Black currant Shalunya: advantages and disadvantages of the variety

Progress does not stand still, and this also applies to selection. Just recently, currants were small, low-yielding, often sick, and although private owners planted them in every garden plot, they often scolded: “What kind of new varieties are these, worse than the previous ones?!” About the varieties that will be discussed in our article, no one will say this for sure - black currant varieties released in 2006, that is, relatively recently, are already included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements of the Russian Federation, which means they are fully approved for use. These are the varieties Charovnitsa, Chernavka and Shalunya. Let's talk about them in more detail and start with the Enchantress.

Geography of the variety

This agricultural plant was bred by employees of the Michurin All-Russian Research Institute in the early 2000s of the 20th century. The main goal of scientists was the selection of highly productive currant varieties suitable for active fruiting in temperate climates.

That is why today this variety is zoned for cultivation in the Central Black Earth economic region, which includes the Voronezh, Belgorod, Kursk, Lipetsk and Tambov regions of Russia.

Minx can also be successfully grown in other geographic zones that are as close as possible to the recommended climatic conditions.

History of selection

An ultra-early currant variety was developed at the Michurin Research Institute, was tested and was included in the register of those approved for use in 2006. The recommended growing region is very extensive - from the North-Western to the Central Black Earth. Shalunya currants also produce good harvests in other geographical areas. The authors of the variety, T. S. Zvyagina and T. V. Zhidekhina, used two varieties as mother varieties:

1. Detskoselskaya.

2. A curiosity.

Botanical description

To distinguish Shalunya from other varieties of currants, just take a careful look at the structure of the plant. This variety is a low-growing bush with a medium-spreading crown. The crown structure is of medium density, it is made up of almost perfectly straight branches. Young shoots have a rich green color, while mature shoots have a grayish-beige tint. Each of the branches is covered with elongated-ovoid buds of a reddish hue, located singly across the area of ​​the branches.

We advise you to read more about the structure of the blackcurrant bush.

The shoots are covered with medium or small leaves of a five-lobed structure. The leaf blade is bare, quite tender, but wrinkled, rich green in color. The leaves in the crown are directed downward, the edge is also bent in this direction. The side of each leaf is covered with small pollen-like teeth, topped with an almost invisible white tip.

During flowering, the bush forms small goblet-shaped flowers with pale sepals, covered along the edge with purple stripes. The flower clusters are up to 6 cm long, they are straight, without a petiole.

Description and distinctive features of the variety

The bush is dense, vigorous (up to 150–180 cm), medium spreading, with straight, thick shoots. The leaves are five-lobed, large, bright green, smooth, slightly wrinkled. The bark on young branches is smooth, shiny, green, on lignified shoots it is gray, with a brown tint, and shiny. The buds are purple-pink, medium-sized, cone-shaped, located asymmetrically along the entire length of the shoot. The flowers are bell-shaped, the sepals are reddish. The brushes are long (up to 8 cm), hanging, the axis is medium, the petiole is long, pubescent.

Lazy Guy's bush is powerful, vigorous, dense, densely leafy

The berries are black with a brown tint, large (average weight - 2.5 g). The size varies - from 0.7 to 1.5 cm in diameter. The shape of the fruit is round. The peduncle is medium long, slightly curved. The calyx is medium, round, half-open. The taste of the berries is sweet with a slight sourness, dessert. The pulp is juicy, the skin is dense, the peel is dry. The aroma is bright, rich.

Lazy Guy's berries are quite large, shiny, and not one-dimensional

Content of nutrients per 100 g - table

Black currant berries Lentyay have an attractive appearance and are valued for their dessert, refreshing taste

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety - table

Characteristic

This hybrid absorbed only the best characteristics of the mother varieties, which enabled breeders to create a truly unique combination of all sorts of qualities, thanks to which the plant became popular. These include not only yield parameters and berry quality, but also resistance to adverse weather factors.

Did you know? On the territory of Ancient Rus', currants were called “monastery berries.” This is due to the fact that its fruits began to be cultivated for the first time on the territory of monastery gardens, which was mentioned in various chronicles already from the 11th century.

Drought resistance, frost resistance

Within the recommended growing zone, Shalunya can tolerate drought well, as well as winter cold. This feature allows even novice plant growers to grow the crop without much difficulty.

However, it is worth noting the fact that in the event of prolonged drought, the quality of Shalunya’s berries sharply deteriorates. They become small, lose their juiciness and taste, so during the summer heat the beds definitely need increased watering. In addition, it is also recommended to protect the plants from the winter cold, which will avoid frostbite of young shoots.

Productivity and fruiting

Minx is a super-early ripening shrub. This allows you to harvest the crop approximately 20 days before the main one appears (in mid-season hybrids). The average yield of an adult bush is 3–4 kg, which makes it possible to successfully harvest up to 12 tons of berries/ha.

Black currant variety Charovnitsa

Black currant Charovnitsa
So, the Charovnitsa variety. Even with its name it should bewitch, cast a spell, and indeed, it is impossible to tear yourself away from it until you eat every last berry.

This variety was approved for cultivation in the Central Black Earth region, which means that it is in this region that the variety will give its best, showing its best qualities in terms of yield, weight of berries, and taste characteristics. The author of the variety is the great breeder Tatyana Vladimirovna Zhidekhina, she knows a lot about varieties, and will definitely not miss anything. From her caring, one might say, maternal hands (with such love she does castration and pollination), hundreds of wonderful hybrids have come out, are coming out, and will continue to come out, which will certainly grow into varieties.

Our Charovnitsa is a variety characterized by medium ripening juice and universal purpose. The plant itself, thanks to its medium height, will definitely fit in literally every garden plot; a novice gardener will definitely find a place. The spreading nature of the bush is also average; in the autumn it can be tied with twine and secured more tightly so that the snow does not block the center of the bush and break the precious branches, which during the ripening period are simply bursting with harvest.

Even though the variety’s shoots are thick, straight, grayish in color, with slightly noticeable pubescence and shine, they still sometimes bend to the ground under the weight of powerful clusters full of berries and often even break. The leaf blades are medium in thickness and green in color, which indicates the full operation of photosynthesis processes for the harvest.

Well, now let’s move on to the berries, which is actually why any gardener buys new varieties of currants. The shape of the Enchantress's berries is like friendly gypsy eyes, large and black, the skin of the berries is barely felt in the mouth, they literally burst, spreading with delicate juice, and a small amount of seeds adds pleasure to consuming the berries. But, despite the thin skin, the fruits are well transported, once they are picked a little unripe. The taste of the berries is sweet and sour, very pleasant and refreshing in the heat, although without aroma, but in this case it would rather be inappropriate here.

The average weight of berries strongly depends on the agricultural background in which the variety is grown. On good, loose, fertilized, nutritious and moist soil, the mass could jump in 2 g, but on the poor soil of the selection school it barely exceeds 1.3 g. In order to find out more about the variety, Tatyana Vladimirovna ordered a chemical analysis of the fruits, and This is what it gave: in fruits - up to 10% sugars, only 2.6% acids and up to 189 mg% ascorbic acid. That is, the fruits can be treated for a runny nose by simply eating them raw.

Tasters rated the taste of the berries at 4.5 points, but this is clearly an underestimate - 0.1 or 0.2 points could have been added safely. By the way, with an average weight of 1.3 grams (remember?), the yield is more than a hundred centners per hectare and closer to 102 centners.

By the way, the variety does not freeze, does not require watering, rarely gets sick, and in the entire history of observations only a few skinny spider mites have been noticed on it.

Landing Features

Successful growth and fruiting of currants on the site depends not only on the skillful choice of variety, but also on compliance with specific agricultural techniques for planting this fruit shrub. This allows you to create the necessary optimum for the seedling, thanks to which it will quickly grow and bloom. To do this, you will need to choose both special planting dates and the best place for this.

Video: How to properly care for and plant currants

Deadlines

Fruit bushes can be rooted throughout the growing season, but in the case of currants there are some restrictions. The most favorable period for this is the first half of October . Before the onset of winter cold, the planting material will have time to take root, which will make it possible to obtain an active and fast-growing plant in early spring.

Did you know? Currants are considered one of the most widespread plants on the planet. Its various forms and varieties are found on almost all continents and geographical areas, with the exception of Australia and Antarctica.

Conditions

To plant a crop correctly, the following conditions must be met:

• Only high-quality seedlings are suitable for the procedure, without signs of damage by pests and specific infections;
• It is necessary to carry out preliminary preparation of the site and plants;
• choose suitable weather conditions for planting - first of all, early morning or late evening, a dry and windless day;
• the average daily temperature during planting should be about +15°C;
• In about 14–20 days, the area should be thoroughly plowed to a depth of 30 cm, cleared of remaining weeds and debris, and fertilized. For feeding, the soil is enriched with rotted manure or humus (5 kg/m²), as well as superphosphate (100 g/m²).

Choosing a suitable location

In most cases, currants are able to take root well and bear fruit in almost any conditions. However, you should pay attention to the geography of the site - it is best for bushes to take root on a plain or a small hill . In the lowlands, increased humidity occurs, which creates conditions for the appearance of fungi on the bush.

We advise you to read where to plant currants - in the shade or in the sun.

You should also pay attention to the fact that this culture needs an abundance of light and space. For this reason, it is planted in open and well-lit areas, no closer than 3–5 meters from other tree-like vegetation or shrubs . It is best if there is a small living or artificial fence around the perimeter of the beds, which will protect the plants from harmful drafts.

Currants are not picky about soil, but most gardeners claim that the crop bears fruit better and grows shoots on well-fertilized loamy soils with a slightly alkaline pH (7.5–8.5)

Selection and preparation of seedlings

Selecting high-quality seedlings for planting is quite simple - you need to carefully look at the external condition of the planting material. A good seedling should:

• be no more than 2 years old;
• have no traces of mechanical damage or damage by fungi and insects;
• distinguished by elastic and juicy tissues, without signs of fading;
• have at least 3 skeletal rhizome processes and 4–6 viable buds.

Immediately before planting, currant seedlings should be prepared if possible. The procedure involves disinfecting planting material, which will best protect young plants from pathogenic fungi . To do this, the plants are thoroughly sprayed with a solution of “Fitosporin” or 2% copper sulfate, after which they need to be dried naturally.

Also find out whether currant bushes need to be whitened.

Landing algorithm

After choosing the right place and time for planting the plants, you can proceed directly to the procedure:

1. First of all, it is necessary to mark the territory of the beds. This fruit crop is planted in a row or randomly, so that there is a distance of at least 1.5 m between neighboring plants: appropriate marks should be created on the ground.
2. Next, at each planting site, you need to make a planting hole about 40 cm deep and 50 cm in diameter.
3. After this, the hole should be well watered, and then the seedling should be placed in it.
4. Planting material is installed at an angle of 45°, and then carefully covered with soil. This arrangement will make it possible to form an additional number of roots, which is important for the proper development of the young bush.
5. At the end of the procedure, the beds need to be watered well.

The next day, the trunk circle of each plant should be mulched with humus or peat, and the layer should be at least 15 cm. This will create the necessary conditions in the soil for the active growth of the root mass, and will also help provide the young bushes with the necessary nutrients in the spring

Currants - planting and care in the country

Currants are planted in early spring or mid-autumn.
Planting currants in the fall is preferable, since in the spring it is necessary to have time before sap flow begins and the buds open; in this case, the soil may not have time to warm up sufficiently and the plant will die. For currants, choose a sunny place, protected from the wind with well-drained, non-acidic soil (pH value 6-6.5). Fertile, light loamy soil is ideal. To reduce the acidity of the soil, add up to 1 kg of lime, chalk or dolomite flour per 1 square meter. m.

Currants are propagated using cuttings or by dividing the bush, by separating large shoots with roots from the main trunk. Growing black currants will be successful if you choose two-year-old seedlings up to 40 cm high, with 3-5 skeletal branches at least 20 cm long; they take root best. Let's look at how to plant currants step by step.

Soil preparation

The selected area is leveled 14 days before planting the seedlings, weed rhizomes are removed and the soil is left to shrink. After 2 weeks, the area is divided into circles with a diameter of 50-60 cm, which are dug to a depth of 40 cm. The distance between them is maintained at 1.5-2 m, when planted in rows - up to 3 m.

Three-quarters of the hole is filled with a bucket of compost or other organic matter. Add 200 g of superphosphate, 60 g of potassium sulfate or 40 g of wood ash. A little black soil is poured on top of the fertilizers so that their concentration does not burn the roots, and then planting is carried out.

Planting black currants

The seedling is planted at an angle of 45 degrees, placing the root collar at a depth of 5 cm. This promotes the growth of root buds and the further development of a powerful root system. If you plant a seedling directly, the bush will form as a single-stem bush.

Planting currants is completed by watering 5 liters of water per hole and another 5 liters per circular hole around it. After watering, it is necessary to loosen the soil: up to 8 cm deep - directly under the plant, at a distance of 20 cm from it - up to 12 cm. Then the soil is sprinkled with fine peat or humus.

Having completed the planting procedure, the seedling is cut at a height of 15 cm from the ground, leaving up to 5 buds on it. Cut branches can be stuck next to the main shoot, watered with water with the addition of Kornevin and covered with film or a plastic container for rooting and engraftment. Pruning stimulates intensive plant growth.

Planting currants in summer video

If the seedlings were not prepared in advance, it is possible to plant black currants in the summer. Most often this is necessary when propagating currants by layering in your garden. This planting is also called planting or simply breeding. It is performed after fruiting has completed: for early varieties - in July, and for late varieties - in mid and late August.

What can you plant nearby?

It is no secret that, due to certain biological characteristics, the combination of certain plant species on a site leads to inhibition of the growth of one or more fruit crops. In most cases, this is due to the competition of plants for living conditions or becomes a consequence of creating better conditions for the appearance of infections and pests on the site.

Important! Before planting, you should take into account the predecessors of currants: it is not recommended to plant Minx after other varieties of currants, raspberries and gooseberries.

To avoid unfavorable conditions for the growth and fruiting of currants, you should not plant this crop next to raspberries, cherries, plums, cherries, sea buckthorn, pine and birch. At the same time, onions, hops, honeysuckle and gooseberries are considered to be the best neighbors of this fruit bush.

In addition, when planting several varieties of plants in one bed, you must adhere to the following rules:

• thickening plantings is strictly prohibited, otherwise competition for nutrients will be impossible to avoid;
• You cannot combine tall and short plants, otherwise this will lead to shading of smaller bushes;
• When planting, you should evaluate the depth of the root system - it should be at the same level.

How did Goldencurrant appear and spread?

Golden currant is an unpretentious and productive berry bush from the gooseberry family, which can be found in nature. Due to its bizarre leaves, golden currant is often confused with yoshta, a hybrid of gooseberries and currants. But this is a separate botanical species, native to North America. Here, shrubs have taken a liking to river banks and rocky slopes. In America and Canada, this plant is found in literally every garden.

Golden currants were brought to Russia at the end of the 19th century. For a long time it was not successful with gardeners, until I. Michurin took it up. The great breeder became the creator of the first variety - Crandall Seedling. He became the progenitor of most varieties of golden currants bred by Soviet breeders.

Thanks to Michurin varieties, a new type of currant spread throughout Russia. The biological characteristics of the plant made it possible to use it for various agricultural purposes. Being able to adapt perfectly to different conditions, the culture has spread to almost all climatic zones. Golden currants grow today, in addition to Russia, in Belarus, the Baltic states, Central Asia, the Czech Republic, and England.

Care

Proper care of currants includes timely watering, fertilizing and loosening of the beds, as well as high-quality pruning of the bushes.

The crop in question is considered a moisture-loving species, so currants are watered regularly . This is done approximately once every 7–10 days: 5 to 12 liters of water are poured under each bush. The next day after watering, loosening is carefully carried out to a depth of no more than 7 cm, since the bulk of the Shalunia roots are located in the upper horizon of the substrate.

If possible, loosening the bushes should be done at least 2-3 times a week, which will only improve gas exchange in the root layer of the soil, and with it the growth activity of the bushes.

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Preparing for winter

Preparations for wintering of the bush begin in early October. At this time, the beds need to be well weeded and cleared of any weeds. After this, the soil should be thoroughly watered, and mature bushes (over 4 years old) should be fed with a solution of chicken droppings or manure.

After the average daily temperature drops to approximately +10°C, it is recommended to insulate the bush . To do this, each bush is mulched with peat or humus in a layer of at least 15 cm. If possible, young plants are also covered with shoots: for this, the crown is wrapped in spunbond or any other similar material.

Reproduction methods

There are two ways of propagating currants - sexual and asexual. The most effective and beneficial for the gardener is the asexual (vegetative) method, which involves rooting individual parts of the mother plant.

Important! Before propagating shrubs, cuttings must be sterilized:
for this, solutions of 2% copper sulfate or the drug “Fitosporin” are used.
They do this in the following ways:

• layering - two-year-old shoots are selected on the periphery, the edges of which need to be buried to a depth of about 10 cm. With regular watering, after about a year, the layering forms a root system, after which they are cut to a cutting about 20 cm long, and then replanted;
• lignified cuttings - in spring or autumn, young lignified shoots are cut into separate cuttings about 15–20 cm long. The resulting planting material is planted in the soil and well fertilized throughout the growing season. The next season, the rooted cuttings need to be transplanted to a permanent place;
• green cuttings - in the spring, cuttings up to 10 cm long, with 2-3 full leaves, are created from young leafy shoots. Such planting material is planted in garden containers and then germinated in room conditions at a temperature of +18...+25°C, providing the plants with abundant watering. By about mid-May, such cuttings will take root well, after which they can be planted in the garden.

Does the bush need pollinators?

Minx is the brightest representative of self-fertile fruit crops. This means that flower pollination can occur within one plant by transferring pollen from a neighboring flower. Thanks to this, the variety can be pollinated not only without the participation of other fruit hybrids, but also in the absence of insects. However, the highest quality and most aromatic berries grow only if the bushes are cross-pollinated . To do this, it is enough to plant any variety of currant nearby with similar flowering and fruiting periods.

Find out about currant varieties with early fruiting periods: Golubka, Nara and Orloviya.

Diseases and pests

All kinds of diseases and pests among Shalunya plantings are not uncommon; this issue is especially acute among novice summer residents, who do not always strictly follow the agricultural techniques of growing the crop. Therefore, every gardener must have the necessary knowledge to eliminate them, otherwise the plantings may die.

Among the dangerous infections, bushes are most often affected by:

• powdery mildew;
• anthracnose;
• septoria;
• rust;
• terryness.

overcome powdery mildew using a solution of soda ash and soap (50 g/l of water) or iron sulfate (30 g/l of water). Such sprayings are done every 10 days. A solution of Bordeaux mixture will help cope with anthracnose, septoria and rust Terry disease cannot be treated - diseased bushes are dug up and disposed of. Timely control of pathogen vectors - aphids and bud mites - will help prevent the occurrence of infection.

The most common crop pests and methods for eliminating them are given in the table:

You can prevent the appearance of diseases and pests in shrub plantings using the following measures:

• for planting, only healthy planting material should be selected;
• at the end of the season, the beds should be thoroughly cleaned, and crop residues and leaf litter should be burned;
• in the spring, before the buds open, the bushes need a hot shower (water temperature - about +80°C) at the rate of 3 liters per bush;
• about once a month, plants need to be sprayed with a solution of “Karbofos” and “Nitrophen”;
• In spring or autumn, carry out sanitary pruning of shoots.

Criteria for choosing a good variety

There are a large number of varieties of black currant. Each variety has its own characteristics: the ripening period of the berries, their weight, size and shape, and yield. There are time-tested varieties that have been known for decades. However, new varieties are still being developed, which are obtained by crossing already known species.

Attention! Before you start choosing a variety, you need to decide on the purpose of the berries: processing, universal use or sale of fresh fruits.

When choosing a variety, there are some selection criteria:

• resistance to diseases and pests. A shrub with good immune abilities will never get sick. Most often, currants are affected by powdery mildew, bud mite and leaf spot. The varieties Temptation, Shalunya, Carmelita, Sensei, Chernavka are more resistant to diseases and pests;
• resistance to drought and frost. Summer can be different, just like winter. It is impossible to predict the season, so it would be better if the bush does not react to weather changes. These varieties include black currant Bagheera, Green Haze, Perun, Shalunya, Chernavka;
• taste of berries. Here the choice is made depending on the taste preferences of the gardener. The maximum amount of sugars is contained in early varieties that ripen in the first half of summer. The sugar content in berries can reach 15%. Particularly sweet varieties include Venus, Gift, Treasure, Green Haze;

Otherwise, the varieties differ slightly. Planting for all currants is the same: they are grown from seedlings, planted in the ground in spring or autumn. Usually the bush begins to bear fruit in the fourth year after planting. The lifespan of currants is on average 12-15 years. Over time, the bush needs to be rejuvenated: periodically trim the shoots, get rid of dry and diseased branches, and dig up the ground. Otherwise, special care for currants is not needed.

Important! Currants should be planted in a sunny place or light partial shade. Lack of sun has a bad effect on the size and color of the berries - they become smaller and have a dull, heterogeneous color.

Harvesting and storage

The currant harvest ripens unevenly, so it is harvested in several stages, with an interval of 10–20 days. The berries are removed manually, into small plastic or metal containers, after which they should be moved to general boxes or other large containers. Place the berries in the container carefully, in several layers, avoiding any damage. Fruit collection is carried out in dry weather, in the morning or evening.

Important! Berries must be dry when picking

-
otherwise, favorable conditions will arise for fungal damage to the fruit.
Store the berries in the refrigerator, cellar or basement at a temperature not exceeding +10...+15°C. In such conditions, they are able to maintain freshness and presentation for up to 2 weeks after collection. However, to do this, it is forbidden to wash the berries before laying them - otherwise their shelf life will be no more than a week . For longer storage of currants, deep freezing at a temperature not lower than –20°C or high-temperature preservation is used.

Shalunya currant is an excellent option for cultivation both in a small summer cottage and on a large farm. This plant is unpretentious to living conditions, and is also capable of being one of the first in the garden to delight with fragrant fruits. However, in order to obtain high and high-quality yields, bushes of this variety should be provided with proper care.