Black currant plant

How to grow Black currant plant growing and care:

Chilling hours, mulch, moist soil, well-drained soil, slightly acid, rich soil

How to care:
Fertilize once a year, prune once a year, add organic matter

What is the best way to start growing?
Plant / Seed (explanation bellow) / Vegetative Reproduction – Suckers or Cutting in the late winter to early spring (possible in green house in other season), moist soil and high humidity better to use root growth hormone, better to use peat soil, for suckers need to separate in the winter and transplant them.

Is it necessary to use vegetative reproduction?
Yes, it’s hard to start from seeds and need to ensure the quality of the fruits and that the fruits more resistant to pests

Difficulties or problems when growing:
Sensitive to a lot types of pests, thorns

Planting season:
Winter, spring possible in the summer but better not, when planting bare roots winter to early spring after this it might die

How to plant:
Planting when start in bare root important to cut part of the roots and the plant, put organic matter, humus, dead leaves and mix it with the soil (acid soil), when planting need to increase the amount of water

Pests and diseases:
Gall, aphids, spider mite

Pruning season:
End of the autumn to beginning of the winter, but if there isn’t a lot of fruits better after the fruits season

How to prune:
Prune the week branches and dead, crossing branch, in order to get bigger fruits better to reduce the buds in order to get bigger fruits, old stems, reduce the amount of branches and need to take care that all the fruits will get enough light, branches older than 4 years, not to leave a lot of branches on the plant (not crowded) when the plant crowded fruits less good and get infected easily

Size of the plant:
0.5-2 m, 20-80 inches

Growth speed in optimal condition:
Fast growing / Medium growing

Water requirement:
Average amount of water / Big amount of water

Light conditions in optimal condition for growing:
Full Sun / less cold area Half Shade

Is it possible to grow as houseplant?
No

Growing is also possible in a pot, planter, flowerpot, containers:
Yes, in pots need to keep the plants small, start with pot that will be 20-50% more than the root ball, bigger the plant smaller the percentage, every time that the plant arrive to full capacity need to switch to bigger until arrives to desirable size, better to use this method because the soil lose the viability over time and it’s efficient of care for the plant, when the plant big need to switch part of the soil, drainage it’s important and need to make holes and to use peat soil and maybe some lava grit in the bottom or something like that, put a bottom for the container and when water the plant let it fill the bottom but also need to dry in the same day.

Blooming information

Bloom season:
Spring

General information about the flower
White, green or pink flower, the flowers grow in clusters, 5-20+ flowers in cluster.

Pollination is done by:
Bees, wind

Edible Fruit

Fruit harvest season:
Summer / Autumn

Fruits pests or diseases:
Birds

What can be done with big quantities of Black currant plant fruits?
Eat raw, juice, cakes, jam

Work requirements on the fruit:
In massive bird attack recommend to cover with a net

How long does it take to bear fruit?
1-2 years

How to grow Black currant plant from seeds

Sowing requirement:
High humidity, moist soil, full sun to half shade 10-20C (50-68F)

Saving seeds and care until sowing:
Dry and dark place better in refrigerator

Sowing season:
End of the winter to spring

Planting spacing:
3*4cm (1.2*1.8 inches) when transplant it better to sow them in different pots it’s easier to follow in control and care for the seedling

Depth of Sowing:
Better not to cover just to put on the soil

Conditions for seeds germinate:
High humidity, moist soil, full sun, consider when grow in pots to cover with plastic wrap

Watering requires for Seeds:
Average amount of water / Big amount of water

Germination time:
2-4 months

Condition of seedling:
Full sun, protect the seedling from pests, winds and heavy snow

Do the seeds require burying?
Yes

Chilling hour’s requirements:
2-5 Month

Scientific name:

Ribes nigrum

Alternative names: Black currant bushes, Blackcurrant plants, Black currants bush