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Which Currant Bushes Would You Recommend

I'm now ready to plant up my new soft fruit patch.

Have just ordered the raspberries (Polka) but would like some help selecting currant bushes.

I want to grow both black currants and red currants and am looking for large, juicy, sweeter fruits and a good yield. Can anybody recommend some reliable varieties please?

Thanks image

Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down

Posts

  • TopbirdTopbird Posts: 8,352

    Thank you Pansyface - I should have said that I'm in sunny Suffolk. We probably don't get as many really bad frosts here as those in the north or higher up - but it has been known so a frost resistant variety would be good. 

    I'm thinking of having 2 blackcurrants and one red to be planted in a row. I should be ok with the spacings you suggest as I think the length of the row will be between 4 and 5 metres (need to check).

    Ben Lomond sounds as though it has the sort of growth habit I prefer - but I'm a bit concerned about the redcurrant. Does it get very sprawling and big? Do you also grow white currants? How does their growth pattern compare?

    Lots of questions - sorry! image

    Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
  • TopbirdTopbird Posts: 8,352

    Thanks for your help Pansyface - they are all lovely to eat aren't they? I just adore summer pudding mix (quite happy to have it without the bread casing) with clotted cream or ice cream - high summer in a bowlimage

    (Also rather nice spooned into a G & Timage)

    Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
  • PerkiPerki Posts: 2,527

    I got Red - White  and Black currants, I never really pick them just nibble at a few when I am weeding around them image but for the black one image. I dont know what variety's they are my dad bought them years ago but the Red and white crop heavy every year without hardly any pruning.

    As pansyface said they take a lot of room up, I been moving them today/yesterday to make space for a new planting area. To be honest I wouldn't of been bothered if they found their way into the wood chipper cause they take so much room up and I dont pick them but the bird have a good do out of them image

    According to one of the book I been scanning through today Ben lomond is popular could try Ben Nevis for colder areas. White versailles for white currants popular as well. Laxton no1 for red currants as well as jonkheer van tets

    My white currant and red currant grow / look nearly exactly the same but for the currants. 

  • TopbirdTopbird Posts: 8,352

    Thank you for your help Perki - I'll look at the varieties you suggest. Fortunately I have a reasonable sized space for growing the bushes and we love to eat the produce image

    Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
  • PerkiPerki Posts: 2,527

    This might sound a stupid question but are you meant to cook blackcurrants before eating? I think they taste really sour raw, I eat blackcurrants in pies etc no problem image

  • Yeah, red & white currants are ok as-is, but raw blackcurrants.. yuck! image

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • TopbirdTopbird Posts: 8,352
    pansyface wrote (see)

    I think they taste like cat pee when they are raw. Not that I would know......image


    Can't take you anywhere Pansy.... imageimage

    Perki - Blackcurrants are a bit like gooseberries - you might find a nice sweet one off the bush - but they usually need to be cooked with some sweetener to be enjoyable.

    I believe some raw white currants taste a bit like grapes.

    Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
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