How to plant a blackcurrant bush

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You will need

  • Blackcurrant bush, e.g. 'Ben Sarek'
  • Fork
  • Spade
  • Compost
  • General fertiliser such as blood, fish and bone
  • Secateurs
Do it: autumn and winter
Takes just: 45 minutes

Project categories

Overview

Blackcurrants are easy to grow and more tolerant of heavy soils than other currant bushes. Just one plant can provide a generous crop of berries. If blackcurrant bushes are kept well fed and watered you could be harvesting fruit a year after planting.

How to do it

Digging a hole

1

Choose an open and sunny site. Fork over a wide area of ground, then dig a hole deep enough to accommodate the roots of your fruit bush.

Adding compost to the planting hole

2

Tip plenty of garden compost into the hole and fork it deep into the soil.

Adding fertiliser to the planting hole

3

Sprinkle a handful of fertiliser in the hole and fork it into the soil.

Spreading out blackcurrant bush roots

4

Spread the roots of the blackcurrant bush out evenly across the hole area, teasing them out carefully.

Firming the soil around the blackcurrant bush

5

Fill in around the roots with soil, firming it down with your foot as you go, to remove any air pockets.

Watering the blackcurrant bush

6

Water the plant in well, soaking the area to help settle the soil down around the plant's roots.

Cutting back shoots

7

Prune all the shoots right back to encourage new growth from below soil level.

New blackcurrant shoots

8

By summer the bush will have formed plenty of new shoots that will carry fruit the following summer.

Adam's tip

Mail order fruit nurseries have a great range of bare-root plants in autumn and winter.

Discuss this project

Talkback: How to plant a blackcurrant bush
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Jack Taylor 27/01/2012 at 15:32

I have a new border 20in wide by 35ft long running along a 6ft high fence at the edge of my lawn. I plan to plant Blackcurrants, Raspberries, Blackberries and Blueberries in this bed. Can you tell me how far apart I should plant them and any other advice that you think might help me. This is the first time I will have planted fruit bushes directly in the ground. Jack

karen Richards 07/02/2012 at 03:01

Hi there

We planted a blackcurrant bush and a loganbery bush a few months ago and nothing seems to be happening with either. We water and feed the bushes often, but still nothing. Any ideas what we may be doing wrong

Thanks
Karen

GEOFFREY RODLEY 15/02/2012 at 20:57

Hi there ,
Is it safe to plant out a blackcurrant bush outside at the moment . My garden is just west of LEEDS in Yorkshire .

Emma Crawforth 16/02/2012 at 15:05

Hello Geoffrey,

Blackcurrants can be planted throughout winter, however, don't plant if the ground is frozen or waterlogged. If you have bought bare-rooted plants and your ground is too wet or frozen, then keep them temporarily in a bucket of moist compost so the roots don't dry out, but get them in the ground as soon as you can.

Emma

gardenersworld.com team

Felicity Rowe 19/02/2012 at 18:56

On the contrary to what you write, I've had to plant my black currants in the shadiest part of our smallholding - we live near the West coast of Sardinia and the sun is too strong elsewhere. My first plant has developed well - after pruning it I've taken about twelve cuttings. After how long is it safe to plant them out? Felicity Rowe, Cabras, Sardinia