10 best blackcurrant varieties for the Moscow region

Dachnitsa is one of the early blackcurrant varieties for the Moscow region, the first berries of which can be enjoyed as early as the 20th of June. The fruits are not the most outstanding in size, sweet and sour in taste with a sugar content of about 9%. Due to the thin skin of the berries, after picking from the bush, they are not stored well, so it is better to start processing them immediately. The summer resident is distinguished by compact bushes of small height and regular shape. To maintain productivity, the plant needs to be periodically updated. The variety has high resistance to diseases, it is slightly susceptible to powdery mildew and bud mites. But the summer resident does not like the soil to dry out, so in the summer she needs to provide watering.

Titania is a currant of Swedish selection with exceptional disease resistance and excellent winter hardiness. The plant forms massive bushes that need supports.The berries are large, but uneven in size, there can be up to two dozen of them on one brush, which is an absolute record. Ripening occurs gradually, so the collection is organized in several stages. The berries are juicy, but in dry weather the separation is dry, which increases the keeping quality and transportability. In Europe, Titania is grown as an industrial variety, but it is also quite appropriate in gardens near Moscow, although it is not widely distributed.

Lazybones is a blackcurrant variety unique in terms of ripening, the berries on which begin to ripen only in August and remain on the branches until autumn. The bushes are vigorous and reach a height of 1.5 meters, but at the same time they are compact in diameter and slightly sprawling, which saves space in the garden. Lazy berries are quite large, some reach 3.5 grams, having a rich chocolate-black color. Their palatability is highly valued, the sugar content is 8.3%. The variety is resistant to anthracnose, septoria, moderately resistant to bud mites, often affected by powdery mildew. Reviews of gardeners about this currant sound only good. Many are happy to have a variety in their collection.

Izyumnaya is in many ways a unique variety that gardeners of the Moscow region appreciate. It gives rather large berries that do not crumble until autumn, but seem to dry up on the branches, becoming like raisins. At the same time, their taste does not deteriorate. The variety is classified as sweet, the sugar content reaches 10%. Yield is average. Raisin forms compact, not prone to spreading bushes up to 1.5 meters high. The plant is not susceptible to bud mites and powdery mildew, is not afraid of frost and summer moisture deficiency. In the reviews, some gardeners note not as active growth of shoots as in other varieties.

Belarusian sweet is one of the few varieties of black currant that is sufficiently resistant to anthracnose and bud mites. This shrub will not surprise you with excessively large berries, because their average weight is 1-2 grams, but due to the abundance of the crop, most gardeners are satisfied. The berries are quite sweet, containing up to 7.5% sugars. Another advantage is the lack of shattering, which allows you to collect fruits not as they ripen, but when they are all ripe. With all its advantages, Belarusian sweet has some disadvantages.The main one is susceptibility to fungal diseases, but this does not prevent the variety from receiving a lot of positive feedback and being considered one of the best.

Bagheera is one of the large-fruited black currants, but is not a champion in this regard, because it gives berries a little over 2 grams. It is valued for the fact that the difference in size between the upper and lower fruits on the brush is minimal, and they ripen almost simultaneously at the end of July, which greatly facilitates harvesting. Bagheera is considered one of the sweetest types, the sugar concentration reaches 11%. Due to the dense skin of the berries, they remain for a long time both on the bush and in the plucked form. For planting in the conditions of the Moscow region, the variety is excellent, because it tolerates summer heat and lack of moisture well, and is not afraid of winter frosts.

Blackcurrant of the Vigorous variety was bred for cultivation in the conditions of the Siberian climate, but due to a number of advantages it quickly spread throughout the country, including in the Moscow region. Excellent winter hardiness, resistance to bud mites and high yields have made this variety incredibly popular. It produces very large berries, with dense skin and large seeds. The taste seems sour to many, although the amount of sugar in the composition reaches 9%. The berries ripen unevenly, they can crumble, so it is better to harvest in several passes as the fruits ripen. Vigorous receives different reviews from gardeners, but most are still happy to see her in their garden.

The large-fruited variety of blackcurrant Pygmy is able to surprise with berries weighing up to 7.5 grams, although not all of them will differ in such impressive sizes. Shrub of medium ripening begins to produce a crop in early July. Berries ripen in stages over 2-3 weeks. They have a pleasant rather sweet taste (contain 9.4% sugar), pronounced aroma, thin skin. The use of fruits is universal - from fresh consumption to freezing and preservation. The Pygmy variety is resistant to anthracnose and powdery mildew, but susceptible to bud mites, from which the shrub must be treated.This currant is not afraid of frosts, it grows excellently in the conditions of the Moscow region, delighting with a rich harvest.

Dobrynya is another popular blackcurrant variety for growing in the Moscow region. It produces very large berries with an elastic skin that guarantees dry separation and excellent transportability. The taste characteristics of the variety are also excellent. The berries do not ripen at the same time, so they will have to be picked in several stages. The variety is resistant to powdery mildew, tolerates winter cold and heat well in summer, but is often exposed to bud mites and anthracnose. Dobrynya forms relatively small bushes with mostly straight branches, from which it is easy and convenient to harvest. Judging by the reviews, the number of berries and their weight directly depend on the quality of care and the correct choice of fertilizer.

Blackcurrant Selechenskaya is often found in gardens near Moscow, because it was bred back in the early 90s of the last century. The berries are impressive in size, reaching 5 grams, excellent taste. In conditions of normal humidity levels, they come off without damaging the skin, which increases transportability. Selechenskaya is resistant to powdery mildew and bud mites, but, according to reviews, it is impossible to completely exclude the defeat of these pests and diseases. The variety is resistant to winter cold, well tolerates spring return frosts and summer drought, which makes it one of the best for the Moscow region.