How to Plant Currants

If you are a home gardener and want to grow something which will adorn your garden and at the same time will be useful to you (rather than being just showy), consider currants! They are a beautiful fruit (and its flowers too) to look at, as well as being an excellent source of home grown produce for using in your own recipes. In this blog, we’ll be covering all the areas of planting currants, from varieties, planting instructions and aftercare to make your gardening jobs easier.

Planting Guide

• Plant between autumn through to spring.
• Use well-drained, weed-free soil enriched with well-rotted manure.
• Plant in a sunny or at most a dappled shade position.
• Plant with tip of stem at soil level and approx. 150cm apart and 150cm between rows.
• Water well after planting and daily afterwards in dry weather.
• Same planting process applies for potted plants.

Tips

• Train as an open centred, goblet-shaped bush – this allows light and air to flow freely around the branches and makes picking easier.
• Add additional mulch every year to bring your currants plants up to the proper depth.
• Keep the soil moist by watering from the time they begin growing in spring until after harvest.
• Add some fertiliser once a year in the early spring.

Aftercare

• Remove fallen leaves from your currants plants and other plant debris before snowfall.
• Prune anytime between October and March; this will improve sun exposure to the plant and help to maintain good air circulation.
• Beginning in the fourth year, prune out the oldest wood annually.
• Remove any weak new growth.

Types of Currants

Redcurrants
The humble Red Currant Berry have really proven to be an enduringly popular choice among fruit gardeners. Red currants are typically used for making jellies, juices, purees and more. They are usually self-pollinating plants but, in some conditions, benefit from cross-pollinating with another variety, like another red or white variety.

Blackcurrants

Blackcurrants are known for their strong flavour that makes the perfect addition to recipes for juices, pies, jellies and so much more.

White currants

White currants plants are a variety of sweet, succulent berries with a grape-like flavour, perfect for serving fresh for a summer treat. Just like red currants, white currants are too usually self-pollinating but can cross-pollinate with other varieties. Perfect soft fruit additions to the garden for a bountiful and sweet April/May harvest.

Shop our full range of currants online.