Is blackcurrant suitable for growing in southern regions?
Blackcurrant is also called purple plum. This fruit can be eaten directly or made into jam and wine. It is mainly grown in northern China. Friends in the south want to know whether blackcurrant can be grown in the south.
1. Can blackcurrant be grown in the south?
Blackcurrant is not suitable for growing in the south. Blackcurrant is native to Russia and is fairly cold-tolerant. It is not easy for it to survive when grown in the south, and even if it survives, it is very difficult for it to bear fruit.
2. How to grow blackcurrant
1. The planting of blackcurrant trees is divided into two periods, spring and autumn. Spring planting is generally in early to mid-April, when the soil has just thawed and the soil moisture is good, so the seedlings easily survive. Spring planting should be done early rather than late. Autumn planting is in mid-October, and the plants can grow normally without going through a period of recovery.
2. Choose a planting site with plenty of sunlight, flat terrain, deep soil, close to a water source, and convenient drainage and irrigation. If planting in mountainous areas, the slope must not exceed 15°, and a sunny aspect is best. After choosing the land, clear the weeds and leftover plant debris from the planting site, apply base fertilizer along with plowing, then harrow it fine and level it, and wait to plant.
3. The main propagation methods are cuttings and layering. In autumn, select strong branches from the mother plant and cut 20-25cm cuttings, then store them in a cool place. After temperatures rise in spring, trim the branches to a length of about 10-15cm and then they can be used for cuttings. About half a month after planting, the young plants will grow and sprout. With proper management at this time, they can be planted out in autumn.
For layering propagation, in spring peel one-year-old new branches and press them into the soil to a depth of about 5cm, wait for them to take root and sprout, and at the same time mound soil around them to expand the rooting range. By autumn they can be separated from the mother plant and planted out.
4. Apply farmyard manure to fruiting trees, together with a nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium compound fertilizer.
5. Water thoroughly at every stage during the growing period.
6. To promote the growth of the fruit tree root system, turn the soil between the rows twice and hoe once during the growing season. In autumn, deep plow in combination with applying base fertilizer, to a depth of 15-20cm. Before flowering in spring, plow and turn the soil between the plants and rows once.
Blackcurrant is mainly grown in northern China. Everyone should choose the crops to plant according to the actual situation, which is better.