Description of the red currant variety Natalie
The red currant bush Natalie has a medium degree of spreading. The height of the shoots can reach 1.8-2 m. The color of the shoots is greenish with noticeable redness near the growth cone. When large bushes form, shoots lose the edge characteristic of young ones. The thickness of the shoots is no more than 10 mm.
The buds of the plant have an oblong shape and are quite large. The buds are distributed evenly along the entire length of the shoot.
The leaf shape is standard five-lobed. They have a characteristic leathery texture and are completely devoid of pubescence. The color of the leaves is green-matte, sometimes they have a bluish tint. Young leaves located near the growth cone are slightly curved inward. The edges of the leaves have characteristic teeth.
The root system of Natalie's red currant is fibrous, very strong and developed. It can penetrate up to 3 m deep. Thanks to this, the plant can go without water for a long time.
The brushes are of medium size (6-9 cm), often they also have pubescence. Natalie's red currant berries are quite large. Their average weight is 1 g. The bright red berries are round in shape. Near the base they may be slightly elongated. The number of seeds in the red currant berries of the Natalie variety is small. The seeds themselves are medium in size, not too hard.
The crop is recommended for cultivation throughout Russia, with the exception of the regions of the Far North, Lower Volga and Far East.
History of selection and growth areas of the Natalie variety
The variety was developed through interspecific crossing at the All-Russian Selection and Technological Institute of Horticulture and Nursery Growing. The originators can be called breeders N. Smolyaninova and V. Litvinova. In 1991, the medium-ripening variety was registered with the State Register of Breeding Achievements.
Natalie's currants are recommended to be grown in homesteads and farms almost throughout the entire territory of the Russian Federation. It is undesirable to grow the plant in the Lower Volga, Northern, and Far Eastern districts.
Characteristics of the variety
The red currant variety Natalie has many positive reviews from gardeners due to its excellent characteristics. Most often, the excellent taste of the berries and the high yield of the crop are noted.
Drought resistance, frost resistance
Thanks to its developed root system, the plant is a drought-resistant crop that can go without watering for a month. However, this is a deadline, the achievement of which can significantly affect the quality of the harvest, although there will be no consequences for the health of the bush.
To ensure that the lack of moisture does not affect the volume of the harvest, it is recommended not to pause in watering the plant for more than two weeks.
The frost resistance of the plant is high. Natalie's red currant bush is able to tolerate temperatures down to -30 °C without frostbiting even the shoots of the first year.
Productivity and fruiting
Average ripening time is mid-summer. Depending on climatic conditions, it may begin in the first or second ten days of July. Fruiting on all branches occurs almost simultaneously, with a time spread of about one week.
The yield per bush is about 9 kg. This is a record figure for a 6-year-old bush in the Middle Zone. Typically, the yield ranges from 3.5 to 5 kg per bush.
On average, the Natalie currant variety reaches the planned yield in 3-4 years of life.
Attention! The duration of stable redcurrant harvests is about 6-8 years. Bushes over 12 years old are considered unproductive and require replacement.
According to gardeners, the red currant variety Natalie has excellent taste. The taste of currants is rated 4.4 on a five-point scale. It is sweet and sour, however, the sourness is relatively weak.
The variety is not prone to shedding, the berries do not crack even with large amounts of rainfall and do not bake in the sun.
Area of application of fruits
Red berries are distinguished by their versatility in use. They can be used fresh or canned. Red currant berries of the Natalie variety tolerate both shock freezing and regular freezing, made in the freezer of a home refrigerator.
Various dishes are made from berries: desserts, juices, mousses, jams. They are included in many confectionery products. Also, currants in various forms are used in folk medicine.
The natural preservatives contained in the berries allow them to be stored in the refrigerator for quite a long time (up to several weeks). Canning with pasteurization allows you to store berries for up to several years.
The berries tolerate transportation well and do not “drain” due to the sufficient strength of the shell.
Resistance to diseases and pests
The plant has increased immunity and perfectly resists most currant diseases and pests.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
Let us briefly summarize the description of the Natalie currant variety, presenting its advantages and disadvantages:
Advantages:
- wonderful taste of berries and versatility of their use;
- long shelf life of berries and ability to be transported;
- long fruiting period (up to 12 years of life);
- high frost resistance;
- the berries do not crack or fall off after ripening;
- good resistance to pests and diseases.
Flaws:
- Given the large height of the shoots, when the plant reaches the age of 5-6 years, it is necessary to provide the fruiting branches with additional supports.
Advantages
Experts include the main advantages of Natalie’s red currant:
- good taste of ripe berries, their versatility;
- the harvested crop tolerates transportation well over long distances and can be stored for up to 2-2.5 weeks in appropriate conditions;
- bushes of this currant are distinguished by a long fruiting period - up to 11-13 years;
- high frost resistance of Natalie currants;
- the fruits are not prone to cracking and do not fall off after ripening;
- high resistance to diseases and pest attacks.
There are practically no disadvantages to the Natalie currant variety. You just need to remember that the shoots of adult bushes are too high, so you need to put supports under them so that the branches do not bend or break under the weight of the harvest.
Rules for planting currants
The red currant variety Natalie is planted like regular currants. There are no nuances here.
Recommended timing
It is best to plant red currants in the fall, although there are no restrictions on timing. Natalie's currants can be planted throughout the entire growing season.
Choosing a suitable location
It should be a sunny area with protection from winds. The soil is preferably loamy with neutral acidity.
Important! Soils that are too acidic need liming with wood ash or lime.
Selection and preparation of planting material
For planting, seedlings about 2 years old and having at least three root branches are selected. Any preliminary preparation of seedlings, other than their visual inspection for defects or diseases, is not used.
Landing algorithm
A month before planting, holes are prepared with a depth of 40 cm and dimensions of 50 by 50 cm. They must be fertilized in advance in the form of a bucket of humus, about 200 g of superphosphate and 40-50 g of potassium fertilizers. All this should be thoroughly mixed and poured.
During planting, the seedlings are placed in a hole at an angle of 45 °, and their root collar goes deep into the ground by 5-6 cm. It is also desirable that several buds are below the ground level.
After sprinkling the seedling, water the planting site with 10 liters of water.
Aftercare for currants
Red currants are watered regularly at intervals of 1 week to 10 days. Watering is carried out at the rate of 20 liters per bush.
Weeding, loosening the soil and mulching are done as necessary.
Fertilizing of the plant begins at the age of two and consists of two stages each season:
- at the beginning of the season, mineral nitrogen fertilizers are applied (40 g of urea per young currant bush and 20 g per bush of a plant older than 4 years);
- at the end of the season - a mixture of organic and mineral fertilizers; Up to 5 kg of chicken manure and 50 g of superphosphate are added to each bush.
Branches more than 3-4 years old of red currant variety Natalie require supports, since their own weight, as well as the weight of berries on them, is quite large.
Pruning is an important part of plant care, since the yield depends on this action. Formative pruning is done at the end of the season. In this case, you should adhere to the following algorithm:
- last year's shoots are shortened by 25-30% of their length;
- branches 2 and 3 years old are pruned more - no more than 3 buds remain on them;
- branches older than 6 years are completely removed;
- the remaining shoots remain unchanged.
Sanitary pruning is carried out at the beginning of the season and aims to remove frozen, diseased and dried branches.
Methods for propagating currants
The red currant variety Natalie can be propagated in any way suitable for such a crop. However, propagation by cuttings or layering is most preferable for this variety.
Cuttings 10-15 cm long are selected from well-developed, 1-2-year-old shoots and germinated for two weeks until roots appear. As soon as they have roots, they are transplanted into very liquid soil (with the consistency of sour cream), where they remain until they reach a height of 50 cm with daily watering. At the same time, they form a full-fledged root system.
Next, they are planted in the garden bed to a depth of about 20 cm at an angle of 45 °. The planting procedure must be completed before the end of summer.
When propagating by layering, you should choose the longest shoot and dig it to a depth of 10 cm, so that its top is 25-35 cm above the ground and oriented vertically. The layering along the entire length of the burial is attached to the ground using special brackets.
Over the course of a season, a full-fledged plant is formed from the cuttings, which is transplanted to a new location in the fall.
Trimming
Pruning the bush will ensure a high yield and serve as prevention against diseases. The first time this is done is the third year after planting at the beginning of spring, when the buds have not yet swelled, or before the onset of frost, at the end of autumn.
The pruning process includes the following:
- removing broken or dried branches;
- removal of diseased leaves and shoots;
- removal of branches with a small number of buds.
Caring for an adult bush is different:
- In the 3rd year after planting, cut off the top by 10-15 cm, leave about six healthy shoots, and cut the rest at the root, leaving no stumps.
- In the 5th year, rejuvenating pruning of shoots is carried out, and if necessary, bushes are replanted.
- In the 7th year, rejuvenating pruning is carried out again, old dried branches are removed.
Diseases and pests, methods of control and prevention
Red currant variety Natalie itself is resistant to many diseases. This is due to the high content of ascorbic acid in the stems, leaves and berries. However, preventive measures never hurt.
The simplest method of prevention (besides loosening the soil and mulching) is to water the plant with a special composition consisting of 3-5 g of boric acid, 3 g of potassium permanganate and 20-30 g of copper sulfate. All components are dissolved in 10 liters of water, which is poured under the bush. A similar procedure is done in mid-May and repeated two more times with a break of 2 weeks.
