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Blackcurrant
Ribes nigrum
Bushes that hate to be pruned wrong — reward those that get it right.
Sun
Full sun to light shade
Water
Weekly in dry summer
Soil
Rich, moist, pH 6.0–6.8
Spacing
1.5 m apart
Days to harvest
1st fruit year 2
Hardiness
Zones 3–8
Seasonal Calendar
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Sow Harvest
The method
- 1
Plant deep
Set bushes 5 cm deeper than they were in the pot — encourages many stems from the base.
- 2
Prune old wood
Each winter, remove one-third of the oldest (darkest) stems to the ground.
- 3
Mulch heavily
A thick spring mulch of compost is the year's feed.
- 4
Harvest whole strigs
Snip whole bunches, strip berries at the sink.
Common problems
Big bud mite
Pick off swollen buds in winter — destroy them.
Sawfly (stripped leaves)
Inspect regularly and hand-pick larvae.
Good neighbors
Nettle nearby (boosts vigor)
Field tips
- “Freeze on trays — much easier to strip stems when frozen.”
- “Even one bush makes a serious amount of cordial and jam.”