Versailles white currant - description, yield, cultivation, reviews from gardeners about the variety, use of berries

Description of white currant variety Versailles

White currant (ribe niveum) is a fairly old variety, bred in France back in the 19th century. Only in 1959 the plant was included in the State Russian Register. It is recommended to be grown in regions with a temperate climate, but it is suitable for cultivation in the south and even in the north of Russia.

Main characteristics

Despite the presence of many more modern varieties, Versailles white currant is not inferior to them in many respects and even surpasses many varieties and hybrids bred today.

Description of Versailles white:

Bush. Erect. Medium height. The height varies between 1.2-1.5 m. The bushes are spreading, throwing out a large number of shoots. The branches are thin, but quite strong and flexible. The root system is developed. Most of the roots are horizontal, located at a depth of 40 cm underground and grow beyond the crown. The central root is powerful, going underground to a depth of 1 m.
Leaves. Wide, heart-shaped at the base, with five lobes. The edges are jagged. The teeth themselves are wide and blunt. The underside of the leaf blades has slight pubescence. The color of the leaves is dark green with a barely noticeable bluish tint.
Bloom. The inflorescences are collected in long sparse racemes with petioles. The flowers are saucer-shaped, medium in size, yellow-white. Pedicels are long and straight. There is no pubescence, there is a glossy sheen.
Berries. Large, round, aligned, collected in long brushes. The weight of each berry varies between 0.7-1.3 g. The color is creamy. The fruits are translucent, the seeds are visible through the juicy pulp. The taste is sweet and sour, rich. The skin is transparent, thin, but durable.
Maturation terms . Early ripening.
Immunity. It is highly resistant to powdery mildew. It is not immune to anthracnose. Immunity to other fungal diseases is average.
Resistance to negative environmental factors. Has high frost resistance.
Transportability. High. The dense skin allows the fruits not to wrinkle during long-term transportation.
Productivity. High. On average, 3-4 kg of berries are harvested from a bush.

White currants are distinguished by the smooth ripening of their berries. The entire crop is harvested from the bush at once.

Note! Versailles white currant berries contain up to 18% dry matter and 7.5% sugar. The acidity of the fruit is 2.3%. Per 100 g of product there are 38 g of ascorbic acid.

Selection history and growing regions

The history of the variety begins in 1850, when it began to be actively grown in France.
It is unknown by whom and when the white-fruited form of red currant was selected. Reference. Versailles White was included in the state register of varieties back in 1959 and has not lost popularity since then.
Currants are recommended for cultivation in a number of regions:

Volgo-Vyatka;
Central;
North-West;
Ural;
Middle Volga;
Central Black Earth.

Zoned throughout the European part of the CIS.

A large number of suitable growing regions is associated with the high ecological plasticity of this variety and the ability to easily adapt to different climatic conditions.

Advantages and disadvantages

White currant Versailles is popular among beginners and experienced gardeners. Its main advantages are presented in the list:

High frost resistance. This makes it possible to grow Versailles white in all regions of our country;
Self-pollinating. The plant will bear fruit even in the absence of other white currant bushes on the site.
Presence of immunity to powdery mildew. Reviews from gardeners indicate that currants are not susceptible to many other fungal diseases.
High yield.
Early ripeness.

Disadvantages include:

susceptibility to anthracnose;
excessive spreading of the bush;
demands on soil composition.

Advice! Despite the fact that the variety is considered self-pollinating, the highest yields are observed when there are several bushes (better than different varieties) of white currant on the site.

Composition and benefits

The berries contain a large number of substances beneficial to humans:

Carbohydrates;
Mono- and disaccharides;
Pectin;
Proteins;
Fats;
Organic acids;
Vitamins;
Microelements.

Berry composition

White currant

The chemical composition of the berries can be represented as follows:

Total sugars – 8%;
Dry matter – 18%;
Titratable acids – 2.3%;
Ascorbic acid content – 38 mg/100 g.

Interesting fact. In terms of vitamin C content, Versailles white currants are not inferior to red and black ones. It also contains P-active substances, which together with vitamin C strengthen the immune system.

White currant berries are an excellent anti-allergy remedy for people who have reactions to colored berries and fruits. But due to the high acid content, you should not get carried away with berries with high acidity for gastritis, as well as peptic ulcers. Sour berries can provoke an exacerbation of such diseases.

Landing

Versailles white reproduces only vegetatively. They use cuttings, propagation by layering or dividing the bush. The technology for obtaining planting material is no different from other varieties.

Ready-made seedlings are usually sold in nurseries and markets. They quickly take root and take root well in their permanent location.

Soil preparation

For Versailles currants, it is important to choose a suitable location. It should be located in the most sunlit and wind-protected area of the garden. Groundwater should not come too close to the surface.

Note! With insufficient lighting, the yield of the variety decreases. The berries become small and sour.

Currants do well in nutritious loamy soils, but can grow in any soil. When planting in sandy soils, more intensive feeding will be required.

Before planting currants, the area is dug up and cleared of weeds. Soil with neutral acidity is best suited. If the indicators are elevated, add dry lime or ash.

Currants are planted in early spring or after leaf fall. The holes are prepared 2-3 weeks before planting.

Well preparation:

The holes are dug 40 cm deep and 50 cm in diameter. There must be at least 1.5 m of free space between plants.
The soil removed from the hole is mixed with 5 kg of rotted manure, 50 g of superphosphate and 20 g of potassium sulfate. If desired, superphosphate with potassium is replaced with 1 kg of ash.
The soil and fertilizers are thoroughly mixed and left near the hole until planting.

Step-by-step instructions for planting and choosing a seedling

It is important to choose high-quality and healthy planting material. The seedling should be free of traces of diseases and infections, suspicious spots and plaque. The root system should be well developed, without dry and dense areas, moist at the cut. The branches should not be dry. The greens should be bright with good turgor.

It is better to buy seedlings with a closed root system (located in an earthen coma) - they take root faster. If seedlings with an open root system were purchased, before planting they are soaked in a light pink solution of potassium permanganate and a root formation stimulator. If the roots are long, they are shortened by a third.

Step-by-step landing instructions:

A 5 cm layer of drainage (fine crushed stone, expanded clay, shell rock) is poured into the bottom of the pit. An earthen ball is formed in the center.
The cutting is placed on a lump of earth at an angle of 45 degrees. The roots are evenly distributed over the mound.
The hole is filled with nutritious soil mixture so that the root collar is buried 7-10 cm.
After planting, the soil around the plant is compacted. Then pour 2 buckets of warm water under the root.
If the soil has settled, add more soil. A layer of mulch (humus, peat, straw) is poured around the bush.
The upper part of the seedling is cut off, leaving 5-6 healthy buds.

Reproduction methods

White currants of the Versailles variety are propagated in the same way as other varieties:

layering;
cuttings;
dividing the bush.

Let's consider all the methods in detail.

Layerings

This method for white currants of the Versailles variety is the most common and reliable:

Early in the spring, before the movement of juice begins, a groove 10 centimeters deep is dug around the most prolific currant bush. Fertile soil is brought into it.
Then several one-year or two-year-old shoots are selected and bent down, leaving the top at the top. Secure the stem with metal staples. Sprinkle soil on top and water well.
After some time, the white currant will take root and shoots will appear.
When it grows to 10 cm, hilling is carried out until the middle of the shoot.
After 14-18 days, future seedlings are again hilled up to half their height. The soil should not be allowed to dry out.

By autumn, full-fledged white currant seedlings of the Versailles variety grow on the layering, which can be transplanted to a permanent place or to a separate bed for growing. Plants grown from cuttings begin to bear fruit at 2-3 years.

Cuttings

The Versailles white currant variety can be propagated by cuttings. They are cut in February from one-year or two-year-old shoots located in the middle of the bush. The branches should be no thinner than a pencil. A cutting with 5 or 7 buds is cut to a length of 18-20 centimeters. The cuts are made obliquely and sprinkled with wood ash. The lower part of the currant petiole is placed in water to obtain a root system.

With the onset of warm weather, Versailles white currant cuttings are placed on a bed in loose soil at an angle of 45 degrees. Plastic jars are placed on top to create a greenhouse. The seedlings are planted in a permanent place from the nursery after two years.

Important! While the currants from cuttings are developing, they must be fed and watered.

Growing

To achieve the highest possible yield, it is important to provide the shrub with proper care. Versailles currants are less demanding than many other varieties with white berries. At the same time, it is more demanding than black and red currants.

Care

White currant Versailles needs regular care. The list contains the basic rules:

Watering. White currants require watering. In a normal summer, the bush is watered three times a week, each time using 10 liters of water. If the summer is dry, then the currants are watered every day. During the rainy season, watering is stopped. The soil is moistened with warm, settled water in the morning or evening, when the sun is not active.
Loosening and weeding. The soil around the currants is loosened after each watering or precipitation. During the loosening process, weeds are removed.
Feeding. In the first and second years after planting, there is enough fertilizer applied to the soil taken out of the hole. Next, they begin to add a solution of 10 liters of water and 50 g of urea in early spring, and after harvesting, a mixture of 10 liters of water, 0.5 liters of chicken droppings (or 1 kg of rotted manure), 50 g of superphosphate and 20 g of potassium sulfate is poured under the bush. In summer, the bush is sprayed with a mixture of 10 liters of water, 5 g of potassium permanganate, 3 g of boric acid and 35 g of copper sulfate.
Formation. The first formative pruning is carried out a year after planting. Of all the formed skeletal branches, 3-4 of the strongest are selected, the rest are cut off. This is how annual pruning is carried out. The crown will form in 4-5 years. By this time the plant should have 16-18 branches. Next, I cut off 7-8 year old branches, leaving replacement shoots.
Sanitary pruning. Every year, dry and damaged shoots and branches creeping along the ground are pruned. Cut out the shoots.
Anti-aging pruning. If the currants begin to produce little fruit, then it’s time to apply anti-aging procedures. To do this, currant branches are cut by 2/3.
Wintering. To ensure that the currant survives the winter safely, its branches are tied with twine. A 10-15 cm layer of mulch (compost or humus) is poured under the bush. In snowy winters, it is enough to cover the plants with snow. If there is no snow, then the currants are covered with agrofibre.

Diseases and pests

White Versailles currants are rarely affected by powdery mildew and blight. According to reviews from gardeners, the variety is susceptible to anthracnose. A diseased plant breaks out in brown spots, which gradually fade and increase in size. This leads to impaired photosynthesis, falling leaves and fruits, and drying out of shoots.

If the disease has already affected the bush, then it is sprayed with fungicides. Before this, all diseased parts of the plant are removed.

It is important to prevent diseases. The list contains the basic rules:

Preventive treatments. Carry out in the spring, before the buds swell. The bush is sprayed with Bordeaux mixture or copper sulfate solution. It is recommended to spray after prolonged rains.
Garden cleaning. In the fall, after the leaves fall, all fallen leaves and dried branches are removed and burned. In summer, remove all weeds around the plant.
Disinfection. Disinfect soil, planting material, and garden tools.
Feeding. A plant that receives a sufficient amount of nutrients is more successful in resisting diseases and pests.
Compliance with watering rules . Waterlogging, as well as drying out of the soil, are considered favorable conditions for the development of fungus.
Sanitary pruning . It is on dry and damaged branches that a fungal infection usually begins to develop. Their timely removal is necessary.
Treatment of cuts with garden varnish.

Currants are affected not only by infections, but also by pests. To protect the plant from them, the disinfection rules presented above are followed, and all fruit and berry plants on the site are inspected weekly.

Harvesting

Versailles white berries ripen in late July or early August. When ripe, they do not fall off the bush, so many gardeners wait until all the berries are ripe and collect them at one time.

The currants are picked directly on the clusters. Store in the refrigerator in a plastic bag or closed container for 1-2 weeks.

The degree of ripeness is determined by taste and how easily the berry separates from the stalk. In ripe fruits, the seeds are clearly visible through the pulp.

Harvest and storage

Versailles currants begin to actively bear fruit 4 years after planting. The berries ripen gradually, but this occurs especially actively in late July and August. The harvest is harvested in several stages as the berries ripen. One mature bush produces 4-5 kg of fruit.

After ripening, Versailles berries stick well to the branches and do not fall off, but it is still better to remove them immediately.

If you want to preserve the fruits for a longer time, freeze them.

To store currants, use cellophane or a closed container; it is best to keep the berries in the refrigerator, but no more than a week. When fresh, Versailles currants are quite tasty; you can use them to make comfort foods, jelly, and jam. Berries look very beautiful decorating ice cream or baked goods.

Reviews

Reviews of Versailles white currants are mostly positive. Most gardeners recommend starting your acquaintance with the crop with this variety.

Irina, Moscow: “My mother planted Versailles white currants at the dacha. From that first bush we received many seedlings, which we planted on our site and gave as gifts to friends. Since then we have tried many more modern white currant varieties, but Versailles remains a favorite. It does not drop its fruits during cold spells and does not need watering in rainy summers. All I do is cut off weak shoots and apply fertilizing twice a year.”

Alexander, Rostov “Versailles white currant is my favorite. I like its large fruits on long clusters. Juicy, sweet with a slight sourness. It requires care, but if everything is done on time, it won’t take much time. I add a solution of ash with chicken droppings in early spring and September. I water only if the soil is very dry. There was a year when she fell ill with anthracnose. Since then, I always spray with copper sulfate in the spring and after prolonged rains.”

Pests and diseases

Versailles white currant is resistant to some fungal diseases, but you should not forget about preventive measures. In the spring, bushes are sprayed with Bordeaux mixture or copper sulfate. These substances will protect the plant from anthracnose, a disease dangerous to this crop.

Anthracnose affects not only the leaves of the bush, but also the petioles and berries

Versailles white currant can be attacked by aphids, sawflies, and moths.

Flying insects infect the Versailles white currant fruits, sucking the juice from them and weaving the leaves into cobwebs.

For preventive purposes, the soil is regularly loosened and plant debris is removed. If pests are found on the leaves, they are torn off and burned. It is recommended to immediately treat the white Versailles currant bush with garlic or onion infusion.

Caring for red currants

Red and white currants are superior to black currants in terms of winter hardiness and resistance to fungal diseases. It is not particularly demanding of moisture, but it needs to be watered periodically, especially during the fruiting period. It is imperative to weed the currants from weeds, which with their powerful roots can cause a lot of harm. Red currant bushes need to be fed: potassium chloride and superphosphate are added in the fall, and nitrogen fertilizers are applied in the spring.

Pruning red currants

In order for currants to produce a rich harvest with large berries, they must be pruned. Pruning is done in autumn or early spring (before sap flow). Also in the summer after the fruiting period, sanitary pruning . You can learn more about it from the video:

Red currants differ from black currants in terms of fruiting: fruit buds are formed on perennial shoots and at the base of annual branches.
Red and white currant bushes have much fewer zero-order shoots than black currants, they are less dense and bear fruit much longer - 15-20 years. Bouquet branches and ringlets, on which flower buds are formed, live 2-3 times longer than those of black currants. The distribution of berries throughout the bush is more uniform; with age, the harvest does not shift to the periphery of the crown. Therefore, red and white currants need less pruning . Periodically, you only need to remove zero-order shoots (occasionally in the first years, and from 6-7 years - every season in the fall). At the same time, annual growths of other orders cannot be pruned. Before flowering, try to prune damaged branches (dry, frozen, pest-infested).

Over 7 years of development of the bush, red currant forms up to 25 branches. Therefore, from the seventh year, 3-4 oldest branches are removed every year, leaving 3-4 young shoots instead.
Fruit buds on red currant bushes are formed in tiers, mainly in the upper part. Therefore, from the age of two, the ends of the branches cannot be cut off .
In young bushes, the ends of the branches are cut off so that 3-4 buds remain above the ground.
Every year, weak, diseased, low-lying, broken and old (more than 8 years) branches should be cut out.
To prevent thickening, from the 6th year it is necessary to remove all excess annual basal shoots.

Features of care

Currant Lazy

To get the maximum possible yield from each bush, you should follow the rules of planting and care. They are quite simple and primitive, since Versailles white currant is unpretentious in care.

When planting white currants, it is important to consider two points:

Choose the right place;
Planting should be done at certain times of the year.

When choosing a location, you should take into account that the plant loves light very much, but does not tolerate drafts. The best option would be to plant bushes along fences and fences or near the walls of the house. Also, do not choose places that are too wet; excess moisture leads to rotting of the root system. The root system does not tolerate stagnant water; it is important that there is no groundwater nearby.

planting near fences

Something to remember! The best soil for planting white currants will be sandy loam and loam. The acidity level should be neutral or slightly acidic.

The soil should be prepared in advance:

They dig well;
Remove weeds, old leaves and roots of other plants;
For each square meter, 10 kg of humus or compost, as well as 100 g of superphosphate, are added;
To neutralize acidity, add about 0.5 kg of wood ash.

The hole (50x50x40 cm) with planting fertilizer is allowed to stand for about 10-14 days before planting. Then they begin planting seedlings. The root collar is deepened no more than 10 cm, the roots are carefully straightened, sprinkled with fertile composition and compacted. For irrigation you will need about 30 liters of water. After this, mulching is carried out with peat. The shoots should be trimmed, leaving only 5 buds.

landing scheme

You can plant white currants in early spring (before buds begin to bloom) and autumn (late September - early October).

A large harvest of white currants depends entirely on compliance with the rules of agricultural technology for caring for the plant. Correct and regular pruning of the bush has a great influence on the result. The first pruning is done at planting, then it is repeated in the fall. During this period, approximately 6-7 branches should form, of which only 3-4 of the strongest should be left. Similar pruning is repeated every year, removing diseased, weak branches. In approximately five years of such care, about 118 healthy skeletal branches should form in the bush. In the future, when pruning, you should remove old branches that are more than 7 years old, leaving new and young ones to replace them.

Interesting. It is recommended to monitor the condition of the crown itself by thinning it regularly. Sick and crooked branches are removed.

Versailles currant tolerates dry periods well, but still prefers moderate humidity without stagnant water. Therefore, it is worth watering the bush regularly without flooding it. Watering is carried out 3 times a week during periods of no sun activity (1 bucket in the morning and evening).

Important to remember! During the period of fruit formation and ripening, watering is most important for bushes.

To ensure that the plant does not lose yield over time, regular feeding should be carried out. If the required amount of nutrients is added during planting, you can forget about fertilizer for two years.

Starting from the third year of growth, fertilizing should be carried out according to the following scheme:

50 gr. urea after snow melts;
after harvesting, it should be fed with a solution of manure (1 liter per 10 liters of water) with the addition of potassium sulfate (15 g) and superphosphate (40 g).

To strengthen the immune system, it will not be superfluous to spray the bush with the following composition:

10 liters of water;
3 gr. boric acid;
5 gr. potassium permanganate;
35 gr. copper sulfate.

Trimming

Correct and timely pruning promotes stable fruiting. It not only improves the level of illumination of the bush, but also affects high yields. You can start pruning only after 5–6 years. Since the first 4 years there is an intensive increase in green mass. Low-yielding branches older than 8 years should be pruned every year. All side shoots that exhibit weak growth must also be removed. Young shoots are also cut out, leaving only the 2–3 most viable ones untouched. A bush should normally consist of branches of different ages. It will have 2 - 3 branches of each age - from 1 to 6 - 7 years.

Pruning is usually planned for the fall, always after picking the berries. But it is also permissible to form bushes in the spring.

If branches were found that were damaged as a result of the activity of a pest such as currant glass, they also need to be removed. Care includes the fight against this pest, and also gall aphids.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

Versailles white currant bushes have become widespread throughout almost the entire country, thanks to their positive qualities:

High yield characteristics;
Frost resistance;
Tolerates periods of drought well;
Increased resistance to powdery mildew;
Self-fertility;
The composition contains a large amount of vitamins and nutrients;
Versatility in use;
After ripening, the berries do not fall off the branches.

As a disadvantage of this plant variety, it should be noted that it is susceptible to damage by a disease such as anthracnose, so it is better to prevent its occurrence. Also, bushes of this variety are characterized by spreading nature.

If you want to grow this type of currant, don't be afraid. Even a novice gardener can handle planting and caring for this plant.

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