Characteristics and description of the Bagira currant variety, planting and care
Harvesting currant bushes every year is not so difficult. The gardener needs to choose from varieties one that will not require a lot of effort and time to grow, but will bear tasty fruits. This description corresponds to the Bagheera currant. It is winter-hardy, unpretentious in care, and also bears fruit abundantly.
Breeding history
This medium-late ripening variety was obtained at the Michurin Institute. To obtain it, the varieties Minai Shmyrev and Bradthorpe were crossed. Crossing was carried out by K.D. Sergeeva and T.S. Zvyagin.
Advantages and disadvantages of large-berry Bagheera variety
Benefits:
- winter hardy;
- drought resistant;
- transportable, lying;
- self-fertile;
- fast-growing.
Disadvantages:
- not too resistant to powdery mildew;
- prone to kidney mites;
- easily burns in direct sunlight.
Description of culture
A distinctive feature of this variety is winter hardiness. However, the gardener needs to consider other characteristics.
External characteristics of the bush
The leaves of the bush are five-toed. The color of the leaves is from light green to dark green. The leaf blade is matte, smooth. The edges of the leaf are wavy. The flowers of the bush are of medium size, goblet in shape.
Variety yield
Bagheera bushes grow quickly. In 12-24 months after planting the seedling, the gardener will receive a harvest. It is possible to collect 5 kilograms of fruit from one bush.
Frost and drought resistant
The variety is resistant to low temperature conditions. He also tolerates the summer heat and exposure to direct sunlight.
Susceptibility to diseases and pests
The variety is poorly protected from kidney mites. Buds that are affected by a mite do not produce healthy shoots and carry diseases such as terry and mosaic. An effective method of controlling a tick is treating a bush with acaricides (Neoron, Apollo).
You can also spray the bush with a colloidal sulfur solution.
Growing tips
So that the work on planting currants is not in vain, it is required to take into account factors such as climate, soil composition. Even the plants that grow near the bush matter.
Suitable climatic conditions
22 years ago Bagiru was included in the State Register of varieties that can be used in the North-West, Volgo-Vyatka, Middle Volga regions, as well as in the Urals, in Western and Eastern Siberia. This means that the Bagheera currant can be successfully grown in the climatic conditions of the listed regions of the Russian Federation.
Required soil composition
It is necessary to plant seedlings in loamy, sandy loam soil with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction. The soil should be nutritious and loose. The groundwater level should not exceed 50 centimeters from the surface.
The best neighbors of the variety
Red and yellow currants should not be planted next to black ones. Honeysuckle and cherry feel good at Bagira bushes. Of the herbaceous plants, onions, garlic, calendula, and marigolds are considered the best neighbors. For tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, phytoncidal elements produced by Bagira will protect against pests.
Step-by-step process of planting black currant
Bagheera has long been grown by gardeners in different regions of the Russian Federation. Such popularity of the variety is due to the fact that it is very unpretentious to care for.
The gardener needs to plant the seedlings correctly, and then in a year or two he will be able to harvest an excellent harvest.
The landing algorithm is as follows:
- Removing a piece of soil from a depression.
- Installation of planting material in a recess at an angle, spreading the roots.
- Neat backfill with earth. You need to lightly shake the shovel so that the soil fills the voids present in the root system.
- Tamping and mulching the soil around the currant bush.
Selection of seedlings
Only healthy seedlings can guarantee the correct development of the bush and a good harvest. The rules for choosing planting material are as follows:
- it is advisable to choose young seedlings (annual, biennial);
- the roots must be strong and strong. The minimum length is 200 mm. There should be no areas affected by rot;
- the top should include a pair of twigs 30 to 35 centimeters long. The shoots should be resilient, covered with an elastic bark that is not damaged.
Site preparation
You can prepare the site for planting in advance, 30 days in advance. The algorithm is as follows:
- Leveling the soil, removing weeds.
- Digging the earth, breaking up large pieces of soil.
- Outline of a recess for landing (a circle with a diameter of half a meter). The depth of the pit should be between 40 and 45 centimeters. The upper, fertile part of the soil is removed to the side.
- Adding 3 kilograms of manure, 130 grams of granular superphosphate, 170 grams of ash, 27 grams of potassium sulfate to the deposited soil. You can also use 200 grams of mineral fertilizers instead.
- Backfilling of the deposited earth into the depression.
- Pouring 2 buckets of water into the pit. This is necessary to compact the soil.
If the soil at the selected location is too acidic, liming is required. To do this, half a kilogram of dolomite flour or burnt lime is poured into each square of the earth for digging.
Dates and place of landing
Planting is best done in the autumn or spring season. In autumn, it is necessary to plant currants in early October. This will allow the bush to successfully adapt. Until spring, the bush will take root, and when it gets warmer, it will begin to grow rapidly.
In the spring, planting is required before the buds begin to swell. Otherwise, the period that the bush will take root will increase significantly.
It is necessary to plant currants so that the scorching rays of the sun do not fall on it. In addition, it is required to protect the seedlings from wind gusts. To do this, it is advisable to plant bushes along the wall of the house or hedge.
Currant bush care
The fact that the variety is unpretentious and hardy does not mean that it does not need to be looked after.Carrying out simple agrotechnical procedures will make it possible to strengthen the immunity of currants and collect a large harvest.
Irrigation and feeding
Watering should be frequent and abundant, but don't overdo it. The norm is five buckets per square. The ground should be moistened 40 centimeters deep. Top dressing can be started in the third year. For this, you can use potassium sulfate. One bush requires 15 grams of fertilizer. Top dressing is introduced in the autumn season, when the crop is harvested.
Pruning
Immediately after the bush is planted, half or even two-thirds of the length of the shoots is cut off from it. Then you need to follow this plan:
- In the spring of the second year, the formation of skeletal branches is carried out. For this, select from three to five of the strongest shoots. Other shoots are cut off. Around July, two buds are pinched on skeletal branches.
- On the third and fourth spring, out of all zero shoots, the five strongest are selected. Other shoots are cut off. The branches that have grown in the past year are cut off the top.
- As a result, after five years, a strong bush is formed, which consists of three to four shoots of each age, but not older than five to six years.
Preventive treatments
Currant bushes must be kept clean. This requires timely removal of weeds that attract pests.
The soil under the bushes and between the rows must be loosened regularly. This is required to ensure breathability, water permeability. A similar procedure must be performed at least once every 30 days, throughout the growing season. Every autumn, the soil around the currants and between the rows must be dug 15 centimeters.
Shelter for the winter
The variety can tolerate cold temperatures up to minus thirty degrees. Natural protection in the form of snow is sufficient. However, if snow does not fall, it is necessary to create a shelter. For this, the bushes, which are connected, are wrapped in any material that allows air to pass through.
Reviews of gardeners about the Bagheera currant
Gardeners speak positively about this variety, they consider Bagira the best large-fruited currant. They note that the variety is vulnerable to kidney mites, and requires chemical treatments.If you take proper care of the currants, the disadvantages of Bagheera are minimized, and the advantages will be fully revealed.
