Currant Beloved

Novice gardeners, choosing the types of currants for growing on the site, give preference to varieties that do not require painstaking care and, of course, give bountiful harvests. These are just the red currants with the beautiful name Beloved.

The Darling Currant is the result of the painstaking work of Belarusian scientists. The creator of the variety is the breeder A. G. Voluznev (RNPD Unitary Enterprise “Institute of Fruit Growing of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus”). The culture was brought out in 1991, at the same time it was added to the State Register of Breeding Achievements of Belarus. For breeding the variety, the following currant species were used: Cherry and (Dutch Red + Wonderful). Berry culture joined the ranks of the Russian register in 2006. It is recommended to breed currants in the Central region of the Russian Federation.

Beloved is a medium-sized bush with a slightly spreading structure, moderate branching and an irregularly rounded shape. The plant has erect, powerful shoots, dark green leaves with dullness, a developed root system (occurrence up to 100 cm) and oblong buds deflected from the shoots. During the flowering period (the first half of May), the bush is covered with yellow-green glkbokobludsevid flowers. Fruit clusters, directed downward, are endowed with moderate length and arcuate shape. A large number of berries are formed in each fruit cluster, so the clusters look weighty. The life span of the Beloved currant bush is 20-25 years.

Currant bush Beloved stands out for its incredibly beautiful bunches, strewn with medium bright berries. On average, the weight of one berry is 0.6-0.8 grams. The shape of the berries is correct - round and with a perfectly smooth surface. Interestingly, currant berries grow in the same size and shape. At the stage of full ripening, the berries are evenly covered with a bright red color. The peel of the berries is thin, glossy, even.

The purpose of the variety is universal: the currants are eaten fresh, canned, processed, frozen, used in cooking. In addition, currants tolerate transportation well, and can also be stored for a long time under the right conditions (up to 2 weeks at + 7-8 degrees and up to 1.5 months at + 1-2).

The taste and marketability of currants are excellent. The pulp of the berries is tender, juicy, with an average number of seeds. The taste has both pronounced sourness and pleasant sweetness. The berry has a classic, light aroma. The skin is thin, not felt when eating currants. The pulp contains about 6% sugars.

In addition to being tasty, currant berries are also very healthy, since their pulp contains vitamin C, iodine, carotene and coumarin. The latter reduces blood clotting.

Currant Neaglyadnaya belongs to the species with medium ripening periods. Bushes begin to bear fruit in 3-4 years, but the peak of productivity falls on 8-10 years. Ripening begins in the last decade of June, but weather conditions can make adjustments by shifting the dates to early July.

The yield indicators of the variety are high. Under favorable conditions, 9-12 kg of red berries can be harvested from one bush. In the first year of fruiting, the plant produces smaller yields - up to 3 kg of berries. On an industrial scale, the figures are impressive - 105 centners per hectare.

Currant Beloved refers to self-fertile. She is incredibly attractive to bees and bumblebees. This species is considered to be 60% self-fertile, that is, more than half of the ovaries are formed without the help of pollinators. Experienced summer residents, however, recommend planting pollinating bushes nearby, for example, Sugar, Dutch Red, or Ionhirvan Tets, to increase yields.

It is recommended to plant a berry crop in the fall, in the first decade of September. Reproduction is carried out in three ways: green cuttings, layering or dividing the bush. The seedling is selected with a developed rhizome.

The beloved currant is not capricious in agricultural technology, but it is a little demanding to the place of growth and soil. The plant grows well on light and breathable loam or sandy loam. The passage of groundwater must be deep, since the root does not tolerate stagnant moisture. The best choice would be an area on the sunny side, protected from drafts. It is recommended to plant the plant next to gooseberries, but planting near black currants is prohibited.

Crop care includes watering, fertilizing, loosening the soil under bushes, pruning branches annually, and protecting against viruses and pests. An adult, healthy shrub has 10 branches.

The plant has a good immune system, so it is rarely exposed to powdery mildew, kidney mites and anthracnose. Sometimes currant bushes get sick with leaf spot (septoria), goblet rust and terry.

Due to their resistance to stress, the bushes easily endure winter with its temperature jumps. However, it should be borne in mind that the currant does not tolerate heat well, does not like prolonged shade, responding with a decrease in fruiting, and is also afraid of recurrent spring frosts.