Growing Blackcurrant: How to Plant, Care For & Harvest Berries

Growing Blackcurrant: How To Plant, Care For & Harvest Berries

Choosing Your Blackcurrant Variety

Sifting through blackcurrant cultivars feels like flipping through a vintner’s secret records. There’s ‘Ben Lomond’—practically an industry standard in the UK—known for its big yields and frost resistance. ‘Titania’ shrugs off mildew, handy if your summers run humid. For the juiciest dessert berries, ‘Big Ben’ rarely disappoints. Test a few varieties for taste and vigor to suit your site and preferences.

Top Blackcurrant Varieties for Home Gardens

• Ben Lomond: Early ripening, winter hardy, reliable crops
• Ben Sarek: Compact habit, perfect for small gardens and containers
• Titania: Disease-resistant, tolerant of variable soils
• Big Ben: Exceptionally large, sweet berries
• Ben Hope: Resistant to big bud mite and mildew

Planting: Timing, Soil & Spacing

Plant bare-root blackcurrants in late autumn, ideally once the leaves drop. Early spring works, but I find autumn roots settle faster. Rootballs from potted plants thrive year-round, provided the soil isn’t frozen or waterlogged.

Rich, free-draining, slightly acidic soil (pH 6.0-6.5) delivers best results. If your soil veers alkaline, amend with peat-free ericaceous compost. Pick a sunny, sheltered spot; blackcurrants detest strong winds but soak up sunlight greedily.

Space bushes at least 5 feet (1.5 meters) apart. I plant deeper than the nursery pot by 2-3 inches (5-7 cm) to encourage basal shoots, which later yield more fruit.

How to Plant Blackcurrant

1. Soak bare roots for an hour while preparing the site.
2. Dig a hole twice as wide as the roots and 2 inches (5 cm) deeper than the root ball.
3. Mix compost, well-rotted manure, or leaf mold into the backfill for a rich start.
4. Fan out the roots, backfill in layers, and water thoroughly. Mulch thickly—blackcurrants crave consistent moisture but despise soggy feet.

"A well-planted blackcurrant bush can yield up to 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of fruit yearly after age 3." – Royal Horticultural Society

Blackcurrant Care: Pruning, Watering, Feeding

First spring after planting, snip all stems to about 1 inch (2.5 cm) above ground. Sounds brutal, but this triggers a thicket of young shoots. Blackcurrant fruits best on one- and two-year-old wood.

Later winters, prune out older (dark, gnarled) stems, leaving about 8-12 strong new shoots. Shape for air flow—mildew loves lingering humidity.

I water heavily during dry spells, especially when fruit swells in early summer. Drip irrigation works wonders. Top dress annually in spring with high-potash organic fertilizer—wood ashes, seaweed meal, or a tomato feed at half strength all work.

One time, a long June drought nearly crisped my crop—an emergency mulch of grass clippings and a deep soak saved the berries.

Pests & Diseases: Prevention & Fixes

• Big Bud Mite: Swollen buds signal this pest. Remove and burn infected buds. Resistant varieties like ‘Ben Hope’ deter infestations.
• Gooseberry Mildew: Looks like white powder on leaves and shoots. Improve airflow, prune hard, and treat with an organic sulfur spray if needed.
• Aphids: Blast with cold water or use a soap spray.
• Birds: As soon as berries blush, throw netting over the bushes. I lost half a crop once to a pair of cunning blackbirds who slipped under my net. Double anchor the edges.

Rotate your blackcurrant spot every decade to dodge soil-borne issues, especially reversion virus and clubroot.

Harvesting Blackcurrant: Timing, Yield & Storage

Berries ripen over two weeks in midsummer, usually July in temperate regions. Wait until clusters are fully black and soft before you pick. Unlike redcurrants, blackcurrants ripen together.

I harvest whole strings (called strigs) with minimal handling. Fresh blackcurrants keep five days in the fridge, or freeze in a single layer for winter pies and preserves.

"1 cup (100 grams) of blackcurrants holds over 300% of your daily vitamin C needs, making them a nutritional powerhouse." — USDA FoodData Central

Pro Tip: Staggered Blackcurrant Planting

Plant early and late varieties for a longer picking window. Mix ‘Ben Sarek’ (early) with ‘Ben Hope’ (late) to harvest berries for nearly a month.

Common Comparisons: Blackcurrant vs. Other Small Fruits

• Blackcurrant vs. Blueberry: Blackcurrants handle cooler, wetter soils. Blueberries need highly acidic soil (pH 4.5-5.5) and won’t tolerate chalk or clay.
• Blackcurrant vs. Gooseberry: Both need similar skills, but gooseberries sprawl and prick. Blackcurrant bushes stay upright and spikeless.
• Blackcurrant vs. Redcurrant: Redcurrants crop on older wood; blackcurrants on newer. Blackcurrants produce richer, earthier fruit, exceptional for syrups and preserves.

Where To Find Plants & Personalized Guidance

Look for certified virus-free bushes from specialist nurseries. Bare-root stock shipped between October and March usually roots best. Potted plants can be transplanted most any time with care.

If you want personalized planting and care plans tailored to your garden’s conditions, Taim.io offers step-by-step instructions for blackcurrant and hundreds of other crops, with AI-powered advice based on your climate, soil, and space.

Final Thoughts: Grow With Patience

Blackcurrant bushes start modest, but come year three, they produce a flood of tart, juicy fruit. Nothing beats the taste of homemade blackcurrant jam or the look of glistening berries in a fresh summer tart. Like a fine wine, a well-tended blackcurrant only improves with age. Don’t be afraid to experiment, swap cuttings with neighbors, or let a bush run wild at the back of the plot. In my experience, blackcurrants reward both precision and benign neglect with equal fervor.

Growing blackcurrant rewards patience with clusters of tart, glossy fruit every season. Give them sunlight, deep watering, and a mulch blanket—blackcurrants respond best to steady care, not coddling. Prune hard, and you’ll tame the wildness and fuel berry production. Feed them in early spring, and keep weeds at bay. When the berries turn dark and yield under your fingers, harvest before the birds do. If you’re eyeing more fruit for your table, consider pairing blackcurrants with other homegrown crops—try raspberries for a mixed-berry bounty, or experiment with unusual picks like loquat and Burmese grape. Growing blackcurrant is a simple pleasure—plant, tend, and taste the difference that comes from your own patch. Every year, the shrubs give a little more, asking only for your attention and a good pair of secateurs.