Xela's Garden

Red Currant

Genus: Ribes.

Species: Ribes.

Planted 02.09 Vistabile
Bought 02.09 at Morrisons for £1.39

Worth growing for redcurrant jelly or ice cream, but essential for summer pudding, red currants are the easiest fruit of all to grow. They will grow in almost any soil and position, coping with almost total shade or an exposed open site. They can be trained as cordons, fans or grown as a bush, and for a small garden they make an ideal cover for a north wall or fence. The fruit hangs like bunches of ruby beads on spurs on two- or three-year-old wood, so, annual pruning is geared to sustaining a permanent framework of branches.

It is a mistake to add extra compost to the soil when planting, as this will just encourage lots of soft new growth; whereas a strong structure of branches is best. But red currants do perform better with a potash feed each spring. I sprinkle the wood ash from our housefires around the roots, but an organic potash will do the trick and then a mulch of compost will add some more nitrogenous feed, as well as suppress weeds.

I have found that their biggest pest is the sawfly (Nematus ribesii). The answer is to grow the bushes as an open goblet - ideally on a central stem or 'leg' so that the whole bush is raised 1ft off the ground. At this time of year, prune any inward-growing branches and reduce new growth by half, so that you are left with the woody frame of a bowl. This exposes the centre of the bush and deters the fly from laying its eggs in the first place. Prune again in summer immediately after harvest, reducing all shoots by a third.
[Source: www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2005/mar/27/gardens ]

Prune every autumn, removing any canes that are 4 years old, since these will no longer bear fruit.

Although redcurrants are closely related to blackcurrants, they are in fact grown more like gooseberries. These cool-climate plants do well in northern regions and will tolerate part shade, although the fruits will ripen more quickly and taste sweeter if given some full sun.

Water newly planted bushes well in dry weather, but long-established plants seldom need watering. For potted bushes, ensure compost does not dry out.

Hand weed or hoe carefully to keep the soil free of weeds.

Spread a balanced granular fertiliser around plants in February, at a rate of 2oz per square yard. It is also beneficial to apply a 5cm (2in) mulch of well-rotted manure or garden compost around plants if your soil is light.
Pruning

Redcurrants bear their fruit on old wood. Prune bushes by removing diseased or very old branches in winter, then prune new growth back to two buds in early summer to keep plants compact. Leaders should be pruned to outward facing buds unless the branches are bending, in which case they then should be cut to upward facing buds.

In early spring, prune established cordons. Cut the new growth on the main vertical stem by a quarter of the previous year’s growth, or by half if growth is weak. Cut to a bud on the opposite side to the previous year’s cut to keep the growth straight. Once the cordon is at the desired height, cut to one bud of new growth each year in early summer. Prune the shoots from the main stem to one bud to build up a fruiting spur system.

Ensure the roots of plants in pots don’t rot over winter by placing containers on feet to allow excess water to escape through the drainage holes in the bottom.

Feed plants in pots with liquid fertiliser every fortnight, from late winter to early spring. Every spring scrape off the top few centimetres of compost and top up with a mix of potting compost and controlled release fertiliser granules. Every three years repot, either into a bigger pot or back into the same pot after removing a third of the roots and compost.
[Source: http://www.rhs.org.uk/Gardening/Grow-Your-Own/Fruit-A-to-Z/Redcurrants ]

Photos of this plant

Reminders for this plant

Due about 15 years ago:

Feed

red currants do perform better with a potash feed each spring. I sprinkle the wood ash from our housefires around the roots, but an organic potash will do the trick

Mulch

a mulch of compost will add some more nitrogenous feed, as well as suppress weeds.

Prune

prune any inward-growing branches and reduce new growth by half, so that you are left with the woody frame of a bowl. This exposes the centre of the bush and deters the fly from laying its eggs in the first place.

Due almost 15 years ago:

Net

Birds love currants, especially red currants, and they must be netted from the time the berries start to ripen to the last picking - about mid-June till mid-August - or else the entire crop can be stripped overnight.

Prune

Prune again in summer immediately after harvest, reducing all shoots by a third.

Prune

Prune every autumn, removing any canes that are 4 years old, since these will no longer bear fruit.

Due about 14 years ago:

Feed

red currants do perform better with a potash feed each spring. sprinkle the wood ash from the housefires around the roots, or an organic potash will do the trick

Prune

Mulch

a mulch of compost will add some more nitrogenous feed, as well as suppress weeds.

Net

Due about 13 years ago:

Feed

perform better with a potash feed each spring, sprinkle the wood ash from fires around roots, or an organic potash will do the trick

Mulch

a mulch of compost will add some more nitrogenous feed, as well as suppress weeds.

Prune

prune any inward-growing branches and reduce new growth by half, so that you are left with the woody frame of a bowl. This exposes the centre of the bush and deters the fly from laying its eggs

Due almost 13 years ago:

Net

Birds love especially red currants, and they must be netted from the time the berries start to ripen to the last picking - about mid-June till mid-August - or entire crop can be stripped overnight.

Prune

Prune again in summer immediately after harvest, reducing all shoots by a third.

Due over 12 years ago:

Prune

Prune every autumn, removing any canes that are 4 years old, since these will no longer bear fruit.

Due about 12 years ago:

Mulch

a mulch of compost will add some more nitrogenous feed, as well as suppress weeds.

Feed

red currants perform better with a potash feed each spring. Sprinkle the wood ash from housefire around the roots, or an organic potash

Prune

prune any inward-growing branches and reduce new growth by half, so that you are left with the woody frame of a bowl. This exposes the centre of the bush and deters the fly from laying its eggs

Due almost 12 years ago:

Harvest

June - July

Net

Birds love especially red currants, and they must be netted from the time the berries start to ripen to the last picking - about mid-June till mid-August - or entire crop can be stripped overnight.

Prune

Prune again in summer immediately after harvest, reducing all shoots by a third.

Due over 11 years ago:

Prune

Prune every autumn, removing any canes that are 4 years old, since these will no longer bear fruit.

Due about 11 years ago:

Feed

red currants perform better with a potash feed each spring. Sprinkle the wood ash from housefire around the roots, or an organic potash

Mulch

a mulch of compost will add some more nitrogenous feed, as well as suppress weeds.

Mulch

a mulch of compost will add some more nitrogenous feed, as well as suppress weeds.

Due almost 11 years ago:

Prune

Prune new growth back to two buds in early summer to keep plants compact. Leaders should be pruned to outward facing buds unless the branches are bending, in which case they then should be cut to upward facing buds.

Harvest

June - July

Net

Birds love especially red currants, and they must be netted from the time the berries start to ripen to the last picking - about mid-June till mid-August - or entire crop can be stripped overnight.

Due over 10 years ago:

Prune

Sept - Nov .... see previous notes

Prune

Prune bushes by removing diseased or very old branches in winter, see plant notes