Currant "Sibilla": characteristics and rules of cultivation
For every person who has his own small summer cottage, self-grown currants can become a source of pride and a personal victory. Currant "Sibyl" is an unpretentious and prolific berry that even a novice gardener can grow.
Variety Description
This blackcurrant was first bred at the South Ural Institute of Horticulture. It was there that it was specially created for cultivation in the Far East region and the Central belt of Russia. Due to the crossing of two other varieties of currants (the domestic variety "Dove Seedling" and the Finnish "Bredthorpe"), "Sibilla" is highly prolific and practically unaffected by pests. In addition, these varieties gave her large and tasty berries with a slight sourness. Relatively recently, in 2008, "Sibilla" was entered in the register of breeding achievements.
The berries of this currant are black with a reddish tint, sometimes brown, large, round. The plant has the appearance of a bush, which can reach a height of 1.5 meters. The leaves are small, light green, wrinkled in appearance with a small notch. Flowering is rampant. Flowers, as a rule, are many, and they have a light yellow color.
Each berry can weigh from 2 to 5 grams, while it has a small number of seeds. A significant advantage is that the berries do not lose their nutritional qualities even after freezing or heat treatment. One bush can produce up to 3 kg of berries in one season.The so-called dry separation is characteristic of the berries of the "Sibilla" currant, which makes harvesting not only easy, but also allows for machine assembly.
One of the most important characteristics of this plant is unpretentiousness. It not only does not require special care rules, but is also easily mastered in a new place during transplantation.
In spring and autumn, it is necessary to treat plants with fungicidal preparations in order to prevent infection with various fungal diseases.
reproduction
As mentioned above, "Sybil" is quite unpretentious, so it grows well both in sunny areas and in the shade. The soil for planting should be loamy or sandy, always moist.
Very often a plant needs to be repotted. Most often this is done to increase productivity. Plant propagation occurs in two ways: cuttings and layering. Due to the small number of side layers, the second breeding method for this currant becomes difficult.
It is best to transplant with cuttings in early spring.
Not recommended, but in rare cases, a transplant in the fall is acceptable. Due to the fact that for this plant pollination is not the main method of reproduction, it grows well and bears fruit in relatively cold regions.
Care and reviews
Caring for the plant is not particularly difficult, only regular watering, weed removal and timely pest control are required. You also need to do top dressing and pruning. A bush with improper care can be susceptible to various diseases, but especially to anthracnose and septoria.
Gardeners with great experience recommend pouring boiling water over the bushes in early spring before the buds swell.This helps to get rid of such a pest as a kidney mite. The fight against this pest should be carried out regularly. In later periods, after the onset of April, it is worth treating the plant with chlorine-containing preparations.
It is important to note that the bush requires special watering during the formation and growth of berries. The more often watering occurs, the tastier and juicier the berries will be. At the same time, it is important to ensure that the soil at the place where the bush grows is not prone to stagnant water and drains well.
In addition to all of the above, "Sybil" perfectly tolerates cold down to -30 and does not require special protection for the winter.
As many experienced gardeners note, this variety is drought-resistant and unpretentious, while being able to maintain its fertility. Admiring reviews about the berries of this currant can be heard in the summer both from summer residents and city dwellers who purchase these juicy natural vitamins. It is noted that with proper care (prevention of pests and timely abundant watering), the harvest doubles or even triples. Perhaps this fact is one of the most important reasons for the popularity of this currant.
Amateur gardeners highlight the most significant inconvenience when growing this crop - exposure to such a pest as a kidney mite. It has been noticed that Sibyl gets along best in the natural and climatic conditions of the Far East.
Despite minor flaws, few people remained dissatisfied with the Sibylla currant, basically this variety receives good reviews from satisfied gardeners.
Next, see the review of the currant variety "Sibilla".