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Ribes rubrum

Redcurrant

Redcurrant

Description

The redcurrant bears glossy, tart-fresh berries in trusses from late June, ideal for jelly, juice and cake. It is undemanding, very hardy and delivers a reliable yield as early as its second year in place. Cultivars such as ‘Jonkheer van Tets’ ripen early and abundantly.

Care instructions

Plant the shrub in autumn (October, week 42) in a partly shaded to sunny spot with humus-rich soil. Cut the oldest shoots out at ground level every winter, because redcurrants fruit on wood several years old; keep about eight to ten leading shoots of different ages. Mulch shallowly, because the roots sit just below the surface.

Soil & site

Soil pH

4.0pH 5.5–6.58.0

Soil type

loamy, humus-rich, moist, well-drained, nutrient-rich

LightPartial shade
HardinessHardy
Water needMedium

Feeding

Medium feeder

Pruning

MonthsFeb–Mar
SeasonLate winter
Pruning typeThinning cut

Companion planting

Good neighbors

Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.

Diseases & pests

1 relevant

From the knowledge base, automatically linked by affected species. How to spot and prevent them is covered in full in the lexicon.

PesthighApr–Aug
Gooseberry sawfly

Nematus ribesii

The gooseberry sawfly (Nematus ribesii) lays its eggs on the undersides of the leaves of gooseberries and currants, where the green, black spotted larvae hatch.

More on Gooseberry sawfly

Varieties

6 varieties
View all 6 varieties

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