Currant Versailles white

The unusual currant Versailles white or, as it is also called, Versailles Blanche has won gardeners for many years with its quick acclimatization, abundant harvests and excellent berry taste. It is successfully grown in many regions of the Russian Federation, and at home, in France, it is considered one of the best varieties.

Versailles white was registered in 1959 in the State Register as a variety approved for cultivation on the territory of Russia. From the same document, you can find out that the variety was bred in France in 1883 by M. Bertin. The exact name of the parent varieties is unknown.

This white currant is characterized by the formation of medium-sized spreading bushes of the standard type. The crown is wide, irregular in shape. The average height of an adult plant is 120-125 cm. Shoots 1 year old are thickened, easily broken, quite powerful. Leaves on a bush with matte plates, five-lobed, large in size, painted in an intense green color with a slight purple tint.

The racemes are long, drooping, not very dense. The average length is 9 cm. Each cluster contains 6-8 berries.

The root system of the plant is well developed. Grows beyond the crown. The central root is able to receive moisture from the soil at a depth of more than 1 m. The shoots on the bushes are straight. The variety is propagated by cuttings, layering, rejuvenation is carried out by dividing the bush.

Currant clusters are strewn with medium-sized berries, each weighing 0.7 g. Their shape is round, but may be slightly compressed from the poles. The color of a ripe berry is yellowish, closer to light cream, its skin is thin, translucent, rather strong. The pulp is juicy and dense inside.

Berries are high in vitamin C, sour, with a fragrant aroma. They are especially good in compotes, jams, as well as fresh, as a source of nutrients.

The variety is of medium ripening, bears fruit amicably. The berries ripen at the end of July. Fruiting begins in 2-3 years.

Above average. The average collection is 4 kg per bush. When grown on an industrial scale, you can get up to 8.0 t / ha.

Currant is included in the Russian state register. Zoned for the Central Black Earth Region, the North-Western Regions, the Urals, the Volga-Vyatka Region and the Middle Volga Region.

The currant is self-fertile. Cross-pollination is not required.

Plants need to be planted in spacious, open, well-lit areas. It is important that the soil is not waterlogged. Loose, light loamy or sandy, breathable will do. Acidity is preferably neutral or weak.

The best time for planting is 1 decade of September, in the southern regions until mid-autumn. This variety is suitable for strip and bush cultivation. For the winter, a young bush is pruned, leaving shoots about 150 mm long with 6 buds.This will allow the plants to root and acclimate faster.

Versailles White is an unpretentious currant that can grow with minimal maintenance. She needs periodic abundant watering, but without stagnant water. Moisturizing moisture is performed in the spring, when the plants wake up, and then in the fall, at the end of the growing season. The intensity of watering is also increased in summer, from flowering to ripening of berries in clusters. To add water, it is recommended to dig a groove around the bush, into which moisture will be supplied.

After each watering, the soil is loosened thoroughly, weeds are pulled out. In this case, the tool is not buried more than 10 cm.If the soil is covered with a layer of mulch, this stage of work will be performed much less often.

Plant feeding is also necessary. White currants will be much tastier and more juicy with the use of complex or special fertilizers. In the spring, cow manure is used for these purposes - 1 kg per 10 liters of water or bird droppings in a ratio of 0.5: 10. This solution will be enough to feed 3 bushes.

In summer, the white currant of this variety responds well to foliar spraying. It is useful for micronutrient fertilizers based on boric acid, copper sulfate, manganese sulfate. They also simultaneously serve to protect plants from diseases.

During the fruiting period, green dressings will be the best choice. A good result is given by infusions of nettle, mowed grass; when loosening, wood ash can be added to the soil - 0.5 kg per 1 m2. With the onset of autumn, after fruiting, the bushes are abundantly fertilized with organic matter - humus or compost.

Versailles white belongs to varieties that are highly resistant to most diseases, as well as to damage by currant mites. In this case, the bushes are affected by anthracnose. Relatively resistant to powdery mildew.

Versailles white - winter-hardy currant.Berries do not crumble during cold periods. The variety tolerates rainy weather with high humidity well. Drought tolerant. It is not customary to cover bushes in cold climates before the onset of the first frosts, otherwise the bush may vanish.

According to summer residents, Versailles white, although considered an exotic European variety, quite successfully takes root in the climate of the Moscow region and even in colder regions. It is noted that the bushes of this currant begin to give abundant harvests as early as 5 years after planting. Bushes grow well even without pruning, but you should not thicken the plantings in order to avoid the spread of pests.

Summer residents estimate the taste of berries as dessert. It is noted that in a sunny summer, they turn out to be sweeter and larger. In rainy and cold periods, the berries become smaller and lose their taste. The obvious disadvantages include the susceptibility of bushes to damage by spider mites and shoot aphids. Summer residents from different regions face this problem.