Currant. Black. Varieties. Care, Cultivation, Reproduction. Diseases And Pests. Beneficial Features. A Photo

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Currant. Black. Varieties. Care, Cultivation, Reproduction. Diseases And Pests. Beneficial Features. A Photo
Currant. Black. Varieties. Care, Cultivation, Reproduction. Diseases And Pests. Beneficial Features. A Photo

Video: Currant. Black. Varieties. Care, Cultivation, Reproduction. Diseases And Pests. Beneficial Features. A Photo

Video: Currant. Black. Varieties. Care, Cultivation, Reproduction. Diseases And Pests. Beneficial Features. A Photo
Video: Growing Currants: Troubleshooting 4 Common Problems 2024, March
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Based on historical sources, it is known that in Russia already in the XI century. this culture was grown in the monastery gardens of the Novgorod and Pskov regions. For the first time, information about it as a medicinal culture is found in medical books and herbalists of the 15th-16th centuries. The history of the Russian gardens of the Moscow State is closely connected with the cultivation of black currant. Its wild thickets were found in abundance along the banks of the Moskva River. By the way, according to some oral folk legends, the most ancient name for the Moskva River was Smorodinovka. Numerous historical documents report that already at the beginning and middle of the XVII century. in the gardens near Moscow, a large place was occupied by plantations of black currant.

Blackcurrant (Blackcurrant)
Blackcurrant (Blackcurrant)

© JossSmithson

Black currant (lat. Ríbes nígrum) is a deciduous shrub, a species of the genus Currant (Ribes) of the monotypic Gooseberry family (Grossulariaceae).

Black currant is one of the most favorite berries. In addition to its great taste, black currant is very beneficial for the health of the body. Due to its medicinal properties, black currant is often used in folk medicine for medicinal and prophylactic purposes.

Black currant is a relatively young crop. She was not known to the ancient Greeks and Romans.

Currently, the largest land area in gardens is allocated for this culture.

Black currant fruits are characterized by a valuable chemical composition - they are rich in vitamins, microelements and other biologically active compounds, sugars, organic acids, pectin, tannins, dyes.

The acidity of fruits of various varieties of black currant varies within very significant limits - from 1.8 to 4.36%. The lowest acidity is characteristic of the berries of the varieties Cantata 50, Pilot Alexander Mamkin, Belorusskaya Sladkaya and Minai Shmyrev. The same varieties, as a rule, also have a higher sugar content, which determines the pleasant taste of the fruit.

Organic acids are mainly represented by citric, malic, oxalic (very little), paracumaric. Sugars contain more fructose, less glucose and sucrose. Berries contain up to 3% fiber. When berries ripen, the total content of pectin substances decreases and the sugar content increases. There are very few carotenoids in currant berries. The content of the most active B-carotene (provitamin A) is 0.08-0.11 mg / 100 g of wet weight of black currant fruits.

The fruits are rich in vitamin E (0.72 mg / 100 g), surpassing almost all fruits and berries, with the exception of sea buckthorn, cloudberries, rose hips and black chokeberry. 100 g of fresh berries contain 0.86 mg of vitamin K.

Fruits and leaves of black currant - a valuable source of vitamin C. The content of ascorbic acid in berries fluctuates and depends on many factors: varieties, weather conditions of the growing season, age of plants, degree of fruit ripeness, agricultural techniques and a number of others.

Green fruits are the richest in vitamin C; as they ripen, the C-vitamin activity decreases and drops especially sharply when berries are overripe. Cloudy, cool summer with a lot of precipitation, especially at the end of June and the first half of July, negatively affects the content of ascorbic acid in berries.

Young leaves, collected after flowering, contain up to 400 mg / 100 g of vitamin C, as the fruits form and ripen, the C-vitamin activity of the leaves sharply decreases. After picking the berries, only 1 / 9-1 / 16 of the initial amount of vitamin C is found in the leaves. Phenolic compounds of black currant berries are mainly represented by anthocyanins, flavonols, leukoanthocyanins and catechins (with a significant prevalence of the first two groups).

Fruits contain small amounts of other vitamins - B1, B2, PP, B6, folic acid, pantothenic acid, and others. It should be emphasized that only pantothenic acid is found in quantities that may have some practical value in the human vitamin balance (0.4 mg / 100 g). According to this indicator, black currant significantly surpasses strawberries, raspberries, sea buckthorn, red currants, apples, pears, oranges, lemons, grapes, peaches and a number of other fruits and berries.

Black currant berries are one of the most valuable sources of biologically active phenolic substances, capillary-strengthening, anti-sclerotic, anti-inflammatory, vasodilating (antispasmodic) action.

The leaves are even richer in the indicated compounds. It has been established that 100 g of fresh leaves contain the following amounts of phenolic compounds (in mg): flavonols - 980-2700, catechins - 574-3320, leukoanthocyanins - 504-1320. It is known that black currant leaves are often a component of recipes for pickling and soaking vegetables and fruits. They not only help to preserve the natural color of raw materials, but also enrich products with phenolic compounds and vitamin C.

Blackcurrant (Blackcurrant)
Blackcurrant (Blackcurrant)

© Eamonn_Sullivan

Planting currants

Currant bushes are sold both in pots and with bare roots.

Planting holes with a depth of 40-45 cm are prepared several weeks before planting so that the soil has time to settle well. A bucket of humus mixed with earth and 100 g of superphosphate is placed at the bottom of the pit.

In central Russia, currants are best planted in the fall, from the second half of September to early October. Spring planting is also possible. In order not to expose the plant to unnecessary stress during transplanting, in the spring it is necessary to plant as early as possible, as soon as the soil allows and until the buds of the plant have blossomed. The most optimal distance between the bushes is 1.8 m. The planting hole should be large enough to accommodate the plant's roots.

When planting black currants, ensure that the plant is properly buried. The root collar of the seedling is buried by 5 cm. From this, the plant forms additional roots, and the bush becomes thicker. After planting, the soil is carefully compacted, watered abundantly and mulched with humus.

After planting, all the shoots of the seedling are cut off, leaving only 2 buds above the ground. This may seem like a radical pruning, but it helps to develop a strong root system and a well-branched bush.

Blackcurrant (Blackcurrant)
Blackcurrant (Blackcurrant)

© mwri

Care

The main care measures for currants are watering, weed control and pruning. Watering is especially important during dry periods. Currants also consume a lot of moisture during the beginning of the formation of berries and their ripening. To prevent weeds from taking moisture from the currants, they must be destroyed.

With the onset of fruiting, currants should be regularly fed with fertilizers. In autumn, 100-120 g of superphosphate and 30-40 g of potassium chloride are introduced under each bush. In early spring, 40-50 g of nitrogen fertilizers are applied. This is followed by annual mulching with a mixture of rotted manure and peat. This mulching not only fertilizes, but also helps to retain moisture and inhibits the growth of weeds.

Pruning of a fruiting bush is carried out annually, as a rule, in late autumn or early spring. About 20% of the shoots are removed from the middle of the bush to keep it clear and not thickened. Then remove about 15% of the older shoots, as well as all sick and pest-affected branches.

Blackcurrant (Blackcurrant)
Blackcurrant (Blackcurrant)

© plenty.r.

Reproduction

Black currants are propagated by layering, lignified and green cuttings.

One of the most common breeding methods is layering. The method of propagation by horizontal layers is considered the simplest and it is used most often.

If there is a high-yielding variety in the garden, then using this breeding method, in one year you can get powerful seedlings with a well-developed root system. For rooting, shallow grooves are dug out in advance near the bushes. In early spring, before the start of sap flow, annual shoots are shortened by 1/5 of their length in order to activate bud germination. Shoots with trimmed tops are laid on the bottom of the grooves, pinned to the ground with wooden or metal hooks and do not fall asleep until the green shoots that have grown from the buds reach a height of 8-10 cm.

In order for the branch to hold well in the hole in the desired position, in the center of the hole it is fixed with a wire hook. Then the hole is covered with soil and watered regularly during the summer. A prerequisite for the successful rooting of cuttings, which begins in July and goes actively, starting from the end of August, is the moist condition of the soil.

By autumn, the branch takes root well and you get a full-fledged seedling with a powerful root system and 2-3 thick branches. In the same autumn, the rooted cut with a pruner is cut off from the mother bush and transplanted to a permanent place.

The method of propagation of shrubs by horizontal layers allows you to get a large number of seedlings, because 5-7 shoots can be taken from a healthy strong bush.

Reproduction by lignified cuttings is also not difficult and is available to every amateur gardener.

In this case, use healthy, undamaged annual shoots as thick as a pencil. Shoots are usually cut in December, although they can be harvested throughout the winter. The prepared cuttings are stored in different ways. They can be dug in wet peat with sawdust and the boxes can be placed in a cool room, where it is necessary to maintain a temperature of 0- + 5 ° C and conduct ventilation. With another method of storage, the cuttings, after cutting, are dipped in water with their ends for a short time, and then placed in a plastic bag. The bags are kept in the refrigerator.

Some gardeners do it even easier: in a raw potato they make several holes along the diameter of the cuttings, insert them, tie the ends together, wrap them with a damp cloth and then paper.

In the spring, cuttings are planted in the garden as early as possible on specially prepared beds with 20 cm spacing and a row spacing of 15 cm, and immediately after planting they put labels with the name of the variety. Labels are best made from food grade aluminum foil.

You can easily write on them with a ballpoint pen, squeezing out letters (you get a rotting, indelible, non-wetting and not fading in the sun "eternal" label).

From mid-June to mid-August, berry bushes can be propagated by green cuttings, but June cuttings root better. For green cuttings, lateral shoots are used, which have completed their growth and formed an apical bud.

Cuttings in the garden can be planted both in autumn and early spring. For planting in spring, cuttings 18-20 cm long are harvested in October November, i.e. at the beginning of winter, before the onset of severe frosts, which can destroy the buds of currants. They are taken from annual shoots growing from the root or grown on two to three year old branches. It is better to take cuttings from the middle of the shoot. Their thickness should be 8-10 mm. Immediately after cutting, both ends of the cutting are dipped in molten garden varnish or paraffin. With this treatment, they do not lose moisture during storage. Then the cuttings are tied into bundles according to varieties, labels are carefully tied, first wrapped in slightly damp paper, then in plastic wrap, buried and stored deep in the snow until planting. You can also store it in your home refrigerator on a shelf under the freezer.

In the spring of next year, young plants, obtained by propagation with lignified and green cuttings, are transplanted to the garden bed. Planting of plants can be carried out with the onset of warm days, in mid-April. Transplanting at a later date is best done in cloudy weather. Plants are placed according to a 40 x 50 cm scheme, watered abundantly, and in sunny weather they are shaded.

Many amateur gardeners, when growing black currants in home gardens, not only use the technology of already known methods of propagating this culture, experiment with new developments of scientists, but also use their own. Familiarize yourself with them, try to master them, and when you see the results, remember with a kind word those who shared their experience.

Blackcurrant (Blackcurrant)
Blackcurrant (Blackcurrant)

© magnio

Varieties

Openwork

A variety of medium ripening, universal. The bush is medium-sized, medium-spreading. The berries are round-oval, black, with a medium skin, sweet and sour, with an average weight of 1.4 g. The variety is frost-resistant, disease susceptibility and pest damage is low

Gulliver

Medium ripening, universal use. The bush is vigorous. The berries are round, with an average weight of 1.7 g, black, shiny, with a skin of medium density, sweet and sour taste. The variety is winter hardy

Kupalinka

Medium late ripening. The bush is medium-sized, slightly spreading. The berries are round, black, with an average weight of 0.95 g, with a medium skin density. The variety is winter hardy. Damaged by diseases and pests to a weak extent

Exotic

Universal purpose, early ripening. The bush is medium-sized, compact. The berries are round, almost black, with a thin skin, sweet and sour, with aroma, with a delicate taste, with an average weight of 1.8 g. Frost-resistant, weakly affected by diseases and damaged by pests

Zusha

Medium ripening, universal use. The bush is medium-sized, slightly spreading. The berries are round in shape, with an average weight of 1.9 g, almost black in color with a thin skin, sweet and sour taste. The variety is resistant to low temperatures, relatively resistant to diseases and pests

Kipiana

Medium late ripening, universal use. The bush is medium-sized, slightly spreading. Berries with an average weight of 1.2 g, round, almost black, with a skin of medium thickness, sweet and sour taste. The variety is resistant to diseases and pests, including columnar rust

Oryol Serenade

Medium ripening, universal use. The bush is medium-sized, slightly spreading. Berries with an average weight of 1.9 g, round-oval, black. The taste is sweet and sour, with aroma. The variety is resistant to fungal diseases, relatively winter hardy

Barricade

Medium late ripening, universal purpose. The bush is vigorous, medium spreading. The berries are round, black, not pubescent, with a skin of medium thickness, sweet and sour, with an average weight of 1.3 g. Medium resistant to anthracnose pathogens, powdery mildew, kidney mites and moths

Elevesta

Medium ripening, universal use. The bush is medium-sized, medium-spreading. The berries are round, black, with a thin skin, sweet-sour taste, with a delicate delicate aroma, with an average weight of 1.3 g. The variety is resistant to freezing, highly drought-resistant. It was not affected by diseases and was not damaged by pests

Karaidel

Universal purpose, medium late ripening. The bush is medium-sized, slightly spreading. The berries are round, almost black, with slight pubescence, sweet and sour, with an average weight of 1.4 g. The variety is frost-resistant, slightly affected by diseases, damaged by pests

New varieties

The main advantages of the new varieties of black currant are the convenient shape of the bush, large fruit size, good berry taste and resistance to pests and diseases.

Early varieties

Selechinskaya 2 - hardy and drought-resistant. Resistant to fungal diseases, retains leaves until late autumn. The yield is 4–5 kg per bush. The bush is vigorous, erect. The berries are very large (2.9–5.5 g)

Medium grades

  • Dubrovskaya is a winter-hardy variety, relatively resistant to kidney mites, moderately resistant to anthracnose, immune to terry. Productivity is 3 kg per bush. The bush is undersized, compact. Berries of medium size.
  • Dobrynya - resistant to drought and spring frosts. It is immune to powdery mildew, moderately resistant to anthracnose and kidney mites. The bush is weak, erect. The berries are very large.
  • Perun - resistant to drought, frost; moderately resistant to powdery mildew, anthracnose, kidney mite, slightly affected by aphids. Productivity 3-4 kg per bush. The bush is medium-sized, semi-spreading. The berries are large, with a strong aroma.

Medium late varieties

  • Vologda is winter-hardy, resistant to powdery mildew, relatively resistant to kidney mites, susceptible to rust. Productivity 3-4 kg per bush. The bush is vigorous, the berries are large, they do not ripen at the same time.
  • Katyusha is winter-hardy, resistant to anthracnose, relatively resistant to powdery mildew, susceptible to kidney mites. The bush is vigorous, slightly spreading. The berries are large, with a very dense skin.
  • Mermaid - early bearing. Winter-hardy. Resistant to powdery mildew and kidney mite, moderately resistant to septoria, weakly affected by anthracnose. Productivity 2.4-3.5 kg per bush. The bush is vigorous, medium spreading. The berries are very large.
  • Vigorous - high winter hardiness. Relatively resistant to powdery mildew, rust, kidney mites, moderately resistant to anthracnose. Productivity 3-4 kg per bush. The bush is medium-sized, semi-spreading. The largest of the late varieties (berries weigh up to 7.8 g), but in the middle lane the berries are not so large.
Blackcurrant (Blackcurrant)
Blackcurrant (Blackcurrant)

© magnio

Pests and diseases

Currant kidney mite

It damages the kidneys mainly of black currant. Females hibernate inside the buds. Affected kidneys can be found in the fall in a rounded and slightly enlarged shape. In early spring, during the period of swelling of the buds, oviposition begins, which continues for a month. After it ends, the overwintering females die. After 1-2 weeks, larvae hatch from the eggs, which also feed inside the kidneys, 2-3 weeks after hatching, the larvae turn into females.

Control measures. With a weak mite population of plants, the bushes are inspected 2-3 times before the buds begin to bloom, removing and destroying infected buds or shoots. The best time to fight a kidney mite is the period of their migration, from the beginning of budding to the end of flowering. At this time, spraying is carried out at least 2 times with 10% karbofos (75 g per 10 l of water), colloidal sulfur (50-100 g per 10 l of water), if the air temperature is above 20o. You can spray with infusions of walnut peel, tobacco, dandelion, garlic.

Gooseberry shoot aphid

Damages black and white currants. Eggs overwinter at the base of the buds. In the spring, during the period of swelling of the buds, larvae hatch from the eggs, which crawl to the top of the bud and begin to feed on the leaves that have not yet blossomed. At the beginning of shoot growth, the larvae feed on young shoots, leaf petioles and on the leaves themselves. In the spring, aphids give 3-4 generations. Affected shoots are bent and grow poorly or stop growing altogether.

Instead of a normal shoot, a lump of twisted leaves with aphid colonies forms. At an early stage of damage, the presence of aphids can be detected by the presence of ants on the shoots, which feed on the excrement of the pest. In summer, aphids move to weeds, and in autumn they return to currants and lay eggs.

Control measures. When the first leaves appear, the bushes are sprayed with infusion of tobacco, garlic, orange peels, and nutshells. The treatments are repeated after 10 days. Curly tops of shoots with aphid colonies are cut and burned.

Gooseberry moth

Damages currant berries wherever this crop grows. Pupae winter in a cobweb cocoon in the surface layer of the soil, at a depth of 3-6 cm, under currant bushes. Most of them are located within a radius of 30-35 cm from the base of the bush. In the spring, before flowering, pupae move closer to the soil surface, turn into butterflies, which fly out and begin to lay eggs at the beginning of flowering. The female lays eggs first in buds, then in currant flowers and later on young ovaries and leaves. A few days later, caterpillars hatch from the eggs, take root in young ovaries, eating away seeds and partially pulp within a month. Damaged berries are entangled in cobwebs, color ahead of time, rot, dry out and remain hanging on the branch until the end of the harvest. The feeding caterpillar descends along the cobweb to the base of the bush, penetrates into the soil,pupates and remains as a pupa until next spring. The moth gives only one generation per season.

Control measures. High agricultural technology. In the fall, digging the soil under the bushes. Mulching the soil under the bushes with peat, humus, earth (6-8 cm layer). After flowering, you can rake the mulch. During the formation and growth of the ovary, collect the berries braided with cobwebs together with the caterpillars and destroy.

Blackcurrant berry sawfly

Mainly damages black currant. Caterpillars hibernate in cocoons in the soil under bushes. During the period of mass flowering, adults fly out. Females lay eggs one at a time at the bases of the largest ovaries. The hatched caterpillars feed on seeds inside the ovaries, filling the berries with excrement. Damaged berries have a ribbed shape and turn black ahead of time. The caterpillar eats for 25-30 days. Before harvesting, it gnaws a round hole at the base of the berry, leaves it and goes into the soil. The berry falls off. The pest gives one generation per season.

Control measures are the same as for gooseberry moth.

Common spider mite

An omnivorous sucking pest. It damages not only cultivated plants, but also weeds, often accumulates on them. Especially damages black currant.

Females overwinter in groups, mainly under fallen leaves, in a funnel formed by bush branches, under lumps of soil and under fallen leaves. Ticks can withstand very low temperatures - up to -34o, and since this temperature does not happen under the cover of snow, females survive completely. In the last decade of April, on warm days, ticks move to currant branches and weeds.

They live, feed and reproduce on the underside of mostly mature leaves, and only with a large accumulation of them do they also damage young leaves.

A spider mite can be detected by the presence of a cobweb on the underside of the leaf; on its upper side, light dots form in places of damage. With severe damage, the leaves acquire a chlorotic appearance, partially lighten, then turn brown, dry and fall off. Hot dry weather contributes to the active reproduction of the pest. At the same time, the leaves fall very early, by mid-July the bushes are bare, the axillary buds start to grow, which leads to freezing of the shoots and the loss of next year's harvest.

Control measures. Requires high agricultural technology, the destruction of weeds. Autumn digging of soil under the bushes with the incorporation of fallen leaves. Collecting leaves in the fall after they have fallen and picking them especially carefully from the funnel at the base of the bush. Mulching the soil under the bushes within a radius of at least 50 cm with peat, humus or just soil with a layer of 6-8 cm. Unlocking the mulch is carried out only after the end of flowering.

Leaf gall aphid (red gall)

Damages mainly red and white currants, less often black ones. The adult aphid is yellow.

Aphids overwinter in the egg stage on branches. In the spring, during the blooming of the first leaves, larvae hatch from the eggs, which settle on the underside of the leaf and feed there. After 7-10 days, they turn into founding females, which hatch larvae, forming aphid colonies on the underside of young leaves, which suck the sap from the plants.

The leaf blade grows in places where aphids feed, swelling (galls) are formed, and due to the secretions of aphids, the upper part of the leaf is painted first yellowish, then dark red. Damage due to galls is clearly visible. With a strong colonization of aphids, the leaves dry up and fall off, while the growth of shoots and yield decrease.

When the leaves become coarse, in the second half of summer, the female settler migrates to weeds, where they feed and reproduce. At the end of summer, around the second half of September, females return to the currant again, lay wintering eggs, and then die.

Control measures. During the budding period, currants are sprayed with infusions of tobacco, garlic, yarrow against hatched larvae; spraying is repeated after 7-10 days. When spraying, the lower part of the leaves should be well moistened.

With a low number of aphids, it is necessary to cut and destroy the inhabited leaves with colonies of aphids. They also destroy weeds in the plantings of currants.

Yellow gooseberry sawfly

Damages red and white currants. The larva overwinters in a cobweb cocoon in the soil, under bushes, at a depth of 2-6 cm or more. In spring, the larva pupates, and an adult insect flies out during the flowering period of the currant. Females lay eggs on the underside of leaves in a chain along the main veins. After 7-10 days, the larvae hatch and begin to intensively feed on the leaf tissue, sometimes leaving only the main veins of the leaf. The larva feeds for 3-4 weeks, then goes into the soil for pupation, and after 2 weeks a new (second) generation emerges. A sawfly can give 2-3 generations per season. The second generation is the most harmful. As a result of the destruction of the leaves, the berries are sour, become smaller and crumble.

Control measures. In the fall, digging the soil under the bushes. The larvae are shaken off the bushes onto the litter and destroyed. The bushes are dusted with wood ash early in the morning or in the evening after dew, sprayed with infusions of ash, tobacco, mustard, wormwood. Before flowering - against the first generation, after flowering - against the second generation, after harvesting - against the third, if necessary.

Currant glass

Damages currants. Caterpillars hibernate inside currant shoots for two winters. During the growth of the ovaries, about 2 weeks after the end of the flowering of the currant, butterflies fly out. They feed on the nectar of flowers, then lay their eggs in the cracks in the bark of the shoots, at the base of the buds. After 10-15 days, the hatched caterpillars gnaw through the bark and penetrate into the branches, making smooth passages with black walls, directed downward, 30-40 cm long. There the caterpillar hibernates, the next year continues to feed on the core of the shoot, moving even lower to its base. After the second winter, in the spring, it gnaws a hole outward and near it turns into a pupa, then into a butterfly. Sometimes you can see the larval skin of the pupa sticking out of this hole.

Damaged branches lag behind in growth, this is especially noticeable at the end of flowering; flowering on these branches is late, the resulting berries are small, the growth is weak.

Control measures. In early spring, old and damaged branches are cut out. At the end of flowering, all currant bushes are checked and branches lagging behind in development are removed. Branches inhabited with glass are cut out to the healthy part of the shoot or to its base, leaving no stumps. The cut branches are immediately burned. Spraying carried out after flowering against moths and sawflies partially destroys the emerging glass butterflies.

Currant shoot gall midge

Dangerous for black and, less often, red and white currants. The larvae penetrate under the bark, where they feed on the plant sap. As a result, the wood and bark of the shoots darken; drying wood cracks; shoots break easily, leaves on such branches and shoots above the damage site dry up, but do not fall off.

Control measures. Digging the soil under the bushes in the fall to a depth of 8-15 cm, and in the spring, obligatory loosening. This agrotechnical technique allows you to destroy up to 60% of wintering larvae.

Mulching the soil under the bushes with peat, humus, loose soil with a layer of 6-8 cm in a radius of at least 50 cm. During the ripening period of berries and after harvesting, it is necessary to identify damaged branches, remove and burn them. Timely fertilize, watering, loosening.

Spraying of plants and soil under them before flowering, after flowering and after harvesting with karbofos (75 g per 10 l) or infusions of dandelion, yarrow, nutshells, ash, garlic.

Currant gall midge

Damages black currants. Adult larvae overwinter in dense cocoons in the soil, at a depth of 5-6 cm. The emergence of adults in spring coincides with the periods of budding and the beginning of flowering. The mosquito age lasts 14-20 days, it is especially active in the first 7-8 days.

Females lay eggs in groups of up to 50 on young, not yet unfolded leaves. After 3-4 days, larvae hatch from the eggs. They scrape off the flesh from the young leaves. The plates curl into a bundle, develop poorly, their color fades. After the larvae leave the soil, the damaged leaves unfold. They are shriveled, with tears in the tissue between the veins. The buds that have developed in the axils of such leaves are smaller, the next year they give a weak flower cluster or do not give a crop at all. When young leaves are severely damaged by larvae, the shoot tip dies off. They cause the most severe damage to varieties with a long growing season.

Control measures are the same as for shoot gall midge.

Flower currant gall midge

Mainly damages black currant. The larvae eat the contents of the bud. As a result, they increase in size, become spherical, pear-shaped or slightly flattened, turn yellow or reddish. The buds do not open, and after the larvae leave for pupation in the soil, they fall off. Early varieties are most severely damaged.

Control measures are the same as for shoot gall midge.

Leaf rollers

Currants are often damaged by leaf rollers (rose, brownish, omnivorous, frozen, striped multi-colored, flat mesh). The most damaging thing is the rose leafworm. Caterpillars feed on leaves, buds, pedicels, flowers, fruits.

Control measures. During the budding period, spraying with mustard infusion. Treatments carried out against moth and moth before flowering and after flowering currants will also be effective against leaf rollers.

Blackcurrant (Blackcurrant)
Blackcurrant (Blackcurrant)

© Paul Albertella

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