Currant Jonker Van Tets

Red currants are the beauty of gardens, the prima of all types of currants. The variety Jonker Van Tets (synonyms Jonkheer Van Tets, Jonhir van Tets, Jonker van Tets, Jonker van Tets), bred in Holland, has been developing the territories of central Russia since 1992 and is loved by those who have already met her. The purpose of the berry is universal. It is great both fresh and grated with sugar, both in jam and in the form of jam, and the cakes decorated with it look elegant and bright.

The originators of the variety were Dutch breeders, who received an excellent result after crossing the Faya Fertile and London Market varieties. Having mastered the vastness of Western Europe, in 1992 the beauty got into the gardens of Russia, and in the same year it was approved for use.

Vigorous (up to 170 cm), erect dense bushes consist of thick, undisturbed pinkish shoots during growth, covered with light beige bark during lignification. The branches are covered with large, leathery, five-lobed leaves. The veins are clearly visible on the dark green leaf plate, the shape is rounded, the basal lobes are well developed, the petioles are thick and strong.

Advantages of the variety:

• yield;

• versatility;

• strong immunity;

• rich chemical composition;

• excellent taste and attractive appearance.

Disadvantages:

• the impossibility of growing in the northern regions;

• early flowering coincides with the period of return frosts;

• the need to form a bush and organize a shelter for the winter.

The plant blooms with interesting saucer-shaped flowers, collected in a cluster of average density 10 cm long, forming up to 10 ovaries.

Berries of medium size, weighing from 0.68 to 0.7 g, have a round or slightly pear-shaped shape and a carmine-red color with a strong sheen, making them look like rubies. The pulp is covered with a dense, smooth skin.

The chemical composition of the berries:

• sugar - 13.3%;

• dry matter - 6.2%.

Vitamins:

• retinol and choline;

• carotene, biotin and niacin;

• phylloquinone, tocopherol, thiamine;

• folates, pyridoxine and riboflavin;

• nicotinic, ascorbic, pantothenic acids.

Trace elements - K, Ca, Si, Mg, Na, S, Ph, Cl, Al, B, V, Fe, I, Co, Li, Mn, Cu, Mo, Ni, Rb, Se, Sr, F, Cr, Cr and Zr.

Inside the berry there are large seeds in small quantities - 4 or 5 pieces. The fruits are distinguished by good transportability.

Yonker Van Tets currant berry has a pleasant, refreshing and sweet taste with a moderate degree of acidity.

The variety belongs to the mid-early category - the fruiting is extended, the harvest is harvested from mid-July to early August. Fruiting begins at 3 years after planting, the peak yield occurs at 5-8 years. The life of the bush is up to 20 years, it is prone to constant rejuvenation due to root suckers.

The yield is good - up to 6.5 kilograms of tasty and healthy berries are removed from the bush, up to 16 tons per hectare.

The variety is adapted for the countries of Western Europe, in the Russian Federation it is cultivated in the middle lane - North-West, Central Black Earth Region, Volgo-Vyatka regions

Despite the fact that the variety is self-fertile, cross-pollination doubles the yield. Planting varieties with the same flowering time next door will be the best solution for the gardener.

Currant Yonker Van Tets prefers to settle on dry, light, slightly acidic soils with constant lighting and protection from cold winds and drafts. The optimal distance between bushes is 1 meter, in row spacings 1.5 meters. At the same time, one must remember about the threat of soaking of the root system - there should be no groundwater and swampy areas nearby.

A landing pit measuring 70x70x70 cm is prepared in advance - about two weeks before disembarkation. At the bottom, a drainage layer of pebbles, crushed stone of small and medium fractions, gravel, and broken brick is arranged. It is recommended to lay an organic “cushion” of rotted manure, dry grass or hay on top of the drainage layer. Subsequently, it will become an additional nutrient layer. The excavated fertile land is enriched with organic matter (humus, compost, bird droppings), complex mineral fertilizers, wood ash, superphosphate and potassium sulfate. A properly filled pit will allow you not to resort to top dressing for 2-3 years.

A seedling is planted in a hole filled with ⅔ of earth, placing it in an inclined state, and falling asleep, immersing the root collar by about 5-10 cm - a similar method stimulates increased root formation and a greater number of shoots. After that, the trunk circle is compacted and watered with three buckets of warm water. The next day, the moist soil should be loosened to prevent crust formation, or even better, mulched with a 10 cm layer of peat.

Further care consists in standard measures involving timely watering of a young plant (adult bushes are watered only when necessary), weeding and loosening. Additional nutrients begin to be applied in the fourth year, if the planting pit has been filled, as required by agricultural technology. In the case when the seedling was planted in depleted soil, feeding begins the next season. In the fall, it is recommended to pour 2-3 buckets of humus under each bush. In the spring, currants will need nitrogen to build up the vegetative mass, and in the second half of summer, the bushes are fed with potassium-phosphorus preparations.

During spring sanitary pruning, old, diseased, deformed, dry shoots are removed. Adult bushes need crown formation - marginal shoots are shortened by one third and pressed to the ground in different directions, thus stimulating spreading. Strong thickening is also unacceptable, therefore, branches older than 6 years are removed, leaving replacement shoots instead. The ideal crown of an adult bush is 20 branches of different ages.

For a more successful wintering in the fall, the bushes are watered abundantly, doing this before backfilling with humus. Red currant Yonker Van Tets is propagated by layering and cuttings. At the same time, the first method is faster and more reliable - by the fall, the owner of the site will have full-fledged seedlings with a developed root system, while it will take 2 years to grow a seedling from a cutting.Adult bushes are able to withstand a transplant if the need arises, but for this you will have to dig up the entire powerful root system, trying to cause it a minimum of damage. It is advisable to transfer the bush together with a clod of earth, this is the most painless way.

Jonker Van Tets is in good health and successfully resists powdery mildew and anthracnose. He is slightly less able to resist a kidney mite. In addition to these, there are many other diseases and pests that can harm the currant. Preventive treatments with insecticides and fungicides will help protect the plant and the crop.

The bushes are characterized by good winter hardiness, but they cannot endure the harsh winters of the northern regions.