How to Grow Blackcurrants USA | Care, Pests & Disease Control

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.

Quick Facts

Factor	Value
Soil pH	6.5 - 7.5
Optimal growing temp	17-25C
Minimum survivable temp	-28C
Drainage	Moist but well-drained
Lifecycle	perennial
Edible parts	fruit

At a Glance

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

Blackcurrant, Rich in Vitamin C

A hardy deciduous fruiting shrub

RHS: rated H6, hardy throughout the UK and northern Europe, reaching 1-1.5m in height and spread.

Green before ripening to purple-black

Blackcurrant clusters start green and swell before ripening to a deep purple-black in mid-summer.

Fruits best on younger wood

RHS: fruits best on younger wood, so winter pruning removes up to one-quarter of the oldest stems at ground level.

Dark purple berries, rich in vitamin C

RHS: dark purple berries produced mid-summer, rich in vitamin C, with a tart flavour suited to cooking.

Propagated by hardwood cuttings

RHS: propagated by hardwood cuttings, best planted September/October or April/May.

References

1. FAO EcoCrop - Ribes nigrum data sheet

   country=INTL

2. GBIF - GBIF Backbone Taxonomy: Ribes nigrum

   country=INTL

3. RHS - Ribes nigrum (B) | blackcurrant

   country=UK

4. Royal Horticultural Society - Honey fungus: Symptoms, Causes & Control

   country=UK

5. Royal Horticultural Society - Powdery mildews

   country=UK

6. Royal Horticultural Society (RHS Advice Team) - Aphids: Identification and Control

   Directly fetched and verified. RHS explicitly does not recommend pesticide use against aphids; recommends tolerance, manual squashing, and encouraging/purchasing natural predators (ladybirds, hoverflies, lacewings, parasitoid wasps, earwigs) as biological control, especially under glass.

6 independent sources are cited for this crop. Where they disagree - soil pH is the clearest case - every figure is preserved rather than averaged into false precision.