Black currant Pygmy: reviews, photos, description of a large-fruited variety

Black currants are highly valued for their beneficial properties, although their excessive acidity is not everyone's cup of tea. The berries of hybrid plants, like Pygmy currants, having unique qualities, acquired a dessert sweet taste and large fruit as a result of selection work. Bred by V.S. Ilyin in the South Ural Research Institute on the basis of currant Seedling Golubki and Bredtorp, the Pygmy currant variety has been presented in the State Register since 1999. The plant was recommended for cultivation in Siberia and the Far East, but thanks to winter hardiness, endurance and productivity, it spread throughout the European territory of Russia and neighboring countries.

History of variety development

This variety of black currant was bred in the last quarter of the last century at the South Ural Research Institute by breeder V. S. Ilyin. During the breeding, the currant varieties Seyanets Golubki and Bredtop were crossed. After testing for several years, the Pygmy currant variety was included in the State Register in 1999.

The Pygmy black currant berry bush is recommended for cultivation in Siberia and the Far East.

However, due to the high resistance of this berry to frost, hardiness and good stable fruiting, the Pygmy variety is currently grown in the European part of Russia, as well as in a number of neighboring countries.

Currant Pygmy - photo

Protection from pests and diseases

The black currant variety Pygmy is affected by white spotting. First, brown spots up to 3 cm wide appear on the leaves. Then the center of the spot turns white. The disease can lead to complete leaf loss. As a preventative measure in the fall, all leaves are removed from under the currant bush, and the soil is dug up in the fall and spring. Before the buds awaken, the bushes are sprayed with copper sulfate. When the disease appears in the summer, after harvesting, the bushes are treated with Bordeaux mixture.

Modern acaricidal drugs are used against ticks.

Growing large and sweet berries with unique adsorbent properties is an exciting activity for people who love to garden.

Currant Pygmy: description of the variety and its main characteristics

Pygmy blackcurrant bushes are very tall, but compact, the shoots are erect, and can reach 1.7-2.0 m in height

, do not bend to the ground even under the weight of ripening berries. Young stems of the current season are green and without pubescence. The buds are single, oval in shape, located at an acute angle to the stems, bronze in color. The foliage is large, five-lobed, slightly wrinkled, shiny, concave in the center, with small teeth clearly visible along the edges. The color of the leaf blades is rich green.

The flowering of the Pygmy bush occurs in May, and the buds open not simultaneously, but alternately. Therefore, fruiting of this mid-season Pygmy currant variety occurs from the last days of June and continues for 15-20 days. Small flowers are collected in racemose inflorescences, each of which can develop from 6 to 9 ovaries, the color of the petals is soft pink.

Large juicy berries sit tightly on green stalks. The weight of each Pygmy currant berry is up to 6.5-7.5 g.

The skin is thin and dense, black in color. The taste of the juicy pulp is sweet, with characteristic sourness and a small number of small seeds.

100 g of product contains:

• 9.4% sugars;
• 150 mg ascorbic acid.

On a note!

The tasting score of ripe Pygmy currant fruits is the highest (5 points).

Currant bushes of this variety are self-fertile

, therefore, they do not require planting other currant varieties nearby for cross-pollination. Pygmy currant itself can serve as an excellent pollinator.

This berry bush is unpretentious; seedlings quickly acclimatize to a permanent location. Pygmy currants are distinguished by their unpretentiousness to the place of cultivation and further care, but they like regular watering and fertilizing.

Photo of Pygmy currant

The Pygmy currant variety is highly frost-resistant, withstanding cold temperatures down to -28-30 degrees Celsius, and in summer they can withstand heat up to 28-30 degrees.

The harvested crop tolerates transportation well over long distances and has good shelf life. Ripe fruits are consumed fresh, made into preserves, jams, jellies, frozen, or covered in compotes.

Appearance, characteristics of berries, ripening time, yield

The bushes of the variety are distinguished by their compact size, slightly spreading branches and medium-dense crown. The height of the plant rarely exceeds 1.5 m. Young shoots have a green-pink hue, with large glossy bright green foliage. The leaves are distinguished by their round shape and the presence of a triangular notch. The buds of the bush are of medium size and oval-round in shape. Their color is brown.

Did you know? Blackcurrant berries are often used in the preparation of a natural blue-violet dye.

Currant inflorescences are pale in color and small in size. The main shape of the flowers is saucer-shaped. One cluster contains up to 15–20 berries.

The currant fruits of the variety in question grow on a thin green stalk, they are quite large - the weight can range from 2 to 8 g. The skin is black, thin and smooth. According to reviews, the taste characteristics of Pygmy currants are high, with pronounced sweetness and aroma.

In terms of their composition, currant fruits are an indispensable product for the human body. 1 berry contains a whole complex of vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, K, group of vitamins B), as well as micro- and macroelements (calcium, potassium, silicon, magnesium, sodium, sulfur, phosphorus, boron, vanadium, iodine, cobalt , iron, copper and many others).

Read about Perun currants.

The ripening time of the crop greatly depends on the care of the plant and growing conditions - on average, fruiting occurs in 1 to 1.5 months (beginning - mid-July). The yield of the variety is high - from one bush you can collect from 2.5 to 5.5 kg of selected berries.

Advantages and disadvantages

Pygmy currants have become popular among gardeners due to their undeniable advantages:

1. stable fruiting and high yield;
2. berries – large with excellent presentation and good taste;
3. fruiting is extended over several weeks;
4. frost resistance – high;
5. Pygmy currant is resistant to most diseases, including powdery mildew and anthracnose.

Currant varieties!
Selechenskaya 2 Lazy Vigorous
Of serious shortcomings

gardeners note the low resistance of the variety to septoria and susceptibility to attacks by bud mites.

Characteristic

Mid-season black currant Pygmy begins to ripen in late June, early July. The flowers open alternately and harvest lasts up to three weeks or more. From one bush, subject to the requirements of agricultural technology, 5.5-5.7 kg of tasty and aromatic berries are harvested, or up to 22 t/ha. The average yield on an industrial scale reaches 6.5 tons per hectare. Increased yield is typical for the variety, since Pygmy currant bushes are self-fertile. The plants are quite unpretentious and take root easily. The variety bears fruit annually.

The black currant bush Pygmy tolerates frosts down to -35 degrees and summer heat of 30 degrees. Plants are undemanding to soil, but love timely watering and fertilizing. The variety is resistant to common diseases and requires preventive spraying. Sensitive to septoria and bud mite attacks.

The sweetness and pleasant specific aroma of Pygmy berries makes it possible to enjoy them fresh. Traditional preparations are made from the berries, frozen and dried.

Attention! Several Pygmy currant bushes planted nearby will ensure better quality of ovaries and size of berries.

Planting Pygmy currants

Pygmy seedlings can be planted both in spring and autumn.

In spring, the best time for planting is the end of March or the first days of April, before foliage begins to appear on the bushes. In autumn, you can plant this currant from the first days of September.

This variety needs 12-14 days to acclimatize to a new place and get stronger before the onset of winter. Based on this, the time for planting is selected.

It is best to plant Pygmy currant seedlings that are no more than 2 years old

, such plants take root well and quickly and actively begin to increase the vegetative mass. The size of the root system should be at least 19-20 cm. Shoots in height can be from 35 to 40 cm. The root system and shoots of healthy currants are strong and elastic, without damage.

The place for planting currants should be well lit by sunlight, since in the shade this variety will develop worse and the fruits will not grow large. It is better to plant these bushes along the fence or near garden houses, where the plants will be protected from drafts.

Planting currants

The soil should be loose and fertile; the best choice would be loam or sandstone with a neutral reaction. Stagnation of moisture in the soil should be avoided, as excess moisture can cause the development of fungal diseases in currants. Groundwater should not approach the earth's surface closer than 1.5-2 m.

Holes for planting Pygmy currants are dug 1-1.5 months before planting the seedlings

. At the same time, 1 bucket of humus (can be replaced with compost), 2 tbsp. l. potassium salt and 1.5 cups of superphosphate.

Advice!

Instead of mineral fertilizers, you can use wood ash, 1 kg of which is added to each m2 of soil.

When digging the soil, be sure to remove all weeds along with the roots. The distance between adjacent holes should be at least 1.4-1.6 m. The diameter of the hole is 60 cm and the depth is about 45 cm.

A layer of drainage 4-5 cm thick is laid at the bottom of the hole. The next layer is a mixture of garden soil with wood ash (2 cups), potassium salt (2 tbsp.), 1 cup of superphosphate.

Before planting Pygmy currants, pour 10 liters of water into each hole.

When it is absorbed, sprinkle a little dry soil on top. On which the plant is placed vertically, carefully straightening the roots along the diameter of the hole. The holes are sprinkled so that the root collar of the seedling is buried 6-7 cm into the soil.

Along the edge of the tree trunk circle, a side is made of earth so that irrigation water does not go beyond the diameter of the hole. For each planted plant, you need to add about 7 liters of water, and mulch the top with sawdust or hay. The thickness of such a layer should be at least 7 cm.

Growing

It is not difficult to grow Pygmies in the garden; you need to know the basic rules. Be careful and careful, because the fruiting of the plant will depend on the correctness of your actions. Pygmy bushes require regular watering and care.

Selection of seedlings

Before purchasing a seedling, pay attention to these indicators:

• Age. To plant in open soil, the seedling must be one or two years old.
• Root system. Elastic, without rot and damaged lobes.
• Branching. The thicker the plant, the faster it will take root and the better it will develop.
• Sapling height. No more than 30 cm.
• Lack of greenery.

Buy seedlings for planting in special stores; do not trust market sellers. It's easy to change the variety.

Prepare a stimulating mixture and place blackcurrant seedlings in it for two days. Thanks to this procedure, the cutting will take root in the soil faster. To get rid of pests and diseases, add potassium permanganate to the stimulating solution, and treat it with a clay mash a couple of hours before planting the plant.

Boarding time

The optimal planting time is the autumn season. The best period is the last days of September or the beginning of October. The cuttings have time to take root in the soil before the first frost. It is necessary to adjust so that there are about 4 weeks left before the cold weather. Depending on the climate, currant flowering lasts 40 days. Planting in spring begins early, after warming. The main thing is to cope before the sap flow begins.

Soil preparation

Pygmy currant is not demanding on lighting. It is desirable that the area receives a lot of sunlight and heat, but in shady areas the plant also grows and develops well. Choose a place with little wind. Air currents will help the plant cope with fungal diseases faster, and the wind will also dry the soil from melting snow.

The bush can withstand large amounts of moisture, but should not be planted close to groundwater. The plant will not grow and develop in such conditions. An excellent way to grow Pygmy is in heavy loamy and slightly acidic soils. The taste of the berries directly depends on the choice of site for planting the bush.

Planting scheme

Main stages of planting:

1. Prepare a hole (dimensions: 50x50 cm, depth 60 cm). The favorable distance between bushes is 1.2 m.
2. Place the bush in the hole and straighten the root system.
3. The seedling should be in the hole at an angle. Keep the Pygmy in this position and cover it with soil.
4. The lower buds may be under the soil. About 4 buds should remain on the surface.
5. Compact the top layer of soil.
6. Water the bush.
7. If the soil has been fertilized in advance, there is no need to add additional minerals.

Further care for the Pygmy blackcurrant variety

The main thing when caring for Pygmy currants is compliance with the watering regime.

When watering, the soil should be saturated with moisture to a depth of 0.4 m. If the weather is hot, dry, then 3-4 buckets of water are poured under each berry bush. After each watering, the tree trunk circle is loosened and weeds are removed. Then add a fresh layer of mulch.

It is very important to water this shrub during the period of flowering, formation of ovaries and ripening of berries. However, at the moment the fruits are fully ripened, watering should be stopped for a while so that the berries do not begin to crack.

Features of care

The gardener will receive a rich and healthy harvest only if the currants have been properly cared for. Care consists of regular watering, protection from insects and diseases, proper pruning of branches and application of fertilizers.

Read our article on how to care for currant bushes in the autumn.

Tillage

The soil on which currants sprout and develop requires special care. Keep weeds away. Regularly cultivate the soil with a ripper, use a hoe or a cultivator. Loosening helps aerate the soil, it is saturated with oxygen. The treated soil quickly absorbs air, the root system develops better.

This procedure is especially necessary for heavy and clayey soil; it tends to become compacted and heavier. During loosening, the hoe cannot be deepened more than 4 cm, since the roots of the bush do not lie deep. The maximum deepening of the root system is 10 cm. A sharp blade of a garden tool can cause irreparable harm to the roots.

The root circle of the plant needs mulching. For this purpose, sawdust, humus, and fine tree bark are used. Natural material decomposes quickly and enriches the earth.

Watering

Pygmy is a drought-resistant black currant. But this fact does not mean that the bush does not require moisture. Drought causes severe damage during flowering; its deficiency provokes the shedding of most flower stalks. Black currants need infrequent but abundant watering. In summer, the bushes are watered approximately once every 14 days. The exception is severe drought.

One currant bush needs 3-5 buckets of water (30-50 l).

You can reduce the amount of watering by mulching; the natural material allows the soil to retain water in the soil longer. In the autumn season, often in October, strong moisture-charging irrigation is carried out. The bush is being prepared for winter. This activity is carried out after all the necessary fertilizers have been applied to the plant.

Top dressing

A tasty and healthy harvest is obtained only if black currants are fertilized correctly and regularly. A special place for shrubs of this type is occupied by fertilizers containing nitrogen. They strengthen branches, buds and leaves, promote their rapid development and growth. A healthy plant brings a rich harvest in the form of juicy and healthy berries.

Fertilizers can be organic and mineral. Let's consider several options for applying fertilizer to the Pygmy blackcurrant bush.

Feeding No. 1

It is carried out in the autumn (late September or early October). First of all, you need to prepare half a bucket of manure. It must be rotten, otherwise the currant root system will burn. Pour 20 g of superphosphate and 20 g of potassium sulfate on top of the litter. The soil is dug up in such a way that all the components of the fertilizing end up in the soil around the plant’s trunk.

Top dressing No. 2

The period of implementation is early spring, the buds should bloom, but the procedure is carried out before the bush blooms. In a bucket, mix two equal parts of chicken manure and water. Carefully combine the contents and leave in a sunny area until the fermentation process. After a week, the fertilizer can be used.

Required consistency: for 5 liters of water – 0.5 liters of concentrate. Stir the mixture and pour under the currant bush. Be sure to adhere to the indicated dosage. An overdose of chicken manure leads to a nitrogen burn, as a result of which the Pygmy's root system will die.

Top dressing No. 3

Use ammonium nitrate. This fertilizer is useful for young bushes; plants need it after flowering; more mature bushes need it during fruit set.

Sprinkle ammonium nitrate in a 20 cm layer in the Pygmy tree trunk circle. This amount of fertilizing is enough for 1 currant bush. After applying the fertilizer, loosen the soil; this will help the soil absorb the nitrate faster.

Top dressing No. 4

Don’t forget mineral fertilizers; they are applied annually to bushes that grow on heavy soils. Light and fertile soils need mineral fertilizers once every 3 years. The implementation period is the autumn season.

The mixture consists of: 30 g of potassium and 40 g of phosphorus. Mix the substances carefully and scatter them under the bush. Mix with soil during autumn digging.

If the currant is already more than 4 years old, then the number of components increases by 2 times. Pay special attention to acidity; if the indicator exceeds the norm, then add 500 g of lime per 1 square meter. m.

Trimming

Pruning helps reduce the amount of green mass on the bush. Thickening leads to a decrease in the number of berries. Pruning is carried out once a year. The time for implementation is spring until the buds swell. It is necessary to cut off all dead, thick and damaged branches during the winter, which clearly thicken the bush. If pruning is not carried out, the plant will begin to bear berries on last year's side branches. This phenomenon will lead to a large loss of currant yield.

How to prune depending on the year of the plant’s life:

• First year. Trim all branches on the seedling, leaving 3 buds, they will serve as the basis for the growth of first-order branches.
• Second year. Leave 4 strong branches on the grown bush; they will serve as the basis for second-order branches.
• Third year. Leave 3 strong one-year-old shoots and 5 two-year-old shoots.
• Fourth year. The green mass of the plant should remain with 4 branches from each year.
• Subsequent years. Carry out pruning so that about 20 branches of different ages remain on the bush. This technique will not allow the currants to thicken.

Pygmy black currant berry contains only 60 kcal per 100 g, so it can be consumed by anyone who eats right.

Basic rules for pruning shrubs:

1. Remove old damaged branches; they should be more than 5 years old.
2. Trim weak and diseased branches. This procedure is called sanitary.
3. Eliminate all shoots whose growth points are directed towards the middle of the bush.
4. Remove the lower branches that cannot support their own weight and are located on the ground.

Preparing for winter

The Pygmy blackcurrant bush is frost-resistant, but in some regions it should be hidden from strong and cold winters. To do this, gardeners build temporary barriers. Shields, fences and fences are great for protection. The tree trunk circle of the plant is insulated with a layer of mulch, which serves as excellent protection for the soil and root system of the Pygmy.

If desired, the currants can be wrapped using agrofibre. Such material will help protect the above-ground part of the plant. The insulation prevents cold winds from approaching the plant, but at the same time, it allows air to pass through, which is so necessary for currants to function normally.

Feeding Pygmy currants

In the first season, no fertilizer is required for currants.

And next spring, urea is added to the tree trunk circles (2 tablespoons per plant).

When the harvest is fully harvested, the Pygmy currants are fed again. For this, 1 tbsp. l. potassium salts and 3 tbsp. l. superphosphate is scattered into each tree trunk circle.

Under mature currants in the spring add 2 tbsp. l. Nitrophoska before abundant watering.

Before the formation of ovaries, you can fertilize “by leaf”.

To do this, dissolve 2 tbsp in a bucket of water. l. copper sulfate, 5 g of potassium permanganate and the same amount of boric acid.

To increase the resistance of this shrub to fungal diseases, you need to apply a complex mineral fertilizer, which contains the following minerals: B, Zn, Mg, Cu, to the tree trunk circles at least once a season.

Reproduction methods

Pygmy currants can be propagated using layering or green cuttings. Each of these methods has its own characteristics.

By layering

Propagation of the crop by layering should begin in early spring.

And in the process you will need to follow these instructions:

1. Select a healthy shoot from the edge of the bush, 2 years old.
2. Bend the branch to the soil and place it in a hole with a depth of 1-2 cm.
3. Secure the layering with a staple and sprinkle it with loose soil. It is important that its end protrudes 2-3 cm from the ground.
4. During the cutting season, water the cuttings regularly.

In the fall, separate the resulting plant from the mother bush and plant it in a permanent place.

Green shoots

You need to start this activity in mid-June - early July. Before the procedure, you will need to sharpen and disinfect the pruning shears, and also make a training bed in a slightly shaded place, digging and loosening the soil in this area.

During the process you must adhere to the following instructions:

1. Having chosen strong and developed annual shoots, you need to cut them off the bush with pruning shears. It is important to remove the top and bottom of the branch as they will not survive.
2. Divide the shoot into cuttings 15-20 cm long. It is advisable to make cuts above the obliques. It is important that each workpiece contains at least 3 leaves. Remove the lower leaves along with the petioles. Shorten the top ones by 1/3 of the length.
3. Water the surface of the bed well and make holes in it with a pencil, and plant the cuttings in them at an angle of 45°. You will need to deepen the blanks 2 lower buds at a time.
4. Mulch the surface of the bed with a layer of peat, 3-5 cm thick. Cover the planting with film.

The cuttings will take root within 3-4 weeks. At this time, they should be watered every 1 day and periodically sprayed with a spray bottle.

The planting must be ventilated daily and condensation removed from the film. After 2 weeks, the plants should be fed with liquid fertilizer with nitrogen.

Pruning currant bushes

In early spring, all frozen, damaged branches should be removed.

In autumn, shoots that grow inside the bushes are removed and only thicken them. 2-3 summer branches are left, as they will form the next year's crop. Old shoots (over 5 years old) need to be cut out completely, because berries will no longer form on them.

An adult full-fledged shrub consists of 14-20 shoots of different ages. Pygmy currant bushes older than 8 years are cut off almost completely, leaving only a few 2-year-old shoots.

Practical tips for harvesting

The berries of the Pygmy variety ripen in the first ten days of June. The fruiting of the crop is uneven, so the harvest is harvested over 1–1.5 months . About 6 kg are obtained from the bush.

Currants that are planned to be consumed immediately can be picked at any time. But if the berries are going to be sent for storage, you need to choose dry weather to collect them. It is recommended to separate the fruits with tassels and place them in small containers with a capacity of 3–4 kg.

Pygmy is an excellent sweet variety for fresh consumption.

Store currants in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 weeks. There is no need to wash the berries beforehand. If the fruits are wet, they need to be spread out in one layer and dried naturally. Pygmy currants are used for making jams, preserves, compotes, and jelly.

The berries can also be frozen; in this state they retain their beneficial properties for three months.

1. To do this, they are first placed in the refrigerator for 3–4 hours.
2. Then they are laid out in plastic bags and sent to the freezer.

In order for the currants to retain their taste after this procedure, they must thaw gradually. When defrosting, the berries are first placed in the refrigerator for several hours and then defrosted at room temperature.

How to properly care for shrubs?

Caring for a seedling consists of watering, fertilizing, tillage, pruning, protection from pests and diseases, and shelter for the winter.

Irrigation and fertilizing

Currant bushes are most demanding when it comes to watering during the following growth phases:

• flowering – formation of ovaries;
• ripening of berries.

During these periods, the bushes are watered 2-3 times a week. Also, abundant watering is carried out in case of moisture deficiency, insulating the bushes before winter (moisture-recharging watering). The irrigation rate in any of these periods should ensure that the soil under the bushes is moistened to a depth of 40-45 centimeters. On average, on sandy and loamy soils it is 25-30 liters of water per 1 adult bush.

During the first 2 years, young currants are fed only in early spring, before the buds open. In this fertilizer, 65 grams of ammonium nitrate or 45-50 grams of urea are added in dry form to each bush. Urea must be sealed by loosening.

Fruiting bushes over 3 years old are fed with nitrogen fertilizers 2-3 times per season:

1. In the spring (before buds open) - at this time, fertilizing is done on moist soil with ammonium nitrate in a dose of 65-70 grams of ammonium nitrate per 1 bush.
2. During the green ovary phase, currant bushes are fed during this phase with a urea solution (50 grams of fertilizer per 10 liters of water) or dry ammonium nitrate at a dose of 70 grams per 1 bush.

Phosphorus and potassium are added every year, during the autumn digging or loosening of the soil, in the form of 210 grams of simple superphosphate and 70 grams of potassium sulfate per 1 bush.

Soil care

Soil care on a currant plantation of this variety consists of the following operations:

• early spring loosening to a depth of 10-12 centimeters;
• summer loosening and weeding near bushes to a depth of 5-10 centimeters;
• autumn digging of row spacing and loosening of the soil near the bushes to a depth of no more than 10 centimeters.

When using mulch, summer loosening is not performed.

Trimming and shaping

In the first 3 years, to give the bush the required shape, height and productivity, formative pruning is performed:

• 1 year – the aerial part is shortened at a height of 20 centimeters (cut at the level of 3 buds);
• 2nd year - lateral branches of the 2nd order are shortened at the level of buds 4-5;
• 3rd year - thin out the root shoots, removing shoots that thicken the bush.

In subsequent years, the bush is pruned 3 times:

1. In spring, cut off all shoots and side branches damaged by frost, rodents and wind.
2. In summer, when foci of aphids and viral diseases are detected, the affected shoots are removed at ground level, and then immediately burned.
3. In autumn, all unripe annual, broken, creeping and old shoots growing inside the bush are removed from the bush.

A properly trimmed and formed bush should consist of 15-20 shoots 2-3 years old.

Preventive treatment against pests and diseases

To control pests (bud mites, aphids, moths and moths), the following insecticides are used:

• Kinmiks;
• Preventative;
• Fitoverm;
• Tanrek for aphids.

Against fungal infections, bushes are treated with fungicides such as:

• Bordeaux mixture;
• Topaz;
• Byleton;
• Thiovit Jet.

Currants are treated against pests in early spring and during the period of mass appearance of pests. Fungicidal treatments are carried out when more than 5% of the leaf surface is damaged by pathogenic microorganisms.

Protection from winter cold

To protect against frost, after the leaves have fallen, the bushes in late autumn are carefully prepared for the upcoming cold as follows:

1. Pruning is done by removing old, broken, immature shoots.
2. They apply mineral fertilizers, dig up row spacing, and loosen the soil around the bushes.
3. Water the bushes.
4. Healthy stems are collected in bunches of 3-4 pieces, wrapped in agrofibre and, bending to the ground, pressed down with bricks.
5. The shoots insulated in this way are additionally sprinkled with a layer of earth 4-5 centimeters thick.

Currant bushes prepared and insulated in this way can withstand frosts down to -40.

Rules of agricultural technology

In general, the rules of agricultural technology for the Pygmy variety are similar to the rules for other blackcurrant varieties. With good care and anti-aging pruning, the bush will bear fruit for up to 20 years.

Landing

Landing rules:

You can plant two seedlings in one planting hole, slightly tilting them away from each other.

Reproduction methods

Two methods of propagation are suitable for black currants

• layering;
• cuttings.

The first method is simpler and more convenient. To propagate currants by layering, you need to select a side shoot, bend it to the ground and secure it with a bracket. The place where the shoot touches the soil must be covered with soil, and the shoot itself must remain free. The shoot will take root, and next year you need to cut it off from the mother plant and replant it in a permanent place.

To propagate currants by cuttings, you need to cut off the woody shoots of the current or last year. The cuttings are planted in a special small greenhouse and watered. Once rooted, they can be transplanted into the garden.

Care

Care Tips: