When should I plant blackcurrants in the UK?

November to March, bare-root, while the bushes are dormant. Bare-root plants are cheaper and establish better than pot-grown. Plant on a frost-free day with the soil workable. If your soil is frozen or waterlogged, heel the plants in to a temporary trench until conditions improve.

How do I prune a blackcurrant bush?

Aim for an open-centred bush with shoots of mixed ages — 1, 2, and 3 years old. Each winter, cut a third of the oldest stems (look black and woody) to ground level. Keep the youngest, strongest shoots from this year's growth (look pale and smooth). This rotating renewal keeps the bush cropping heavily for 15+ years.

My blackcurrant bush has small leaves and few berries — what's wrong?

Possibly reversion virus, especially in older bushes (pre-1990 cultivars). Carried by big-bud mite. There's no cure — dig up affected bushes and replace with modern Ben varieties, which resist both. Other causes: lack of feeding (mulch annually with compost), poor drainage, or too much shade.

Do I need to plant two blackcurrants for cross-pollination?

No, modern blackcurrants are self-fertile — one bush will crop fully on its own. Plant a second only if you want more fruit. A single Ben Hope or Ben Lomond gives 4–5 kg of fruit at maturity.

How long do blackcurrant bushes last?

15+ years if well-pruned, well-fed, and free of reversion virus. Modern Ben varieties last longest. Replace bushes only when productivity drops below worthwhile levels, not on a schedule.

How do I store a glut of blackcurrants?

Freeze on trays then bag — they freeze better than most soft fruit, keeping shape and flavour for 12+ months. Blackcurrant jam, cordial, and cassis are the traditional preserves. They're also excellent in cooking with game and rich meats. The high vitamin C and pectin content make them one of the most useful preserved fruits.

Blackcurrant

Ribes nigrum

fruit☀️ sun-or-partial🪴 Moist, well-drained, fertile soil📏 Medium shrub (1-2m)🌡️ RHS H6–H7

About

Plant blackcurrant bushes from November to March, bare-root, in deep moist soil with plenty of compost dug in. Blackcurrants are very hardy (RHS H6–H7) and one of the few soft fruits that genuinely thrive in the wetter, cooler parts of the UK. Plant 1.5 m apart, set the crown 5 cm below the soil surface to encourage strong new shoots from the base. Modern Ben varieties (Ben Hope, Ben Lomond, Ben Sarek) resist big-bud mite and don't need a pollinator. Prune by cutting a third of the oldest stems to ground level each winter — fruit grows best on 2–3 year old wood. Net firmly against birds in June–July. A single mature bush gives 4–5 kg of fruit a year.

Also known as: fruit-blackcurrant, blackcurrant, ribes nigrum

How to grow blackcurrant

1
Choose modern Ben varieties
Ben Hope, Ben Lomond, Ben Sarek (compact, for small gardens), Ben Connan. All bred by the James Hutton Institute in Scotland for UK conditions; all resist big-bud mite and reversion virus; all self-fertile.
2
Prepare the bed
Full sun or light shade. Deep, fertile, moisture-retentive soil. Fork in well-rotted manure or compost.
3
Plant
November to March, bare-root. Dig a hole twice the rootball width. Set the crown 5 cm below the soil surface — this encourages multiple shoots from the base (stooling), which is what you want. Water in well.
4
Prune hard in year one
Cut all stems back to 5 cm after planting. This forces the plant to produce strong basal shoots in its first summer, the foundation of all future cropping.
5
Annual winter prune
Each winter (December to February), cut a third of the oldest stems (look black and woody) to ground level. New growth bears the heaviest crop on 2–3 year old wood. Open the centre of the bush for air circulation.
6
Mulch annually
Each March, top up with a 5 cm mulch of well-rotted compost or leaf mould. Blackcurrants are gross feeders and benefit from annual feeding.
7
Net against birds
From late May until harvest finishes. Use bird netting on a frame at least 30 cm above the foliage. Birds will strip a bush of every ripening berry given the chance.
8
Pick whole strigs
A strig is the cluster of berries on a single stem. Pick the whole strig once most berries are black and ripe; strip the berries off in the kitchen. Pick a single bush over 2–3 visits as the berries ripen progressively.

Common questions

Pest Resilience

3/5 — Average

Big bud mite and gall midge can be troublesome; choose resistant cultivars.

Companion Planting

Grows well with

Herb comfrey Garlic Nasturtium

Visual Characteristics

Flowers

Yes

Blooms in Spring

🍳

Culinary

Culinary Use

Jams, cordials, cassis liqueur, summer pudding, sorbets, sauces, baking

The blackcurrant year in your garden

Dispatching imaginary bots to check your garden out...

What to do now

How to Propagate

🪵Hardwood cuttings

Moderate

🌿Layering

Moderate

🦋Wildlife & Garden Ecology

Attracts

🐝 Bees🐦 Birds

Great for supporting local pollinators and wildlife

Hardiness Zones

H1a (tender)H7 (very hardy)

H1a

H1b

H1c

RHS H6–H7

USDA 5 equivalent