Black Currant

Black Currant. The leaves and berries give off a strong smell typical for the presence of scent glands rich in essential oils. The black fruits, in clustered berries, are rich in Vitamin C, anthocyanins, ascorbic acid, are used for the production of juices and jams. Ripening from June to July.

CURRANT Rubus idaeus L. (Rosaceae)

It is quite a thick bushy plant, with great vigor, height between 500 and 200 cm, with upright branches, production occurs mainly in the branches of two years with mixed buds or flowers. The flowers, are self fertile in general, are grouped in pendulous clusters. Deciduous, simple slap, lobed with toothed side more or less rounded.

Plantation: It can be grown throughout Italy, prefers loose terrain, on heavy soils add fertilized peat in the hole. In warm regions, plant in semi shaded places. Requires frequent watering. Plantation frame: 0.8 to 1 m above the row and 200-250 cm between the rows.

Cultivation: Rustic crop, requires little care, irrigation relief in the summer period and balanced mineral fertilization with sulfur prevalence in summer and organic fertilizer in autumn. It can also be grown in pots ensuring that irrigation is frequent and fertilize with slow release fertilizers or with fertigation.

Pruning: In the plantation, leave 2 or 3 buds per branch; next years, keep 6 to 8 branches and cut off the branches that have produced. Prune in late winter.

Treatments: In dry environments and recreational plantations are not needed anti fungal treatments, although two interventions are recommended the first and second autumn when rebuke vegetative activity with copper salts and sulfur to prevent the main adversities.