Black currant Mila

Blackcurrant "Mila" bred at the Research Institute of Horticulture of Siberia named after M.A. Lisavenko by crossing varieties Dikovinka and Bredtorp. In 2001, it was included in the State Register with permission to grow in Western and Eastern Siberia.

Variety advantages: self-fertility, stable yields, large berries, winter and drought resistance, immunity to powdery mildew and bud mites.

Varie Features

Bushes "Miles" vigorous, spreading, thickened. Escapes – medium thickness, curved, without pubescence. Young stems – light green with pinkish-violet tops, becoming woody over time, acquiring a light brown color. Kidneys – solitary, pointed, golden brown. Leaves – 5-lobed, light green, toothed with a wrinkled, hairless leaf blade. Flowers – small, goblet-shaped, light pink. Brushes – up to 6.4 cm, hanging down.

Fruits«Mila» large, rounded, weighing 2.2-4.5 gr. Peel – black, shiny, dense, resistant to tearing, which makes it possible to "dry" picking berries and their transportation. Pulp – juicy with few seeds, fragrant. Taste – sweet and sour, tasting score 4 out of 5.

Yield. "Mila" refers to varieties of medium late ripening. The berries ripen together in the second half of July. Productivity is stable – 3.5 kg/bush or 11.5 t/ha, maximum - 13.3 t/ha.

Growing conditions

Blackcurrant "Mila" tolerates frost, drought and heat well, resistant to most fungal diseases. If you follow the basic rules of agricultural technology, you can grow it and get a full-fledged harvest of delicious berries in almost any climate.

Location. Put "Mila" on a site well lit by the sun, without shadows and drafts. High humidity, stagnant water after rains, high groundwater (less than 1.5 m from the surface), – provoke root rot and lead to fungal diseases. Therefore, lowlands, places near water bodies, as well as easily waterlogged areas without drainage – bad choice for currants.

Soil. Mila will develop well and bear fruit on light fertile soil of moderate acidity (pH 5.5-6.5). Good choice – loam, sandy loam, chernozem. Before planting, the soil is enriched with organic fertilizers – compost or humus is laid out on the site, then they are dug up together with the earth to the depth of the shovel bayonet. A mixture of organic and  nitrogen-containing fertilizers is laid at the bottom of the hole under the seedling.

Terms of planting. Currant seedlings "Mila", planted in autumn, take root best of all. Before the cold snap, they have time to take root, in winter – hardened, and in the spring – begin to actively increase the green mass.

Feeding. If you have fertilized the site well before planting currants, then these useful substances will be enough for the whole next season. Starting from the third year, mineral and vitamin compositions for fruit and berry plants based on magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, etc. are introduced. In early spring and after the shrub has faded, nitrogen and organic matter are added.

Water. harm, but in order to be sure of the quality of the crop, watering should not be neglected. With a moderately warm and humid summer, currants are watered 1-2 times a month, & nbsp; in drought & ndash; up to 2-3 times a week. On average, 2-3 buckets of water are poured under a bush. After watering, the soil around the trunk is loosened and mulched with sawdust.

Pruning. Sanitary and thinning pruning of bushes is carried out every spring, starting from the 3rd year of growth. Remove damaged and weak shoots. Leaving on the bush 4-5 of the strongest fruit-bearing branches of each year of growth. With rejuvenating pruning, old 5-6-year-old branches are completely removed, as well as stems that have ceased to bear fruit.

Diseases and pests. Variety "Mila" has good immunity to powdery mildew and bud mites. It is slightly affected by anthracnose, septoria, gall aphids. Among the causes of diseases: planting initially diseased seedlings, the wrong choice of location, poor care, rainy summers and moisture stagnation, the transfer of pests from other infected plants. During the season, it is necessary to conduct a regular inspection of all landings on the site. Upon detection of the first signs of the disease, immediately remove and burn the affected shoots, treat the bushes and the site with special compounds.

Wintering. Currant "Mila" – frost-resistant, it calmly winters under snow even in northern latitudes. Only young bushes need additional shelter, because. they have not yet had time to adapt to low temperatures. To preserve the roots at the end of the season, the soil under the bush is cleaned of plant debris, watered, loosened, covered with a thick layer of fresh mulch (straw, sawdust or coniferous spruce branches).

Selecting planting material

Before you buy Mila blackcurrant seedlings, pay attention to:

• The state of the root system. It should have 3-5 main healthy and elastic roots – at least 20 cm long, with many small fibrous processes. Without traces of dryness, putrefaction, diseases.
• Appearance of shoots – well-developed stems in the amount of 2-4 pieces, at least 40 cm long. Bark without signs of dryness, cuts, breaks, unnatural spots.
• Age of seedlings. Most of all, 2-3-year-old plants are suitable for planting. They adapt more easily and will grow in a new place.

Beware of fakes and "sick" planting material! Buy currant seedlings «Mila» in nurseries and specialized stores.

Preparations