How to Grow Blackcurrants USA

Quick Facts

Factor	Value
Soil pH	6.5 - 7.5
Optimal growing temp	63-77°F (17-25°C)
Minimum survivable temp	-18°F (-28°C)
Drainage	Moist but well-drained
Lifecycle	perennial
Edible parts	fruit
Documented problems	4 diseases, 4 pests

At a Glance

Diseases

Powdery mildew

Honey fungus

Armillaria spp.

Coral spot

low

RHS names this directly.

Currant leaf spot

low

RHS names this directly.

Pests

Aphids

Aphididae (various spp.)

Pigeons

moderate

Columbidae (family)

RHS names this directly.

Blackcurrant gall midge

moderate

Dasineura tetensi

RHS names this directly.

Blackcurrant big bud mite

moderate

Cecidophyopsis ribis

RHS names this directly.

Soil & Growing Conditions

Soil pH range

6.5 7.5

Span reflects genuine variation between the cited authorities, not a single agreed figure.

Growth Stages

Stage	BBCH	Notes
Planting	0	Best planted September/October or April/May, propagated by hardwood cuttings (RHS).
Establishment	3	Mulch annually with well-rotted manure or compost; apply general purpose fertiliser in spring (RHS).
Fruiting	6	Produces dark purple berries in mid-summer, fruiting best on younger wood (RHS).
Winter pruning	9	Remove up to one-quarter of the oldest stems at ground level each winter to encourage new basal growth (RHS).

Harvest & Storage

When to pick: RHS: produces "bunches of dark purple edible berries in mid-summer"; blackcurrants "fruit best on younger wood" so up to a quarter of the oldest stems are removed at ground level annually to encourage new growth from the base; an established plant can yield up to 10lb of fruit and remains productive "for up to fifteen years".

Storage

Best used fresh or for jam/juice; freezes well

Sources

1. North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (NCDA&CS), Plant Industry Division - Plant Industry -- White Pine Blister Rust

   Official NCDA&CS Plant Industry Division statement: "Currant and gooseberry plants (the genus Ribes) cannot be legally imported into, or grown in, North Carolina." Ribes are alternate hosts for Cronartium ribicola, the white pine blister rust fungus, which devastated white pine forests in the north-eastern United States in the early 1900s. The prohibition covers the whole genus, cultivated and wild, and NCDA&CS maintains a separate White Pine Blister Rust Regulations document. Other states also restrict Ribes: Michigan requires a permit to plant currants and gooseberries.

2. Penn State Extension - Home Fruit Plantings: Gooseberries and Currants

   Black currants are very winter hardy, tolerating -22 to -31°F, and unlike most fruit they tolerate partial shade. Plant dormant 1- or 2-year-old bushes in autumn or early spring, 3-4ft apart in rows 6-8ft apart, cutting the tops back to 6-10in at planting and removing the first year's blossom to let the plant establish. Black currants fruit differently from red: the best fruit comes on ONE-YEAR-OLD WOOD, supported by 2- to 3-year-old shoots, so remove all canes over 3 years old each year to force new growth. Prune while dormant in early spring (March/early April in Pennsylvania). Plants begin cropping in the third or fourth year. WHITE PINE BLISTER RUST: Ribes species are alternate hosts for Cronartium ribicola, and black currant is BY FAR THE MOST SUSCEPTIBLE Ribes; many areas outside Pennsylvania still prohibit growing it for that reason.

These 2 sources are specific to this region. The full list of 8 sources behind this guide (FAO EcoCrop, GBIF, North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (NCDA&CS), Plant Industry Division and others) is in the references of our UK guide to blackcurrants; they describe the plant itself, which is the same wherever it grows.