Bethany is a suburban homesteader who grows over 30 types of vegetables in her black currant plant every year to provide the vegetables needed to feed her family of six for the entire year. She practices organic gardening without the use of any pesticide and chemical.
Adding fruit bushes to your garden feels a bit intimidating, but black currants are one of the easiest, yet underrated, fruit bushes to grow. Growing black currants provides your family with bunches of delicious, dark purple to black fruits with little fuss. Nothing is as delicious as homegrown fruit, but growing it does feel overwhelming. Not only are these fruits full of vitamin C, but your future will be full of pies, jams, and other delicious treats. Let’s take a look at what growing black currants in your garden involves.
Typically, you’ll only select one type to avoid cross-pollination, unless you have separate areas to plant the bushes. Ben Connan’ black currants is the heaviest producing one, with up to 7 pounds of berries off of one plant. The plants are compact, so this type works well for containers. The berries are larger than normal and the plant has excellent disease resistance to mildew. The berries tend to be thicker skinned than some others, with a higher acid level. That means they store well and break down slower. Crusader is resistant to white pine blister rust.
The bushes produce for long stretches with fruits that ripen evenly. Consort’ is resistant to the disease that threatens white pine trees. These berries are best eaten fresh because their flavor tends to be reduced when cooked. The berries are larger than average, but it’s not considered a vigorous plant, so you get less of them.
It grows well on light soils with low levels of nutrients. You’ll find the berries sweet and large, plus the bushes have high yields. Tatiana is resistant to white pine blister rust. These days, the ban is lifted and they’re gaining popularity again, with more and more commercial growers dedicating land to them. Just keep in mind that if your garden is near white pine trees, choose varieties resistant to the rust.
Now, it’s time to get planting! Let’s look at what you need to know about growing black currants in your garden. They prefer locations that have ample morning sunlight and afternoon shade, which shields them from the scorching afternoon heat. They can even grow in shade, though you’ll get a smaller harvest. You do want to make sure you avoid frost pockets on your property, however.
Frost pockets are areas that tend to frost easier, typically due to a lack of sunlight or a lack of morning sunlight. The plants produce the best when they have rich, fertile soil with abundant humus. Be sure to add plenty of compost to the soil before planting. That said, they can tolerate heavier clay or more poorly-drained soil than most other fruit plants, but if you want a big harvest, try to give them the soil they crave. When other plants start to break out of their dormancy, it’s time to get planting. If you decide to grow your bushes from bare-root plants, it’s best to plant black currants in late fall. Keep 3 feet between each plant and each row.
Once you have your spot located and soil amended, dig a hole that is slightly deeper than the nursery pot holding your plant. Put it into the hole, burying it deeper than it grew in the pot. Once your plants are buried, water deeply. Doing so helps to establish the roots in the ground. After watering, add mulch around the base of your plant, which helps to keep the soil moist and cool. If you’re planting bare-root bushes, do so in the dormant season.
You’ll only want to provide a light watering to settle them into the dirt. Can I Grow Black Currants in Containers? If you have small gardens or a patio garden, there is no reason why you can’t grow these plants in containers. The nice thing about growing black currants in containers is that you can plant them any time of the year.