How to Grow

How to Grow Redcurrants | Care, Pests & Disease Control

Move through the SoilCommander growing library like a course: keep the navigation in place, open the next lesson, and build your garden plan step by step.

How to Grow Redcurrants | Care, Pests & Disease Control guide thumbnail

Redcurrant (Ribes rubrum)

Hanging clusters of ripe red currants — “Punaherukka - 'Punainen Hollantilainen' - Ribes rubrum” by Ukonkappyra is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons

6 sources cited · Verified

The short answer

Site
6+ hours of sun, soil pH 6.5–7.5
Biggest risk
Powdery mildew

Redcurrants (Ribes rubrum) — perennial.

This crop carries an unusually heavy problem load: 4 diseases, 6 pests and 0 nutrient issues are documented for it, so most of the effort in growing it well goes into prevention.

Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural and university-extension sources — see References.

Diseases

A whitecurrant cultivar, a pale variant of Ribes rubrum — “Overlege Wingesvei 4A hage 20210725 132543” by Ranværing is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Overlege Wingesvei 4A hage 20210725 132543” by Ranværing is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Honey fungus
low

Armillaria spp.

RHS names this directly.

Coral spot
low

RHS names this directly.

Currant leaf spot
low

RHS names this directly.

Pests

A row of cultivated redcurrant bushes heavy with fruit — “Johannisbeeren - panoramio (1)” by pictures Jettcom is licensed under CC BY 3.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Johannisbeeren - panoramio (1)” by pictures Jettcom is licensed under CC BY 3.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Aphididae (various spp.)

Currant blister aphid
low

Cryptomyzus ribis

RHS names this directly.

Gall mites
low

Eriophyidae

RHS names this directly.

Capsid bugs
low

Miridae

RHS names this directly.

Scale insects
low

Diaspididae / Coccidae

RHS names this directly.

Gooseberry sawfly
low

Nematus ribesii

RHS names this directly.

Quick Facts

Hanging clusters of ripe red currants — “Punaherukka - 'Punainen Hollantilainen' - Ribes rubrum” by Ukonkappyra is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Punaherukka - 'Punainen Hollantilainen' - Ribes rubrum” by Ukonkappyra is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Factor Value
Soil pH 6.5 - 7.5
Sunlight 6-6 hours direct sun
Optimal growing temp 10-22C
Minimum survivable temp -10C
Drainage Well-drained
Lifecycle perennial
Edible parts fruit

At a Glance

A whitecurrant cultivar, a pale variant of Ribes rubrum — “Overlege Wingesvei 4A hage 20210725 132543” by Ranværing is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Overlege Wingesvei 4A hage 20210725 132543” by Ranværing is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Ribes rubrum Redcurrant Powdery mildew Honey fungus Coral spot Currant leaf spot Aphids Currant blister aphid Gall mites Capsid bugs Scale insects Gooseberry sawfly DISEASES PESTS

Soil & Growing Conditions

A row of cultivated redcurrant bushes heavy with fruit — “Johannisbeeren - panoramio (1)” by pictures Jettcom is licensed under CC BY 3.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Johannisbeeren - panoramio (1)” by pictures Jettcom is licensed under CC BY 3.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Soil pH range

6.5 7.5

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

Growth Stages

Young developing clusters of redcurrants — “Jeunes grappes de groseilles à Grez-Doiceau 004” by VerboseDreamer is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Jeunes grappes de groseilles à Grez-Doiceau 004” by VerboseDreamer is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Stage BBCH Notes
Planting 0 Best planted September/October or April/May, propagated by hardwood cuttings taken in autumn (RHS).
Establishment 3 Mulch with well-rotted compost, manure or bark, especially on dry soils; water regularly if container-grown (RHS).
Flowering and fruiting 6 Produces hanging clusters of shining red berries, attractive to pollinators when flowering (RHS).
Mature shrub 9 Reaches full maturity over a notably long 5-10 years, 1.5-2.5m in height, 1-1.5m spread (RHS).

Harvest & Storage

Hanging clusters of ripe red currants — “Punaherukka - 'Punainen Hollantilainen' - Ribes rubrum” by Ukonkappyra is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Punaherukka - 'Punainen Hollantilainen' - Ribes rubrum” by Ukonkappyra is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

When to pick: USU: "Currants ripen over a two-week period in mid-June to mid-July...and change color to a bright red when fully ripe"; fruit "do not need to be harvested as soon as they turn red, as they hold well on the plant"; leaving fruit 2-3 weeks after coloring "will enhance flavor and sweetness"; harvest "the whole cluster at once" since the tender skins tear easily; yield "about 3 to 10 pounds per bush". RHS: protect ripening fruit from birds with netting or a fruit cage.

Storage

Best used fresh or for jams/juice; tender skins tear easily so handle by the cluster

References

  1. country=INTL

  2. country=INTL

  3. country=UK

  4. country=UK

  5. 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. country=USA

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

What soil pH do redcurrants need?

A pH of about 6.5–7.5. That span reflects genuine variation between the authorities we cite rather than a single agreed figure — the References section lists each source's exact range.

What problems affect redcurrants?

Our data links 4 diseases and 6 pests to this crop. See the sections above for each one and how to manage it.

Plan next season before the problems start

This page gives you the thresholds; the planner turns them into your own calendar. It works from what you can observe and measure in your garden rather than from dates written for somebody else’s latitude.

Get the Global Garden Planner →

Instant PDF download · Works in either hemisphere

SoilCommander Editorial Team

Science-based growing guides · Thresholds that hold in any climate

This guide states the conditions the plant itself responds to — soil temperature, frost tolerance, day length — rather than dates, because the same calendar month means opposite seasons in the northern and southern hemispheres. Anything genuinely restricted to one part of the world is named as such rather than presented as universal. Written and maintained by our editorial team against international horticultural research and extension sources.

Vegetable Growing Guides

Last verified 2026-08-29

Relevant next steps

Where To Go From Here

Take this crop from reading into a written plan for your own beds.

Global garden plannerTurn this crop guide into sowing dates, bed layouts and a harvest record. All growing guidesBrowse every crop we cover for your region, A to Z. Planting CalendarSee how this crop fits alongside everything else you are growing.
Free Tool
soilcommander.com/pages/garden-planner
1 · Shape
2 · Crops
3 · Conditions
4 · Plan
Choose your garden shape
🍅
Bed 1
Tomatoes
🍌
Bed 2
Legumes
🥦
Bed 3
Brassicas
🥕
Bed 4
Roots
🥥
Bed 5
Alliums
🌿
Herbs & More

Free planning tool

Plan your veg garden before you dig a single inch

Sketch your exact plot shape, pick your crops, and get a spacing-accurate bed layout with companion pairings and a rotation plan. Spacing, companion pairings and rotation are the same in every climate and both hemispheres — pair the layout it gives you with when to plant to set your own timing from soil temperature.

Garden Layout Planner Tool

Free to use. Nothing to install.

Plan the next step

Use the printable SoilCommander planner for your region to turn this guide into sowing dates, bed layouts and weekly garden tasks.

Get Planner