Red currant Ural beauty: variety description, planting and care, reviews

Main advantages and disadvantages

This variety of currant has many advantages:

large fruits;
excellent productivity;
average period of maturation;
dessert purpose of berries;
frost resistance;
excellent transportability;
resistance to pathologies and parasites.

Culture also has an important drawback. Many people note low resistance to spider mites.

Reviews from gardeners

Rita, 42 years old, Belgorod/span>

Red currants are a must-have crop for growing on my site. In winter, currant jam is the best source of vitamins. A few years ago, Ural Beauty planted red currants. I chose the variety according to the description, taking into account resistance to temperature fluctuations and taste. In our region, the temperature can sharply increase or decrease by 15 degrees, which negatively affects wintering plants. The variety fully met expectations. The taste of the berries is excellent. Last year I noticed spider mites on the plantings, so in the spring I plan to additionally treat the bushes with insecticides.

Vasily, 37 years old, Perm

The red currant variety Ural Beauty attracted me with its description. It is characterized by increased winter hardiness and unpretentiousness. Three years ago I planted three bushes of this variety. Fruiting began the next year. Last year I collected about 10 liters of berries. The taste of currants is not bad, it is refreshing in the heat.

Marina, 29 years old, Novosibirsk

The Ural Beauty variety is an unpretentious and productive variety of currant. During the entire growing period, the bushes never got sick. The berries are large and have a sour taste. I periodically spray the plantings to avoid aphid infestations. Otherwise, no shortcomings were noticed in the variety.

Botanical information and characteristics of the variety

Before planting, you should familiarize yourself with the key features of the crop.

Bush and root system

The culture is medium in size and has strong shoots covered with light gray bark. Single buds are medium in size and have an elongated shape. The branches contain many leaves. They are distinguished by their large size and medium petioles. The top of the plates have a wrinkled texture.

Flowering and pollination

The plant has saucer-shaped flowers that bloom in May. They are light green in color and medium in size.

The bush is considered self-fertile. This means that it is not necessary to plant other types of currants nearby.

Self-pollination rates are 61.1%.

Fruit ripening time

Currant ovaries form in mid-June. In this case, harvesting can be done as early as July.

Taste and yield

Currant clusters grow up to 7 centimeters. The fruits weigh 0.9 grams. They have a pleasant sweet taste with noticeable sourness. From young crops it is possible to obtain 3.5 kilograms of fruit.

With proper implementation of agrotechnical measures, the yield can be 15 kilograms. Ripe fruits hang on the bushes for a long time, do not fall off, maintaining their taste and elasticity.

Scope of application of berries

The fruits differ in their table purpose. They are characterized by versatility and can be used for making desserts. You can also make preparations from these currants - compotes, jams. They can be dried and frozen.

Resistance to negative temperatures and drought

The variety is characterized by resistance to lack of moisture. Currants have a way to withstand short periods of drought without losing their marketable characteristics. The culture tolerates temperature fluctuations in winter well. Without shelter, it can easily withstand temperatures down to -25 degrees.

Immunity to diseases and pests

Currants practically do not suffer from powdery mildew. It is not susceptible to attacks from moths and sawflies.

Botanical description

The Ural Beauty variety was bred in the Southern Urals. Red currant tolerates the conditions of the middle zone, the Urals and Siberia well.

Description of the red currant variety Ural Beauty:

fruiting in medium terms;
medium-sized, slightly spreading plant;
thin curved shoots;
large leaves of rich green color;
wrinkled concave leaves;
long fruit clusters.

Characteristics of berries of the Ural Beauty variety:

round shape;
sweet and sour taste;
average weight 0.9 g;
dining purpose.

Currant berries are used fresh. In home canning, jams, jams, and compotes are made from berries. The berries are frozen for the winter, added to smoothies, vitamin cocktails, and pie fillings.

How to plant the Ural beauty on the site

Strict implementation of planting recommendations will help you achieve success in growing crops.

Deadlines

It is better to plant this type of currant in September. Before the cold weather arrives, the bush will be able to take root. If this is not possible, planting work is carried out in April. In this case, it is better to do the deepening in the fall.

Selection and preparation of a site

The plant requires a well-lit area. The best option is considered to be slopes that are protected from cold winds. The plant should not be planted in lowlands, since moisture and cold air accumulate in these places.

It is recommended to maintain a distance of 3 meters from buildings so that the bush is not shaded. It is also worth removing currants from fruit trees. Otherwise, she cannot receive sufficient nutrition.

Forest and loamy soil types are suitable for the crop. It can also be planted in black soil. If the soil is highly acidic, liming is carried out.

Seedling preparation and work procedure

For cultivation, choose strong and healthy plants 30 centimeters long. A day before the procedure, it is recommended to remove the leaves and immerse the bush in water.

To carry out planting work, perform the following actions:

A month before planting, it is worth making a depression measuring 40x40 centimeters. The depth of the hole should be 50 centimeters. The distance between bushes is 1.5 meters.
Add 3 liters of wood ash to the soil. Also use 2 buckets of compost.
Pour part of the composition into the hole and wait for the soil to settle. This takes 2-4 weeks.
Fill the hole with soil, place the bush and cover the roots.
Trim branches to 20 centimeters. Each branch should have 2-3 buds.
Pour 3 liters of water under the bush.

After planting, it is worth watering the plant at intervals of 4 days. The top soil is mulched with humus.

Where to plant red currants, preparation

Red currants are less demanding in terms of growing conditions than black currants. A flat or slightly elevated area with clay or loamy soil will be the best place for this crop. It will also grow on sandy loam soil with good moisture and organic fertilizers.

Places well lit by the sun are suitable for this culture. Taking into account their decorative appearance, bushes of the “Ural Beauty” variety can be planted along paths, at the border of the site, in separate groups. It is not necessary to adhere to an exact planting pattern for this crop.

Red currants tolerate drought more easily than black currants, but in conditions of lack of water they reduce yields and tolerate frosts less well. Cold northern winds in winter damage berry bushes, in which case they can be placed under the protection of buildings or fences.

Do not place red currant bushes in the shade of garden trees or in low and marshy areas.

The selected place is cleared of branches, stones and debris. Regardless of the planting season, this must be done 3-4 weeks before planting.

Before planting, the area is dug up in advance using a spade bayonet. 4-5 kg of peat or humus are added to the ground for each square meter. meter. In the case of acidic soils, deoxidize the soil with lime.

Further care for currants

The Ural beauty needs minimal care. To get a harvest, it is worth watering the bushes and using fertilizers.

Watering mode

The variety can tolerate short droughts. However, with a prolonged absence of soil moisture, the development of the crop is disrupted. If dry weather occurs during fruit formation, there is a risk of crop loss.

Stagnation of liquid is also harmful to the plant. Therefore, when planting, it is necessary to organize drainage.

10-15 liters of water are poured under the bush. It is important that the soil is moistened to 30 centimeters. In autumn it is worth performing the last watering. It should be quite plentiful.

Loosening and mulching the soil

After watering, the soil is loosened and weeds are removed. This promotes better absorption of moisture and beneficial elements. To reduce the need for irrigation, mulch the soil with manure or peat.

Fertilizer application

Proper feeding activates the development of red currants. This allows you to increase the plant's resistance to disease and increase its yield. The first feeding is carried out in the spring, after the snow melts.

After winter, fertilizers containing nitrogen are applied. They are required for growing leaves. In April, urea is used. In June it is worth using organic matter. To do this, take 600 milliliters of mullein per 10 liters of water.

Pruning: formative, sanitary, rejuvenating

Regular pruning of the plant increases its productivity. The manipulation is performed in early spring and late autumn. Since the fruits appear on the upper fragments of the shoots, they should not be shortened. Old branches that bear fruit for more than 7 years are cut off. It is also worth removing diseased and damaged shoots.

Dousing and hardening off bushes

With the onset of spring, the bush should be doused with boiling water. This procedure is performed until buds form. Thanks to its implementation, it is possible to eliminate parasites that have overwintered in the bark.

Preventive seasonal treatments

The variety is characterized by average resistance to pathologies. With adequate care, the likelihood of illness is minimal. For prevention it is worth using special formulations. Before the formation of kidneys, Fundazol is used.

Red currants often encounter mites and aphids. During the formation of buds, insecticidal preparations are used - Karbofos, Actellik.

Currant propagation

If you have a red currant bush Ural beauty, you can get new plants yourself. The easiest way to get new seedlings is through layering.

To do this, take a healthy shoot and lower it into a pre-dug ditch. The branch is secured with metal hooks and covered with earth. Every week the cuttings are spudded and watered. In autumn, currants are separated from the original bush and planted in a new place.

New red currant bushes are obtained by rooting cuttings. Annual shoots 20 cm high are separated from the bush. They are planted in a box filled with wet sand and kept at a temperature of +1 °C. After 4 months, the cuttings are put into the refrigerator or cellar until spring. When the snow melts, begin planting currants.

If there is a need to replant currants, the rhizome is divided into parts to obtain new seedlings. Currants are dug up and the rhizome is divided with a sharp knife. The sections are treated with crushed coal. The resulting bushes are planted around the site.

Tips and tricks from experienced gardeners

To achieve success in cultivating currants, you should follow the advice of qualified specialists:

carry out planting work correctly;
water the plant on time;
apply fertilizers;
perform formative and sanitary pruning;
carry out treatments against pathologies and parasites.

Pros and cons: is it worth planting?

This variety of currants has many advantages. These include the following:

good transportability of fruits;
possibility of long-term storage of berries;
excellent frost resistance;
high productivity;
resistance to powdery mildew;
long fruiting period;
resistance to temperature fluctuations.

However, the plant also has certain disadvantages. Many gardeners believe that the self-fertility parameter is too low. It is enough for personal use, but not enough for growing crops for sale. Therefore, it is necessary to plant other varieties of currants nearby. In addition, the crop is susceptible to aphid damage. Therefore, you need to pour boiling water over the bushes and spray them with special preparations. This will help prevent problems from occurring.

Choosing a variety to grow

Selecting a red currant variety is not an easy task, since you need to choose from a wide range of varieties, from several hundred. When selecting berry bushes, you need to familiarize yourself with their detailed description, main characteristics, preferences for soil composition, care recommendations

It is important to pay attention to whether the variety is suitable for cultivation in certain climatic conditions.

Read more about how to feed currants with ash.

Among the varieties that are most often grown in summer cottages:

Alpha. The fruits of this varietal specimen of Russian selection ripen in the middle period. The bushes reach medium height and are spreading. The berries are grouped into clusters. They are large - 0.9–1.5 g in weight, round in shape, with light red skin. They are characterized by a sweet and sour taste (rated by tasters at 4.7 points). Among the advantages of Alpha currants are good winter hardiness, resistance to the pathogen, self-fertility and a high level of productivity - 7.2–16.4 t/ha or 1.8–4.1 kg per bush.
Vika. Medium early ripening variety. Forms not too tall bushes. The crown is spreading, the branches are thick, with pubescence. The berries weigh 0.5–0.8 g. They are round in shape and purple in color. The taste of the berries contains a lot of sweetness and a small amount of acid. The productivity of shrubs is 19.3 tons per 1 ha. They tolerate low temperatures well and resist the pathogens of spharotheca and anthracnose.
Dutch red. Brings berries in the late period. It is distinguished by powerful bushes. The berries are formed weighing up to 1 g, pear-shaped. Their skin is light shades of red. The berries have a sour taste (score: 3.5 points). The productivity of shrubs is 12–15 t/ha or 4–5 kg/bush. This variety of currants has strong immunity and tolerates winters well.
Jonker Van Tets. Dutch variety. It is characterized by an early ripening period and a high level of productivity - up to 6.5 kg/bush, up to 16 t/ha. It is drought and frost resistant and has good resistance to fungal infections. On average, the height of the bushes is 1.5–1.7 m. The fruits weigh 0.7–0.8 g. They have a red color and a sweet and sour taste.
Houghton Castle. High-yielding variety of English selection. It bears fruit in medium terms. They are small, weighing 0.5 g each. Their skin has a bright red color. Very tasty (score: 4.5 points). The positive characteristics of the variety include good survival in conditions of frosty temperatures and dry periods, a high level of productivity, and self-fertility.
Beloved. The variety was bred by Belarusian breeders. Fruits are of medium ripening period. The bushes are small. The fruits weigh up to 0.9 g, are distinguished by their juiciness, high taste (score - 4.9–5 points), and ability to withstand transportation well. The variety is frost-resistant, self-fertile and high-yielding - one bush produces 12 kg of berries. Resists fungal diseases well.
Rondom. High-yielding variety with late fruits. Its productivity reaches 8–10 kg per bush. The berries have dark red skin and weigh 0.6-0.7 g. Their taste characteristics are very high (rated at 5 points). The fruits are well transported and stored. The positive characteristics of the variety include high winter hardiness and compactness of shrubs.
Ural beauty. During fruiting, it forms tasty fruits weighing 1–1.7 g (rated at 5 points), which are easily transported and stored. The productivity of the variety is 11.7 t/ha (3.5–15.5 kg/bush). The shrubs are self-fertile by 61%, are not attacked by harmful insects such as moths, sawflies, and are practically not affected by the spheroteca.

Disease and pest control

diseases and pests

Anthracnose and septoria blight, fungal infections that are characterized by the appearance of dark lesions on the leaves with a purple or orange border. To combat these diseases, damaged leaves must be collected and destroyed every year. You should also not allow water to stagnate in the area and thicken the bushes;
Powdery mildew. A less common disease, the development of which occurs in warm and humid weather, subject to unbalanced nitrogen nutrition and other violations of the rules of care. The leaves become covered with a fluffy coating. It can be easily rubbed off with your finger, but it will come back because the surface of the leaf is already damaged by the fungus. It’s difficult to fight it; it’s easier to prevent it. If an infection does occur, the leaves affected by it must be torn off; it is advisable to even trim branches with infected leaves. And also, remove the top layer of soil, which contains harmful spores;
Terry disease, caused by a special type of mite that causes drying out of the buds. It is impossible to defeat him. Affected bushes must be uprooted and burned;

Yellow gooseberry sawfly, capable of grinding leaves down to veins. Since its larvae overwinter in the soil, they should be destroyed by digging up the soil in the fall. He is also deterred by planting tomatoes between the bushes; Leaf gall aphids, which usually inhabit young leaves. The areas of the leaves where it has settled become red or yellow and become slightly swollen. To combat this problem, it is necessary to remove damaged foliage and scald it with boiling water in the spring, since aphids can live on the bush for several years.

Note! A separate point worth mentioning is the need to protect early ripening currant varieties from birds. To do this, gauze bags should be placed on flowers that are ready for fertilization.

Growing and care

The Ural beauty is an unpretentious plant, but it still needs care.

Watering

This variety requires only one watering every 15 days. It is better to pour water into the tree trunk circle. An adult bush will require up to 30 liters, but if you carry out this work every week, then 10-15 liters of water will be enough.

Watering is especially important:

during the formation of the ovary, that is, at the end of May-June;
when the fruits begin to ripen - July;
after harvest - in August.

If there is no rain in autumn, then watering after picking the berries from the bushes can be done once a month.

Top dressing

The Ural beauty needs her:

Before the start of sap flow . Carbamide (1 tablespoon each) or humus is suitable for this, which must be added to each plant. You can also use urea
During the formation of ovaries in June . The bushes should be fertilized with mullein dissolved in water (0.6 liters per 10 liters of water).
In autumn or after harvest . This fertilizing is applied when digging the ground. For it, you can take a mixture of ash (0.5 l), superphosphate (50 g) and potassium sulfate (30 g).

You can also add foliar fertilizer. For spraying, you need to mix boric acid (2 g) with zinc sulfate (1 g) with 5 liters of water. Foliar feeding is carried out either in the evening or in cloudy weather so that the sun does not scorch the leaves of the bush.

Digging

Held in autumn and spring . It can be combined with the application of seasonal fertilizers.

Weeding

Weed when weeds appear. You can get rid of them by using peat or manure mulch.

Loosening

Work is carried out after each watering or rain . The roots of the Ural beauty need air flow, so loosening is a mandatory stage of care.

Formation of bushes

Flowering and fruiting are affected by pruning of branches. Work should be carried out in the fall or spring before the sap flows. Since the fruits form on the tops of the branches, only old shoots should be pruned. You also need to get rid of broken or damaged branches every time. Below is a pruning diagram as the bush grows:

History of selection

The variety was bred at the Research Institute of Horticulture of the Southern Urals . Breeders Ilyin and Gubenko crossed Faya Fertile with the Chulkovsky variety, obtaining the Ural beauty, which took the best properties from both “parents”, thanks to which it quickly won the love of gardeners.

The variety is included in the State. The registry began in 2009 and over the past 12 years has spread throughout almost the entire territory of Russia.

Photo of red currant variety Ural Beauty:

Harvesting and processing

Ural beauty currants are harvested after the berries are fully ripe, although for sale you can start this procedure a little earlier. Currants have excellent taste and are used for fresh consumption and processing.

After picking, the berries can be stored for quite a long time, so there are usually no problems with transportation to the market. They are easy to transport and carry, the main thing is that the container is suitable and that the berries are darkened, since sooner or later they begin to wither in the sun.

Variety selection

Versailles white currant

more than 70 varieties

Gardeners use varieties with their optimal combination, based on the characteristics of the region and harvest requirements. In order to choose the most suitable variety, it makes sense to familiarize yourself with their features:

Taste qualities of berries. There are varieties with sweet and sour or dessert fruits. The best-tasting representatives of the first category are: Jüterbogskaya, Erstling aus vierlanden, Shchedraya, Versailles white, Red vixne, Jonker van Tets, Ilyinka, and Niva. Sweet varieties include: Ural Beauty, Myasokrasnaya, Dutch Pink, Sugar, Ural Souvenir and Vika;
Productivity. Red currant varieties differ greatly in the number of fruits. The average annual yield from one bush can range from 1.5 to 16 kg of berries. The average productivity is considered to be 4-5 kg per bush. The following varieties have high rates, from 7 kg or more: Rowada, Yuterbogskaya, Dutch Red, Detvan, Beloved and Ural Beauty;
Self-fertility. This parameter indicates the plant's ability to self-pollinate. Expressed as the percentage of flowers that develop into fruits when isolated from pollen-carrying insects. Varieties with a high self-fertility parameter give a more stable harvest. If this indicator is low, productivity will depend on cross-pollination processes with other plants. Therefore, it is recommended to grow several bushes of this crop in gardens;

Rondom red currant

Winter hardiness. Red currant varieties respond differently to cold weather. Some react poorly to rapid changes in temperature, while others are at risk of spring frosts. However, over the years, several frost-resistant varieties have been developed. These include: Rondom, Rowada, Dutch pink, Dutch red, Ziralt, Sugar, Detvan, Red Andreichenko, Beloved, Erstling aus vierlanden, Ural beauty, Ural souvenir, Ob sunset, Dawn of the Arctic, Osipovskaya and Scarlet dawn; Disease resistance. Red currant diseases can reduce yields or even lead to the death of entire bushes. Because climatic conditions in some regions favor the spread of infections, breeders have developed several varieties that are highly resistant to known diseases. Among them: Rondom, Dutch pink, Jonker van Tets, Detvan, Ural beauty, Dutch red, Ural souvenir, Ob sunset, Vika, Polar Dawn, Erstling aus vierlanden, Niva and Scarlet Dawn; Pectin content. This substance is a necessary component for the formation of jelly or marmalade. Accordingly, berries of varieties with a high content of it are preferable for processing. These include: Tsiralt, Juterbogskaya, Dutch Red, Jonker van Tets, Detvan, Beloved, Obskaya Zakat, Vika, Niva and Osipovskaya.