How abundantly and how often to water gooseberries and currants in summer

Watering is a mandatory step in caring for berry bushes, including currants and gooseberries. The activity of vegetative processes, ripening, quantity and quality of the crop depend on it. It is important to observe the norms and terms of summer watering of currants and gooseberries, since both a lack of moisture and its excessive volume can harm these crops.

How often to water gooseberries and currants in summer

The timing and rules for watering currants and gooseberries are almost the same. Both crops are distinguished by abundant growth and fruiting with sufficient soil moisture.

Important!Waterlogging threatens the development of fungal diseases, rotting roots, falling leaves and ovaries. Therefore, you should not exceed the established norms and the frequency of the procedure.

The frequency and volume of watering is determined based on:

• weather conditions;
• stage of plant development;
• the type and condition of the soil.

Abundance of watering

Both crops are moisture-loving and require, although not frequent, but abundant watering.... The soil in the near-trunk area is moistened 40-50 cm deep. The average watering rate is 3-4 buckets of water for each shrub. When determining the volume, the composition of the soil is taken into account. If the soil is sandy or sandy loam, the rate is increased to 5 buckets per 1 sq. m.

To calculate the volume of water, gardeners recommend using the following method:

1. Loosen the soil to check the degree of dryness.
2. If the soil has dried more than 15 cm deep, the amount of irrigation is 40 liters of water.
3. In the absence of moisture at a depth of 10 cm, 20 liters of liquid is sufficient.
4. If the soil is only dry to 5 cm, no watering is required.

The volume of water also depends on the thickness and length of the root system, and the age of the crop. For young (one-year-old) bushes, you should not exceed the seasonal rate of 50 liters, for mature (3-5 years old) - 80 liters, for old crops (15-20 years old) - 120-150 liters.

How to water properly

Berry crops are watered abundantly, water is directed to the root system. Spraying of aboveground plantings is allowed.

Reference. After watering, it is recommended to lay mulch from improvised natural materials into the trunk circle: peat, compost, sawdust, hay.

Mulch keeps the soil moisture and looseness for a long time, prevents rapid evaporation of the liquid. At the same time, the air circulation required for the plant roots is not disturbed. In a dry season, it is advisable to loosen the soil in the aisles. This will exclude the formation of an earthen crust, reduce moisture evaporation.

When carrying out the procedure, the type of soil is taken into account. Heavy clayey and loamy ones require rare but abundant moisture; it is better to water sandy soil in a smaller volume, but more often.

When to water

Berry bushes are moisturized in the morning or evening (before sunset), as water evaporation at this time is slower. During the day they water only in cloudy weather.

For the entire gardening season, currants and gooseberries are moistened about 4 times:

1. In late May - early June - during the formation of ovaries.
2. At the end of June - during berry pouring.
3. After harvest - produced mainly for currants.
4. In late September - early November - in preparation for wintering.

When determining the watering time, first of all, you must rely on the stage of plant development. The first 2 stages of hydration are the same for both shrubs.After picking the berries, water only the currants. The last moisture-replenishing moisture is required for both crops. In this case, it is important to be in time before frost.

Reference. If precipitation falls during the planned period of moistening, the shrubs are not watered.

It is important to monitor the condition of the soil so as not to miss watering time. Crops tolerate drought well, but their growing processes slow down, yield and fruit size decrease.

Excessive watering also poses a danger to the root system of the bushes and can provoke its destruction and death of the plant. Active hydration is recommended only in late May - early June, until the first softness of the berries. Then its multiplicity is reduced.

Water requirements

It is recommended to use good quality water for watering shrubs, such as spring water. It should be warm, distant.

Gardeners do not recommend moistening currants and gooseberries with cold water. It is desirable that its temperature was in the range from room temperature to + 60 ° C. This stimulates plant development and protects against disease.

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Features of watering shrubs in the heat

Since drought inhibits the development and fruiting of the plant, the rate and volume of moisture is increased in the heat. This is especially true of the growing season, flowering, the appearance of ovaries and berries, that is, the first half of summer.

Watering is carried out as the soil dries, about 1 time per 1-2 weeks. The volume of liquid is 30-50 liters under a bush. If the soil is very hot, water may not be defended, but supplied directly from the source.

Attention! To keep the soil moist longer in the heat, grooves are made around the bush at a distance of 20-25 cm, which are filled with water.

Watering methods

Moistening currants and gooseberries is carried out in several ways:

1. Drip - water is supplied through special irrigation lines, remote from the crop up to 0.5 m. A low irrigation rate allows not to settle water, since it has time to heat up in natural conditions.
2. Aryk watering - a moat is formed around the bush from an embankment of soil or using a deepening. It is filled with water.
3. Watering at the root - the standard method, carried out 3-4 times per season.
4. Sprinkling - the recommended watering method for currants, which does not require labor from the gardener. However, excessive moisture on gooseberry leaves can cause sunburn and disease.
5. Dissolve - water is supplied from a hose located on the ground. In this case, liquid spillage and moisture uniformity should be monitored. The position of the hose is periodically changed. This creates the risk of hypothermia of currant roots, which are sensitive to water temperature.

Is it necessary to water the bushes during fruiting, ripening of berries

With a lack of moisture during flowering and ripening of berries, the yield of crops is significantly reduced. This is especially true for black currants - drought leads to a reduction in fruiting not only in the current season, but also next year.

Important! Crops must be watered before flowering, during it and during the ripening period of berries.

Soil moistening is required in late May - early June and late June - early July. A good charge of moisture during this period increases productivity, improves the quality of berries.

What to water, besides water

In addition to the standard moisture, an important stage in the care of shrubs is their feeding. For the first time, fertilizers are applied even when planting a plant - humus, superphosphate, ash are placed in the pit.

In June, with the active development of crops, it is especially important to feed them. For this, nitrogen fertilizers, manure, humus, compost are used. Top dressing is combined with watering - it is done before and after the introduction of nutrients.

Top dressing scheme

If, when planting crops, the pits were well fertilized, the first 2 years of feeding can be omitted. The usual wetting of the bushes is enough.

Further, fertilizers are applied in stages:

1. In the spring (in May) mineral feeding is required. To do this, 10 g of nitrogen, 15 g of potash, 20 g of phosphorus fertilizers are dissolved in 10 liters of water. This dosage is calculated for 1 shrub.
2. In June top dressing helps the growth of shoots, pouring fruits after flowering. The procedure is combined with watering. Mullein, diluted in water in a ratio of 1: 4, is introduced into the soil. Dosage - 1 bucket per 1 bush.
3. After fruiting the soil and bushes also need to be prepared for the next season. Fertilizers are introduced under digging (per 1 sq. M): organic - up to 6 g, phosphorus - 30 g, potash - 20 g.

To prepare for winter, manure and compost are added to the soil, combined in a 1: 1 ratio. Such feeding increases the frost resistance of crops.

Watering shrubs in spring

In early spring (March), gardeners recommend watering currants and gooseberries with very hot water (+ 80 ° C). Such treatment effectively neutralizes pathogenic organisms wintering on shrubs or in the soil, prevents the formation of fungal colonies, and activates vegetative processes in plants.

Important! Watering the shrubs with boiling water should be done before the buds awaken.

To retain moisture, the trunk circle is sprinkled with peat, sawdust, humus. In the spring-summer period (late May - early June), the plants are watered as standard - with warm, settled water.

Experienced gardening tips

To obtain a bountiful harvest and maintain the health of crops, it is important to follow the rules for caring for them:

1. A few days before the planned moistening, water is collected in barrels. This will help it warm up and settle.
2. Before the procedure, the old layer of mulch is removed, the near-trunk area is weeded, otherwise watering will accelerate the growth of weeds.
3. The recommended moisturizing time is the evening before sunset. During the night, the roots are completely saturated with moisture.
4. Plants should not be watered during the day, especially when exposed to sunlight. This will provoke a burn. In the daytime, watering is allowed only in cloudy weather.
5. After moistening the soil, it is advisable to immediately apply top dressing.
6. In hot summers, it is necessary to regularly check the degree of dryness of the soil. The frequency of watering is increased.
7. Especially moisture is required for crops during flowering, ripening, fruiting. Drought at this time should not be allowed.
8. Excessive moisture is harmful to shrubs. This causes rotting of the roots, a decrease in yield, the development of diseases. Gardeners believe that excess moisture is more dangerous for currants and gooseberries than drought.

Read also:

How to process white bloom on currant leaves

Why currant leaves turn yellow in June

Conclusion

When watering berry bushes, it is important to observe the water balance of the soil. For the entire season, crops are moistened 3-4 times, during hot summer it is permissible to increase the multiplicity. Active watering during plant development, flowering, fruiting improves the yield, quality and taste of berries. For optimal functioning of the shrubs, it is also required to regularly feed them with fertilizers.