How to Grow Redcurrants Canada

By the SoilCommander Editorial Team, under the guidance of Nitin Sharma, Co-Founder · · How we check our facts

On this page
  1. Redcurrant (Ribes rubrum)
  2. Quick Facts
  3. At a Glance
  4. Diseases
  5. Pests
  6. Soil & Growing Conditions
  7. Growth Stages
  8. Harvest & Storage
  9. Redcurrant, Parent of Whitecurrants Too
  10. Plan your Redcurrants planting
  11. Growing Redcurrant in another region
  12. Sources
  13. Frequently Asked Questions

Redcurrants are planted as dormant, bare-root or container-grown shrubs in fall or early spring, and once established tolerate winter cold to about -10°C.

The short answer

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

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

Redcurrant (Ribes rubrum)

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

6 sources cited · Verified

Quick Facts

Hanging clusters of ripe red currants — “Punaherukka - 'Punainen Hollantilainen' - Ribes rubrum” by Ukonkappyra is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Punaherukka - 'Punainen Hollantilainen' - Ribes rubrum” by Ukonkappyra is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Factor Value
Soil pH 6.5 - 7.5
Sunlight 6-6 hours direct sun
Optimal growing temp 10-22°C
Minimum survivable temp -10°C
Drainage Well-drained
Lifecycle perennial
Edible parts fruit
Documented problems 4 diseases, 6 pests

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.
“Overlege Wingesvei 4A hage 20210725 132543” by Ranværing is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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

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.
“Overlege Wingesvei 4A hage 20210725 132543” by Ranværing is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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.
“Johannisbeeren - panoramio (1)” by pictures Jettcom is licensed under CC BY 3.0.

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.

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.
“Johannisbeeren - panoramio (1)” by pictures Jettcom is licensed under CC BY 3.0.

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.
“Jeunes grappes de groseilles à Grez-Doiceau 004” by VerboseDreamer is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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.
“Punaherukka - 'Punainen Hollantilainen' - Ribes rubrum” by Ukonkappyra is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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

Plan your Redcurrants planting

When to sow and plant Redcurrants depends on your own frost dates. Check the Canada vegetable planting calendar. To work out where it fits in your beds, sketch your plot in the free Garden Layout Planner.

Growing Redcurrant in another region

Planting dates, frost timing and local advice differ by country. Use the guide for where you garden.

Sources

The full list of 6 sources behind this guide (FAO EcoCrop, GBIF, Royal Horticultural Society and others) is in the references of our UK guide to redcurrants; they describe the plant itself, which is the same wherever it grows.

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

Short-season growing is arithmetic before it is technique: days to maturity against frost-free days decides what will finish at all. The Canada Garden Planner does that subtraction for your region before you sow.

Get the Canada Garden Planner →

Instant PDF download · Written for Canadian growing conditions

SoilCommander Editorial Team — under the guidance of Nitin Sharma, Co-Founder

Every growing guide is checked against RHS, USDA Cooperative Extension, and other named horticultural authorities before publishing. How we check our facts.

How this guide is put together

The growing data on this page — planting windows, pests, diseases, soil and site requirements — comes from named horticultural sources, listed in References below, checked against Canadian hardiness-zone and frost-date data, with provincial agriculture and university extension sources cited directly where one exists for a crop. An automated pipeline assembles that verified data into the page you're reading: it selects which facts to lead with and builds the surrounding prose and layout. It does not invent a date, a source or a number — where a verified value for a field isn't available, the page leaves it out rather than guessing. A person reviews and publishes each page; nothing goes live unverified.

Vegetable Growing Guides Canada

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Last verified 2026-08-29

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