Black currant is an excellent supplier of vitamin C. This berry shrub is very popular in our gardens, and to date, breeders have received many varieties of black currant. Among them there is a domestic variety - Galinka, which you should learn more about.

Grade geography

A variety of black currant Galinka was developed back in 1980 by employees of the Siberian Research Institute of Horticulture named after M.A. Lisavenko by crossing the cultivars Seedling Doves and Lepaan Musta. The result was a frost-resistant variety, zoned in the West Siberian and East Siberian regions. It is suitable for industrial plantings.

Botanical Description

The Galinka variety forms medium-sized, medium-thickened bushes with poor recovery of shoots. At a young age, they are light green in color, and as they grow, they become stiff and acquire light brown tones. The branches are of medium thickness and slightly curved. The kidneys are large in size and brown in color, located one by one. The foliage is light green. Leaf plates are slightly concave; they are five-lobed, with sharp tops and serrated edges, wrinkled. The side blades diverge to the sides at an angle of 90 °. Their veins are directed to the base of the green stalk.

It blooms from mid to late May. Small flowers collected in falling brushes have a goblet shape and a pinkish color. Black large berries on an elongated peduncle ripen in the medium term. They have a round shape, a shiny skin surface and an average number of seeds. Their maturation occurs in unison. Read also about Ksusha blackcurrant. The plant is winter-hardy and resistant to drought, powdery mildew and gall aphids. Can get sick with septoria, slightly affected by anthracnosis and kidney mites.

Characteristic

The Galinka variety has its own characteristics, which should be familiarized to gardeners who decided to plant it at home.

Drought resistance, frost resistance

The Galinka variety tolerates frost and drought well. This is an unpretentious variety that can be grown even in Siberia. However, it should be borne in mind that for high yields he will need optimal hydration.

Productivity and fruiting

This is a high-yielding early-growing variety. The first berries can be picked in the second year from planting. Each bush under good conditions can produce about 3.2 kg. The average yield on industrial plantations is 10.8 t / ha, and the highest reaches 13 t / ha. Learn how to use baking soda for a plentiful harvest of blackcurrant.

Berry size, taste

The round black fruits of this currant grow 1.9–4 g each. They have a pleasant smell and sweet and sour taste. Experts rated it 4.0 points. Juice from these berries received 4.9 points for taste, compote - 4.8 points, and jam - 4.4 points.

The berries of Galinka currant contain about 4.3% solids, 0.9–1.5% pectins, 7.6–9.4% sugars, and titratable acidity is 2.2–3%. The vitamin C content in 100 g of berries ranges from 112 to 200 mg.

Advantages and disadvantages

• Gardeners will appreciate the following benefits of the Galinka variety:
• high productivity;
• presentation of the fruit;
• self-fertility;
• good transportability;
• early maturity;
• universality of the use of berries;
• unpretentiousness;
• resistance to powdery mildew and aphids.

The variety has only one drawback - it is poorly resistant to Septoria.

Landing Features

Even such an unpretentious culture as currants should be planted correctly in order to provide themselves with high yields in the future.

The timing

Black currants with a closed root system can be planted throughout the growing season. Seedlings with open roots are planted in spring or autumn. Experts recommend doing this from late September to mid-October. In spring, the bushes should be planted before the sap flow begins. Did you know? In the old days, currants were called the “monastery berry”, since monks cultivated it, and it grew in many gardens at the monasteries.

Conditions

To obtain maximum yields, currant bushes need to provide enough moisture and lighting. In this case, overmoistening should be avoided. The period of illumination of landings should be at least 12 hours. The best soils are fertile and loose, with a neutral or slightly acid reaction.

Choosing the right place

For currants, you should choose a well-lit place. In areas with hot sunny summers, you can choose partial shade. Water should not stagnate in the selected place, and groundwater should be no closer than 1–1.5 m.

Do not plant black currants at the place of planting raspberries, gooseberries and red currants, or in the neighborhood with them. They have the same pests and diseases.

Selection and preparation of seedlings

To buy currant seedlings is best in nearby specialized nurseries. In them you are guaranteed to buy the variety that is declared, and it will be adapted to local conditions. Important! If you allow the root system to dry out, it must be soaked in a solution of Kornevin, Heteroauxin, or simply in water.

Seedlings should be chosen for 1-2 years of life with well-developed roots of at least 20 cm. They should have about 3-5 stiffened branches. The branches of good currant seedlings bend and do not break, and the bark has an even color without spots and peeling. If you pick it up, a greenish wood will be found under it. The roots should be moist and should not be allowed to dry.

Landing algorithm

First you need to prepare the site. They dig it up, removing weed grass. When digging, organic matter is added - compost or humus. Find out where to plant currants - in the shade or in the sun. The process of planting currant seedlings is as follows:

1. 14 days before the planting material is planted, you need to dig holes, 0.6 m wide and 0.4 m deep. Between the bushes in a row there is a gap of at least 1 m, and between rows between rows - 2 m. Do not thicken the planting, so how this can trigger the appearance of fungal diseases.
2. Mix the top soil from the dug holes with humus or compost (1/2 bucket per 1 seedling), mix 2 tbsp. l double superphosphate and 1-1.5 cups of wood ash. Fill 2/3 of the pit with such a mixture of soil, and after 14 days the soil will shrink.
3. Seedlings are placed in dug holes, carefully placing the roots inside. Planting material is covered with prepared nutrient soil, ramming it. The root neck should be deepened by 4.5–5 cm. Such a planting activates the germination of the kidneys at the base of the bush and the formation of a developed root system.
4. Around each bush form a hole and produce watering. About 1 liter of liquid is consumed per plant.
5. After finishing work, it is advisable to mulch the soil around each bush. Then the seedlings need to be cut at the level of the third bud from the base of the bush.

Care

In order to get a good crop, proper planting care must be provided. It is necessary to properly set up watering in a warm period. The roots of this bush are short, 0.4-0.5 m, so it can not get the necessary moisture from the ground. During the growing season, you need to irrigate at least 5-6 times:

• with the active growth of young shoots;
• during the appearance of color;
• during the formation and ripening of berries;
• after harvesting the fruits.

If the summer turned out to be hot and without precipitation, humidification is carried out every 10 days. 3 to 6 buckets are poured under 1 adult bush. During heavy rains, watering is stopped. For the convenience of irrigation, a near-stem circle is formed with sides to retain moisture. In the fall, before frosts, abundant watering is also carried out in order to prepare the plant culture for the winter period.

After moistening, it is recommended to loosen the soil around the bushes 5-6 cm in depth. The procedure is recommended to be carried out in the spring, and then to mulch the soil. It is good to use straw, compost, humus as mulch. In the aisles it is necessary to dig up to a depth of 15 cm.

Learn how to care for blackcurrant bushes in early spring.

After planting, it is possible not to fertilize 1-2 years into the nutrient soil. Starting from the third year of life, fertilizing is carried out:

1. In the early spring, loosening the soil and around the bush, make humus or compost. Nitrogen-based fertilizers are needed to build green mass. Ammonium nitrate is suitable for this purpose. It is applied at the rate of 25 g per 1 m².
2. During abundant flowering, rotted manure or litter with the addition of superphosphate and potassium fertilizer is used at the rate of 10 and 5, respectively, per 10 liters of water. Under 1 adult bush leaves 2 buckets of water and 3 buckets of such fertilizers. You can also use complex fertilizer at the rate of 1 tbsp. l on 10 l of liquid.
3. After picking berries. Potassium-phosphorus fertilizers with the addition of organics are also used during this period. Such top dressing contributes to a good harvest in the next season.

When caring for currants, an important point is the pruning and formation of a bush. In the second year of life, the most developed shoots are left in an amount of not more than 5 pieces. Extra processes should be removed. The remaining branches are pinched on a pair of buds to stimulate the growth of shoots and the formation of fruiting branches. For 3-4 years, leave up to 6 strong shoots of the last year, and in July pinch the tops so that on each branch there are up to 4-5 buds. For 5 years, shoots of 1 year are cut, performing anti-aging pruning. All excess is removed in the usual manner.

An adult bush should contain annual shoots - about 5 pcs., Two-year-old shoots - up to 4 pcs., Age 3 years - up to 3 pcs., And also old branches 4-5 years old - no more than 3 shoots.

The formation and pruning of currant bush in this way will give the maximum result when growing it. Pruning itself is carried out in early spring before buds open. If the procedure for removing shoots has not been done in the spring, it can be done in the fall after harvest, when the leaves begin to fall, but there are still no frosts. As necessary, sanitary pruning is carried out - dry, broken, as well as branches affected by diseases and pests are removed.

Winter preparations

In early October, they carry out sanitary pruning, preventive spraying against diseases and pests, conduct abundant watering before wintering. Currant is a fairly frost-resistant plant crop, and adult plants do not need shelter, you only need to protect them from rodents. To do this, the trunks are wrapped with a net or roofing material.

Video: preparing currant bushes for winter

The earth can be mulled to protect the root system from frost. In the cold season, it is better to cover the bushes with snow to protect them from the cold. In addition, the snow cover, melted in the spring, will provide the plants with the necessary moisture at the beginning of the season.

Breeding methods

The main methods of propagation of currants:

1. Cuttings. The fastest way to breed. It is carried out in the autumn period - in September. First, prepare the site for planting - dig it up and add organic matter. Strong cuttings are well suited for cuttings. They are cut into lengths of 15 cm and leaflets are torn off so that they do not draw moisture onto themselves. Before planting on the site, the lower part of the cuttings are placed in a root formation stimulator (“Kornevin”) to accelerate the formation of the root system. Prepared planting material is planted with a small angle of inclination (about 45 °) so that one kidney is at ground level. A gap of 20 cm is maintained between the plants, and 50 cm between the rows. The soil near the planted cuttings is tamped and mulched. In the spring, planting is loosened, fertilizer is applied (compost or humus). All summer planting is tended (watered, fertilized), and in the fall the seedlings are planted in a permanent place.
2. Layering. In this case, strong healthy branches are used for reproduction, which grow closer to the ground in a horizontal position. These shoots are bent to the ground, fixed with brackets and instilled from above. The top must be pinched. This procedure is carried out in the spring. By the next season, such layers form a good root system. They are separated and planted on the prepared for landing site.
3. By dividing the bush. The procedure is carried out in early spring or autumn. Choose currant bushes that have grown well. They are dug up, cleaned of soil and carefully separated with a disinfected hatchet or hacksaw. Each part should have several shoots and enough roots. They are planted as independent seedlings.

Diseases and Pests

The bushes of Galinka currant are very rarely affected, but with the establishment of rainy cool weather, the appearance of some fungal diseases is possible:

1. Septoria Signs of the disease are the appearance of brown spots, which brighten over time and become whitish with a dark brown border. Then the leaves are dry and die. Productivity of a grade falls almost 2 times.
2. Rust. With it, reddish tubercles appear on the back side of the leaves, which then join into strips. The disease also affects the fruit.

To prevent diseases of fungal origin, it is necessary to remove plant debris and weed grass under shrubs. At the first sign of rust, or in the case of heavy rains established in the spring, it is necessary to spray the plantations with Fitosporin. In early spring, before budding, it is necessary to carry out treatment of plantings with Bordeaux liquid or copper sulphate. Read how to use Fitosporin-M on currant. The most dangerous for currants are viral diseases, since there are no effective remedies for them. Therefore, at the first signs of the presence of the virus, the bushes should be dug up and disposed of so as not to infect neighboring plants.

The most common viral diseases:

1. Striped mosaic. It appears in the form of a yellow mosaic pattern on the foliage. Infection often occurs due to pests.
2. Terry. When it affects the bush, the currant does not give berries. You can notice the appearance of this virus during the appearance of color: the buds are pulled out, become pointed, acquire a darker shade, become coarser and do not have the aroma of a currant. Flowering occurs 7-8 days later than in healthy bushes. The color gradually falls off, without forming ovaries and berries.

Viral diseases are best prevented, since it is impossible to cure them. For this, the following prophylaxis is recommended:

• for planting, choose only perfectly healthy seedlings;
• for grafting, take material only from absolutely healthy bushes;
• inspect currant planting for diseases and pests;
• carry out the fight against insect pests that are carriers of viruses and bacteria;
• to feed according to the recommended schemes to strengthen the plant;
• be sure to trim with a sanitized tool.

Important! Excess fertilizers containing nitrogen can cause viruses. But potash and phosphorus fertilizers increase resistance to various diseases.

Under adverse conditions, currants can be susceptible to attacks by pests such as gall midges, fire flakes, bud moths, spider mites and buds, aphids, glass-cases, sawflies, and insects. To get rid of them, drugs like "Fitoferm", "Karbofos", "Actellik" are used. So that insect larvae could not overwinter in the soil, they dig the ground under the bushes. You can also mulch with a thick piece of cardboard in the spring to prevent them from reaching the surface. Obviously affected by insects areas should be cut and burned.

In the presence of pests during the fruiting period, it is better to use not chemical preparations, but folk remedies. In early spring, to prevent diseases and pests, scald the bushes with boiling water in early spring before pouring the buds. In hot water, to enhance the effect, potassium permanganate should be added. Insects can be scared away by spraying bushes with infusions of garlic, onions, wormwood, tobacco and soap solution.

Harvesting and storage

Galinka blackcurrant berries are recommended to be harvested in dry weather in the morning when the dew disappears. Currants from the bush are ripped off in clusters, as they ripen together. It should be noted that berries of this variety break off with a dry margin from the brush and are also well transported. Overripe and wet fruits are not suitable for long-term storage. It is better to immediately start them for processing.

Fresh fruits can be stored for up to 14 days subject to the recommended regimen:

• temperature should be within + 10 ... + 12 ° С;
• humidity should be medium.

With an increased level of moisture, the fruits begin to rot, and with dry air - dry.

Did you know? Currants can be harvested a little immature - it contains 4 times more vitamin C than in a mature one. In overripe berries it is least of all.

When placed in a refrigerator, berries should be placed in small baskets, Bulgarian boxes, plastic bags. The layer of berries should not be too high so that they do not crumple under their own weight.

At a temperature of 0 ° C, currants can be stored for about 3 weeks, with a temperature of -2 ° C, up to 3 months. Currants of this variety are well transported.

It is useful to consume fresh berries. They are also well suited for processing. From blackcurrant good compotes, preserves, syrups, tinctures, wine, jelly, pastille, jam, confiture are obtained.

Galinka blackcurrant gives high yields of universal berries rich in vitamin C. This is an unpretentious winter-hardy plant, but in order to obtain a large number of fruits it needs to provide optimal growing conditions.