Archive by Author
Tips on Growing Currants
Posted on March 3, 2009, by James Brookes, under News and Society.
It is important never to summer prune the leaders or end growths of a branch. It is better to brutt than to cut with a knife, as neat pruning with a sharp blade may encourage secondary growths, which are just a waste of sap. Summer prunings may always be placed on the compost heap and be sprinkled with an activator like poultry droppings or fish manure. Winter prunings are too woody, so should be burnt, and the wood ashes sprinkled around the bushes afterwards.
Earliest of Fourlands is included because it is the earliest variety grown. It is a nice upright grower, a regular cropper, bearing long bunches of clear red, good fruit. Season very early.
Two types of aphis can be a great nuisance: one can suck and ruin the tips, and the other curls the leaves and causes red blisters to appear. Spraying with a 5 per cent solution of a tar-oil wash in December gives good control.
Minnesota fruit is very large and brightly coloured. A strong grower. Season mid. Perfection is an excellent cropper with long bunches, large heavy berries, bush tends to spread. Season mid. Rainy Castle is medium bunches of medium-sized red fruits. Has now been largely superseded by better varieties. Some people swear by it for cordons. Season mid-late.
There is a variety, Fay’s Prolific, which is sometimes planted because it is early. It is, however, prone to two troubles: (1) the buds seem to go blind and one has to be very careful to prune to a live bud, in the winter; and (2) the growths are rather brittle and are apt to be blown off in the summer.
If Coral Red raised spots are found on the old wood of the bushes the gardener knows he has the Coral Spot disease. There is no cure for this, other than to cut off the affected branch immediately and burn it and put back the ashes around the tree concerned.
No Comments
