Blackcurrant in Memory of Potapenko

At present, it is difficult to find a garden, or a garden plot, where such a fruit and berry culture as currants does not grow. In its natural environment, this shrub grows along the banks of rivers, as well as in their floodplains. Modern bred subspecies have a rather strong difference from the wild-growing bushes of this culture, mainly by their best characteristics and agrotechnical methods. In this article, we will consider black currant in Memory of Potapenko.

Black currant in Memory of Potapenko: variety description

Currant in Memory of Potapenko: photo of the variety

Blackcurrant in Memory of Potapenko is a fast-growing variety and quite fruitful. It is endowed with excellent immunity to various diseases of common and harmful insects, due to which it is rarely treated with chemicals and, accordingly, produces the most environmentally friendly and clean harvest of tasty fruits. Shrubs of this subspecies can be cultivated both in private garden plots and on farms.

In our country, a huge number of subspecies of this berry crop have been bred, including the variety considered in this article with black and large fruits. He appeared in the Novosibirsk Zonal Fruit and Berry Experimental Station. I.V. Michurin, thanks to the works of breeders such as A.A. Potapenko, A.I. Degtyarev, V.N. Sorokopudov, by breeding subspecies Bredthorp and Agrolesovskaya. In 2001, the subspecies was entered into the State Register and zoned for the East Siberian region.

Black currant in Memory of Potapenko: characteristics and features of the variety

Black currant variety Pamyati Potapenko is a representative of mid-season varieties, with a ripening period in July. The shrub has an average height, up to about 120 centimeters, with a semi-spreading crown, with a circumference of about 70-80 centimeters. Young shoots of this bush are erect, endowed with an average thickness and pale green color. The most mature, lignified stems have a curvature at the base of the bush and a grayish-brown tint.

The foliage of the Potapenko Memory currant has three lobes, and they are quite clearly expressed. The leaf has an average size, about 5 centimeters, dark green in color and such leaves are arranged alternately on the stem. The lamina of the leaf is dull and bare, leathery, has a weak wrinkled structure, with pointed and short denticles. The leaf has a straight base, with a rather small notch. The petiole is dark green in color, has an average length of three to five centimeters, in the groove it is crimson.

When opened, the flowers are small, approximately 8 millimeters, bisexual, have a light green tint. The flowering period takes place in the month of May. They bloom in clusters of 15-20 flowers on average. Sepals are bent upward. The brushes are elongated, on average 6-7 centimeters. This shrub is considered self-pollinated, which means that the fruits are formed on one such variety. When ripe, the fruits are large, round and black in color with a natural bluish bloom. Each berry can reach two to three grams in weight, in a circle it is 1.2 centimeters. The inside of the fruit contains three to twelve seeds.The ripening period of fruits occurs in the middle of the summer season, approximately 90-100 days after pollination. Separation of berries from the brush when picking dry. The stalk is medium in size, thin and pale green in color.

The fruits of the currants in Memory of Potapenko are on drooping bunches. Under good conditions during the growing season and with the fewest berries on this plant, the fruit is larger because there is no competition for micronutrients. The surface of the fruit is covered with a rather dense skin, due to which the berries have good transportability and safety. This crop of this subspecies can be harvested mechanically. The berries themselves are soft, sweet in taste, with a slight acidity. When tasting, these berries received an assessment of 4.5 points out of five possible. In their composition, quite balanced, they have: sugars 7.2 percent, acids 2.2 percent.

This black currant in Memory of Potapenko is also a fast-growing plant with simultaneous ripening of its fruits. The yield indicator averages three to four kilograms per shrub. If we consider the yield on an industrial scale, then the average figure will be about five tons per hectare.

The black currant variety in Memory of Potapenko has a fairly good immunity to common and dangerous diseases such as powdery mildew and anthracnose, an average level of immunity to hazel grouse and septoria blight, as well as high resistance to the most common enemy of currants, the kidney mite. According to experienced gardeners, this subspecies of the considered fruit and berry culture is endowed with a high frost resistance of flower buds and shoots.

Due to its unique composition of biological active substances, this plant is endowed with useful and medicinal properties, it contains (per 100 grams): calorie content - 63 kcal, proteins - 1.3 grams, fats - 0.4 grams, carbohydrates - 15.3 grams, water - 83.2 grams, ash - 0.9 grams, dietary fiber - 4.7 grams. By its chemical composition, the berry contains (per 100 grams of product): vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) 1 milligram, vitamin C (ascorbic acid) 181 milligrams, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) 0.07 milligram, vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) 0.4 milligrams approximately, vitamin B2 (riboflavin) 0.05 milligrams, vitamin B1 (thiamine) 0.05 milligrams. Also, fruits contain a large amount of macro- and microelements (per 100 grams of product): calcium 55 milligrams, iron 1.53 milligrams, magnesium 24 milligrams, manganese 0.26 milligrams, zinc 0.27 milligrams, sodium 2 milligrams, potassium 322 milligrams , phosphorus 59 milligrams.

It should be noted that in terms of the amount of vitamin C, potassium and phosphorus in its composition, the fruits of this subspecies are superior to most fruits. They can only be inferior to elderberry in the amount of protein and iron, and also have the lowest fat content in their content compared to other berries.

Black currant in Memory of Potapenko: variety reviews

Currant in Memory of Potapenko: photo of the variety

Reviews about the Potapenko Memory currant are mostly positive, but there are also negative reviews about the variety, and all because, like any other subspecies, the Potapenko Memory Black currant variety is endowed with its positive and negative features. To his advantages can be attributed:

• Quite easy care and growing in general.
• The compactness of the shrub, its average height, due to which it does not need a large area for growth.
• Large fruit size.
• Regular fruiting every year and an average ripening period.
• Good yield and transportability.
• A high level of frost tolerance, due to which it is actively grown in the northern regions of our country.
• Good immunity to dangerous and common diseases, as well as attack by insect pests.

Particularly serious disadvantages in black currant in Memory of Potapenko it is difficult to distinguish, these can only be attributed to:

• Fruit shedding tendency.
• Branching of the bush, lodging of the lower stems.

Blackcurrant in Memory of Potapenko: growing

Agricultural technology of growing black currant does not cause special difficulties in memory of Potapenko. This plant may well be grown by a novice amateur, only by mastering and considering the most common measures for caring for this shrub.

Choosing a place of growth and planting

The shrub of this fruit and berry culture lives on average for 13-15 years, so you should carefully consider the choice of a place for future growth, as well as the correct preparation of the soil. This crop can grow in almost any soil, but it is preferable for it to be in a well-drained and moisture-retaining place. This shrub loves light sandy, or medium loamy fertile soils, with slightly alkaline or neutral acidity, an indicator of 6-6.5 is best for this culture. If sandy or clayey soil is present at the landing site, then a sufficient amount of organic matter should be added before planting, and with poor drainage, it is required to raise the ridge.

Blackcurrant in Memory of Potapenko loves to grow in areas sufficiently lit by the sun, although it may well be in partial shade, created by fruit trees with a not thickened crown. The only thing is that when in a fairly illuminated area, the fruits of this culture will be the sweetest when ripe, while growing in shaded places this plant may not fully reveal its characteristics. When grown in the southern regions, this subspecies of currants is required to opt for an area with partial shade, and in the hottest period of the day, shade the shrub so that its foliage does not wither and the formation of small fruits. Despite the fact that the buds of this plant have good frost tolerance, return frosts in the spring can contribute to a sharp decrease in yield even in this subspecies. Therefore, it is best to make your choice in favor of the area that is protected from strong winds and drafts that interfere with the flight of pollinating insects, while excluding highly waterlogged areas located in the lowlands, in places where fluid accumulates. It is possible to stop at a landing site with a slight slope, which facilitates drainage, but this should not be done on the southern side of the slope.

The best option would be the area where, before that, for at least two years, row crops and vegetables, annual and perennial legumes were cultivated with sufficient care and feeding. It is categorically not worth planting these bushes on the site of the former growth of gooseberries, raspberries and old shrubs of the fruit and berry culture in question.

The planting site needs to be dug to a depth of 30-35 centimeters, weed from weeds, because after planting, these weeds are much more difficult to control. Organic matter, compost or humus, is applied depending on the fertility of the soil, about 7-8 kilograms per square meter. When planting several specimens of this shrub at once, a distance between rows of 160-180 centimeters and between plants of 100-120 centimeters should be left.

Blackcurrant in Memory of Potapenko: variety care

Currant in Memory of Potapenko: photo of the variety

The measures for caring for the black currant variety in Memory of Potapenko include the timely irrigation procedure, top dressing, pruning and weeding from weeds with loosening. Optimally performed watering makes it possible to maintain the required moisture level throughout the whole season.First of all, this factor is important when planting young plants. In mature shrubs, liquid is especially needed during a drought period - two to three times within 7 days. The best irrigation method is drip irrigation, since the liquid is rather economically consumed, while the soil is evenly and deeply moistened and the upper layers of the soil are not washed out. If the soil is sufficiently fertilized during the planting of the seedling, it does not need to make additional fertilizing within one year. In the following years, in order for the shrub to have the correct development and abundant, high-quality fruiting, it needs fertilizing containing such micronutrients and substances as:

• Nitrogen. Provides good crop growth and has a stimulating effect on the production of flower branches.
• Phosphorus. Promotes the formation of berries and an increase in yield. Compared to other berry crops, this plant responds best to this element.
• Potassium. Has a stimulating effect on the growth of shoots and makes more fruit mass.
• Magnesium. It is considered a constituent of chlorophyll and helps to increase the yield through its interaction with potassium.
• Calcium. It is necessary for cell enlargement and division, especially for young cultures and kidneys.

For feeding currants in Memory of Potapenko, such a complex fertilizer as NPK 10:10:10, applied in the spring period of the year for each individual shrub, approximately 180-200 grams, is perfect. You can divide this fertilizer into two parts and apply one in the spring and the other in the summer.

It is worth saying that fertilizing with fertilizers should be applied from the base of the shrub at a distance of 35-40 centimeters so that there is no root burn.

An excellent feeding option would be one-year spring mulch made from fairly rotten manure. If you are going to use bird droppings as top dressing, then it must be composted in advance, for example, with straw or other plant residues. Since composted elements release their micronutrients much more slowly compared to synthetic fertilizers, they can be used at the end of the autumn period, before wintering, under each shrub.

In order to reduce the plant's need for the irrigation procedure and increase the level of soil fertility, it is necessary to mulch the near-stem circle of the culture with this layer of organic matter (7-10 centimeters). Peat, straw, humus, wood chips, foliage, pine needles, cut grass are perfect for this. Mulching helps to cool the soil, retain moisture and also reduce weed growth. This is a great option for areas with partial shade, very useful in fairly sunny places. One year after planting, the mulch layer begins to be renewed every year. When using mulch with a lower nitrogen content, such as wood chips or sawdust, you will most likely need to add additional fertilization based on nitrogen. Signs that the plant is deficient in nitrogen is a change in the color of the foliage to yellow, with the old foliage being the first to turn yellow, and also poor growth of the crop itself. At the beginning of the spring period, the soil near the bushes should be weeded out and mulched, while applying perfectly rotten manure to suppress the growth of weeds.

It is worth noting that it is impossible to loosen the soil near the very center of the black currant bush in Memory of Potapenko, so as not to accidentally harm the young shoots that develop at the base of the culture. At this point, the weeds are removed by hand.

Harvesting and storage

The fruits of the currant variety Potapenko Memory begin to be removed from July to August. First, the fruits ripen at the ends of the stems and on the periphery of the shrub, so I collect these fruits selectively, as they ripen for two to three weeks.

Fully ripe berries are endowed with a characteristic shade of this subspecies, a little soft and juicy. If you are going to use the fruits of this subspecies of currants for jam and jelly, then it would be better to remove the fully ripe berries, since they are the most useful and they have a higher level of natural fruit pectin. It is recommended to remove these fruits in bunches, and not in individual berries.

Also, like all other berries, fresh currant fruits in Memory of Potapenko have a relatively short shelf life. It is best to chill the berries immediately after picking and store them in a small container. These fruits can keep their qualities in the refrigerator for 14 days at temperatures from +2 to +4 degrees.

These fruits are washed only before use, since the moisture content of the berries reduces the shelf life and quality of storage, and can also lead to the formation of mold and the process of decay, even if stored in the refrigerator. In order for the berries to be preserved for a longer period, up to six months, they can be frozen, put in plastic sealed bags and left in the freezer.

Conclusion

Having made your choice in favor of black currant in Memory of Potapenko for cultivation on your personal plot, as well as having studied all the intricacies of agricultural technology of this berry plant, you will get a rather valuable fruit and berry bush that will delight you with its abundant, high-quality, healthy and tasty harvest.