When planting currant bushes on your site, be aware that their development is influenced by other crops growing nearby. Interaction happens all the time. When planting vegetables and trees near currant bushes, you must first study their biological characteristics. Neighborhood affects the yield of both crops, and this is a proven fact.
If compatibility factors are not taken into account, then neighboring plants will negatively affect the development of the bush. In the material we will get acquainted with which crops are combined with currant plantings, and which ones should not be done.
Currant neighborhood
In horticultural plantings, there is a method that allows you to significantly increase the yield of berry and fruit trees and shrubs. The idea is to plant plants that benefit each other in their development. It is not advisable to plant a mixed garden on one piece of garden plot. It is recommended to do group plantings in accordance with the species and their compatibility. The ripening period is also taken into account.
Based on many years of observations by many gardeners, it became clear that there is no need to plant anything near currant bushes. But not everyone succeeds due to the small territory. For this reason, a solution was found - to select a favorable neighborhood.
As a rule, red currant bushes are compact. Planting density is used instead of hedges in the country. Gardeners note that the berry bush has a well-developed root system that goes deep into the soil. For this reason, many crops for this type of currant are not competitors in terms of obtaining nutrients and moisture from their soil.
Currant bushes are able to develop normally next to crops that have a superficial root system. At midday, there is little shade from the bush, so low-growing garden plants are adjacent to the currants.
Impact on crop growth and outcome
In the natural habitat, vegetation always fights with other crops in order to capture or retain the territory as much as possible. These factors include:
- rapid ripening of crops;
- ability to produce prolific harvests;
- methods of dispersing own seed material;
- active vegetative propagation.
Many plant crops use special chemical methods of destruction in the fight against competitors. They secrete phytoncides that can have a detrimental effect on the development of other vegetation. But there are also opposite examples, when neighboring phytoncides save from pests, and thereby help the plant to develop normally. This process is called compatibility of growth of different species.
Chemical weapons are more often used by bright representatives of the plant world, which have an enhanced fragrant aroma. Moreover, this smell affects not only vegetation, but also harmful insects of this species. A good example is garden geranium, which can both protect itself and ward off insects.
The blackcurrant leaf has a strong, even pungent aroma. This is a sign of the use of chemical weapons. In this way the shrub shows other cultures its superiority over them.
Distance between plants
The planting density of currant bushes largely depends on the variety and species. When planting shrubs on a personal plot, soil fertility, soil type, and crown development are taken into account. If the bushes are branchy and tall, then they need to be planted less often than compact currants. Ideally, the distance between them is 1-1.5 m.
Scheme of planting berry crops.
For planting, holes measuring 50x50 cm are prepared in advance. Cover the bottom of the planting site with a small layer of well-rotted humus. Place a bush in the center of the hole, straighten the roots, after which the planting material is carefully sprinkled with loose soil. Compact the soil on top.
It is recommended to place currant bushes in a low, moderately moist area. The place should be protected from the wind and well lit. Gardeners make fences from currant bushes so as not to occupy the center of the site. This method is convenient to use. In this case, they retreat up to one meter from the fence.
If the bushes were planted between low trees in a young garden, then the distance between them is maintained at a distance of up to two meters. The shade from the crown will not provide much shade to the bushes.
What does plant compatibility depend on?
In order to correctly plant fruit and berry crops in the garden, first of all, they study the biological characteristics of each exhibit. These include:
- type of root system;
- degree of resistance to diseases and pests;
- compatibility with other cultures;
- response to climatic conditions.
If all this is not taken into account initially, then biologically incompatible plantings will inhibit each other’s development, provided they are placed close together.
All plants defend their own territory and try to expand their possessions. This means:
- distribution of seed material;
- growth intensity;
- predisposition to vegetative propagation;
- degree of fruiting.
Incompatibility of neighboring cultures is possible for several reasons. Usually this is competition for light, moisture, surrounding space, and nutrients.
When planting seedlings, including currants, it is important to take into account what grew on the site before. Moreover, if organic fertilizers were previously applied to the soil. Alternating plants on a personal plot is important for annual plantings.
This problem can be solved through proper agrotechnical care and planting measures. Otherwise, the plants do not bear fruit fully and soon die before they have time to take root.
Good neighbors
Gardeners are inclined to believe that berry bushes should not be planted near fruit trees. But the reality is that you have to rationally use every inch of your garden plot, combining different crops when planting. As described above, the currant crop actively uses its chemical weapon against competitors - the intoxicating aroma of foliage. Therefore, for a berry grower, the most favorable neighbors are plants with similar structural structures or components. Below we will get acquainted with the list of such crops.
Honeysuckle
There is an undeniable similarity between this plant and currants. They are frost-resistant and easy-to-maintain crops. This link will tell you about planting and caring for edible honeysuckle.
The foliage of honeysuckle and currant leaf blades have almost identical chemical weapons. As neighboring crops, they easily coexist and positively influence each other’s development and fruiting. Both bushes grow berries enriched with vitamin C.
Homemade hops
In a new place, the hops develop slowly for the first couple of years, but after that they quickly begin to occupy the nearest territory, so regular pruning will be required.
The plant will need a strong support in the form of a fence, then it will protect the currant bush from the wind. The support will not allow domestic hops to randomly entwine branches around everything in its path.
Plum
Gardeners consider the plum tree to be a good neighbor. It has a shady crown. The worst thing for red currants is the red variety, since in poor light conditions it bears fruit poorly.
Onion
In order for the onion to develop optimally, it requires sufficient lighting. Between the rows of currant bushes there is usually free space where it is grown. This crop is not too demanding on soil composition. Watering should be moderate.
Exhibition onions, Centurion and others, have a strong odor, releasing fungicides into the air. For this reason, many harmful insects are afraid of this plant. In particular, it has a detrimental effect on the bud mite, which harms the berry bush. Read about the description of the Centurion onion variety.
Garlic
Either garlic or onion is a better neighborhood for currant plantings. These herbaceous plants drive away insects from the bush that cause harm to it. Garlic also releases a strong fungicidal odor into the air.
Yoshta
This hybrid shrub was bred from currants and gooseberries during breeding work. The bush is a direct relative of currant plantings, so both crops feel normal and develop well nearby. Find out about the hybrid of currants and gooseberries Yoshta here.
It has a good advantage - it is immune to currant diseases.
Yoshta is a hardy plant, so it grows near any type of vegetation. For example, it is not affected by terry or bud mites.
Apple tree
Apple orchards delight owners with long-term harvests. These trees are planted for more than one year. Therefore, it is necessary for the gardener to take into account when planting such an issue as a neutral neighborhood. The President will tell you this material about the description of the columnar apple tree variety.
An apple tree is an optimal neighbor for a currant bush. When grown together, the yield is not reduced, and there is no adverse effect on the plants. These points apply to both cultures.
Strawberry
It is possible to plant strawberries or wild strawberries between the rows of currant bushes. Such proximity does not in any way affect the mutual yield of crops. There is only one drawback - it is inconvenient to pick berries. One of the positive aspects is the frequent watering of the bushes, so there will be plenty of moisture for strawberries. Harsh phytoncides secreted by currant leaves repel harmful insects from strawberry plantings.
Nightshade crops
It is recommended to plant nightshade crops such as tomatoes and bell peppers near currant bushes. In such a neighborhood, nightshade plantings will benefit more. They will be protected by phytoncides produced by the currant bush.
conclusions
- When planting crops on a summer cottage (dacha), you should take into account their proximity to other plants (who will be adjacent: what kind of flower, berry or even a vegetable, for example a tomato).
- Each garden or vegetable garden has its own characteristics - topography, soil composition, as well as the climatic characteristics of the region. This also affects the neighborly or dangerous relationships of plants.
- You cannot plant bird cherry in the garden. Its aroma attracts glassware, which subsequently moves to fruit and berry crops.
- Raspberries outlive their neighbors.
- Fruiting will be many times greater if the plants do not have to fight for survival.
Bad neighborhood
The main factors of an unfavorable neighborhood:
- Plants that are affected by the same diseases or pests should not be planted nearby. For example, these are currants and gooseberries.
- An important point is the chemical superiority of the culture. For example, do not plant red and black currants next to each other. This affects the quality of the yield.
- Certain neighboring crops have a depressing effect on nearby vegetation. They release harmful substances into some soils, while others grow strongly, taking away nutrients and moisture.
Can currants coexist with raspberries?
Raspberry plantings grow strongly over time and quickly choke out the berry bushes. Raspberries have a better developed root system, so it depletes the soil near the bushes. Spreading throughout the area with the help of young shoots, raspberries encroach on the space where currant bushes grow.
Gooseberry
It is not a good idea to combine planting currants and gooseberries. Shrubs have the same biological characteristics, so they are grown using the same technology. Their root system is fibrous, so it does not unravel on the sides. Flowering occurs almost simultaneously.
It has been scientifically proven that these plants have common diseases; they are affected by the same harmful insects.
Sea buckthorn
Breeders classify this tree-like shrub as aggressive vegetation. In principle, it is compatible with many crops and trees, but it is better not to plant anything next to it, sea buckthorn will not allow them to develop normally. An aggressive plant will fill the area in a short time. Such plants also include blueberries and blackberries.
Sea buckthorn quickly forms young shoots that occupy free space.
Cherries
The tree has a well-developed root system, which grows strongly on the sides. Cherries growing nearby most often take away nutrients and moisture from the currants. At the same time, it produces better yields. The optimal distance that it is advisable to maintain should be within 7-8m.
Apricot
In such a neighborhood, the currant bush becomes the aggressor. As you know, its leaf blades release phytoncides into the air. They, in turn, have an adverse effect on apricot. With its smell, currants depress the tree, which even stops blooming.
Mint
A sociable garden plant is called peppermint. Its delicate foliage exudes a harsh but pleasant smell around itself. It is he who helps drive away pests from the bush. Although mint itself suffers from such proximity. After all, currants have their own strong phytoncides. Therefore, it is useful to plant mint plants near currants. Planting mint must be carefully monitored so that it does not spread too much.
Pear
The tree is not compatible with other crops, so it is preferable to plant pears in group mono plantings. It reacts poorly to proximity to berry crops and other trees. The pear especially cannot tolerate any type of currant. Next to it, currants yield less or die.
Juniper
Harmful insects overwinter in junipers. In spring, fungal spores awaken and infect nearby vegetation and fruit crops.
To protect garden plants from fungal spores, plant the plant away from berry crops and trees. He needs to create spatial isolation.
What affects the compatibility and incompatibility of plants
- Light - plants planted nearby should not cover their neighbor with their shadow.
Before planting fruit trees, you need to plan everything correctly.
- Soil - the roots of fruit plants and shrubs must receive plenty of water and nutrients. For close proximity, they try to select plants whose roots are at different ground levels.
- Nutrition - each plant needs a certain set of organic and mineral elements, which they receive from the environment. For growth and fruiting, each plant must be fully provided with them ; they must not compete with each other. For example, fertilizing with nitrogen fertilizers, which is necessary for some, may cause later and poor fruiting in another plant.
- Allelopathy is the ability of plants to secrete substances that inhibit or stop the growth of other plants. There is simply no need to plant plants together that can negatively impact each other, so to speak, compete ecologically.
Why you can’t plant black and red currants next to each other
The reason for the bad neighborhood lies in the struggle for natural resources - free space, lighting, moisture, minerals. Red and black currant varieties are affected by the same pests, which multiply exponentially.
Sister cultures have differences between them. Red varieties prefer to grow in a well-lit space, while black varieties thrive in a little shade.
When planting varieties together, gardeners do not get a good harvest from both crops. The best decision is to plant black currants away from their sister red currants.
Compatibility table for fruit trees and shrubs
Name | Good neighborhood | Bad neighborhood |
Grape | Pear, cherry | |
Cherry | Grapes, cherries, pears, plums, apple trees | Pear, currant |
Pear | Apple tree, black currant, grapes | Cherry, plum, golden currant |
Strawberry | Garlic, parsley, bush beans | Raspberry, sea buckthorn |
Gooseberry | Cherry, red currant | Black currant, apple tree, raspberry |
Raspberries | Apple tree | Red currant, strawberry |
Sea buckthorn | Only sea buckthorn | Bad neighbor for everyone else |
Plum | Apple tree, currant, raspberry, gooseberry | Pear, cherry, sweet cherry |
Golden currant | Black currant | Apple tree, pear tree |
Red currants | Gooseberry, cherry | Black currant, raspberry |
Black currant | Apple tree | Plum, sweet cherry, cherry, gooseberry, raspberry, red currant |
Cherries | Cherry, apple tree | Plum |
Apple tree | Plum, raspberry, pear | Cherry, sweet cherry, golden currant |
The most win-win way to plant fruit trees in a small area is to plant them in groups of two or three seedlings, at a distance of several meters from each group.
It is easier to plant shrubs in long rows for easy harvesting and watering. Before you start creating your wonderful new garden, talk to your neighbors . No one knows better than them which fruit trees and shrubs grow best in your area, which varieties are the most resistant and fruitful. Perhaps they will share with you not only advice.
Is it possible to plant white currants next to black ones?
As a rule, white currant bushes are similar in light and moisture requirements to red currants. For this reason, if possible, it is better not to combine its planting with black. There is another opinion among gardeners. They believe that these shrubs grow and develop quite normally side by side without causing harm to each other. In gardens, mixed plantings are often used, where currant bushes of different varieties and colors are interspersed.
This method simplifies care. Group plantings are processed 2-3 times faster and are sprayed better than bushes that are located throughout the entire territory of the plot. It is allowed to plant the crop nearby without fear.
Making a planting plan
Having acquired a plot of land, the owner feverishly begins to develop it and makes a major mistake. Trees and shrubs, planted without taking into account their characteristics and compatibility, will over time begin to oppress each other, infect each other with diseases and pests, and get sick due to lack of lighting, nutrition, and moisture. It is more practical to draw several diagrams indicating the main landmarks:
The following entry is a list of garden and berry crops for the garden and berry garden. This list is not very large, but the wrong location of trees in the garden, unwanted proximity, competition - all this can, over time, reduce all worries to zero.
So, 1-2-3 trees of each of the desired crops are placed in the garden, taking into account the ripening time, biological characteristics of the variety or hybrid. Usually these are apple trees, pears, plums, cherries, cherries, apricots, peaches, and nuts. Experienced gardeners additionally plant exotic crops. Among the shrubs, berry gardens are most often occupied by black and red currants, gooseberries, raspberries, chokeberries, sea buckthorn, serviceberry, and blackberries.
Having determined the assortment of fruit and berry crops, they enter the data into a table of competitors and unwanted neighbors. The diagram clearly indicates where and what garden crops will be planted, taking into account compatibility, competition and protection measures.
How to avoid competition for survival
It is more practical to lay the garden on the south or southeast side, distributing rows of trees from north to south.
Fruit crops will be located in a warmer microclimate and exposed to the sun for most of the day, which will reduce competition for light and its intensity.
Apple and pear trees can be planted on the north side. To reduce shading, the outer rows of the garden are occupied by low-growing crops, and taller species are placed in subsequent rows. Fruit and ornamental shrubs - mountain ash, viburnum, hawthorn, rose hips are best placed along the fence outside the garden plot, maintaining spatial isolation. They actively suppress the growth of fruit crops.
It is not advisable to plant a mixed garden in one designated area; it is better to group fruit trees by type and level of compatibility, linking the garden clumps with the landscape of the entire area. Individual garden clumps can consist of several types of fruit crops with good compatibility and simultaneous ripening of the crop. This is necessary for better cross-pollination and greater fruit set.
But even identical crops become antagonists when plantings are dense. A struggle begins between them for space, food and lighting. A tree that is weak in development is more depressed, grows more slowly and dies, and self-thinning occurs. To avoid such a phenomenon, it is necessary to comply with the cultural requirements for the environment.
Leave a distance between competing fruit crops of at least 5-7 m. In a row between crops with good combination, a distance of an average of 3 meters is recommended. However, it is more correct to plant plants taking into account the diameter of the crown and root system of each type of fruit crop
For example, in an apricot the crown of an adult tree is 3.0-3.6 m, and the diameter of the root system is 1.5-2.0 times greater. In the struggle for light and water, apricot with root secretions will oppress peach, cherry, apple, pear, and other low-growing trees and shrubs.
Columnar crops can be planted in a row every 2.0-2.5 m, and leave 2.5-3.0 m between rows.
If the terrain of the site has hills and slopes, then on the southern and southwestern slopes it is better to lay the garden from the middle to the foot of the slope. On the northern slope - from the top edge to the middle, since at the foot gardens die from frost and accumulation of cold air.
If groundwater lies close to the soil surface, it is better to plant fruit crops on dwarf and semi-dwarf rootstocks, and use columnar apple, plum, and pear trees in plantings. Fruit trees with a seed (tall) rootstock are separated and planted on artificial hills or in the highest areas as a monoculture (2-3 apricots) or a separate tree (walnut).
Incompatibility or antagonism of garden crops may be due to various reasons. With the same crown height and diameter, competition can occur for lighting and air space, and the consumption of nutrients from one layer of soil. These reasons underlie the competition between peach and apricot, peach and cherry, pear, apple, etc.
Compatibility problems in garden plantings can be solved through care. By creating the required conditions, carrying out all agrotechnical measures, taking into account the biological characteristics of growth and development of the crop, in different phases of the growing season, it is possible to soften or completely remove aggressive manifestations of antagonism between plants. Mixed plantings combine light-loving and shade-tolerant crops, with deep and shallow root systems, and different periods of intensive absorption of nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, microelements, etc.).
If the dacha plot is located close to the forest, then it is necessary to increase the right-of-way to 7-10 m.
Garden plantings are oppressed by ash, maple, oak, and birch. With an overgrown root system, they intercept moisture from “spoiled” cultivated plants, spreading crowns retain precipitation and create unwanted shadow.
Among ornamental plants, there are groups of monoplant crops. They grow quickly, invade new areas and suppress the growth of other plants.
Home decorative shrubs include sea buckthorn, barberry, viburnum, rose, lilac, rose hips, and mock orange . To remove their aggressive antagonistic effect, these plants are planted separately and away from fruit trees and shrubs (Table 1).
Compatibility of fruit and berry crops
Name of culture | Good compatibility | Competitors | Reasons and protection measures |
Apricot | Peach, cherry, cherry, pear, apple, walnut. | Competitor for lighting, common diseases. Walnut is a natural herbicide against competitors. Distance 4-7 m from the competitor. | |
Pear | Hawthorn, pine, larch, tomatoes, calendula, dill. | Cherry, sweet cherry, peach, rowan, walnut. | Sick all the time. Same diseases. Peach and pear oppress each other. A common pest is the rowan moth. Drug treatments. |
Peach | Cherry, cherry, pear, apple, apricot. | They oppress each other. The peach dies completely after 4-5 years. The optimal distance between competitors is 6-7 m. | |
Apple tree | Pine, larch, tomatoes, calendula, dill. | Apricot, cherry, sweet cherry, poplar, peach, rowan. | Extreme degree of competition for light and water. Poplar suffers from the release of ethereal vapors. A common pest is the rowan moth. |
Plum | Red and black currants, birch. | They oppress each other. | |
Red rowan | Cherry. | The branches of red rowan are exposed on the cherry side. | |
Red currants | Onion. | Plum, cherry, sweet cherry, pine, birch, raspberry, gooseberry. | They oppress each other. Onions protect against bud mites. Treatment with drugs. |
Black currant | Honeysuckle. | red currants, raspberries, gooseberries. | They oppress each other. A common pest is the gooseberry moth. Treatment with drugs. |
Gooseberry | Red and black currants, raspberries. | A common pest is the gooseberry moth. Treatment with drugs. | |
Cherry | All fruit, red and black currants. | All fruit crops that grow under the crown are suppressed by cherries and die. | |
Walnut | Medicinal herbs. According to some sources - dogwood, sea buckthorn, | All fruit trees, especially apple trees. | The leaves contain juglone (a plant herbicide). Washed out of the leaves into the soil, it destroys any vegetation under the crown, especially the apple tree. |
Raspberries | Strawberries. | A common pest is the raspberry-strawberry weevil. Treatment with drugs. | |
Irga | All types of nuts, lilac, viburnum, barberry, mock orange. | Maintain spatial isolation. | |
Sea buckthorn | Oregano, chamomile. | Raspberries, black currants, strawberries, all nightshade crops. | Aggressive antagonist. It clogs the growth of neighbors with shoots. It is better to plant in mono plantings. |
Barberry | Inhibits the growth of other crops. It is better to plant in mono plantings. | ||
Fir, viburnum, rose, lilac, rose hip, mock orange | Inhibits the growth of other crops. It is better to plant in mono plantings. |
Is it possible to plant different varieties side by side?
There are several defining points, by analyzing which you can understand whether different varieties of currants can be combined in plantings or not.
Determining factors.
- Different currant crops suffer from the same diseases.
- They are attacked by the same pests.
- Chemical superiority.
- The bushes emit a depressing odor - phytoncides.
- Black gives a shadow, which is not suitable for red and white currants.
The last reason is one of the decisive reasons why varieties do not get along well with each other. In addition, the leaf blade of black currant contains much more phytoncidal substances than other varieties.
When planting different species, gardeners give recommendations that must be followed:
- Shrubs of the same type should be placed on the site away from each other, since they take the same micronutrients from the soil.
- You should not combine planting tall and short crops, as some will suppress the development of others.
- When planting crops, take into account the location of rhizomes. To protect their territory, bushes sometimes release phytoncides into the soil.
Black currant
Most currant bushes are self-pollinating vegetation. If you plant shrubs of the same type next to the bushes, cross-pollination increases the berry yield. When growing currants, the characteristics of the variety and type are taken into account. For example:
- Black currant is a less frost-resistant crop, unlike its relatives. Red and white - are not afraid of return frosts, since by this moment they have time to bloom.
- Both crops prefer to grow in illuminated areas. Although the black one can feel normal in partial shade.
- Without moisture, it begins to dry out and die.
- Red varieties do not require outside care, unlike black ones.
Red Ribes
Today, all varieties of red currant (Natalie, Marmeladnitsa, Rolan) are self-fertile crops. However, to obtain a large harvest of berries, additional help will be required - cross-pollination with other currant varieties. Find out when red currants ripen in this article.
For planting bushes, choose uniformly moist areas. Although black prefers to grow in more humid places. For red varieties, it is advisable to choose drier areas. Its root system suffers from excess moisture. Read about the best varieties of currants for the middle zone here.
To increase the yield of berries, in late autumn days rotted humus (1 bucket) is added under mature bushes. Place a layer of mulch suitable for herbaceous vegetation without seed pods, straw, and fallen leaves. Prune as necessary. Typically, old shoots are cut out in the fifth year of bush development. Spray currant bushes against pests in a timely manner. Before the inflorescences appear, the treatment is carried out twice, and after – once.
Raspberries, how to plant
It is best to choose a place for planting raspberries that is sunny and protected from the wind. It is very good if snow accumulates there in winter. Raspberries will produce few berries if planted in the shade. The shoots will begin to stretch, and the berries will form only at the tops. In addition, they will have to be folded down for the winter, otherwise they will freeze.
It is more correct to plant raspberries using the trench method, placing a hole from north to south, 50 cm wide and the same depth.
The trench for planting must be prepared in advance, 3-4 weeks before planting. It is necessary to add sand, organic fertilizers (humus, compost), wood ash and superphosphate to the soil. Mix everything and cover it so that the edges of the trench do not crumble.
Before planting seedlings in the ground, it is necessary to remove all leaves from them and trim the shoots. Shorten the seedlings themselves so that their ground part does not exceed 40-50 centimeters.
At the bottom of the trench you need to make a small mound, place a seedling on it, add water and cover the roots with soil. Next, you need to stamp it down so that no air remains. You can plant two plants in one hole.
It is best to plant raspberry seedlings 70 centimeters between them and at least 1.5 meters between rows.
Along the edges of the rows you need to install posts and stretch a wire, cord between them or build a trellis at a height of about one meter from the soil surface. Tie the raspberries to a cord or trellis.
Video
About the proximity of currants to cherries, watch the video:
To properly place fruit trees and berry bushes, you should know their biological characteristics (what to plant next to currants): type of root system, growth, resistance to diseases and pests, compatibility with other plants, attitude to the environment. Without taking these factors into account, neighboring plants can oppress each other, infect each other with diseases, and as a result dry out from lack of light, moisture or nutrients.
When planting currants on a site, mutual influence must be considered throughout life. Plants that grew earlier have an indirect effect on currants. Especially if the soil was previously fertilized before planting, and fertilizing with organic fertilizers is done every year. Rotation of crops on a site is a pressing issue for annual garden plantings.
Mostly all plants fight to expand territory and retain land. This category includes:
- seed dispersal;
- growth activity;
- ability of vegetative propagation;
- fertility.
Antagonism or incompatibility of cultures is associated with various reasons. Plants compete for light, air space, water and nutrients from one layer of soil. Such incompatibilities can be resolved with proper care. To do this, it is important to know the biological characteristics of a particular plant, for example an apple tree. Otherwise, the confrontation will lead to a sharp decrease in fertility, and in the worst case, to the death of the plant.
Diseases are the cause of cultural incompatibility
Another reason for the incompatibility of garden and berry crops is infectious diseases. They develop and infect several fruit and berry crops at once in the presence of:
There will be no mass damage to fruit and berry crops if the causative agent of the disease is destroyed at the beginning of development and reproduction or is absent altogether. Fruit and berry crops are affected by fungi, bacteria, and viruses. Sometimes conditions for infection of garden crops are created by insects (ants). In these cases, the fight is carried out in two directions: the pest and the disease are destroyed.
In some infectious diseases, the entire development cycle of the pathogen takes place on one plant (scab, fruit rot, coccomycosis, moniliosis, powdery mildew, bacterial spots, various types of rot, common cancer), but affects many species. If 1-2 species affected by the disease die, the remaining fruit trees continue their normal development. To protect plants from single-horse diseases, you can use the same chemical preparations, but better (for a private garden) – biological ones.
Source
Soil preparation
Once the site has been selected, before the seedlings are planted, it must be prepared as follows:
- It’s good to dig the ground to a depth of 40 cm;
- add fertilizers (compost, mullein, peat soil, ash, and so on). Each type of fertilizer is applied to the soil in a certain ratio. The soil pH should be in the range from 5.5 to 7. For this, certain types of fertilizers and dolomite flour are used.
During preparation, the following types of fertilizers should be added to the ground per 1 square meter. m. landing:
- compost, humus or manure – 4–6 kilograms;
- potassium salt – 15 grams;
- wood ash – 300 grams;
- superphosphate – 60 grams.
Preparing the soil of the area where these crops can be planted is carried out in the fall (the first half of October), when the crops have already been harvested from the beds.
Before working with soil, its surface must be cleared of all plant debris. You need to rake up all the remains of plants, as well as branches, and burn them. The fact is that they may contain pathogens and pests, which thus wait out the winter. If plant residues are not burned, in the spring they can become a source of infections and a breeding ground for parasites.
Digging the site performs the following functions:
- creates good drainage;
- allows air to easily penetrate the root system of seedlings planted after preparing the site;
- makes it possible to apply fertilizers to a certain depth;
- simplifies the procedure for removing weeds from the site. If the soil is heavily clogged, it is recommended to dig twice a year (in spring and autumn). Experienced gardeners also advise planting vegetable crops in such a plot or leaving it fallow for one year.
In addition to autumn, spring site preparation is also allowed. In this case, all the activities described above are carried out several weeks before the purchased seedlings can be planted in the ground. However, it is best to prepare the selected area in the fall so that the applied fertilizers can be transferred into the form necessary for the plants.
Before planting currants and gooseberries, it is necessary to create a layout of the prepared area. This will avoid the appearance of furrows, holes and depressions. To do this, after digging and applying fertilizer, the ground must be well leveled, creating a flat surface.