combined” the Blueberry Seedling from Brodtorp (line 32-77) .
Since Gulliver was bred in the Bryansk region, in the future it was planned to grow it in the Central and North-Western regions.
Thanks to its characteristics, the variety has become widespread and today is found in summer cottages throughout Russia, as well as in Ukraine and other CIS countries.
Photo of black currant variety Gulliver:
Reviews from gardeners
Natalie, Moscow
Now I’m growing Gulliver, Izyumnaya, Selechenskaya 2 and a gift from an employee “large-tasty-variety-I-don’t-remember” (the berries are really tasty, but the size is not gigantic).
Source: www.forumhouse.ru
Hare, Moscow
For example, Veloy, Sevchanka, Gulliver, Vologda, Nestor Kozin, Pamyati Kuminova - I just can’t taste them. They give you several berries. I'll tear out the bike this year, and I'll look at the rest again. I decided on those varieties that would definitely live with me - Selechenskaya-2: I thought that it was her ovary flowers that would die in my conditions. But it is she who produces the harvest every year.
Source: forum.prihoz.ru
conclusions
- Gulliver and Titania are delicious blackcurrant varieties with dessert characteristics. The berries are large, dark, sweet. The fruits lie well because the thick peel protects them from damage.
- The crop is harvested at one time. You can leave the fruits on the bushes; it is not recommended to remove them after rain.
- Gulliver is highly resistant to fungi, but this does not mean that preventive treatments can be ignored. Avoiding infection is much easier than treating the entire garden later.
- You should not store the harvest for a long time if you know that you will not eat it, put the berries into processing or freeze them.
- Gulliver currant bushes love free space, so it is recommended to plant them at a considerable distance from each other. Many gardeners ignore this requirement and leave standard gaps.
Why might currants stop bearing fruit?
There are a number of factors associated with the fact that a 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. If the bush grows in one place for a long time, it stops blooming. 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 crop stops bearing fruit. In this case, you need to uproot the bush and plant a new one. You can try to save the plant by rejuvenating and fertilizing. Perhaps next year the currants will bring a good harvest again.
Secondly, the climate is not suitable. Perhaps the crop was exposed to frost in the spring. Because of this, the young buds died, and the bush 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 extra water during dry times.
Thirdly, the lack of pollinators. Many varieties of currants are self-pollinating, but sometimes there are those that require additional pollination for a good harvest.
Another factor of poor fruiting is the disease - terry. The disease can be detected during the flowering period. In affected flowers, the petals are narrowed and the pistils grow greatly. As a result, the flower cluster resembles a thin branch covered with yellow scales instead of berries. Due to disease, currant leaves lose their aroma. Such bushes 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 harvest 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 advanced cases, chemicals are used.
Very dense bushes also affect poor harvests. This is due to the fact that the bush will give up nutrients to maintain foliage, and not to harvest fruits. Therefore, it is recommended to prune bad branches once a year.
Disease resistance
People note that Gulliver rarely suffers from diseases typical of currants. It is quite resistant to rust and powdery mildew. Roland red currants are also susceptible to powdery mildew. A good solution is to spray currants with Fitosporin and Fundazol solutions. If any disease is discovered during the growing season, additional treatment must be carried out. But already three weeks before picking the berries, they must stop using chemicals.
Currants are attractive to pests, so karbofos is used. Read how to get rid of aphids on currants here.
