Why are black currants black?
Currants are the most common berry crop in our country. Starting from the 10th century, it was grown in monastery gardens by the monks of Kievan Rus. For centuries, the berries were enjoyed “from the bush”; they were dried, boiled, frozen, made into tinctures, and used to treat diseases and improve facial skin.
Is it a fruit or a berry, why is black currant black, where does it grow and what it is like - this and much more will be discussed in the article.
What kind of currants are there?
Currant is a plant well studied and described by botanists, breeders and amateur gardeners. From a scientific point of view, this is a berry shrub from the Currant genus (Ribes) of the Gooseberry family (Grossulariaceae).
Reference! Gooseberries and various types of currants belong to the same genus.
More than 190 species of this plant are known. The most popular, growing in almost all dachas and in almost every village yard, are black and red currants.
Even children know what blackcurrant looks like. A spreading bush of medium size reaches a height of 1.5–2 m. Soon after the spring snow melts, it is covered with soft emerald green. By the beginning of summer, the leaves darken slightly, acquire a rich green tint, and become smooth to the touch on top and slightly fluffy on the bottom.
The bush blooms in May - early June. Grayish-pink flowers, shaped like bells, are collected in racemes up to 5–10 cm long.
Harvesting begins in early July, when most of the fruits turn black and slightly limp.Berries with a sweet and sour taste and a peculiar smell reach 1.5 cm in diameter, their surface is matte or glossy depending on the varieties. The blue-black color of the fruits is given by coloring pigments - anthocyanins.
Attention! 2 weeks after ripening, blackcurrant berries lose up to 70% of the vitamin C they contain.
Garden, or red, currant is a less common plant. The bush up to 2 m high is covered with dark green jagged leaves. Inconspicuous small yellow-green or reddish-brown flowers are collected in racemes. Bright red juicy berries with a diameter of 8–12 mm, forming clusters, are smaller and more sour than black ones.
With proper care, the currant bush bears fruit for at least 10–15 seasons in a row. For the first few years, young plants will delight summer residents with large berries without extra labor..
Description and characteristics of currants
Most currant species are deciduous shrubs. The plants have a powerful root system that goes to a depth of 1.5 m. The shoots are straight, elongated, the lower branches are lowered to the ground.
The leaves are alternate, consisting of 3–5 lobes. The intensity of color depends on the species. The top of the leaf is usually darker than its bottom. Ornamental plant species are distinguished by unusual foliage colors: red, orange and crimson, changing throughout the season.
Currant flowers on fluffy stalks do not exceed 1 cm in length. Inflorescences of several buds form brushes. Most species are monoecious plants, but there are dioecious plants in which male and female flowers are collected in separate racemes.
Currant fruits are edible round or oval berries with small seeds, always with a sour taste. The color comes in black, red or gold.
Where do currants grow?
Dense thickets of wild black currant are found in humid forests, along the banks of rivers, lakes and swamps in Eurasia.
Cultivated varieties are grown in Europe, parts of Russia suitable for horticulture, Kazakhstan and Mongolia. Some varieties of black currant have become native to North America.
The most suitable soil for currants is considered to be chernozem loam. But the crop also grows on other soils, both light and dense. The main thing is that the place is fertile and moist.
Attention! Red and white currants tolerate drought more easily than black currants.
It is recommended to plant the bushes in an open, sunny place, at a distance of at least 1 m, so that they do not obscure each other. With a lack of light, the berries grow small.
Plants on infertile soils require special care 2-3 years after planting. During the summer, they are watered with liquid fertilizer to keep the soil moist. Simultaneously with the introduction fertilizing the ground is loosened at a distance of 0.5 m from the bush.
Types and varieties of currants
Currants are an unpretentious plant, but to obtain maximum yield it is better to grow zoned shrubs.
For example, varieties of the Siberian group, characterized by high frost resistance, are suitable for growing in areas with a sharply continental climate: in Altai, in Siberia.
Dikusha - a strong, spreading and self-fertile, productive plant that can withstand drought, heat and cold equally well. It takes root well in the Far East and Siberia.
Central Russia is characterized by a temperate continental climate and diverse soils. Varieties of European selection are suitable for growing crops in such conditions.
Black currant
Early ripening varieties of black currant bloom in May and are afraid of return frosts. The fruits are harvested at the end of June or beginning of July. The berries have a thin skin and a bright taste, so they are not processed but eaten fresh.
Mid-ripening varieties ripen 2-3 weeks later than early ones. This time falls on hot July days, so the berries taste much sweeter and denser. Mid-late currants are harvested from late July to mid-August. Late berries sweeter, with thick skin and dense pulp. They do not wrinkle during transportation, are stored for a long time and are used for preparations.
Popular varieties:
- Hardy early ripening Selechenskaya 2 withstands winter frosts down to -30°C, tolerates drought well, and is resistant to anthracnose and powdery mildew. It is defenseless against aphids, bud mites and glass beetles, so it needs to be treated with insecticides. Fruiting begins in the second year, and after 3-4 years you can count on a maximum yield of 5-6 kg per bush. The berries are juicy, with a dessert taste: sweet, delicate, with a slight sourness.
Selechenskaya 2 - Mid-season Dubrovskaya currant is frost-resistant, self-pollinating, resistant to bud mite. Graceful bushes with a thick, bright green crown are sometimes planted to decorate the garden. However, due to its strong growth, the bush has to be regularly trim. With proper care, up to 4 kg of fruits are harvested from one adult plant. Sweet and sour berries are recognized as one of the most delicious, and juicy leaves are added to winter preparations.
- Venus is one of the best mid-late varieties. The plant tolerates frost and snowless winters well, and drought in the summer. Venus is insensitive to anthracnose and powdery mildew, but is affected by bud mite and septoria.The variety is self-fertile, but requires pollinating plants for a good harvest. The fruits ripen at the same time - during the summer they are harvested 3-4 times. If all agrotechnical requirements are met, the yield reaches 5 kg per bush. The berries are very sweet and aromatic, without sourness, with a classic currant aftertaste. Tasting score - 5 points.
Red Ribes
This shrub is not as popular as black currant. Gardeners prefer plants with large fruits, winter hardiness, pest resistance and diseases. Garden red currants suffer from glassworm, red gall aphids, powdery mildew and anthracnose. Therefore, varieties resistant to these diseases and pests are highly valued in home gardens:
- Breeders select the mid-early universal Dutch variety Jonkheer Van Tets., zoned in Russia. The plant is very hardy, resistant to powdery mildew, and is rarely affected by anthracnose and bud mite. Due to its early flowering, currants do not tolerate spring frosts well. The berries ripen evenly. The average productivity of an adult bush is 4–6 kg. The fruit has a slightly sour taste.
Jonker Van Tets - Mid-season variety Natali disease resistant and pests. The plant is self-fertile, therefore it gives a good harvest (up to 8–12 kg per bush) even in years unfavorable for pollination. The crown is thick and spreading - so that the branches do not break under their own weight, supports are installed under adult bushes. Bright red sweet and sour berries with a small amount of small seeds are used in preparations.
- Gift of the Eagle - a universal variety with a late ripening period, immune to powdery mildew and septoria, and is moderately affected by anthracnose.Due to late flowering, the ovary almost never freezes. The berries ripen unevenly. The variety is loved for its high yield (6–10 kg or more per bush) and sweet, pleasantly sour taste. Tasting score: 4.3 points.
Golden currant
The homeland of golden currants is North America. Russian summer residents underestimate it and often use it as an ornamental shrub. In spring, blooming currants are covered with fragrant yellow flowers in such quantities that sometimes the leaves are not even visible.
Interesting! The fruits are striking in their variety of shades: on neighboring branches there are simultaneously black, yellowish, purple, orange and pink berries. In autumn the bushes acquire a variegated yellow-red-green color. At this time they are especially beautiful.
The shrub is absolutely unpretentious and takes root in almost any area: in partial shade and in bright sun, on light and heavy soils, on plains and slopes. Tolerates winter frosts below -30°C. Practically does not get sick, is resistant to gases and dust:
- Early variety Kishmishnaya blooms in May, produces fruits already in the first ten days of June. In this case, the berries are retained on the branches until August. The fruits are unusually heart-shaped, without seeds, and light crimson in color. In good years, one bush produces up to 10 kg of berries.
- Novosibirsk mid-season variety Ermak it takes root equally well in the middle zone and in Siberia, and gives a decent harvest everywhere - 5–8 kg per bush. It is drought-resistant and frost-resistant. It is better to plant shrubs in groups: for individual plants, pollination rate is reduced by 20–30%. The berries are dark in color, like black currants, sweet and sour in taste with a pleasant smell, unusual for this crop.
Ermak - Middle-late Shafak tolerates snowless winters and is resistant to diseases and insect pests. The fruits ripen no earlier than mid-August. Productivity reaches 5–8 kg per bush. Ripe berries of a rich red-orange hue have a typical “currant” sweet and sour taste.
Shafak
Conclusion
Currants are an amazing gift from nature. Russians have long fallen in love with this unpretentious, vitamin-rich and very tasty berry. Breeders have developed many varieties, different in taste, color, size and speed of fruit ripening.
Zoned shrubs take root equally well in the Urals and Siberia, in the Caucasus and the Far East, in the Volga region and central Russia.