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How to Rejuvenate Currants: 5 Methods from Experienced Gardeners – and All of Them Work
26.12.2023 13:50
Over time, despite abundant fruiting, currants may stop delighting their owners with rich harvests, and we often decide to get rid of the old bush and plant a new one.
However, a new variety does not always live up to expectations, and therefore one should not rush to part with the old plant, says Anastasia Kovrizhnykh, an expert of the online publication BelNovosti, an agronomist and landscape designer.
Rejuvenation of an old bush is quite possible, and there are several methods for this. Let's consider them in more detail.
Rejuvenating pruning
This method can be considered the simplest and most effective. Rejuvenating pruning should be started in the fall, after the leaves have fallen. As a rule, this period falls at the end of September - the first half of October.
If the plant is not yet 10 years old, the procedure is carried out in stages and takes about 3 years, during which the gardener needs to cut off some of the branches to the base.
For a bush that is older than 10 years, or if you have not looked after the plant at all, you can cut off all the shoots at ground level at once, and then sprinkle the cuts with ash.
For the winter, cover the plant with peat or sawdust, and in the spring, water the currant with “Alirin-B” or “Baktofit”, which contains hay bacillus, and then use a solution of mullein or bird droppings to feed the plant.
This way you will rejuvenate the above-ground part of the bush. To rejuvenate the root system, simply transplant the currant to a new place with more fertile soil.
Dividing the bush
If you have chosen to divide the currant bush, you need to dig it up and divide it into 2-3 parts, each of which (this is important) should contain one-year-old shoots.
Get rid of the old branches, shorten the roots and plant the resulting division in a pre-prepared hole.
Layers
The described method is good for black currants, but propagation by layering can be used, among other things, for white and red currants.
To implement it, bend strong young shoots from the bush and place them in pre-prepared grooves. To fix them, use staples and do not forget to pinch the top.
Once the shoot has finally taken root, separate it from the bush using pruning shears.
Cuttings
The best time to harvest cuttings is September – early October. Choose 2-4 year old shoots for this purpose, each with 5-6 buds.
The upper cut is above the bud, and the lower one, on the contrary, is below it. The optimal length of the cutting is 12-15 cm. In the spring, the rooted cuttings are transplanted to their permanent "place of residence".
Earlier we told you what kind of pot to grow a money tree in.
