Ribes Red Currant

Currants fruit trees can be cultivated as either free-standing bushes or hedges. They thrive in the shade of other trees or on the south side of buildings and can easily fit into a small garden, provided they are shielded from the hot afternoon sun.

In early spring, currants produce strings of attractive, lacelike small flowers, which are followed by bright red, shiny berries that ripen by early December. Harvest the berries by cutting the entire string from the stem. The leaves are blue-green, single-lobed, and resemble maple leaves. Currants can be enjoyed fresh, frozen whole, or made into jelly, jam, or juice, and they can also be added to ice cream, cordial, and liqueurs.

Post-planting care involves:

1. Pruning young bushes back to two buds above the ground initially, then allowing them to grow without pruning for the first two seasons.
2. After two seasons, maintain the size by pruning, which involves removing old stems down to a new low bud and cutting away at least one-third of the old canes.
3. Aim to maintain 8-10 shoots per bush.

Each cane should remain for a maximum of three years. Encourage new growth by cutting old wood back to new buds in the winter. Note that red and white currants tend to grow slightly shorter than black currants, reaching heights of 1-1.5 meters.