The Russian market now offers about 200 varieties of blackcurrant, each of which has its own advantages. Therefore, it is worth listening to the opinion of experienced gardeners who unanimously consider the Pygmy variety to be the best. And if you follow the rules of agricultural technology, the berry shrub planted on the site for many years will give excellent harvests.
Grade history
Currant Pygmy obtained at the end of the 20th century V.S. Ilyin at the South Ural Research Institute of Horticulture and Potato by crossing varieties Bredthorp and Seedling Golubki. In 1999, it was entered into the State Register with a regional permit for the Volga-Vyatka, Ural, West Siberian (Novosibirsk Region, Tyumen), East Siberian (Trans-Baikal Territory, Krasnoyarsk Territory, Yakutia), Far East (Sakhalin, Khabarovsk, Magadan, Kamchatka, Amur reg.) areas.
Pygmy blackcurrant variety was bred at the end of the last century, and has been popular with gardeners ever since.
Pygmy - description and description
Despite the name - Pygmy (baby) - the variety is distinguished by large fruits, which attracts gardeners. Among the features it is worth noting unprecedented frost resistance - even severe Siberian winters are not afraid of the plant. The variety is appreciated for the very sweet taste of berries and immunity to the main diseases of berry bushes.
Currant forms a medium-sized, slightly spreading bush with straight light pink shoots. The leaves are five-lobed, large, green, wrinkled, with a shiny surface without pubescence, with wide denticles along the edges. On the brush of medium length are 6-10 large pale-colored inflorescences.
Pygmy currant grows with a medium-spreading bush with straight shoots and green foliage
The main advantage of the variety is large sweet berries weighing 2 g, can reach 7.7 g. They have a rounded shape with a thin black skin that is resistant to extreme temperatures. The taste of the fruits received the highest rating on a five-point system.
Pygmy is a self-fertile variety, does not need additional pollinators, gives annual crops. Mid-season - berries ripen in late June - early July. The variety is productive, an average of 108 centners per hectare. Fruiting is long, 30-45 days, depending on the climate.
The variety is resistant to the causative agent of such a common disease as powdery mildew, is slightly affected by anthracnosis, and is relatively resistant to Septoria.
The main advantage of the black currant Pygmy - large very sweet berries
Features of planting black currant
Productivity of a variety depends on a number of factors that should be considered when planting Pygmy on a personal plot.
Landing time
Planting blackcurrant is possible in spring and autumn. But since the vegetation period begins early, and in early spring, frequent frosts are fatal, which are detrimental to immature plants, it is preferable to plant them in the fall, from September to mid-October, but no later than 2-3 weeks before the cold weather. Plants are planted from the container all season with the preservation of an earthen coma, while the integrity of the root system is not violated, therefore, their survival rate is good.
Site selection
Black currant will grow in any corner of the garden, but good yields can only be obtained by growing it in elevated light areas. Cold air stagnates in the lowlands, the soil thaws for a long time in the spring, and water accumulates during prolonged rains, which causes root decay and the development of fungal infections.
For the Pygmy currant, you should choose a site that is protected from the wind by a fence or hedge
It is recommended to plant bushes along the fence to protect them from gusts of the north wind, so that they do not cast a shadow on each other, but are evenly lit by the sun. Leave 1-2 m between the plants. With a thickened planting, the berries become smaller and less sweet, and it is much more difficult to care for such bushes.
Berry shrubs better fruit on sandy and loamy soils with neutral acidity. Prior to planting, 500 g of lime / m2 are added to strongly acidic soils.
Important! Pygmy will grow well in areas where potatoes, corn, rye, and legumes were grown last season. But after berry crops it is not worth planting it.
The variety does not need additional pollinators, but experienced gardeners note that the presence of other types of blackcurrant (Lucia, Yadrenoy, Bagira) nearby helps increase yield.
Pygmy is a productive variety, especially if other species of blackcurrant are planted nearby
Landing rules
The site is prepared 2-3 weeks before planting: dig, level, remove weeds and, if necessary, deoxidize the soil.
Step-by-step process
- At a distance of 1-1.5 m from each other, pits are dug with a depth of 40 cm, a width of 50 cm.
- Fertile garden soil is mixed with 1 bucket of humus, 200 g of superphosphate, 10 g of potassium nitrate, 300 g of ash and put to the bottom of the pit.
- Plant a plant at an angle of 45 degrees so that the root neck is 15 cm below ground level - this planting contributes to the rapid growth of new shoots.
Currant seedling is lowered into the pit so that the root neck is 15 cm below the ground
- They fill the hole with nutritious soil, gently shaking the seedling, so that the earth fills all the voids, rammed.
- An annular watering hole is made around the bush and 10 l of water are introduced into it.
After planting, the seedling is well moistened
- Mulch the soil with hay, straw with a thickness of 8 cm to protect the roots from overheating and preserve moisture.
- The shoots are cut to 2 3, the leaves are completely removed.
Selection of seedlings
It is advisable to purchase seedlings in shopping centers or nurseries, where you can also get professional recommendations on the rules of cultivating crops. You should not take risks and buy them from the hands of random sellers, not having the opportunity to check whether the plant is healthy and for what climatic zone it is zoned. One-two-year-old seedlings should be chosen.
- The annual currant has only 1-2 shoots up to 25 cm high, 1-2 roots 15 cm long and a lot of fibrous thin roots.
- In a two-year-old seedling, branches up to 40 cm, straight and flexible, if you scrape the bark, you can see the green flesh. The root system should be well developed, consist of 3-5 lignified roots 20 cm long and fibrous filiform roots.
The blackcurrant seedling should have a well-developed root system
- The roots should be yellow-brown in color, without damage and signs of rot, not sluggish. They are usually treated with clay mash before selling to prevent drying out.
- If the plant has a closed root system, you should ask to remove it from the container: the earthen lump should be solid and entwined with roots.
Tip. Before planting, the seedling for 2 hours should be kept in solution with Kornevin for better rooting.
Experienced gardeners plant annual plants in one hole in a pair, bending them in opposite directions, which allows you to form a strong bush over time.
Video: how to plant blackcurrant
Care Secrets
Pygmy is an unpretentious variety, but this does not mean that it is enough just to plant and forget it. Only with timely watering and top dressing, annual pruning and preventive treatment against diseases can good crops be expected.
Watering is necessary
Currants need watering, especially during the formation of the ovaries: the amount of moisture affects not only the yield of the current year, but also the future. In drought, in the absence of watering, the leaves dry, the berries become small and crumble. Currants are watered 2-3 times a week, introducing water with a bucket or watering can into the irrigation grooves, moistening the soil to a depth of 30-50 cm. In extreme heat, it is preferable to use the sprinkling method so that not only the roots but also the leaves are saturated with moisture. Moreover, watering should be carried out not during the sun, in the evening.
In the evening, after the sun, the bushes should be well moistened with a hose
However, excess moisture often leads to fungal diseases, so water the plants should be dosed, and during prolonged rains and completely stop. Do not moisturize the currant and when the berries ripen, in order to prevent their cracking.
Fertilizers for currants
Pygmy grows well and gives large fruits when grown on fertilized soilve. The nutrients introduced during planting are enough for the plant in the first season. The following year, in early spring, currants are fed with urea (40 g 10 l), chicken droppings (100 g 10 l). Nitrogen fertilizers contribute to the rapid growth of shoots.
By the way. Experienced gardeners use potato peelings as dressings: they are boiled, diluted a little in water and poured under a bush. The potato peel contains many useful trace elements (phosphorus, fluorine, iron, potassium, magnesium), which are so necessary for currants for growth and fruiting.
When forming the ovaries under the bush, scatter 2 tbsp. tablespoons of organic fertilizer Gumi-Omi, followed by loosening or carry out fertilizer irrigation (3 tbsp.spoons / 5 l) every 2 weeks. For a balanced diet, it is recommended to perform foliar top dressing once a month with Unifor-micro solution (1 ml 10 l). At the end of the season, currants are fertilized with humus (10 kg) with the addition of 20 g of potassium sulfate and 50 g of superphosphate, 300 g of ash per m2.
Gumi-omi complex fertilizer consists of compost and many useful trace elements necessary for black currant
Tip. You can use green fertilizer: sow siderata (lupine, peas, mustard) in the aisles, mow the grass in the autumn and plant it in the soil. By spring, the grass mass will cross over and turn into a top dressing rich in trace elements.
Loosening and mulching
The soil around the currant bushes must be weeded and loosened all season.
Mulching the trunk circle will not only avoid the growth of weeds, but also keep the soil moist for a long time
Since the location of the roots is superficial, loosening is carried out carefully, to a depth of 8 cm. Care can be facilitated by mulching the soil with humus, sawdust. The mulching layer prevents the growth of weeds, keeps the earth moist longer, it is enough only to add mulch if necessary.
Bush formation
To form a bush begin immediately after planting, shortening the branches, which contributes to the growth of side shoots. In the future, pruning is carried out throughout life, which is necessary for better lighting, airing the bush, ripening berries, as well as preventing the development of diseases and the appearance of pests.
Important. When pruning, it should be remembered that the most fruitful are two- and three-year-old shoots.
Bushes need to be fenced so that the branches do not fall to the ground. In the second year, in early spring, interwoven branches, broken and dry, are removed. Leave 3-4 strong first-order shoots and shorten them by 10 cm.
In the third year, 5 strong new shoots are left at the overgrown bush - the fresh growth is distinguished by a lighter color. They are also shortened. The remaining processes are completely removed.
In the fourth year, 5 strong root shoots are left, shortened to stimulate branching. A well-formed bush should have 15 skeletal branches of different ages.
Subsequently, anti-aging pruning is carried out, removing old shoots, from the young they leave straight and strong. The drooping branches are trimmed in length with the strongest annual vertical shoot. Such pruning will increase the life of the berry shrub up to 20 years.
At 4 years of age, they finish forming a bush, then they rejuvenate pruning annually
In autumn, sick and dried branches are removed. If the currant bush is severely affected by the disease, complete rejuvenation is carried out - all shoots are completely cut off, and after some time a root shoot will appear.
Breeding
Blackcurrant easily propagates, you can simply bend the branch to the ground, fix it with a bracket and sprinkle with earth. The following year, the shoot with overgrown roots is separated from the bush. Soon he will give a new shoot and will grow rapidly.
Currants are propagated by cuttings: in the spring cuttings are cut, soaked in Epin and planted in a greenhouse, they must be watered and aired. After rooting, the film is removed, but the soil moisture is monitored. In the fall, a stronger plant is transplanted.
Blackcurrant propagates well by cuttings, which are first planted in a greenhouse, and then, when the roots are formed, transplanted to a permanent place
Video: blackcurrant propagation by cuttings
Winter preparations
Adult Pygmy bushes tolerate cold winters well, do not freeze even at - 32 ° C and do not need additional warming. But for the winter, plants need to be prepared: carry out water-loading irrigation (2-3 buckets per bush), clean the soil around the currant from weeds and mulch with humus, sawdust. It will be useful to tie the bush with twine so that the branches do not break under the weight of the snow cover.
Young plants in the first winter can be covered with agrofibre, in winter to pick up snow - a fluffy snow blanket will reliably protect the roots from freezing.
To prevent branches from breaking under the weight of snow, in late autumn, the bush is tied with twine
Disease prevention
Pygmy variety is resistant to disease, but in adverse conditions, especially in rainy summers, the risk of infections.
Table: Disease
| Disease | Symptoms | Prevention | Treatment |
| Anthracnose | In the spring, small spots of a violet hue are formed on the shoots, which over time grow and become gray. The leaves are covered with brown spots, the berries dry. |
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| Rust | The disease can be easily identified by the swelling of a reddish tinge on the leaves, similar to rust. |
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| Septoria | The disease is manifested by the appearance of bright spots on the leaves with a brown border, leading to drying out and falling of the foliage. | Timely carry out sanitary pruning, do not fill the plant. | Before and after flowering, after harvest, treat with 1% Bordeaux mixture. |
Photo Gallery: Diseases
- The reason for the occurrence of anthracnose is dampness and thickening of the planting.
- Rust can be identified by orange swelling on the leaves
- High humidity contributes to septoria
Table: Pests
| Pests | Manifestations | Prevention | Measures |
| Kidney tick | The defeat of the plant by a tick can be judged by swollen spherical kidneys. At the same time, the number of shoots decreases, productivity decreases. | Use healthy seedlings. Plant nearby garlic, onions. | Remove diseased buds and branches. In a highly affected plant, cut off all the shoots. In the spring, treat twice with Envidor (2 ml 5 l). After harvesting, spray Bi-58 (3 ml 10 L). |
| Aphid | Aphid colonies suck the juices from the plant, as a result, the leaves curl, the shoots are bent, and yield decreases. | Use Anteater, Cypermethrin against ants that spread aphids in the area. | Trim the tops of the branches on which the aphid has settled. Spray before and after flowering with Actara (2 g 10 l), Actellik (2 ml 2 l), Kinmiks (2.5 ml 10 l), |
| Fire | Fire-tree caterpillars, damaging flowers and berries, can destroy up to 50% of the crop. | Dig the soil in the autumn to destroy the pupae of the fire-bomb. | Before flowering, process 0.05% Kinmiks, 0.1% Spark. After flowering, spray 0.02% Actellik, 0.2% Fufanon. |
Photo Gallery: Insect Parasites
- Kidney tick can be recognized by swollen kidneys.
- A large aphid colony depresses currants, it begins to lag behind in growth, does not bear fruit and, in the end, dies
- Firefly affects flowers and berries, as a result, you can lose most of the crop
The pests and insecticide plants planted in the aisle were scared away: anise, dill, celery, basil, sage, fennel, tagetes, calendula.
Reviews
My personal opinion about the Pygmy variety: I am delighted with this variety !!! Previously, I did not suspect that currants could be so sweet. Large, sweet, fruitful, what more could you want?
Limoner
//forum.vinograd.info/showthread.php?t=3915
The variety is really great. For ten years of cultivation has not lost interest in him. Seedlings of this variety are very easy to distinguish from other varieties. Of my 80 varieties, only Pygmy has bronze buds in early spring. Before they bloom, the kidneys are as if sprinkled with bronze powder.
ABBA
//forum.vinograd.info/showthread.php?t=3915
I also grow another sort of blackcurrant - Pygmy, in our conditions it is early and its berries are very sweet, they can be eaten and eaten without leaving the bush, but their size is inferior to Yadrennaya - this season the fruits barely reached the ruble coin, although the berries the size of a ruble coin is also considered large. I managed to grow the fruits of this variety with both a two-ruble and a five-ruble coin, but there were very few of them, and on Yadrenoy they are all one to one. Moreover, the variety is very productive, the bush is completely covered with fruits, the branches must be tied up, otherwise they can break under their weight. When we bring to the market berries of this variety, they are picked up instantly, and precisely because of the large-fruited. I chose my varieties. So, my conclusion: the most popular and recouped blackcurrant varieties are Pygmy, Yadrenaya and Lucia, and the rest can not be planted ... It is also important to have very good blackcurrant varieties on the plot with different fruiting periods. My conveyor of blackcurrant is as follows: first Pygmy ripens, followed by Vigorous and Lucia, and the latest variety is Altai late.
Labs
//fialka.tomsk.ru/forum/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=16709&start=15
Pygmy - according to the tasting assessment of berries - is the best, the only one having 5 points. Very large. But sometimes it can be affected by powdery mildew - despite the fact that they write, it requires support.
Tina Ezdakova
//otvet.mail.ru/question/88123568
Pygmy is not inferior in size to Yadrena (at least in our country in Karelia), but it is a cut above in taste and resistance to diseases and pests!
vvf
//forum.tvoysad.ru/yagodnye-kultury-f31/chernaya-smorodina-t157-340.html
Currant Pygmy is a favorite variety of many gardeners. Among the advantages are high yield, frost resistance, disease resistance, unpretentiousness, and most importantly - large and very sweet berries with a wonderful taste and healing properties.
