Black currant Vigorous, description and agricultural technology

Currant Yadrenaya was bred in Altai in the department of mountain horticulture of the Siberian Research Institute of Horticulture named after Lisavenko. Author Lidiya Nikiforovna Zabelina. The variety is zoned for the West Siberian and Volga-Vyatka regions, but grows well in the middle zone and the Central Black Earth region. This variety of currant is also grown in neighboring countries: in Ukraine, Belarus, and the Baltic states.

Description of the variety

Currant Vigorous, medium-late ripening, universal purpose. The bushes are low, sparse, medium spreading. They produce few shoots; when pruning, you should not count on dense growth. The brushes are long and sparse. The fruits ripen quite quickly, and harvesting must be done within a short period of time. The berries are very large, black, plum-shaped, shiny, fleshy, and contain a large number of seeds. The skin is dense and thick. The taste is sweet and sour (4.3 points), with a strong currant aroma, refreshing.

• yield 3-7 kg/bush depending on the growing region;
• berry weight 2.5-6.5 g;
• substance content: sugar 9.0%, acid 3.7%;
• ascorbic acid content 96 mg/%.

In the photo there is Yadrenaya currant.

Advantages of the variety:

1. High yield and large fruit. Yadrenaya is one of the largest-fruited blackcurrant varieties.
2. Very winter-hardy and frost-resistant. With sufficient snow cover, it can withstand frosts down to -40°C without being damaged. It tolerates long winter thaws without visible problems.
3. High heat resistance and drought resistance. This variety is one of the most heat-resistant.
4. Resistant to powdery mildew.
5. Yadrenaya is quite resistant to the grouse virus.
6. It is very slightly affected by the kidney mite.

Disadvantages of the variety:

1. Excessive acid content in fruits. The taste is quite sour, although pleasant.
2. Non-uniformity of berries.
3. Low transportability.
4. Not resistant to anthracnose.
5. Rapid aging of bushes.
6. Insufficient number of shoots after pruning.

Yadrenaya currant berries reach the size declared by the originator only in the zone for which it was bred (i.e. Western Siberia, Altai). In the middle zone and Chernozem region, although the fruits are large, their weight rarely exceeds 3.5 g.

Features of agricultural technology of Yadrenaya currant

The place under Yadrenaya should be sunny. In more southern regions, it is advisable to plant in partial shade so that the crop does not suffer too much from heat and drought.

Planting currants

Currants are planted in the fall. The distance between the bushes should be at least 1.5-2 m. Compact planting reduces the feeding area of ​​the bushes, and this always leads to a decrease in the size of the fruit.

When planting currants, the distance between the bushes should be at least two meters.

Before planting, organic matter is added both directly to the planting holes and to the soil surface within a radius of 1 m, followed by incorporation. An hour before planting, the seedlings are dipped in a bucket of water so that the roots replenish their moisture supply. If the root system is closed, then plant immediately and carry out abundant watering. When planting in spring, the shoots are shortened to 3 buds. The vigorous variety must be planted obliquely in order to create conditions for the best formation of young shoots, since this variety does not produce root shoots very well.

Bush pruning

Pruning is carried out annually either in early spring before buds open, or in late autumn when the currants have entered a dormant period. But in the fall it is very difficult to determine the onset of this period, since the growing season continues almost until the onset of stable cold weather and in case of premature pruning, the shoots that have begun to grow will freeze. The best time for autumn pruning is early to mid-October. Work cannot be carried out later, since the ends of the branches may freeze, and in the spring they will still have to be cut out.

Scheme for pruning currant bushes.

In the first year of fruiting, only 2 shoots are left. Then every year they do heavy pruning, since the variety ages quickly and, moreover, produces few shoots.Therefore, starting from the 3rd year of fruiting, several branches are shortened by about 1/3. If the result is unsatisfactory, then cut out 1-3 weak branches to the base, then basal shoots will appear. Vigorous throughout the entire fruiting period, it needs strong pruning, otherwise its productive period is reduced to 5-7 years. Fully formed currants should contain 10-12 shoots.

Top dressing

This variety responds well to fertilizing. Depending on the soils on which currants are grown, 2-3 feedings are carried out per season. During the period of intensive growth of ovaries, the bushes are sprayed with a solution of microelements (infusion of ash or any microfertilizers). No other batteries are needed at this time. The use of nitrogen during the fruiting period is unacceptable.

Yadrenaya loves leaf feeding.

In case of rainy weather, liquid root feeding is done with solutions of the same fertilizers.

After harvesting, Yadrenaya must be fed with phosphorus fertilizers, embedded in the soil around the perimeter of the crown, or watered with a phosphorus extract. During the same period, potassium fertilizers are applied (1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water).

In autumn, rotted manure or humus is applied along the perimeter of the crown, embedding it into the soil to a depth of 5-7 cm.

Currant care

Watering is carried out once a week, 3-4 buckets per bush. Although the variety is quite drought-resistant, if there is no watering in dry weather, the berries become noticeably smaller, and ripe fruits begin to crumble. To avoid drying out of the soil under the currants, mulch with straw, sawdust, and hay. In addition, mulch protects the roots from overheating, which has a positive effect on the productivity of the variety. Watering is carried out along the perimeter of the crown, but not in the center of the bush, since there are no sucking roots there.During the period of ripening of berries, watering is reduced, otherwise cracking of the fruits occurs.

Yadrenaya currant ripens smoothly and quickly. The berries are picked as they ripen; if they are left too long, the sugar content of the fruit may decrease.

This is the harvest

Do not dig up the trunk circles, since the roots of the currant are close to the surface and can be damaged.

The variety is quite resistant to diseases and pests, so preventive treatments are carried out in early spring before flowering and in the fall. Affected and diseased branches are cut out.

Yadrenaya is propagated by green and lignified cuttings.

In general, the variety is quite simple in agricultural technology and is used both for cultivation by amateur gardeners and in commercial plantings. Fully ripe berries do not tolerate transportation well, but during the period of technical ripeness they can be transported over short distances. This variety of currant is mainly intended for fresh consumption and processing. We can recommend it to all connoisseurs of large berries with a traditional currant aroma.

Reviews from gardeners about Yadrenaya currants

Gardeners have different opinions about this variety. All in one - Yadrenaya is one of the largest varieties of black currant. It has an attractive appearance; such large berries quickly sell out on the market. True, transportability is not particularly good, but if the market is nearby, then this is not a very big drawback.

Those with a sweet tooth do not like the taste of Yadrenaya; it is very traditional, with pronounced sourness. If you have managed to get used to new, dessert varieties, then you may be slightly disappointed with the taste of these berries.

Here's what the gardeners themselves write:

“I have been growing Yadrenaya currant for 5 years.I don’t really like the taste, but what huge berries, how nice it is to pick them! I plan to plant 1-2 more varieties, but I’ll still leave this one.”

“This is my favorite variety, with a wonderful sweet and sour taste. And what big currants! Some of our friends asked twice: “What kind of berry is this growing?” They couldn’t believe that currants could be that size.”

“We live in Siberia, in the summer we visited relatives in the Ryazan region. They also grow Yadrenaya, the berries are also not small, but ours are much larger. Apparently it was not in vain that it was bred for Siberia.”

“Why are you running around with this Yadrenaya. Well, it’s a large berry, but the quality of a variety is determined not only by size. Now there are much better varieties."

“The best black currant is Yadrenaya. This summer I finished testing this variety of black currant, which I was very pleased with. This is the largest-fruited of all the existing varieties that exist now, the berries are the size of a five-ruble coin, all as one, and this despite the fact that there was a severe drought this season. The variety is a late variety, the berries taste like regular black currants.”