Currants on a stem how to grow a standard currant

The functions of a modern garden include not only providing crops, but also giving the site a decorative, aesthetic appearance. Many gardeners are looking for a solution to how to combine business with pleasure. One of the worthy options is the cultivation of berry bushes and hazel trees on a trunk... This technique allows you to use dogwood, hazelnuts, chokeberries and even thorny gooseberries in landscape design. Standard currant deserves a separate discussion.

What is standard currant?

In shape, this is no longer a shrub, but a mini-tree. It has one central conductor, from the top of which several lateral branches extend.

Hungarian gardeners were the first to figure out how to grow berry crops in such an unusual way. True, this invention was born not by aesthetic needs, but by severe necessity. Wet and hot weather during the summer months caused a lot of berry spoilage: located close to the ground, they just vomited.

Standard red currant

In old pre-revolutionary Russian gardens, there were also standard berries. For a long time this method was used only by individual enthusiasts, but now the technique is gradually returning to fashion again. Especially, standard cultivation has many advantages:

• fruiting shoots and berry clusters do not fall on the ground, which reduces the percentage of spoilage;
• currants are less exposed attack by pests;
• the crown is well and evenly lit, which improves the formation of the crop;
• harvesting fruits and plant care is much easier;
• it becomes possible to do more compact landings and save the area of ​​the site;
• easier care behind the trunk circle;
• decorativeness of the standard currant by an order of magnitude surpasses bush forms.

Of course, as in any serious business, there are some drawbacks:

• standard forms less hardy;
• strong winds can break a tree.

And yet, with a skillful approach, any drawbacks can be reduced to zero.

The fruits of standard currants ripen faster and contain more sugars than fruits of the same variety in bush form. This is due to the fact that the brushes receive different amounts of sunlight during filling.

Landing features

The purchased stock currant seedling can be planted both in autumn and spring. The specific period must be selected based on the nature of the climatic zone. In regions where there is a lot of snow in winter, autumn planting is suitable.... The snow cover will protect the immature plant from freezing. If the winters have little snow, it is better to plant currants in the spring, after the soil has thawed.

A planting pit for standard currants is prepared as standard - 0.5m * 0.5m * 0.5m... Filled with compost or humus and two glasses of ash. A strong high support is driven into the bottom of the landing pit.

To plant currants, you need to prepare a hole measuring 50 * 50 * 50 cm

When planting standard currants, there is an important nuance. Unlike a bush, its seedling is not placed in a pit at an angle, but is installed directly vertically.... The plant is securely fixed to the support. The roots are straightened and a hole is buried, after which the seedling is well watered.

The standard currant will need support all its life.The fixation reduces the risk of the thin stem breaking off or falling off in the wind.

How to grow currants on a trunk with your own hands?

Standard currant seedlings do not have to be bought. It is not difficult to form such a plant yourself with your own hands.

Scheme of the formation of a currant bush stem

In practice, two growing methods are used:

• on the rootstock;
• own-rooted stem.

The first method is relatively modern. The second is the same old one that was used by gardeners more than a hundred years ago.

Growing on a self-rooted stem

Currant on own-rooted stem

Using this method, you can form a seedling of any red, black or golden currant variety purchased in the nursery or available on the site.

1. In early spring, before the start of sap flow one well-developed erect shoot with a length of 80 cm to 1 m is chosen on the plant... The rest are cut at the root.
2. On an abandoned escape pinch the top.
3. Stepping back 3-4 buds from above, blind the underlying along the entire length of the conductor.
4. When lateral shoots come from the upper buds, they should pinch over 3-5 sheet.
5. In the second year, pinching is repeated on growing shoots.
6. Beginning from the third year perform only thinning and sanitary pruning as needed.

Throughout the life of the plant, it will be necessary to keep an eye on the stem and remove all emerging growth from it.

Growing on rootstock

This method is today the most frequently used in European nurseries. But in order to grow standard currants in this way, you need to master the art of "garden surgery". If possible, a seedling or a stalk of golden currant Breht Corona is bought for the stock... If not, you can try using your own plants.

Black standard currant on stock

1. From rooted cuttings or cuttings rootstock material is grown, initially driving the plant into one vertical shoot. All lateral branches appearing on the future trunk are removed so that the trunk thickens more quickly. The stock is considered ready for use when it is the length will reach 80 cm, but top thickness - 4-5 mm.
2. Hand the graft is taken from a stalk of any variety you like... It is better to choose winter-hardy, disease-resistant, with beautiful long tassels. Scion length - 3-4 buds.
3. Vaccinate in the stem improved copulation method.
4. On the trunk blind all kidneys.
5. When the lateral shoots growing on the scion reach a length of 10-15 cm, they are pinched over the 3rd leaf. It is impossible to let them grow stronger: there is a lot of windage, and the plant can break off at the grafting site.
6. The next year, new side shoots are pinched in the same way.
7. From the third year after vaccination - sanitary and thinning pruning.

After vaccination, the bole will again and again try to release lateral shoots. This must be monitored and unnecessary to be removed in time.

For the scion, you need to take lignified cuttings, 4-5 mm thick. Too young and thin-skinned can dry out before they take root. The buds on the handle should be dormant. If even a small green cone is visible, the success of the procedure is questionable.

Standard currant care

The life span of the standard currant is longer than that of the bush. "Berry on a stick" can successfully bear fruit up to 15-18 years... A complex of agrotechnical measures is required to ensure the harvest.

Drying and waterlogging of the soil must not be allowed. Watering is necessary as needed, ensuring the penetration of moisture to a depth of at least 1 meter. In autumn, especially in dry years, it is useful to do water-charging irrigation to increase the winter hardiness of currants.

Spring: nitrogen fertilizers (manure humus, compost). You need to be careful with urea - standard forms cannot be overfed with nitrogen. Summer: manure - 5 kg, potassium sulfate - 10 g, superphosphate - 40 g. Autumn: superphosphate - 50 g, potassium sulfate - 20 g.

Starting from the 4th year of life, rejuvenating pruning is performed. Every year, all old shoots on which fruiting have ceased are removed from the plant. The shape of the crown is maintained by cutting off the thickening shoots. Root growth is regularly removed.

To prevent freezing of branches (especially in black currants) for the winter, standard currants can be wrapped in a cover of 2-3 layers of agrospan.

Another important manipulation required when caring for standard currants is a garter. Branches loaded with crops can break off. One of the best ways to prevent disaster is to build an umbrella chat room.... This construction resembles a carousel:

Chatalovka scheme for standard currant

• into a wooden support, to which a stem is tied, screw a self-tapping screw on top;
• to the self-tapping screw tie several pieces of twine (by the number of branches);
• the ends of the twine are tied around the branches and pull up a little.

Thus, the branches with the harvest are in limbo and do not break off.

The standard shape of the currant allows you to use the area of ​​the trunk circle for planting useful plants. For example, you can plant a mixture of marigolds and pyrethrum around the tree, which will protect the currants from spider and kidney mites, aphids and gall midges.

Conclusion

Growing currants on a trunk is a creative activity. Having shown imagination, you can create alleys or labyrinths of berry mini-trees on your site, at the same time freeing up the area for flowers and lawn... And the rich harvests that the standard currant brings will become an additional bonus.

Growing currants on a trunk not only provides a rich harvest, but also allows you to actively use shrubs in landscape design. The standard method consists in forming a high trunk, due to which the bush turns into a tree.

For this, a vertical support dug into the ground is used, to which the trunk of the plant is gradually tied.

Pros and cons of standard currant

The standard method of growing plants requires constant attention of the gardener, but, nevertheless, it is used quite often - because of the undeniable advantages:

1. The shoots are located higher, and, therefore, closer to the sun, due to which the harvest ripens faster, the berries are larger, and the brushes are longer.
2. It is much more convenient to cultivate the soil around the plants.
3. Young shoots are practically not threatened by parasites.
4. With the traditional method of growing currants, the lower shoots lie on the ground under their own weight and the berries spoil on them. With the standard method, this is excluded.
5. Standard currant looks aesthetically pleasing and can become part of the landscape composition of the site.
6. Harvesting from standard plants is much more convenient.
7. Distances between plants can be reduced by using the area of ​​the site to the maximum.

There are also some disadvantages. In strong gusts of wind, the tall thin barrel can break. Also, standard plants are considered less winter-hardy. However, with proper care for currants, these nuances are not scary.

How to grow a standard currant with your own hands?

Best suited for the formation of a stem of currant varieties that give a minimum of shoots at the bottom of the bush, for example, Goliath or Dove. Not only black currants are suitable for boles - red currant varieties look no less impressive in the form of trees.

The planting season is determined by the peculiarity of the climate. In regions where winters are always snowy, you can plant currants in the fall. The snow cover will prevent the seedlings from freezing. If the winters have little snow, plant the currants in the spring when the soil is completely thawed.

Prepare a hole of 0.5x0.5x0.5 m for each seedling. The soil in the hole should be fertilized with ash and humus. Drive a high and strong support into the bottom of the hole, to which the plant will be tied.The seedlings are installed strictly vertically, the rhizome is sprinkled with earth, the trunk is carefully and carefully tied to a support and the plant is watered abundantly.

There are two options for the formation of a stem: own-rooted and on a rootstock.

Own-rooted stem

Using this method, you can grow a stem from any seedling you have in stock. To do this, in early spring, cut off all the shoots at the root, except for one - well-developed, erect, about a meter long. The top must be pinched.

Then leave 3-4 upper buds, blind the rest. Pinch young shoots from the remaining buds over 3-5 leaves. The whole procedure must be repeated next spring.

In the third year, cutting is performed only when necessary, removing diseased, dried out or abnormally growing shoots. As the trunk grows, remember to tie it to a support.

Stock on stock

This method is relatively new and more labor intensive. First you need to grow stock. To do this, you need, as in the previous case, to cut off the side shoots and pinch the top until the trunk reaches 80 cm in height.

Then you need to take the graft for the graft. It may be a plant of a different variety than the stock material. The length of the scion is 3-4 dormant buds, the thickness is 4-5 mm. Using the method of improved copulation, inoculation is performed in the stem.

Improved copulation differs from simple copulation in that additional cuts are made on oblique cuts of the scion and rootstock, due to which the connection is tighter, and the accretion is faster.

On the trunk, you need to blind all the kidneys. Then we act as in the previous case - we pinch young shoots for the first two years, then only sanitary pruning.

Photo: the order of the formation of bushes using a trunk:

Standard currant care

You need to water the standard plants regularly, but you do not need to water the soil. Water should penetrate deep into the ground to a depth of 1-1.5 m. In autumn, it is advisable to water the plants more abundantly, fertilize with superphosphate (50g) and potassium sulfate (10g). In the spring, currants are fertilized with compost or manure humus, it is better not to use urea. In the summer, add manure (5kg), potassium sulfide (10g) and superphosphate (40g) to the soil.

Anti-aging pruning begins in the fourth year. Regularly remove root growth, thickening shoots and old shoots that are no longer bearing fruit. For the winter, standard currants must be wrapped with Agrospan in two or three layers.

Be sure to tie the branches so that they do not break under the weight of the crop. To do this, screw the self-tapping screw into the upper part of the support, to which the trunk is tied.

Tie pieces of twine to the self-tapping screw in an amount corresponding to the number of branches that you want to tie. Tie the ends of the twine around the branches and pull up a little.

Growing standard currants will allow you not only to harvest a rich harvest, but also to try yourself as a landscape designer. Marigolds or other plants can be planted around the trunk of the trunk, which will add beauty to your site and protect the currants from attacks of insect pests.

Standard currant is a great option for small gardens or adjoining territories. In order to form the currants on the trunk, it will take 3 years. Formation starts from the moment of landing.

Good lighting on the branches has a positive effect on the size and number of berries. Harvesting is much easier. With this method of growing currants, the bushes can be planted much closer to each other than with traditional agricultural technology. The optimal and most decorative height of the currant stem is from 50 cm to one meter.

Currant on a trunk: a step-by-step guide

1. We immediately choose a strong straight vertical shoot, and the rest, if any, we cut out at the root.
2. Determine the maximum height of the currant stem and completely remove all side branches to this point.
3. Next, a light-blocking tube is put on it or tied with a black film over the entire length of the proposed stem.
4. The tube should be buried 10 cm into the ground. Under such conditions, branching of the shoot will not occur.

The plant must be tied to a peg, otherwise it may break from the wind or under the weight of the crop. The top of the standard currant is pinched in the first year. Then the next spring, the formed lateral branches are pinched. This is done until the stem of the desired shape is formed. This process usually takes 2-3 years.

Thickening, diseased, broken branches need to be removed annually. From the age of seven, currants on a trunk need rejuvenating pruning. It is carried out in stages, cut out 1-2 old branches. When new root shoots appear, they are completely removed. The most popular standard forms of berries are spherical and spherical.

• RELATED ARTICLE: Planting gooseberries, care and protection from pests

By the way, standard gooseberries can be formed after grafting on a stock of golden currants. The gooseberry grafted with several varieties with different fruit colors looks very impressive.

Growing currants on a trunk: disadvantages

• Suitable only for temperate climates.
• We need frost-resistant varieties.
• In the winter with little snow and cold, currants on the trunk can freeze out.
• In winters with little snow, the harvest is reduced by up to 50%.
• Shorter stem life compared to bush form.

The maximum age of standard black currants is 10 years, for red and white currants - 12 years, for golden ones - 18 years.

Peak fruiting of standard currant:

4-5 years for black currants;

6-12 years old for white;

6-8 years for golden;

7-12 for red.

Gooseberries on a stem, grafted on a stock of golden currants and rooted live up to 25 years. Stable fruiting begins at the age of 5.

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Almost every gardener probably knows that in order to get a good harvest from a currant crop, it is necessary to organize proper care for it. And in order to increase the yield of currants, you can grow a shrub on a trunk.

So, the standard currant, how to grow successfully, and how to properly organize the care of the crop, and we will consider below.

Pros and cons

Standard currant has the shape of a small tree. And it appeared thanks to Hungarian gardeners. They were the first to come to the conclusion that growing in this way will help to remove the maximum amount of harvest and minimize the loss of berries.

The fact is that if the weather is humid and hot in summer, the berries that are on the branches closer to the ground tend to deteriorate.

And, having tried this form of cultivation, gardeners found that there are a lot of advantages of this method, namely:

• the berry clusters are several times larger, as are the fruits themselves, due to the fact that the sun's rays evenly illuminate the entire culture;
• ripening of fruits is uniform and it occurs much earlier;
• crop losses are minimized;
• the currant tree is several times less exposed to the attacks of defects and insect pests;
• the duration of full fruiting and the life of the culture is much higher;
• no effort is required to harvest;
• a stalk can be used as a planting material;
• due to the fact that the standard currant has relatively small forms, the area in the front garden can be used more rationally;
• the appearance of the tree is quite attractive.

But at the same time, it is worth highlighting that this form of cultivation also has certain disadvantages. Of course, there are not many of them, but they are still there, and this point should be taken into account. So, the disadvantages of growing on a stem:

• due to the high trunk, the tree is practically not covered with snow, so it should be wrapped up on its own for wintering;
• almost all standard crops can break in a strong wind, for this reason, you need to take care of strong backwaters in advance;
• As a rule, the yield of standard crops decreases several times after 7 years, and, unfortunately, it is almost impossible to restore it.

As you can see from all of the above, there are not so many shortcomings, and it is quite possible to exclude them. The main thing is to treat the cultivation of currants on a trunk responsibly.

Standard currant varieties

Growing a culture such as currants on a trunk will not be difficult even for a novice gardener. Moreover, this method has many advantages, namely:

• as a planting material, you can safely use a stalk with literally one bud;
• standard trees can be planted at a distance of 30 cm;
• all varieties of currants grown in this way give a good harvest, and the berries are several times better in taste.

It is worth highlighting that in order to remove many tasty fruits annually, it is necessary to regularly pinch the tops and excise all unnecessary sprouts.

Black currant on a trunk

The black currant variety is the most popular. Since such berries are not only excellent in taste, but also very useful. Well, as for the best varieties, the following can be distinguished:

• Monastic currant;
• Stork;
• Commemorative.

In this case, one important detail must always be taken into account: when growing this variety on a stem, keep in mind that it is several times more sensitive to severe frosts. Therefore, in harsh climatic zones, it is not recommended to grow black currants on a trunk.

Red standard currant

Red currant fruits are endowed with excellent taste. Therefore, this variety is most often used in cooking. Moreover, if we compare this variety with black currant, then this culture is less whimsical to the climatic conditions of living.

Thanks to this, red currants are successfully grown in various territories. As for the choice of the variety, this variety grows well on the trunk if the following varieties are used:

• Natalie;
• Rondom;
• Accordion.

It is worth noting that there are other varieties that have worked well as well. But in order to make the right choice, it is worth purchasing a seedling directly from the nursery.

How to grow yourself

How to grow standard currants? At the moment, there are 3 ways to grow this crop using this method, namely:

• to plant a cutting on a seedling;
• form a stem by trimming buds and sprouts;
• form a stem with a tube.

So, let's take a closer look at each of the methods, and what a gardener will need to carry out such manipulations.

Inoculation by cuttings

The first way to obtain a standard tree is to graft a cutting onto a young seedling. To do this, you need to perform the following manipulations:

• prepare a currant stalk in March;
• then, place it in the cellar, check regularly so that the prepared material does not dry out;
• if the stalk starts budding, you should get rid of them;
• the next spring, at the end of March, the cutting is taken out and with its help they are inoculated on a one-year-old seedling about a meter from the ground.

And the final stage: the grafted stalk is strengthened by tying it to a peg on both sides. After the grafting is completed, the seedling must be well cared for. In this case, all shoots that will grow close to the root system must be excised. Well, as for obtaining fruits, literally the next year after vaccination, the standard tree will delight you with delicious fruits.

Shaping the trunk by trimming

The second method of obtaining a standard tree is considered one of the simplest.To obtain a standard culture in this way, the following manipulation is performed: before planting a seedling, you need to remove all buds and sprouts from it to a height of at least 40 cm, and at the same time keep in mind that the crown of the future tree is also subject to pruning.

For this, about 7 apical buds are selected, and the rest are disposed of.

And the last method is the most unusual, but also quite simple. To obtain a standard tree in this way, you will need to stock up on a tube that will not let light through. Then, the stored tube is put on the trunk of the seedling in such a way that the height fully corresponds to the future trunk.

Forming a trunk with a tube

Then the prepared plant is planted in the soil by immersing the tube in the ground for a couple of centimeters. And the final stage is the establishment of a support for the future tree.

It is worth noting that whichever of the above options you choose, a good result will depend on the care you organize correctly.

How planting material is planted

How is the correct planting and care of a standard tree carried out? It will not be difficult to grow standard currants on your own if you adhere to a few simple rules, namely:

• planting material for boles is planted 5 cm deeper than for obtaining an ordinary shrub;
• during disembarkation, most of the sprouts that are at ground level must be excised;
• the next year after planting, the young tree should be tied up;
• the growth that has been formed cannot be shortened;
• do not forget to cut off all new and damaged shoots in the process of leaving;
• in the event that the branch has ceased to bear fruit, it must be replaced with a new shoot.

As a rule, a properly planted crop always produces large fruits at its top. Therefore, try to carry out the planting process correctly. And do not forget that a good harvest depends largely on care.

Caring for a standard tree

In order for the grown currants to annually please with a good harvest of large berries, it is necessary to organize proper care for it, which consists in performing the following manipulations:

• annual pruning starting from the second year of growth;
• applying top dressing to the soil;
• watering and weeding the front garden;
• treatment against pests and defects.

It is worth noting that caring for a standard crop is not much different from caring for ordinary currant bushes, the only difference is that pruning is done in a slightly different way.

If you grow currants on a trunk, then you will need to leave about 7 replacement branches on the crown annually. This is done for three years, until the formation of the tree is completed. In addition, do not forget about pinching all the tops, with the help of which a spreading crown is formed.

Conclusion

So, above we examined in detail how to grow currants on a trunk with our own hands. It remains to add that it is quite possible to get a good tree, while there is no need to make every effort. The main thing is to strictly follow all the recommendations from experienced gardeners, and in this case, trees will surely appear in your front garden, delighting with a good harvest.