Reproduction of currants and gooseberries. A surprisingly simple way to propagate berry bushes on a plot. By layering, a person artificially propagates currants, gooseberries, viburnum
I would like to dwell on the universal love for these two berries - currants and gooseberries - how can you not love them? Beautiful, tasty, healing berries can be eaten fresh, make jams, jams, thus preparing an excellent supply of vitamins and organic acids for the winter.
Currant and gooseberry must be grown in every garden, propagated and cultivated. How to properly propagate these wonderful crops so that they do not die, take root, grow and give a wonderful harvest? To date, there are several ways to propagate gooseberries and currants - layering, lignified and green cuttings, grafting and dividing the bush. In this article, we will look at how to propagate these beautiful garden crops in more detail.
For those who decide to propagate currants or gooseberries by division, you need to make sure that there is a healthy bush over two years old on the site. The bush must be dug out, while trying not to damage the root system. Then the dug bush is cut with a pruner or cut with an ax if the branches are very thick, trying to leave at least a couple of roots and a one-year-old shoot at the base of each cut branch. Shoots that are affected by the glass case must be cut to healthy wood. After completing this procedure, the resulting bushes are planted in the ground so that there is only a one-year shoot on the surface, and the perennial part of our new bush is covered with soil. The annual shoot must be cut off, leaving 1-3 buds. The growing shoots will feed on the perennial part, on which new roots form over time. This method of propagation of gooseberries and currants is best used in the fall - if the winter turns out to be mild, then by spring the roots will grow at the buried branch. Depending on the age of the mother bush, 5-15 seedlings can be obtained from it.
In order to obtain a small number of seedlings and at the same time not to destroy existing plantings, the arcuate layering method can be successfully used. In June-July, you should choose young root shoots inclined to the ground, or give it the necessary direction of growth in the spring. At a distance of 20-40 centimeters from the bush, you need to dig a hole at least 10 centimeters deep, but this must be done very carefully so as not to damage the root system of the mother plant. Then, a shoot pre-selected for these purposes is placed in the hole, pinned to the ground with a wooden or metal slingshot, and the top with a growth point is left above the soil level. The hole is covered with earth. Throughout the growing season, the soil in the hole must be kept moist. By the end of September-beginning of October, the seedling has a good root system, after which the seedling can be transplanted to a permanent place of growth. But it is better to do this again in the spring - over the winter, the root system of the seedling will get stronger. The layer must be carefully cut off from the mother bush, dug up with a clod of earth and transferred to the prepared planting hole.
You can get a much larger number of seedlings by propagating currants and gooseberries with vertical layering. For these purposes, you can use plants of different ages - both just planted and old bushes. The essence of the method lies in the fact that the young root shoots are spudded with earth several times during the season. the first time hilling is carried out when the shoots have reached a height of 20-30 centimeters, leaving growth points on the surface. When the shoots grow another 10-15 centimeters, hilling should be repeated. And so on. You get a mound, with currant or gooseberry branches growing from it. To get more shoots, and hence seedlings, all perennial branches are cut off on old bushes, leaving stumps 3-5 centimeters high. Particular attention should be paid to ensuring that the growing shoots on our mounds do not touch one to one - this will have a bad effect on the formation of the root system of the shoot itself, which will lead to weakening of the seedlings. There are also disadvantages in this method - mounds can collapse under heavy rains, in which case hilling should be carried out again and again, after each rain. But even for an old woman, as they say, there is a hole. There is also a way out of this situation. After the selected bush was cut off and shoots began to break out of it, it is enough to cover it with a bucket without a bottom and pour the earth into this bucket as the shoots grow, falling short of 3-5 centimeters to the top for ease of watering and top dressing. The earth in our mounds should be kept moist, otherwise in dry years the roots on the cuttings will be weak or may not form at all.
In October, you can begin to divide the layers. If the layers are rooted under the container, it must be removed. The bushes should be divided carefully so as not to damage the root system. If the mother bush is very old, it is discarded immediately after the cuttings are separated, if the mother bush is young, it can be used for re-planting and obtaining either a full-fledged bush or new cuttings. Provided that the uterine bush of the young layering should be cut so as to leave stumps with 1-2 buds on the uterine bush. The next year, when shoots develop from the abandoned buds, they can again be hilled up to get new seedlings.
When propagated by horizontal layers in the spring, during the beginning of the growing season, several branches of the root shoots are given a lying position, pinned to the ground with a slingshot. And in the spring of next year, the shoot should be pinned into a groove 5-15 centimeters deep, while not forgetting to remove the top, the growth point. Along the entire length of the branches, young shoots will begin to grow, pointing upwards. When the shoots reach a length of 15 centimeters, the first hilling is carried out, and then the second, when the shoots grow another 10-15 centimeters. Usually two hillings are enough. Before autumn, roots form along the entire length of our branch. digging of layers can be done both in autumn and in spring.
The older our mother bush, the more layering can be laid, but one should not get carried away with this. If you lay a lot of cuttings, you will have to remove more than 50% of the ovary from the bush in order to get normal seedlings. And if you lay only one layer, then it is not necessary to normalize the ovary.
Reproduction of currants and gooseberries by cuttings is the most profitable way, since you can get the largest number of seedlings from one bush than with any other propagation methods. But this method is the most complicated and troublesome. Firstly, pruning and cuttings should be carried out within strictly specified terms so that root tubercles appear on the cuttings by winter. If pruning and cuttings are carried out too early, or vice versa, later than the specified dates, we may not get the desired effect from the procedure performed. Here are the dates: North - from September 15 to October 15; Center - from September 20 to October 20; South and Crimea - from September 25 to November 10.
First of all, you should take care of the cuttings themselves. They are most often cut from annual branches. The thicker and longer the cutting, the more powerful the seedling will be and the higher the probability of rooting of the seedling compared to thinner and shorter ones. The place of the cut for propagation of currants and gooseberries does not matter, since the roots will form along the entire length of the cutting. Immediately after cutting, you can proceed to planting. It is better to plant at an inclination of 45 degrees of the cutting to the ground. With this method of planting, the frozen ground will push the cuttings out less, and the heel will be closer to the surface of the earth, which will contribute to earlier heating and, consequently, the formation of roots. The distance in the row between the cuttings should be 5-15 centimeters, and the row spacing should be 50-70 centimeters. Stick the cuttings into the ground so that there are 1-3 buds on the surface of the soil, it all depends on the length of the cutting - the optimal length is 15-20 centimeters. That's all, it remains to wait for spring and take care of the seedlings in the spring, which are necessarily formed from your cuttings. There is one more question - to mulch or not to mulch a plantation with cuttings? Of course, mulch. After all, the mulch will hold moisture well, and this is very important in order for root tubercles to form and so that the earth does not push out our cuttings. Secondly, this is a troublesome method of reproduction and, from my point of view, it is suitable only if the gardener wants to get as many seedlings of a certain variety as possible, and in all other cases, I consider reproduction by layering to be the most justified way.
The method of reproduction by grafting is even more complicated than the previous one, but we will briefly dwell on it. This method is good because quite rare varieties can be propagated using the usual grafting method - budding. That is, we graft a graft from a rare variety onto a stock of a variety that is more common in your country. But in this case, the culture of currants and gooseberries will be standard. And one more thing, everyone knows that the survival rate of gooseberries is much lower than currants, but by grafting gooseberries on currants, you can get a much higher percentage of finished seedlings.
So, go for it, dear gardeners, and luck will surely smile at you!
Currants and gooseberries are propagated by cuttings- lignified and green, layering (horizontal and vertical) and dividing the bushes. Seeds are propagated only for the purpose of breeding new varieties.
For growing planting material (seedlings), it is necessary to select currant and gooseberry uterine bushes that are high-yielding, winter-hardy, healthy, that is, not affected by pests and diseases and resistant to them.
Consider the most common, as well as the most affordable methods of reproduction in a backyard garden plot.
Propagation by woody cuttings.
For this purpose, well-ripened and sufficient length (more than 30 cm) annual shoots from fruit-bearing bushes are taken.
Shoots for cuttings are best cut in the fall: red and white currants - in the first half of September, and black - in early October. By this time, annual shoots have time to mature, and buds form in the axils of the leaves.
First, entire shoots are cut from the bushes, then they are cut with a sharp knife into pieces about 20 cm long, the leaves are cut off. The best cuttings with well-developed buds are obtained from the middle part of the shoot. On the tops of the shoots and in their lower part, the buds are usually underdeveloped. Such cuttings, as well as less than 5-6 mm thick (thinner than a pencil) are of little use. Chopped cuttings are best planted immediately in pre-prepared soil. The soil must be fertilized and deeply cultivated. The cuttings are planted obliquely, at about 45° to the soil surface at a distance in a row no closer than 10 cm, and between rows 20-25 cm, so that it is convenient to loosen the aisles. 2 buds are left above the soil surface, and one of them should be at the level of the soil. The earth around the cuttings is tightly compressed so that it adheres to them and does not have voids, it is well watered and mulched with humus. In dry sunny weather, the planted cuttings shade.
For good and fast rooting and development of cuttings, the soil around them is always kept moist and loose. This is especially important in the first time after planting and in the spring. With good care in the first year, 2-3 shoots grow from the cuttings. The following year, in early spring, these shoots are cut, leaving them 10-15 cm long, and by autumn (in the second year of growth after planting), the seedlings are ready for planting in a permanent place as two-year-olds. If the planted cuttings have developed well and have a sufficiently developed root system, then annual seedlings can be planted in a permanent place.
Cuttings are best planted in the fall. But if for some reason their planting is postponed to spring, then it is better to harvest them from autumn to spring in a cool basement in wet sand or under snow. You can cut the shoots for cuttings and at the end of March. It is necessary to plant cuttings in the spring early, as soon as the soil thaws. Red and white currants, as mentioned above, are best planted in early autumn.
Gooseberries with lignified cuttings usually do not reproduce, as they take root poorly. Gooseberries reproduce well by horizontal and vertical layering.
Reproduction by horizontal layering. In this way, red and white currants, as well as gooseberries, reproduce well. At the same time, from one shoot in 1-2 years, you can get 3-5 or better quality seedlings.
To obtain seedlings in this way, one-year-old shoots and well-developed one-two-year-old branches are bent down near the bush in early spring (before bud break). They are laid in grooves 5-6 cm deep and pinned tightly to the ground with wooden or metal hooks. Before laying the shoots (branches), the soil is fertilized and loosened. To enhance the growth of shoots from lateral buds, the top of the shoot is shortened by 7-10 cm before laying.
The grooves should not be covered with earth, they are left open until vertically growing shoots appear. From time to time, the grooves are moistened. When young shoots reach a length of about 10 cm, they are spudded with half loose earth with humus. After 2-3 weeks, when the shoots grow again, hilling is repeated to a height of 8-10 cm. Hilling is carried out with moist soil, so it is done after rain or the soil is pre-watered.
During the summer, the soil near the mother bushes and layers is kept loose and moist, free from weeds. To preserve moisture after watering, the soil is mulched. In mid-September, when the growth of the shoots ends, the bent shoots for layering are cut off from the bush at the base of the branch with a pruner. The dug branch is cut into pieces according to the number of rooted layers, then they are sorted. Well-developed plants are selected for planting in a permanent place. In poorly developed ones, roots and shoots are shortened, then they are planted in a school in the second year for growing with a distance between plants of 20-25 cm, obliquely to the surface and somewhat deeper than they grew.
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There are several main ways to propagate currants and gooseberries, the main ones are dividing the bush, layering, woody and green cuttings and grafting. Let's dwell on these methods and consider them in more detail.
Reproduction by layering and division
When propagating by division, the only necessary condition is the presence of a currant or gooseberry bush over 2 years old. It is dug out, trying not to damage the root system. Then the bush is cut into pieces with a pruner or chopped with an ax if the branches are very thick.
At the same time, it is necessary that at the base of each cut off branch there is at least a couple of roots, and on top - an annual shoot. Shoots affected by the glass case are cut to healthy wood. Bushes are planted so that the annual shoot remains on the surface, and the perennial part is underground. The annual shoot is pruned, leaving 1-3 buds. If the one-year shoot is short, the seedling is planted in a deeper hole, adding soil to it as the shoot grows. The growing shoots will feed on the perennial part, on which new ones will form over time.
roots. This planting is best done in the fall. If the winter is mild, then by spring the roots will grow at the buried branch.
Depending on the age, the bush can be divided into 5-15 seedlings. To make the root system more powerful, you can fill the middle of the bush with earth. In this case, the yield of seedlings will also increase - part of the side branches covered with earth will take root. But this method refers to reproduction by layering.
If it is necessary to obtain a small number of seedlings, the arcuate layering method is used. In June-July, young root shoots are chosen, inclined to the ground, or they are given the necessary direction of growth in spring. At a distance of 20-40 cm from the bush, they dig a hole with a depth of at least 10 cm, but so as not to damage the root system of the plant. A shoot is placed in the hole, pinned, and the top with a growth point is left above the soil level. The hole is covered with earth. The soil in the hole is kept moist. By October, a good root system is formed, after which the seedling can be transplanted to a permanent place. But it is better to transplant in the spring, during the winter the root system of the seedling will get stronger. The layer is cut off from the mother bush, dug out with a clod of earth and transferred to the prepared planting hole. Oh yes, you forgot the pin. Of course, it must first be removed. For convenience, it is better to leave part of the hairpin above the soil level in the hole. For example, I use wooden slingshots with a long handle. I take the handle and, staggering, carefully take out the hairpin. I will add that the longer the buried part of the branch, the more powerful the root system will be.
Much more seedlings can be obtained by propagating bushes with vertical layering. You can use both newly planted plants and bushes of various ages. The essence of the method lies in the fact that the young root shoots are spudded with earth several times during the season. The first time they spud when the shoots reach a height of 20-30 cm, leaving growth points on the surface. When the shoots grow back by 15-20 cm, hilling is repeated. And so on. It turns out a mound from which branches grow. To get more shoots, and hence seedlings, all branches are cut off on perennial bushes, leaving stumps 3-5 cm high.
The number of seedlings can be increased several times. When young shoots reach a height of 10 cm, pinch the tops by 3-4 cm, removing growth points. 2-4 shoots will grow from the lateral buds, which, when they reach a height of 20-30 cm, need to be spudded, as mentioned earlier. If the bush is powerful and the shoots develop intensively, pinching can be repeated. When hilling, it is necessary to ensure that the shoots do not bunch up. Therefore, it is better to pour the earth into the center of the bush and in small portions, so as not to break off the tender young shoots. When pinching is used, the yield of seedlings is greater, but they are not as powerful as without pinching.
True, there is a minus when propagating by vertical layering - the rains wash away the hill. In heavy rains, hilling has to be repeated again and again. This problem can be avoided by using
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ordinary bucket without a bottom. When the shoots grow enough, the bush is covered with a bucket without a bottom and the soil is poured inside. The earth is sprinkled 2-3 times as the shoots grow, without filling up to the top 3-5 cm - for the convenience of watering and fertilizing. When using buckets, I manage to get 10-12 seedlings from plants planted in the spring. When using perennial bushes, containers should be much larger. The earth in the mounds is kept moist, otherwise in dry years the roots on the layers will be weak or may not form at all.
In October, you can begin to divide the layers. If the layers are rooted under the containers, they are removed. There are two ways to divide bushes. In the first method, the bush is dug up, the ground is shaken off (it can be washed under running water), then the seedlings are carefully separated from the mother bush with secateurs, trying not to damage the roots. If the mother bush is very old, it is thrown out after the cuttings are separated, if it is young, it is used for planting. In the second method of dividing with a pitchfork, the mound is carefully destroyed, the earth is raked and shaken off the roots. Layers are cut so as to leave stumps with 1-2 buds on the mother bush. The next year, when shoots develop from the abandoned buds, they are again spudded to obtain seedlings.
When propagated by horizontal layering in the spring, during the growing season, one or more branches of the basal shoots are given a recumbent position. And in the spring of next year, the shoot is pinned into a groove 5-15 cm deep, after removing the top (growth point). If the branch is very long, it is pinned in 2-3 places. Along the entire length of the branches, young shoots will begin to grow, pointing upwards. When they reach a height of 15 cm, the first hilling is carried out, and then the second. Usually two hillings are enough. By autumn, roots form along the entire length of the buried branch. Digging of layers is carried out both in autumn and in spring. The buried branches are separated from the mother bush, the pins are taken out or the branch is dug out along with them. The layers are carefully dug along the entire length so as not to damage the roots, shake off or wash the ground from the roots and divide.
The older the bush, the more layering can be laid. So, for example, in the third year of the growing season of currants and gooseberries, it is recommended to lay no more than 1 layering, from the 5th-6th year of the growing season - no more than 3 layers. It should be borne in mind that layering somewhat weakens the bush, so it is better to remove part of the ovary (up to 50%). If only 1 layer is laid from an adult bush, then the ovary can not be normalized.
Reproduction by cuttings
It is better to plant cuttings of currants and gooseberries in the fall. And within a certain period of time. According to the UAAN, for the north of Ukraine - from September 15 to October 15, for the Center - September 20 - October 20, for the South and Crimea - September 25 - November 10. Dates are approximate and may change depending on weather conditions.
And the meaning of the given dates is as follows. If cuttings are started earlier than the specified time, the wood of the shoots will not fully mature and the young part will have to be thrown away, since it is unsuitable for cuttings. If pruning and grafting are carried out within the specified time, then before winter, root tubercles have time to form on the cuttings, which contributes to more intensive growth in spring and a significant reduction in lunges. If cuttings are carried out later than the indicated dates, root tubercles do not have time to form before frost and the number of fallen cuttings can be very large, especially in gooseberries.
Planting cuttings is carried out as follows. First of all, you need to prepare the site. It is advisable to free it from perennial weeds by treating it with Roundup, Hurricane, etc. Then apply rotted manure (up to 10 kg per m2). After manure is applied, the soil on the site can not be fed. If there is no manure or compost, the soil is enriched with complex mineral fertilizers - nitroammophoska, kemir at the rate of 40-100 g per m2, depending on the type of soil (on light soils, the norms are higher than on heavy soils). It is advisable to dig the site 2-3 weeks before planting, so that the earth has time to settle. If
digging was carried out immediately before planting;
When the soil is prepared, proceed to cutting the cuttings. Most often, annual branches are used. They are cut into cuttings 15-25 cm long. The longer and thicker the cutting, the more powerful the seedling will turn out and the higher the likelihood of rooting compared to a thinner or shorter one. The place of the cut does not matter, since the roots on the cuttings of currants and gooseberries are formed along the entire length. Chopped cuttings are tied into bunches according to varieties and, if necessary, soaked in root formation stimulants (heteroauxin, root, and others). After cutting and soaking, they begin to plant. The distance in a row between cuttings should be 5-20 cm, row spacing - 40-70 cm. Such a difference between the minimum and maximum possible distance depends on the purpose of cultivation. If it is necessary to obtain the greatest yield of seedlings per unit area, they are planted more densely. And if the goal is to grow powerful seedlings, and even transplant them with a clod of earth, they plant them away from each other.
Then the cuttings are stuck into the ground, leaving 1-3 buds on the surface, depending on the length of the cutting. It is advised to plant cuttings obliquely, at an angle of about 45 ° to the soil surface. Usually this advice is motivated as follows: if the cuttings are stuck vertically, in winter the frozen earth squeezes them to the surface, sometimes so much that in the spring they simply lie on the ground. But there is another reason why it is worth placing the cuttings at an angle even when planting in the spring. If the cutting is located vertically, its heel is at a depth of about 15 cm, and if it is inclined, at a depth of 10 cm. Where will the soil warm up faster in spring? That's right, at a depth of 10 cm. This can be the decisive factor in rooting.
After planting the cuttings, the plantation is watered abundantly. In the future, the soil is loosened and watered as needed. The eternal question: to mulch or not to mulch? If there is such an opportunity, it is better to mulch. Humus, leaves, sawdust are used as mulch (a layer of at least 5 cm). The ground under the mulch will freeze later, which means that the likelihood of the formation of root tubercles will increase, the cuttings will not fall out. On the other hand, in spring, the ground under mulch warms up more slowly than in an unmulched area. In general, the main purpose of mulch is to retain moisture in the soil. This is especially important for the southern regions of Ukraine, where hot days with dry winds can come right after winter.
If you did everything right, in winter there is nothing to do on the site with planted cuttings. At least that's how I do it. In winter, cuttings die only if the soil is not moist enough. If there is enough moisture, they are not afraid of any winter disasters.
And here is spring. Everything begins to turn green, bloom and smell. Now the cuttings require close attention. Immediately after the snow melts, it is necessary to audit the plantation. The cuttings, which the frozen earth pushed out during the winter, are stuck back to the required level. When the soil dries, loosening is carried out without fail to a depth of about 10 cm (otherwise, young roots can not only dry out from lack of moisture, but also suffocate from lack of oxygen). It is necessary to carefully monitor the soil moisture, as even a slight drying out can destroy the results of all previous work. It is best to water in furrows drawn every 2 rows, with the expectation that one furrow waters 2 rows of cuttings. It is watered abundantly, after watering the furrows are necessarily loosened. Drip irrigation also gives excellent results. It is better not to use sprinkling - it strongly compacts the soil, besides, after each sprinkling, it is necessary to loosen the entire plantation area, which means wasting time and energy.
In the future, caring for the plantation consists not only in watering and weeding, but also in protecting young plants from diseases and pests. Pest treatment is carried out at the same time as on adult bushes: twice before and after flowering, they are treated with broad-spectrum preparations - actara, decis, arrivo. It must be remembered that young shoots are very popular with various types of aphids. Measures to combat them are facilitated by the fact that there are no berries on young plants and the treatment can be carried out repeatedly and as needed (I use Actellik).
No matter how resistant the currant or gooseberry variety is, young plants are usually affected by powdery mildew and other fungal diseases. Systemic fungicides (for example, Ridomil) save them from them.
Spring planting of cuttings is practically no different from autumn. The difference is in the number of cuttings that fell out; during spring planting there may be more of them. Currants and gooseberries are cold-resistant plants, the buds begin to awaken at an air temperature slightly above 0 ° C, so the cuttings begin to be planted as soon as the ground thaws (to a depth of 10-15 cm). And nothing that there is dirt on the site - right into this dirt and plant, first of all, gooseberries and red currants, which do not have a very high rooting rate. With the use of root formation stimulants (heteroauxin), the yield of seedlings increases significantly. So, this year, during spring planting, the yield of seedlings of red currant varieties Versailles white, Imperial, Natalie, Asora, Marmaladnitsa and gooseberries varieties Northern chestnut, Krasen, Malachite, Shtambovy exceeded 90%. But these are easily rooted varieties. It could be worse. For several years now, it has not been possible to grow high-quality seedlings of red currant Tatran vermilion. Big problems arise with the rooting of cuttings of European-American gooseberry hybrids, such as Kyiv Prize, Black Velvet, Negrul's Memory, etc. It is better to propagate such varieties by layering.
The situation is much better with the rooting of blackcurrant cuttings, most varieties of this crop take root easily not only with green buds, but even with half-opened leaves. The only exceptions are the Izyumnaya and Dobrynya varieties, whose rooting rate is much lower than average.
Deficient varieties can be propagated by shortened cuttings. Usually these are 3-eye cuttings - one bud on top, two in the ground. At one time, as an experiment, in the spring I tried to root one-eyed cuttings of the varieties Rusalka, Pygmy, Dachnitsa, Krasa Lvova, Yubileinaya Kopanya. Their rooting rate was almost 100%, the seedlings turned out to be excellent. True, and care was appropriate. But cuttings of red currant and gooseberry should not be shortened, as you can lose much more than you gain.
Budding and grafting
There is another way of reproduction - this is a cross between propagation by layering and cuttings. When removing unproductive old branches on currants and gooseberries, they are not thrown away, but added dropwise along the entire length. At the same time, young growing branches are brought out. Further care is the same as for layering: watering and hilling growing shoots. In autumn, the branches are dug up and divided into seedlings, like horizontal layering. Currants and gooseberries of severely scarce varieties are propagated by grafting onto less scarce ones. The budding of shrubs is similar to the budding of trees and I will not focus on it, many available articles and books have been written about this method. I will add only one thing: budding of currants and gooseberries is carried out both on perennial bushes and on young ones. In the latter case, the plant is grown as a stem culture. You can graft both gooseberries on currants, and vice versa, the compatibility of these crops is good. One of the best rootstocks for currants and gooseberries is the Thames hybrid. In addition to a powerful root system and growth strength, it has another significant advantage - it practically does not give shoots, which means it is great for standard culture.
Noteworthy is the grafting method used by L. I. Prokazin, a well-known nurseryman from Mirgorod. Here is how he describes it:
"The method is laborious, but it allows you to quickly propagate scarce gooseberry varieties. Everyone knows how easily lignified blackcurrant cuttings take root, and vice versa, how difficult this process is for lignified gooseberry cuttings. Considering the rather high degree of compatibility of gooseberry and blackcurrant grafting components, I I use blackcurrant cuttings to accelerate the propagation of the desired gooseberry varieties.To do this, I graft gooseberry cuttings on blackcurrant cuttings.In February, I harvest annual blackcurrant and gooseberry shoots.I store them in snow piles or in the refrigerator at a temperature of -1 ° C. 2 days before vaccinations, I bring the cuttings into a room with a temperature of 10-15 ° C. I wash, wipe and cut into cuttings: currants 15-18 cm long, gooseberries 8-10 cm, so that each cutting has at least three healthy buds.
I vaccinate by simple copulation, that is, as a butt. To prevent rotting after tying, I powder the grafting combination with charcoal or rinse in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. After that, I put the cuttings in transparent plastic bags, sprinkled with wet sawdust, and store at a temperature of 4-6 ° C for 20-25 days to form a callus, both on the lower part of the currant cuttings and at the grafting site. After that, I transfer the cuttings to a cooler room with a temperature of 2-3 ° C and store until planting in the ground. I plant cuttings after thawing the soil so that they are completely buried in the soil. The top bud of the gooseberry should be at or above the soil level. As the shoot grows, I make it three times hilling during the summer (preferably after rain or watering). Rooting with this method reaches 60-70% of the total number of vaccinations, in favorable years and more.
When planting such combined grafts in a permanent place, the strapping remains forever in the soil. When transplanting an annual seedling to a new place in the fall, you can remove the root system of blackcurrant with a pruner above the constriction from the strapping (provided that a sufficient number of roots are formed on the basis of gooseberry scion seedlings).
You can also propagate currants and gooseberries with green cuttings in June. I do not use this method, I have no experience, so I advise you to contact green cuttings specialists or study the literature on this issue.
That's all about the main methods of propagation of currants and gooseberries. I hope that my recommendations will help you grow high-quality seedlings of your favorite varieties.
Gooseberry, otherwise called "northern grapes", is a perennial shrub, the berries of which contain a huge amount of useful trace elements, organic acids, pectins and tannins.
Reproduction methods
Having stems of different ages, the gooseberry bush will delight with a full-fledged harvest for about 5-6 years. The greatest number of berries in this case is formed on the side shoots of 3-8 years of age.
Therefore, in order to consistently obtain a tasty harvest of northern grapes, bushes should be updated and propagated in a timely manner.
Gooseberry propagation, for which one should choose pure-bred, high-yielding bushes not affected by pests and diseases, is carried out in several ways:
- cuttings;
- layering;
- dividing the bush;
- seeds.
Propagation of gooseberries by green cuttings
Green cuttings are one of the most effective gooseberry propagation methods. In the second half of June, it is required to cut cuttings 7-12 cm in size with a sharp knife; for this, the gains of the current year with five buds should be used. You can propagate gooseberries by cuttings in the fall. Harvesting is desirable to produce in cloudy weather or in the early morning. Chopped cuttings are recommended to be pre-treated with a growth stimulator, and then planted for rooting in a substrate from a mixture of sand with peat or earth.
Landing should be done at an angle, at a distance of about 5 cm between the cuttings with 10-centimeter row spacing, leaving 2 buds at the top, and the lower one should be placed at soil level. Around the cuttings, it is required to tightly compress the ground in order to prevent the formation of voids, then moisten and mulch well. A bed with planted cuttings must be constantly watered and loosened, causing the early formation of strong young shoots from the kidneys. Top dressing is recommended to be done with ammonium nitrate (40 grams), (20 grams) and superphosphate (30 grams) based on a 10-liter bucket of water. Subject to all the conditions for the required care of young sprouts at the end of the season, high-quality annual seedlings are obtained; the best specimens are obtained by rooting cuttings cut from the top of the branches. It is worth knowing that the propagation of gooseberries with green cuttings is not suitable for all varieties. So, the best results were shown by the Yubileiny and Russian varieties, which gave 80-100% survival rate. To a greater extent, gooseberry propagation by cuttings is suitable for currants.
Method of combined cuttings
With this method, gooseberry propagation by cuttings is carried out using young green layering, which has part of the lignified growth (3-4 cm) of the last year. Harvested cuttings should be planted in loose, moist soil, while deepening the heel and base by 3-4 cm.
After that, it is required to water abundantly and mulch. Root formation occurs in a couple of weeks.
Horizontal layers - one of the methods of reproduction
Reproduction of gooseberries by layering is the method most suitable for 3-4 year old bushes and used by most gardeners because of its simplicity, ease, reliability and sufficient material for planting at the outlet. With this breeding method, recommended for early spring, it is required to use annual, well-developed growths that are conveniently located on the sides of the bush.
The soil must first be prepared: it is good to dig, fertilize and level. From the base of the bush, several shallow grooves up to 20 cm deep should be made, into which young, conveniently located basal shoots should be laid and pinned. In the absence of studs, you can use any material at hand that can fix the layers near the ground. Layering branches, including their bases, must be in full contact with the ground, the tops must be pinched 3-4 cm without bringing them to the surface. After unfolding, horizontal layers should not be sprinkled with earth, this is done only after the buds germinate, shoots appear and reach a length of 5 cm. Only in this case is the first soil powder produced. The layered soil should be kept moist at all times, watering regularly and making sure that the water does not wash out the grooves.
When the shoots reach a length of 15-20 cm, they must be spudded with humus or moist soil to the very tops; hilling must be repeated throughout the summer season; with strong growth - pinch the tops (in June) so that the plant spends energy on branching. It is important not to forget to carry out top dressing, it is recommended to use ammonium salt, superphosphate as fertilizers.
Gooseberries, which are propagated by layering, take root best in wet years; in dry times, the roots stop growing early in summer and resume it only in autumn when the optimum soil temperature and moisture are restored. It is recommended to separate the layers from the mother bush in autumn and spring, but it is preferable in this case to do this in the spring, because during the autumn and winter the root system of a young seedling will develop well and strengthen, after which it is recommended to plant the finished seedlings on a permanent place of growth. The dug out young gooseberry, which is propagated by layering, needs to be cut into separate seedlings, sorted, discarded weaker ones (with a poorly developed root system) and planted for growing.
What is a good method of propagation by horizontal layering? Lots of planting material. From each horizontally laid annual shoot, up to 6 full-fledged shoots with roots are formed - future gooseberry seedlings.
Reproduction by layering: method number 2
There is another method of propagation by layering, which is simpler than those described above. For this, layering can be obtained during spring or autumn pruning of gooseberries. You should select several long young branches, dig them horizontally (about 10 cm deep). At the same time, the top (about 12 cm long) must be left and prikopat it vertically, using a peg for this. A year later, full-fledged shoots will appear.
Gooseberry: propagation by arcuate layering
This method is used in early spring; young annual growths need to be laid in rows in furrows, pinned in the middle of the pit deepening and sprinkled with earth. The tops must be brought out in an arc to the surface of the earth, tied to a peg, shortened and spud. In summer, regular watering and fertilizing is required. Arcuate layering for the season will have time to take root and become a full-fledged planting material. This method gives only one seedling from an annual root shoot, which is several times less than with the method with horizontal layering. The gooseberry, which is propagated by arcuate layering, is characterized by power and quickly begins to bear fruit.
Reproduction by vertical layering
This method is used for older gooseberry bushes or when transferring a plantation of bushes to a new location. In early spring, all old branches are cut out, young ones are shortened by 2/3. This operation will cause the intensive appearance of a large number of shoots. When they reach a height of 15-18 cm, the latter should be piled up with earth to half; when hilling up the branches, it is necessary to move apart and fill all the voids with earth. Hilling is done 2-3 times, as the branches grow. In June, the tops of the gooseberries need to be pinched, this will cause the branching of the future bush. By autumn, with good watering and additional dressings, the layers will have time to take root well; they can be dug up for planting.
The division of the bush
Propagation of gooseberries by dividing the bush is used in most cases when determining a plantation for another place of growth. This method is due to the fact that the independence of the various parts of the bush is pronounced in the gooseberry; some branches at a young age form and develop a separate root system. When digging bushes, they are divided into parts; younger shoots with well-developed roots are used as planting material. Reproduction of currants, gooseberries by dividing the bush can be done in the fall, after the leaves fall (October-November), or in early spring, before bud break (in March).
Reproduction by seeds
Gooseberries are propagated by seeds when new varieties are bred. Material obtained from free pollination and bred from directional crosses is used.
Currants and gooseberries are valuable berry crops in our gardens. In our opinion, there should not be a suburban area where these plants would not grow. The productive age of currants and gooseberries is 6-8 years, then the yield of berries begins to decline, various pests and diseases accumulate, the bushes grow old. The gardener has to replace them with new seedlings. So buy?
We offer a way out: we grow seedlings ourselves, we will use our advice. If you are with us, and we are with you, then we will not disappear one by one. And in fact, every gardener can grow for himself, on his site, a good, healthy planting material.
CURRANT and gooseberry are propagated vegetatively, by parts of plants. The easiest and most reliable way to propagate currants is lignified cuttings. For spring planting, cuttings are harvested in November. They are tied in bundles and stored in the basement in the sand or in the garden under the snow. It is important to keep the cuttings during the winter, preventing them from drying out. As soon as the earth thaws, warms up, the cuttings are planted in the ground. Annuals from lignified cuttings grow, as a rule, with one stem.
Another method also gives good results in the reproduction of currants and gooseberries - green cuttings. But this work is carried out, of course, in the summer - at the end of June, beginning of July (during the period of intensive growth of shoots). Young growths - the apical parts of shoots 10-12 cm long with 2-3 internodes are cut off, preferably in the morning. The lower leaves on the cutting are removed, and the remaining ones are shortened by half to reduce moisture loss from the cutting. The best place for successful rooting of cuttings is simple film greenhouses or greenhouses. You can also use part of the area of greenhouses or greenhouses in which the gardener grows cucumbers and tomatoes.
In greenhouses or greenhouses, it is easy to maintain high air humidity and optimal temperature at the soil surface. For rooting green cuttings, a special substrate is prepared in advance - a mixture of peat and sand (1: 1). It should retain moisture well and at the same time provide drainage and good aeration. The prepared substrate, consisting of peat and sand, is laid in an even layer of 4-5 cm on the fertile soil of a greenhouse or greenhouse.
It is best to plant cuttings in the early morning according to the scheme: 2-3 cm in a row and 5-7 cm between rows, to a substrate depth of 1.5-2 cm, but not deeper. The roots formed on the cuttings from the peat-sand substrate penetrate into the lower fertile layer, which gives them nutrition for the intensive development of the rooted cuttings. In the rooting process, it is necessary to maintain the humidity of the air and the substrate. Cuttings are watered every day (1-2 times) from a sprayer or from a watering can with a fine strainer. To avoid rotting of the cuttings, it is necessary to monitor the humidity of the substrate, to prevent its waterlogging. It takes at least two weeks before rooting begins. After the mass rooting of the cuttings, the moisture content of the substrate is maintained at a lower level than initially, but drying is not allowed. Rooted cuttings in late August - early September are planted in open ground for growing. Growing planting material from lignified cuttings of currants and green cuttings of currants and gooseberries is not at all difficult, and every gardener in his summer cottage can propagate valuable varieties of berry crops, fully providing himself with planting material. If there are excess cuttings, you can, as already mentioned, sell or exchange them for seedlings of other plants you need.
Currants and gooseberries can be propagated horizontal layering, without separating them from the mother bush. This method is good because it does not require special artificial conditions - greenhouses, greenhouses. To do this, in early spring, before bud break, the strongest annual shoots are chosen, as well as 2-3-year-old branches with good growth. They are carefully bent into pre-prepared grooves 8-10 cm deep. A layer of peat compost or rotted manure is poured onto the bottom of the groove and mixed with the ground. Shoots are pinned with hooks or hairpins and covered with soil. On such a shoot, vertical shoots grow from the buds. When they reach a height of 10-12 cm, they are spudded to a height of 4-6 cm with moist soil. After 2 weeks, re-hilling up to 7-10 cm is carried out. In the fall, when the layers take root, the branch at the base of the mother bush is cut off with a pruner and cut into a series of shoots and planted in a permanent place.
The gardener can propagate currants and gooseberries by dividing the bush to preserve this variety. The bush is carefully dug up, freeing the root system from the soil, and divide it so that each part of it has young roots and shoots. Little is obtained from this method of propagation of planting material.
V. Ponomarenko,
Academician Petrovskaya
Academy of Sciences
Material from the weekly newspaper "GARDENER"
