Pygmy is a frost-hardy black currant variety that brings a rich harvest. The plant is famous for its beneficial properties, the bush is unpretentious in care, currants with strong immunity, belongs to the early species.
Blackcurrant Pygmy
the advantages of the Pygmy variety have made it one of the most beloved and widespread among our country gardeners
the berries of the “Pygmy” currant during the variety testing showed an average weight of 2 grams, but in practice they grow 6 grams, and some grow up to 8 grams
Features
Berries from the bush can already be picked in the first month of summer. The ripening period depends on natural conditions. The colder the region, the longer the berries ripen. In warm climates, crops ripen in 20 days, in cold climates in 40 days.
Pygmy is a self-pollinated species; the variety Yadrenaya, Lucia and Bagheera will become excellent neighbors. Berries are produced every year.
Breeding history
The birthplace of the species is the South Ural Research Institute in the Chelyabinsk Region. It is a hybrid of two types of currants - Dove Seedling and Bradthorpe. Ilyin V.S. was engaged in breeding work. 1999 - the year of entry into the Russian State Register.
Description of the variety of black currant Pygmy
Pygmy - currant of medium maturity. The plant reaches two meters in height. In addition to its impressive height, the currant has overall dimensions. The branches are wide, the foliage is medium. In the first year of its existence, the plant has pink shoots without special pubescence.
The leaves are dark in color, large, the plate of greens is glossy. At the base of the leaf, there is a small notch in the form of a circle or triangle. The lateral plates look to the sides, the central vein is at right angles to the base of the leaflet. On it straight teeth are visible.
Small flowers of a light shade. On one brush, you can count up to 10 berries. Fruits are elastic, weight of one - from 2.5 to 6 g. The surface is shiny, saturated black shade, the skin is not thick. The pulp contains a small amount of seeds, the berries are sweet.
Drought resistance and frost resistance
Experienced gardeners claim that the currant variety can take root in any climate zone. The bush withstands drought, the scorching sun and too rainy days without any problems. It does not harm the crop. Bushes survive even on frosty days. The maximum temperature that the bush can withstand is up to 35 degrees below zero. This feature made it possible for gardeners to grow a plant in Siberia, the Urals and the Far East.
Ripening period and yield
The variety belongs to large species. From one plant it is really possible to collect about 6 kilograms of berries, which indicates a high yield of Pygmy. During an unfavorable year, the indicators are halved. When growing a species for industrial purposes, one square meter. m account for 2.5 kg of berries. The currants are of medium ripening, the berries ripen for a long time.
Overripe fruit loses important vitamins and minerals, the taste becomes less pronounced. Berries should be picked on time.
Reviews of gardeners suggest that the Pygmy fruits do not contain the acidity characteristic of the plant. The fruits are tasty, juicy and sweet. Sugar appears with enough sun and heat. The rating of Pygmy tasters is high. When fully ripe, the fruits do not fall off the plant.
Transportability
The pygmy blackcurrant crop can be stored for about one month. The main thing is to create the proper conditions for this - a temperature of about +14 degrees Celsius. The transportability of the variety is not bad, the berries are dense, the skin does not allow them to burst during movement. However, attention should be paid to the containers in which the currant will move. Boxes must be reliable and completely closed.
Using
Pygmy fruits are used for the preparation of various preservation. The fruits can be used fresh. Due to the natural sweetness, no additional sugar can be added.
At home, currants are stored for about three days so that the fruits lie longer, they are frozen, dried or canned. They are stored in a similar form for about six months.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
Why do owners of their own sites love Pygmy so much?
The advantages of the variety:
- Fruit appearance and taste. The bush brings berries every year, the currants do not get smaller over time.
- Immunity to natural whims. The currant tolerates drought, heat, heavy rains and cold winters without harming the crop.
- Strong immunity. The shrub is resistant to many fungal diseases. Gardeners growing Pygmy do not know what anthracnose and powdery mildew are.
- Self-pollination. Pollinating varieties will help the Pygmy to increase yields, but even without them, the plant copes well with this.
- The versatility of berries and benefits for the body. Currants are eaten fresh and are often preserved. The variety contains a large number of macrocells and microelements. Almost all vitamins are retained in berries even after prolonged heat treatment.
- Elementary care. Knowledge of simple currant care methods will be enough for you. Even a novice gardener can grow a Pygmy.
Disadvantages of currant pygmy:
- Weak immunity to Septoria. Preventive measures must be taken regularly.
- The bush can eat a currant tick.
Growing
It is not difficult to grow Pygmy in the garden, you need to know the basic rules. Be careful and careful, because the fruiting of the plant will depend on the correctness of your actions. Pygmy bushes need regular watering and maintenance.
Seedling Selection
Before purchasing a seedling, pay attention to these indicators:
- Age. For planting in open soil, the seedling should be one or two years old.
- Root system. Elastic, without rot and damaged lobes.
- Branching. The thicker the plant, the faster it will take root and the better it will develop.
- Seedling height. No more than 30 cm.
- Lack of greenery.
Buy seedlings for planting in special stores, do not trust market sellers. It's easy to change the variety.
Prepare a stimulating mixture, place blackcurrant seedlings in it for two days. Thanks to this procedure, the cutting will quickly take root in the ground. To get rid of pests and diseases, add potassium permanganate to the stimulating solution, treat it with a clay mash a couple of hours before planting the plant.
Boarding time
The optimal planting time is the autumn season. The best period is the last days of September or the beginning of October. The cuttings have time to take root in the ground before the onset of the first frost. It is necessary to adjust so that about 4 weeks remain before the cold weather. Depending on the climate, the flowering of currants lasts 40 days. Planting in the spring begins early, after warming. The main thing is to cope before the sap flow begins.
Soil preparation
Pygmy currant is not demanding on lighting. It is desirable that the site receives a lot of sunlight and heat, but in shady areas the plant also grows and develops well. Choose a place with a small cross of wind. Air flows will help the plant cope with fungal diseases faster, and the wind will dry the soil from melting snow.
The bush withstands a large amount of moisture, but should not be planted close to groundwater. A plant will not grow and develop under such conditions. An excellent way to grow Pygmy is heavy loamy and slightly acidic soils. The taste of berries directly depends on the choice of site for planting a bush.
Landing pattern
The main stages of planting:
- Prepare a hole (dimensions: 50x50 cm, depth 60 cm). The favorable distance between the bushes is 1.2 m.
- Put a bush in the recess, spread the root system.
- The seedling should be in the hole at an angle. Hold the Pygmy in this position and dust it with earth.
- The lower buds may be under the soil. About 4 buds should remain on the surface.
- Tamp the top layer of soil.
- Water the bush.
- If the soil has been pre-fed, then additional minerals do not need to be added.
Care Features
A gardener will receive a rich and useful crop only if proper care has been taken for the currant. The care consists in regular watering, protection from insects and diseases, proper pruning of branches and fertilization.
Read our article on how to care for currant bushes in autumn.
Tillage
The soil on which the currant grows and develops needs separate care. Avoid weeds. Work regularly with a ripper, hoe, or cultivator. Loosening helps aerate the earth, it is saturated with oxygen. The cultivated soil quickly absorbs air, the root system develops better.
Heavy and clayey soil especially needs this procedure, it is characterized by compaction and weighting. During loosening, the hoe should not be deepened more than 4 cm, since the roots of the bush do not lie deep. The maximum depth of the root system is 10 cm. The sharp blade of a garden tool can cause irreparable damage to the roots.
The root circle of the plant needs mulching. To do this, use sawdust, humus, small tree bark. Natural material decomposes quickly and enriches the earth.
Watering
Pygmy is a drought-resistant black currant. But this fact does not mean that the bush does not require moisture. Drought causes severe harm during flowering, its lack provokes shedding of most peduncles. Black currants need infrequent but abundant watering. In summer, the bushes are watered about once every 14 days. An exception is severe drought.
One currant bush needs 3-5 buckets of water (30-50 l).
It is possible to reduce the number of irrigations by mulching, the natural material allows the soil to retain water in the soil longer. In the autumn season, often in October, strong water-charging watering is carried out. Shrub prepare for winter. This event is carried out after all the necessary fertilizers have been applied to the plant.
Top dressing
A tasty and healthy crop is obtained only if the blackcurrant is properly and regularly fertilized. A special place for shrubs of this type is occupied by fertilizing with nitrogen content. They strengthen the branches, buds and leaves, contribute to their early development and growth. A healthy plant produces a rich harvest in the form of juicy and healthy berries.
Top dressing can be organic and mineral. Consider several options for fertilizing a black currant bush Pygmy.
Top dressing No. 1
Spend it in the autumn period of time (end of September or beginning of October). First of all, you need to prepare half a bucket of manure. It must be rotten, otherwise the currant root system will burn out. Pour 20 g of superphosphate and 20 g of potassium sulfate on top of the litter. The soil is dug in such a way that all the components of the fertilizing are in the soil of the plant's trunk circle.
Top dressing No. 2
The period is early spring, the buds should bloom, but the procedure is carried out before the flowering of the bush. In a bucket, mix two equal parts chicken manure and water. Combine the contents carefully and leave in a sunny area until fermentation. After a week, the fertilizer can be used.
Required consistency: for 5 l of water - 0.5 l of concentrate. Stir the mixture and pour under the currant bush. Be sure to adhere to the indicated dosage. An overdose of chicken manure leads to a nitrogen burn, as a result of which the Pygmy root system will die.
Feeding No. 3
Use ammonium nitrate. This top dressing is useful for young bushes, plants need it after flowering, more mature bushes - during fruit setting.
Sprinkle ammonium nitrate with a layer of 20 cm in the Pygmy's trunk circle. This amount of top dressing is enough for 1 currant bush. After applying fertilizer, loosen the soil, the event will help the earth to absorb saltpeter faster.
Top dressing No. 4
Do not forget mineral fertilizers, they are applied annually under bushes sprouting on heavy lands. Light and fertile soils need mineral fertilizers once every 3 years. The implementation period is the autumn season.
The mixture consists of: 30 g of potassium and 40 g of phosphorus. Gently mix the substances and sprinkle under the bush. Mix with soil during autumn digging.
If currants are more than 4 years old, then the number of components increases by 2 times. Pay special attention to acidity, if the indicator exceeds the norm, then add 500 g of lime per 1 square. m.
Pruning
Pruning helps to reduce the amount of green matter on the shrub. Thickening leads to a decrease in the number of berries. Trimming is carried out once a year. The time for exercise is spring until the kidneys swell. It is necessary to cut off all dead, thick and damaged branches during the winter period of time, which clearly thicken the bush. If pruning is not carried out, then the plant will begin to bear berries on last year's side branches. This phenomenon will lead to a large loss of currant yield.
How to prune depending on the year of plant life:
- First year. Cut off all branches on the seedling, leaving 3 buds each, they will serve as the basis for the growth of first-order branches.
- Second year. Leave 4 strong branches on the grown bush, they will serve as the basis for the branches of the second order.
- Third year. Leave 3 strong annuals and 5 biennials.
- Fourth year. The green mass of the plant should remain with 4 branches from each year.
- Subsequent years. Prune so that about 20 branches of various ages remain on the shrub. This technique will not allow the currants to thicken.
There is only 60 kcal per 100 g in the black currant pygmy berry, so it can be consumed by everyone who eats right.
Basic rules for pruning shrubs:
- Remove old damaged branches, they must be more than 5 years old.
- Prune weak and diseased branches. This procedure is called sanitary.
- Eliminate all shoots with growth points pointing in the middle of the bush.
- Remove the lower branches that do not support their own weight and are located on the ground.
Winter preparations
The bush of black currant Pygmy is frost-resistant, but in some regions it should be hidden from strong and cold winters. For this, gardeners erect temporary barriers. Shields, wickers and fences are great for protection. The near-trunk circle of the plant is insulated with a layer of mulch, which serves as an excellent protection of the soil and the root system of the Pygmy.
If desired, currants can be wrapped with agrofibre. Such material will help protect the aerial part of the plant. The insulation does not allow cold winds to approach the plant, but at the same time, it allows air to pass through, which is so necessary for the currants for normal life.
Harvesting
Shrubs of this variety bloom for about 40 days. Berries begin to ripen in mid-summer. Harvesting takes about 1.5 months. In some regions, it is 1 month; everything directly depends on the climate in which the plant grows.
From one bush, you can harvest about 4-5 kg of the crop. Variety of black currant Pygmy self-pollinated with regular productivity. Maximum from one bush - 5 kg of yield. Berries are nutritious when eaten and fresh. They make jam, jam and compotes. Currants do not lose their minerals and vitamins when frozen or dried. Fresh fruits are stored in the refrigerator for up to one month.
Protection against diseases and pests
The main signs of a disease in a plant are: yellow spots, a dark leafy plate with tubercles, rotting of branches and berries, white bloom and an unpleasant odor. If you find at least one such sign in Pygmy, you need to treat the bush with special fungicides. Insects are removed with their own hands or by chemical treatment.
Preventive actions against diseases and pests of black currant Pygmy:
- Thinning bushes, regular pruning of branches.
- Mulching near-stem soil and removing weeds.
- Garbage collection.
- Shrub processing with folk remedies.
Reviews gardeners about the pygmy currant
Daria, 41 years old, teacher, Kursk.Pygmy has been developing in my summer cottage for more than 3 years. All family members are happy: the berries are large and juicy, the bush is relatively small, and does not need a garter or special care. Very often I grind berries with sugar - children are delighted with such a delicacy!
Olga, 60 years old, Omsk.The first harvest was harvested only this year. When buying currants, the seller on the market insisted that they take Pygmy, and we did not regret it! The berries are really tasty, but, unfortunately, there are not enough of them yet - it did not work out to eat enough. We hope that next year there will be more harvest.
Alexander, 58 years old, gardener, Vladimir.For a long time I have been growing currants in my own garden. I want to note that the Pygmy harvest is exactly as it is shown in the pictures and described in reference books.
Pygmy blackcurrant is an excellent choice for growing shrubs in the garden. With proper planting, the plant will delight the owner for about 10 years, and with proper care, this period can increase by 2 times.
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