Black Currant Nick - the main characteristics of the variety

Since powdery mildew was discovered on blackcurrant, scientists have begun the struggle to develop disease-resistant varieties. One of them was the Nika variety, which is also not afraid of Siberian frosts. In this article, you can learn more about it and how to grow it.

Description of the variety of black currant Nick

This grade is given the following description:

  1. A bush of medium height, medium thickening.
  2. Shoots are not too large, grow straight, average thickness, average growth. Young are painted in green, mature - in dark brown.
  3. Buds of medium size with a sharp tip, brown with a raspberry tint, pressed to shoots, grow solitary.
  4. The foliage is medium and small in size, painted in light green, smooth. Consists of 3 blades, deep cuts, serrated edges. It grows on an average length of petioles.
  5. The flowers are in the shape of a glass, medium in size, painted in light pink, the brushes are short. Cross-pollination is not required.
  6. It quickly bears fruiting.
  7. Frost-resistant, tolerates spring frosts.
  8. Resistant to powdery mildew, almost not affected by gall aphids, slightly affected by anthracnose, kidney mites.

Selection history

Work on the cultivation of winter-hardy, large-fruited and resistant to kidney tick varieties of currants at the Siberian Research Institute of Horticulture named after M.A. Lisavenko has been conducted since 1962, and since 1979 the desire to develop a variety resistant to powdery mildew was also added to these goals. Scientists Z.S. Zotova, I.P. Kalinina, N.I. Nazaryuk, M.A. Pershina, I.L. Tesla crossed Altai varieties with Scandinavian subspecies and their descendants.

Did you know? Yellow currant is obtained from blackcurrant leaves, and blue and violet from berries.

So, as a result of crossing one of the best Altai large-fruited varieties Seedling Golubka (bred by these scientists) and the Finnish selection Lepaan Musta, a variety Nika was obtained, in the name of which Zoya Sergeevna used the initials of her friend and colleague N.I. Kravtseva. In 1998, an application was submitted for admission to state variety testing, and since 2001, Nika was included in the State Register of the Russian Federation for the West Siberian Region.

Appearance, characteristics of berries, ripening time, yield

Berries of this variety can be described as follows:

  1. Ripening period is early; maturation occurs simultaneously in the second half of June or early July.
  2. The purpose is universal.
  3. The shape is spherical, there are no faces, the color is black, the appearance is attractive, they grow on short stalks.
  4. The size is large, the average weight of 2.1 g, can reach 4.2 g.
  5. The pulp is juicy, aromatic, sweet and sour taste, covered with medium-dense skin. Tasters rated 4.5 points.
  6. Contain vitamins A, B1, B2, B5, B6, C, E, PP.
  7. They are a source of macroelements: potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus.
  8. Trace elements include: iron, manganese, copper, zinc.
  9. Provide the body with omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
  10. 100 g of berries consist of 1.4 g of protein, 0.4 g of fat, 15.4 g of carbohydrates and give energy to 63 kcal.
  11. The acidity of the berries is 3.1%, the sugar level is 10.4%.
  12. Productivity on average 77.2 centners per 1 ha, 2.6 kg per 1 bush.
  13. Suitable for transportation.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

  • The advantages of Nicky include:
  • pollinators are not required;
  • fast fruiting;
  • high level of productivity;
  • large size of berries;
  • sweet taste;
  • frost resistance;
  • does not freeze in the spring;
  • good resistance to powdery mildew and gall aphids;
  • early ripening;
  • good presentation of berries;
  • ability to tolerate transportation;
  • universality of use.

  • The disadvantages of this currant according to reviews include:
  • poor resistance to certain pests and diseases;
  • short shelf life fresh.

Agricultural technology

To properly grow a variety of Nick, you must:

  • choose a suitable place;
  • properly planted;
  • to water;
  • fertilize;
  • fight pests and diseases;
  • crop
  • organize wintering.

Did you know? Bees can produce about 30 kg of honey from 1 ha of flowering blackcurrant.

Seat selection and landing

When choosing a place for planting, you need to focus on the fact that the culture is in the sun, partial shade can be allowed. You should also take care of protection against drafts.

Both clay loam and light sandy loamy soil are suitable for cultivation, the main thing is that it is not swamped, and groundwater lies no closer than 1.5 m to the surface.

Important! Nika can grow on poorer soils, but on fertile crops will be larger and more stable.

For planting, it is better to choose the last 10 days of September. How to plant Nick currant:

  1. Dig a hole with a diameter of 60 cm and a depth of 40 cm.
  2. Pour 1 bucket of humus or compost, add 200 g of superphosphate and 25 g of potassium sulfate (they can be replaced with 120 g of nitroamophos, 40 g of wood ash or 0.5 kg of fruit and berry mixture).
  3. Trim the tips of the roots of the seedling.
  4. Lower the seedling into the pit, fill it with a 7 cm thick layer of soil, and compact.
  5. Pour 0.5 buckets of water, sprinkle with mulch.

Care

For watering, the intrasoil or drip method is suitable. During the season, bushes are watered about 5 times, the amount of watering depends on the presence of rainfall. For 1 m² of soil, 3 buckets of water are required. You will also need to water before the winter and after waking up. Top dressing in the first year is usually not required for currants, enough fertilizer applied during planting. Then, 25 g of ammonium nitrate are added each spring. With an interval of 2 years, plants will need 100 g of superphosphate and 30 g of potassium chloride per 1 m².

Pest and Disease Control

For Nick's variety, such diseases are dangerous:

  1. Septoria (white spotting) - spraying with a solution of 100 g of Bordeaux fluid in 10 liters of water.
  2. Cercosporosis (brown spotting) - the struggle is carried out similarly.
  3. Mosaic - uproot bushes, disinfect soil.
  4. Barbed and columnar rust - use Fitosporin, 1% Bordeaux fluid.

Variety pest control is carried out as follows:

  1. Currant glass -case - Actellik, Karbofos are used for fighting.
  2. Leaf and gooseberry aphids - they are fought with in the same way.
  3. Ants - use bait, poisonous substances.
  4. Flame -up - before flowering, cover the soil with linoleum or roofing material, at the edges of which lay the earth, after flowering, remove.
  5. Spider web and kidney mite - use Karbofos, Phosphamide, colloidal sulfur.

Prevention is carried out in the following ways:

  1. Watering with hot water before the start of the growing season.
  2. Pruning.
  3. Treatment with Bordeaux liquid, Nitrofen, Karbofos, Fundazol.

Read more about why currant branches dry out.

Trimming and shaping a bush

How to form a bush by year:

  1. Leave no more than 4 most developed shoots.
  2. Remove 1-2 weak shoots.
  3. Repeat the procedure after 2 years.
  4. Repeat again.
  5. Remove shoots 4 years old.

In addition, in spring and autumn it is necessary to cut off broken, ugly, weakened, shrunken, obstructing development, blocking the sun, shoots affected by frosts.

Fig. 1. Currant pruning: a - annual seedling; b - a biennial bush; c, d - shortening of shoots. Fig. 2. Currant bush before anti-aging pruning (a), after it (b) and pruning of a neglected bush (c).

Wintering

In the process of preparation, currant bushes are watered, cut, fertilized. To prepare Nick for the winter, you can use one of the ways:

  1. Bend to the ground and crush something heavy.
  2. Sprinkle with earth.
  3. Cover with breathable covering material.

Harvesting and transportation of the crop, shelf life of berries

To collect berries, use wooden or cardboard containers of small capacity (up to 3 l) or boxes with a capacity of up to 6 kg. In the case of referral for processing, the container capacity may be larger. Berries should not be wet with rain or dew.

Important! Berries intended for transportation do not lose their presentation in 1 week. Harvested at the stage of consumer maturity can be stored for no more than 2 days.

If the harvest is planned to be transported far, it is harvested at the stage of technical maturity (slightly immature). Otherwise, fully ripened berries are harvested.

You can extend the shelf life of berries if you process them: dry, freeze, cook jam, compote, prepare juice, wine, tincture. For storage, berries that are affected by diseases and pests, damaged, which have no presentation are not suitable. The storage place should be dark, with high humidity and air temperature 0 ...- 1 ° С.

So, the Nika blackcurrant variety is superior to other varieties in its large-fruited, good yield, resistance to powdery mildew, although protection from other diseases and pests is not so reliable, excellent winter tolerance. It can be transported over long distances and is not afraid of spring frosts. You can grow these berries if you use our tips.

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