Do not be late to process currant bushes with boiling water - here are my tips on how to do it better and safer

As soon as the snow begins to melt on the site, I immediately prepare to process the currant bushes with boiling water. I have been doing this for many years, every spring.

Why pour boiling water over currants

Hot water helps to destroy those pests that winter on the bark and in the litter of the plant. It also makes it possible to destroy fungal spores and viral colonies that remain on the plant.

Thus, the main goals are:

1. Destruction of aphid eggs and larvae.

2. Prevention of viral and fungal diseases.

3. Plant growth stimulation, awakening.

4. Increasing the yield and improving the taste of berries - as a result of the procedure.

When is doused

There is no exact date. It all depends on what the weather was like in the spring. It is worth focusing on the snow. As soon as there is little of it in the bushes, you need to start pouring. That is, approximately, mid-March - early April. The main sign is that the kidneys should not open.

Attention! If the kidneys have opened, then the deadline is missed. You cannot water such bushes with boiling water.

My tips to help make the process easier

1. The main question is where to get boiling water? Of course, in the bathhouse. I heat the bathhouse specifically for this purpose. When the water boils, I pour it directly into a metal watering can and carry it to the bushes. That is, the water temperature is about 90 degrees.

2. Before I start pouring over the bushes, I tie them in neat bunches. This significantly reduces water consumption and watering is carried out faster. A collapsed bush has to be doused for a long time, while you can burn it.

3. How to tie a bush is a very important question. Twine or wire damage the delicate cambium on currant branches, leaving microscopic scratches in which fungus and viruses settle. As a result, all work is wasted.

I am tying the bushes with nylon bows that have remained from the times of the USSR, they were woven into braids by every girl. These ribbons are the best material for tying bushes. They slide along the branches without damaging them, they tighten well, they are well tied with a bow and easily untied. Finding a more ideal way, in my opinion, is impossible!

4. The bush needs to be watered for 7-9 seconds, no longer is required.

5. Copper sulfate can be added to the water, which will serve as a disinfectant, fertilizer and insecticide.

I am preparing a 3% solution. That is, for 10 liters of water I take 300 grams of copper sulfate and dissolve it in hot water. I filter the finished solution and use it to add to the watering can, before pouring over the bushes.

After the bushes are doused, all autumn debris, dry leaves and litter residues must be removed under them. It is there that many pests are found. The soil should be loosened only with the onset of warm weather, so as not to cause frostbite of the roots. It is better to make a fence around the bushes so that the branches with berries have a support.

Then you need to remove the strapping from them and leave the bushes until the leaves appear. During this period, you need to carefully monitor whether aphids appear on the plants. At the first sign, measures should be taken to destroy it.