On the venue of the golden cream

Perhaps, no private plot can do without currants, red or black, white is less common. But many have not even heard of the golden currant, although it appeared in Russia in the 18th century as an ornamental plant. The native land of the golden currant is North America, where it grows wild in a vast territory.

This culture has a lot of advantages and deserves wide distribution. Firstly, it practically does not get sick and is not damaged by pests. Secondly, it is far superior to other types of currant in both frost resistance and drought tolerance. Thirdly, golden currant can grow on any type of soil, except for wet areas with heavy clays. Among other things, it is a very ornamental shrub and a beautiful honey plant.

By its size, the bushes of the golden currant are larger than the usual species and reach 2.5-3 meters. Green brilliant foliage in its form resembles gooseberry leaves, for which it is sometimes mistakenly considered a hybrid, obtained from crossing a currant with a gooseberry. In May, this currant blooms very fragrant golden-yellow flowers that adorn the bush for 2-3 weeks and attract bees and bumblebees. For luxurious flowers, it received its name - “golden”.

During flowering bush just amazingly beautiful! Golden currant can be used even as a hedge, which will delight in summer with fruits, and in autumn - with yellow and bright red shades of foliage. This is one of the few berry bushes that can be grown and just as an ornamental plant to decorate the backyard. Moreover, it can be placed in places where no culture can grow anymore: in the shade of buildings or trees, on a steep, uncomfortable slope, or to cover an unsightly corner. The fruits of golden currant ripen at the end of July or in August, when other berries grow already. The berries are comparable in size to the fruits of medium-sized black currant.

With good care, they grow and are much larger. In appearance, slightly reminiscent of gooseberries. They contain many vitamins, microelements, biologically active substances. Although there is less vitamin C in them than in black currants, there is more carotene than sweet pepper and apricots.

The particular difference between these fruits is in the absence of a specific smell characteristic of black currant. And they taste sweeter, without the characteristic sour currant. Berries of golden currant are consumed fresh, make juice, compotes, jam, wine. Usually about 6-8 kg of berries can be harvested from an adult bush. Depending on the variety, they are black, brown, red, yellow. Ripening, they are not showered from the branches for a long time, which makes it possible to extend the period of consumption of fresh berries until frost. But only during the rainy season berries can crack, then it is better to pick them faster.

Special care for the golden currant is not required, it is unpretentious. Loves lighted places, but grows well in partial shade. It can grow on poor soils, although fertile and sufficiently moisture-consuming are preferable. Possesses extraordinary resistance to adverse factors: heat and frost, dust and drought, smoke and air pollution, diseases and pests. I especially want to mention its resistance to such enemies of the gardener as powdery mildew, septoria, terry, bud mite, glass bowl.

Care of the bush is to remove broken and old branches, like other types of currants. Every year in early spring, 4-5-year-old shoots are pruned to the ground, replacing them with young ones. Golden currant is well formed and in the form of a tree on a low (up to 70-90 cm) trunk. It looks very decorative with dangling shoots covered with tassels of flowers in spring and berries in summer.

It reproduces well in all ways acceptable for other types of currant: cuttings, layering, root suckers. But more often for planting use annual seedlings, which are planted in spring or autumn in planting pits about 50x50 cm in size.

When planting, young plants should be buried by 5-8 cm, watered abundantly and mulch the soil surface with peat or humus. It is desirable to cut the above-ground part, leaving 3-5 well-developed buds on the surface. Already in the second year, the first berries appear.

At present, high-yield and large-fruited domestic varieties Dustlik, Uzbekistan large-fruited, Kishmishnaya, Venus, Shafak and some others are bred. To obtain good yields, it is necessary to have at least two varieties of this currant on the site, because during self-pollination the ovary will fall.

During the period of intensive growth of young shoots, currants are watered abundantly, especially if the weather is hot and dry. During the season, feed up twice with a solution of organic or mineral fertilizers. Top dressing is not necessary for adult bushes, it is enough to add rotted manure or mineral fertilizers to the root zone in the fall.

At one place golden currant bushes can be grown up to 15-20 years. Due to its high ability to adapt to any conditions, golden currant can grow almost throughout Russia and the CIS countries.