Golden currant is an unpretentious culture that combines fertility and decorativeness. This interesting plant is not very popular among gardeners, and many people take it for a hybrid of currants and gooseberries. We will learn as much as possible about this culture, how to plant it, how to care for it, and what uses it is.
How did the golden currant appear and spread?
Golden currant is an unpretentious and fruitful berry shrub from the gooseberry family that can be found in nature. Because of its fancy leaves, golden currants are often confused with yoshta, a gooseberry-currant hybrid. But this is a separate botanical species native to North America. Here, the bush has taken a fancy to the river banks and rocky slopes. In America and Canada, this plant is found in literally every garden.
Golden currants were brought to Russia at the end of the 19th century. For a long time she had no success with gardeners, until I. Michurin took up her. The great breeder became the creator of the first variety - Krandal Seedling. He then became the progenitor of most varieties of golden currants, bred by Soviet breeders.
Thanks to Michurin varieties, a new type of currant has spread throughout Russia. The biological characteristics of the plant made it possible to use it for various agrotechnical purposes. Being able to perfectly adapt to different conditions, the culture has spread to almost all climatic zones. Golden currant grows today, in addition to Russia, in Belarus, the Baltic States, Central Asia, Czech Republic, England.
Description and characteristics
Golden currant is a perennial deciduous shrub that gets its name from the abundant flowering of golden yellow flowers.
Botanical description
- Bush. Weakly branched, multi-stemmed, up to 2.5-3 m high. The central stem gives the most shoots. The branches are erect, length - 2.5 m. Under the weight of the berries, the branches tend to the ground. The color of the bark is red, there may be slight pubescence.
- Root system. Powerful, penetrates 2 m or more. In young shrubs - 50-60 cm. Rhizome also grows horizontally. The bulk of the roots is concentrated in the surface layer of the soil, at a depth of about 30 cm.
- Leaves. They look like carved gooseberry leaves. The color is green, with three and five lobes, the base is wedge-shaped. The length of the leaves is 5 cm.
- Fruit. Oval, round-oval or teardrop-shaped, mostly black. Diameter - up to 1 cm. It tastes like blueberries. There are varieties with a different color of berries - burgundy, yellow or orange. Weight - 1.5-3 g. The skin is dense. The pulp is sweet and sour, with a nutmeg or blueberry aftertaste.
- Flowers. In diameter - 1.5 cm. One inflorescence consists of 5-15 flowers. The flower is yellow, tubular, the petals are small, in the center there is a reddish or greenish corolla. The flowers exude a pleasant aroma.
Main characteristics:
- Flowering is long and abundant. Starts at the end of May. Lasts 10-20 days.
- Fruiting begins at the age of 3. Shoots 5-7 years old are the most productive.
- Ripening period - medium late (in most varieties). Berries ripen 35-45 days after flowering.
- Abundant flowering, flowers attract honey insects. Bees collect almost a hundredweight of honey from 1 hectare of plantings.
- The culture is self-fertile. To get a harvest, three different varieties of golden currants are planted simultaneously.
- The yield is high - one bush gives from 5 to 15 kg of berries.
- The annual growth of shoots is 30-40 cm.
Look in the video below for a description of the Zolotistaya variety:
Golden currant varieties
Golden currant is represented by a large number of varieties. They are selected by comparing agricultural characteristics with the peculiarities of the local climate. Consider the most popular varieties:
- Muscat. It belongs to varieties with an average ripening period. The bushes are vigorous and compact at the same time, the flowers are very large, yellow. Fruits are large, black, round, sweet, with a honey taste and nutmeg aroma. 4-7 kg of berries are harvested from the bush.
- Shafak. A medium late variety, resistant to heat, drought, frost, disease and pests. Bushes of medium height, stems with drooping tops. The length of the brushes is 4 cm. There are many berries on the brushes. Fruits are large, pubescent, maroon, distinguished by gray. The taste is sweet and sour. Harvest per bush - 5-8 kg.
- Isabel. Slightly spreading, tall bushes. Fruits are black-brown, sweet and sour. Increased resistance to diseases and pests. 4-6 kg of berries are collected from the bush. Berry weight - 2 g.
- Ermak... From varieties of medium ripening. The bushes are dense, vigorous. The flowers are bright yellow, fragrant. The berries are sweet and sour. Weight - 1.5 g. Harvest per bush - up to 8 kg.
- Laysan. Frost-resistant, heat-resistant and drought-resistant variety with medium sized bushes. The berries are golden, oval, similar to gooseberries. On clusters of 5-6 fruits. The taste is sweet, with a slight sourness. Transportability is good. The bush gives 8-9 kg of berries.
- Kishmishnaya. One of the earliest varieties. Sprawling bush, up to 1.8 m high. Berries are black, medium-sized, heart-shaped. Fruit weight - up to 4 g. Dessert taste, with sourness. Yield - up to 10 kg. There are several subspecies of Kishmish currant - with black berries, with oval raspberry and others.
- Amber. The fruits are bright orange in color. Weight - 1.3 g. Refreshing taste. Productivity - 7-8 kg per bush.
- Michurinskaya. Vigorous bushes. Shoots are straight. Berry weight 0 1.5-2.5 g. Fruits are round, maroon, sweet and sour, aromatic. Refers to mid-season varieties.
- Silvery. The bush is vigorous, low-branched, reaches 2.4 m in height. Ripens in July. Fruit weight - 1-1.5 g. Harvest - 5-6 kg.
- Siberian sun. The variety is winter-hardy, with high immunity. Tall bushes. Fruit color is amber or golden. Ripen in mid-July. Weight - 1 g. The taste is pleasant, refreshing, with barely noticeable acidity.
- Black Pearl. Low, slightly branched bushes - up to 1 m. Frost-resistant. Medium early variety. Weight from 1.5 to 6 g. Fruit color - black, taste similar to blueberries, there are sweet-sour currant notes. Harvest - up to 4.5 kg.
- Caucasian. There are two forms of Caucasian currant. One has black, sweet and sour, 1.5 cm in diameter. Bushes up to 2.5 m tall. The second berry has a diameter of 1.2 cm and is brown. The height of the bushes is no more than 2 m.
- Venus... Differs in high heat and drought resistance. Withstands frost up to 40 ° C. One bush gives up to 8 kg of fruit. Shoots are short, even, slightly pubescent. On the brushes of 6 berries. The fruits are round, black, juicy, sweet and sour. The skin is thin. Maturation is amicable.
golden currant "Muscat"
currant "Shafak"
currant "Isabella"
currant "Ermak"
currant "Laysan"
currant "Kishmishnaya"
currant "Amber"
currant "Michurinskaya"
currant "Silver"
currant "Siberian sun"
currant "Black Pearl"
currant "Caucasian"
currant "Venus"
How to choose seedlings?
Choose a variety taking into account frost resistance and winter temperatures in your region. If planting is carried out in central Russia, varieties with frost resistance of minus 40 degrees are chosen.
Rules for choosing seedlings of golden currant:
- The recommended age of the seedlings is 2-3 years.
- The seedling should have 3-5 main roots, 20 cm long, and developed fibrous roots. There should be no dried or rotten roots, traces of diseases or pests.
- It is desirable that there are two shoots 30-40 cm long. The bush must be whole, without cuts and broken branches.
- Planting material that has been lying in the sun all day is not suitable - the bushes may not take root.
- When transporting seedlings, the roots are wrapped with a damp cloth. If the ends of the roots are damaged during transportation, they are carefully trimmed.
It is advisable to buy seedlings only in special nurseries and centers involved in the cultivation and sale of planting material.
How to grow a golden bush?
It will not be difficult for an experienced gardener to plant and grow golden currants. The main thing is to choose good planting material and plant it correctly - you need to leave more space for the bushes, they are spreading and can grow in width by 2 or more meters.
Suitable climate
All varieties of golden currants are suitable for central Russia and for the southern regions. Crop problems arise at temperatures below 40 ° C - if higher frosts hit, the bushes will freeze. But the heat and drought of the southern regions, varietal currants easily tolerate.
Optimal timing
Golden currants are planted in autumn and spring. For autumn planting, seedlings are planted from September to October, but no later than a month and a half before frost. In the spring, currants are planted early - immediately after the soil thaws.
Site selection and landing pattern
Experts assure that golden currant is amazingly unpretentious - the plant is able to grow where no other type of currant will survive.
Features of site selection:
- Lighting. Any area is suitable - sunlit and shaded.
- Relief. Can be planted on a plain or on a small slope. It is advisable to choose sites on the west or southwest side. The best option is not the leeward side.
- Economic use. Suitable for areas in need of a natural hedge. When landing near fences, 1 m retreat from the fence.
- Ecology. Suitable for polluted industrial areas and gas-polluted cities.
- The soil. It grows on any soil - acidic and alkaline, dry and wet, sandy loam and loam. The main requirement is the location of groundwater no higher than 1 m from the surface.
Planting scheme for golden currants:
- between adjacent pits - 1-1.5 m;
- between adjacent rows - 2.5-3 m.
Step-by-step landing instructions
Step-by-step instructions for planting golden currants:
- Level the ground, remove the weeds, and dig deep into the ground with a shovel bayonet.
- Fertilize the soil 2-3 weeks before planting. Add 1 sq. m 6-8 kg of compost and 30 g of potassium salt. Before digging up the soil for planting, wood ash is scattered over the site.
- Dig a hole 0.5 m wide and deep.
- Prepare and fill the soil mixture into the holes:
- humus - 1 part;
- fertile soil (top layer of soil, extracted when digging a hole) - 1 part;
- superphosphate - 200 g.
- You can also add nitroammophoska to the planting pit, after mixing it with fertile soil.
- Soak seedlings with open roots in bioactive solution for 2 hours, or in water for 2 days. Water seedlings with closed roots abundantly to help them escape from containers.
- Place the seedling in the hole. Sprinkle the roots with the prepared soil mixture so that the root collar of the seedling is deepened by about 5 cm - this is necessary for the formation of adventitious roots.
- Place the seedling at an angle - this way, it will better take new roots. If you put it strictly upright, new stems may not appear. Tamp down the soil by pressing down harder near the trunk.
- Water the planted seedlings. A 3-year-old seedling needs 3-4 buckets of water.
- Cut off the seedlings, leaving 5-6 buds.
Saplings of golden currants are recommended to be planted in pits, if planted in trenches, their roots will adhere to each other.
The first berries on young bushes will appear next year.
Principles and nuances of care
Caring for golden currants is not much different from growing other types of currants. The differences are mainly associated with the special endurance and undemandingness of the plant.
Read the article on how to properly care for currants in the spring.
Watering
Young plants are watered once a week, and mature shrubs do not need frequent watering. For the entire growing season, it is enough to water the currants 3-5 times. The main thing is to provide it with moisture during the period of fruit formation.
Water is poured into specially dug furrows, trying to keep the water out of the leaves. 1-2 buckets of water are poured under one young plant, 3-3.5 buckets under adult bushes. Large plantations are watered using the sprinkler method, adjusting the pressure to the desired value.
To harden the bushes and ensure their future yield, currants are watered sparingly before budding and after the leaves fall. During a drought, the shrub is watered regularly - so as not to lose in yield.
Fertilizer application
Golden currants are hardy and undemanding, they do not need frequent feeding. The humus placed in the pit during planting lasts for at least 2 years. In the third year, the bushes begin to feed. A mixture of manure or poultry droppings and complex mineral fertilizers is applied to the root furrow.
Currants in the spring are fed with nitrogen fertilizers, and in the fall they are fed with compost or humus. For 1 bush - 4 kg of organic fertilizer. Also make 120 g of superphosphate and 2 tsp. potassium sulfate. Or wood ash is added instead.
Digging row spacings
The aisles are dug up in the fall. It must be done if the soils are heavy and dense. If the soils are light, it will be enough to loosen them well.
The earth near the crown is dug up to a depth of no more than 5 cm, otherwise the roots can be chopped off. Further from the crown, they dig deeper - up to 10-15 cm.
You can find out about caring for currant bushes in the fall from this article.
Weeding and loosening
Weeds are pulled out as needed. It is advisable to loosen the soil in the near-trunk circles after each watering - loosening the soil provides oxygen to the root system. The aisles are loosened twice - in spring and autumn.
Several times a season, near-stem circles are mulched with peat or sawdust. After 5-6 years after planting, you will not have to weed the currants - the bushes will grow so much that the need for this will disappear.
Currant bush shaping
Pruning is carried out in the spring, until the buds are swollen, or the currants are cut in the fall - when the leaves fall off. A full harvest is removed 3-4 years after planting. This feature of the culture must be taken into account, and not to cut the plant in the first year. The first pruning is recommended for the second year of planting.:
Shoots up to 5-6 years of age are productive. Pruning principles:
- The weakest basal shoots are removed so that the rest of the shoot grows and develops better. When the root shoots stop growing, this indicates a halt in natural rejuvenation - the bush begins to age quickly.
- In spring, weak annual basal shoots growing near the trunk are cut. They are cut to the ground. This is necessary to prevent thickening of the bush. More information about pruning currants in spring is written here.
- One-year growth is removed, leaving 4-5 strong branches. Removing the growth helps to rejuvenate the bush.
The next year, in May-June, the tops of the basal shoots are pinched - so that branching is formed. Of these, fruiting branches are formed the next year.
A year later, the formation continues similar to the previous year. Then sanitary pruning is carried out annually - diseased and dry branches are cut off. The bush will be fully formed by 4-5 years. It should consist of 17-25 main branches of different ages.
The first anti-aging pruning is carried out 12 years after planting.
Preventive treatment against pests and diseases
Golden currants are very resistant to diseases and pests, therefore, preventive measures are usually enough for normal growth and fruiting. Principles and features of disease prevention:
- Before pruning and before sap flow, the bushes are watered with hot (80 ° C) water. Watering from a watering can with a "shower". One bucket is for 2 bushes.
- Prior to budding, the bushes are sprayed with Karbofos, Nitrofen 2%.
- When the green mass begins to grow, the bushes are treated with Fundazole. To enhance the action, plants are sprayed with Bordeaux liquid (up to 2%).
- In autumn, after pruning, the soil near the trunks is treated with colloidal sulfur (1%) or Karbofos (2%).
- Regularly prune diseased and dry branches, collect and destroy old foliage.
How to propagate the culture?
With the reproduction of golden currants, there are no problems - the plant is easily propagated by any of the existing methods.
Methods of reproduction of golden currant:
Propagation method | How to perform? |
Seeds | The method is not recommended. Seedlings grown from seeds do not inherit varietal traits. |
Cuttings |
|
Dividing the bush | In spring or autumn, they dig a bush and divide the rhizome into several parts. Separated parts are planted in prepared pits. |
Layering | In the spring, a two-year-old shoot is taken on the mother bush. The shoot is buried in the furrow, leaving the top of 20 cm. After fixing, it is grown until autumn, then transplanted. |
Cuttings harvested in autumn for spring planting, "canned" for the winter:
- Immerse slices in melted paraffin.
- Wrap branches with wet wipes and place in film bags.
- Put convolutions under the snow - until spring.
Golden currants, unlike red currants, are not propagated by vertical layering.
Diseases and pests and their control
Usually, golden currants do not get sick. In the absence of care, the plant can be affected by rust, septoria, gray rot and other berry diseases. Of the pests, more often than others, currants and spider mites affect currants.
Diseases / Pests | Symptoms / Harm | How to fight? |
Powdery mildew | Fungal disease is accompanied by the appearance of powdery coating. Bushes do not develop and do not bear fruit. | Before budding, the plants and the soil are sprayed with Nitrafen 3%. |
Anthracnose | There are brown spots on the leaves. Leaves dry and fall. | Spraying with Nitrafen and colloidal sulfur 1% - after flowering. |
Septoria | The leaves are covered with small white spots, around - a brown border. Leaves crumble. | Similar to the treatment of anthracnose. |
Aphid | Shoots are deformed, leaves are twisted, bush growth is inhibited. | Pirimifos-methyl-based pre-flowering treatment with insecticides. Or treated with Karbofos. |
Spider mite | The leaves dry, the berries ripen late. Leaves turn brown in May, then turn whitish. | Sprayed with malathion 50%. Sulfur preparations or garlic infusion are also used. |
Kidney currant tick | The buds become swollen, the apical leaves curl. | It is treated with colloidal sulfur during the flowering period. |
Harvesting and storage
Berries in some varieties ripen not easily. But this flaw is small. Even ripening, the berries do not crumble - they hang on branches until the frost begins. You can collect them gradually, or wait until all the berries have ripened to collect them in one go.
The fruits of golden currant, before processing, are cut from two sides. On the one hand - the tail, on the other - the remainder of the dried flower.
Application
Golden currants, unlike red and black, are planted not only for berries, but also for decorative purposes. This versatile plant produces 4-6 kg of fruits from the bush, decorates and encloses the site, and does not require special care.
Like a fruit crop
In Russia, the cultivation of golden currants has not yet gained such popularity as in its homeland - in America. This culture, unlike black currants, is not a peddler of the main berry adversity - powdery mildew.
Its fruits are not rich in vitamin C, but they contain little acid and a lot of carotene. Berries are used to prepare juice, compote, jam, wine, and liquor. Fruits can be frozen and used as a filling for baking.
Golden currant has less acid than black, but it contains more sugar, carotene and some other useful substances, and it is many times ahead of the competitor in terms of vitamin B content.
Use in landscape design
The plant is valued for its decorative effect. The shrub is especially beautiful during the flowering period. Fading, currants do not lose their decorative effect. But it is especially beautiful in the fall - the bushes become colorful, green, yellow, crimson. Golden currant is an excellent material for hedges. The plant can be grown in standard form.
Advantages and disadvantages
Benefits:
- Undemanding, resistant to diseases and pests.
- Frost resistance - the plant withstands 30 degrees of frost and even more. Only the tops of the shoots are usually affected by frost.
- Resistance to heat and drought. Leaves are not damaged at a temperature of 40-42 ° C.
- Resistant to temperature changes.
- Flowering begins late, after the risks of freezing frost.
- Able to grow on any soil. It grows well in all areas, including on steep slopes.
- High yield.
Disadvantages:
- Due to lack of moisture or nutrition, ovaries may crumble.
- Wet separation of fruits.
- Fruits crack when overripe and with high humidity.
- Young leaves contain glycoside, a derivative of hydrocyanic acid. Because of this, the leaves are forbidden to use for brewing tea.
- Often, young shoots do not finish the growing season before the onset of frost, and therefore freeze.
Golden Currant Reviews
Maria R., 54 years old, amateur gardener, Moscow Region. Planted two varieties - Venus and Shafak. I noticed that it grows better in areas without drafts. Although it is unpretentious, but because of the wind it can lose a lot of ovaries. Bushes are powerful, blooms profusely, tolerates frosts persistently - up to 40 degrees.
Valentin O., 58 years old, summer resident, Voronezh region. This currant was given to me by a neighbor in the country. I didn’t even know before that it was some kind of special currant, I thought it was a hybrid. The good thing is that you do not need to water it - and so it grows. I learned from a neighbor that this is Isabella. I don’t really like it. Still, the aroma of blackcurrant can not be replaced with anything, but as a fence - a great purchase.
Olga Permian
Sliced a branch of golden currant made three cuttings all took root grows and bears fruit. Which variety I don’t know. For me, the news is that it is self-infertile. Only one neighbor has a variety. Fruits abundantly every year. What is pollinated then? Currant? Gooseberries
Saratov
Not currant - TALE. Yes, the smell is different, but jam and compotes from it .. !!! Very grateful beautiful bushes from spring to autumn in both flowers and fruits.
Hide
Add your review
Surely the popularity of golden currants is yet to come. It will surely appeal to “lazy” summer residents - care for this universal culture is minimal, it will easily survive the most severe drought and is almost not sick. But if, in addition to decorativeness, you expect to get a large berry crop from the plant, you will have to pay a little attention to it.
Posted by
12
Russia. City Novosibirsk
Publications: 276 Comments: 1