Ribes nigrum
Blackcurrant
Common names: Cassis
At a glance
- Light
- Partial shade
- Hardiness
- Hardy down to −28 °C
- Pruning
- Jul–Aug
- Harvest
- Jul–Aug
- Spacing
- 150 cm, rows 200 cm
- Water need
- Medium
- Origin
- Native to Germany
Photo: Public Domain · Source
Description
The blackcurrant produces aromatic, vitamin-rich berries with the classic cassis flavor, ideal for juice, jelly, and liqueur. Its canes emit a spicy fragrance when brushed.
Care instructions
Plant the shrub in autumn (October, week 43) in a sunny to partially shaded spot with humus-rich, moist soil. It primarily bears on one-year-old wood, therefore prune annually after harvest, removing the oldest canes close to the ground. Mulch well and water during dry periods to keep the berries juicy.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
HarvestJul–Aug
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
humus-rich, loamy, moist, well-drained, nutrient-rich
Plant the blackcurrant in humus-rich, nutrient-rich, permanently fresh loam that holds moisture but does not become waterlogged. Mulch the root zone with leaves or chopped material and avoid soil compaction; the soil may be neutral and lime-tolerant, but it dislikes very acidic sites.
Feeding
Heavy feeder
Months
Feb, Mar, Oct, Nov
In early spring before bud break, spread mature compost over the area under the bush and work in horn shavings shallowly, so that nutrients are available at bud break. After the harvest in autumn, give a little more compost to strengthen the soil; do not feed again from the start of fruit ripening.
Pruning
Prune the blackcurrant straight after harvest (July/August): it fruits mainly on one- and two-year-old wood, so each year you remove the framework branches older than 3 years at ground level. Leave 3–4 strong new shoots standing; as an alternative, frost-free late winter (February/March) also works.
Overwintering
The blackcurrant is fully hardy and needs no winter protection outdoors. In late winter before bud break, cut old, spent shoots (dark, gnarled bark, three years and older) out at ground level so that the bush stays healthy and productive. Place container specimens somewhere sheltered and insulate the pot with horticultural fleece or a hessian sack so the roots do not freeze through in lasting frost.
Propagation
Methods
- Cuttings
- Layering
The simplest and most reliable method is propagation from hardwood cuttings. In late autumn after leaf fall, cut out strong one-year-old shoots and divide them into pieces about 20 to 25 cm long with at least three buds. Cut the lower end at a slant and the upper end straight. Insert the cuttings into loose, humus-rich soil so deep that only two to three buds show above the ground. The rest grows roots below. Make sure the buds point upwards. Keep the soil evenly moist. By the next summer roots have formed; then you can set the young plants in their final position. The first harvest awaits you after about three years.
A second method is layering, especially if you only want to raise one or two plants. In spring, bend a long, flexible shoot of the mother bush down to the ground in an arch, fix the bend with a stone or a wooden peg and cover the middle of the arch with a little soil. The base of the shoot and the tip stay free. Over the summer roots form at the underground spot. In autumn, separate the rooted section beyond the rooting point and replant the young plant.
Companion planting
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
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Varieties
6 varieties‘Ben Lomond’
A late-blooming variety from the Scottish Ben breeding program, whose late flowering makes it less susceptible to late frosts.
‘Ben Nevis’
You will find ‚Ben Nevis’ a vigorous‑growing variety from the Scottish Ben program, it blooms late and therefore copes well with late frosts.
‘Ben Sarek’
You will find a compact, low‑growing variety that is ideal for small gardens, pots, and balconies.
‘Bona’
You will find ‚Bona’ a modern, very large-fruited variety with impressively long clusters, on which the berries sit close together.
‘Ometa’
A proven older variety from German breeding, valued for its robustness and consistently high yields.
‘Titania’
A robust, high yielding blackcurrant that has become the reliable standard in many gardens.
Notes from real gardens
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From the magazine
Currants: Growing and Pruning Red, White, and Black the Right Way
Redcurrants, whitecurrants, and blackcurrants are easy to care for, tough, and heavy croppers. Only when it comes to pruning do red and black go separate ways. We show you what each colour needs.
The Jostaberry: Thornless, Tough, and the Best of Both Berries
The jostaberry crosses blackcurrant with gooseberry and inherits the best of both: thornless branches, tough disease resistance, and a flavour that sits right between its parents. And unlike the honeyberry, one single plant is all you need.
Where to get this plant
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