Blackcurrants
(Ribes nigrum)

Blackcurrants are an easy fruit to cultivate and thrive in our moist Cornish climate. These delicious juicy berries are rich in vitamin C. Their sharp, tangy flavour makes them a popular ingredient in pies, puddings and jams.
If you have the space it is advisable to grow a selection of different varieties, this will spread out the flowering period providing greater insurance against a single frost causing damage.
New plants should be at least two years old and clean stock from a reputable nursery or garden supplier, this will minimise the risk of introducing diseased plant to your garden.

Site and soil
Choose a warm spot sheltered from cold winds, as the flowers are easily damaged by frosts. A sunny position is preferable, but they will tolerate partial shade.
Blackcurrants can cope with wetter soils than other fruits, however best result can be achieved in deep, rich, moist well drained sandy loams. The ph level of the soil should be between 6 and 7.

Planting
Prior to plant dig the ground, removing any perennial weeds and their roots, with double digging add some well rotted manure.
When planting the bush make sure the hole is large enough to allow the roots to be completely spread out, with out being cramped. The bush should be planted 2 to 5 cms below the level they were planted at the nursery, this will encourage the production of lower below the soil stems. After the hole has been filled firm the surrounding soil with the heal of your boot.
Finally cut back every shoot to 2.5cms long from the surface, this will encourage good root system and strong vigorous stems. But do not expect them to fruit during the first year.

After care
During this first year make sure the soil does not completely dry out, this can be help by using layer of mulch. Blackcurrants grow and crop better with generous of manure or organic fertilizer, apply this early spring.

Pruning
In the winter following planting, little pruning will be needed, but any weak growths can be cut back to the first bud above ground level.
Immediately after the first harvest, the second winter after planting, pruning should be carried out. Blackcurrants bear most of their fruit on the new shoots they produced the previous summer, so the aim of pruning is to encourage the growth of strong new wood from the base of the plant. When pruning most of the new shoots should be retained and some of the older wood which also bears a quota of the fruit.
First cut away any low growing stems which hang down to the ground, also any which have died or show any signs of disease and any crossing over each other. Also if the centre of the bush becomes crowded, remove shoots to thin this area.
Finally remove around one fifth of the older wood that remains. Make your cuts above good long growing shoots, or close to the ground to encourage new growth lower down and ignore growth at the tips of these shoots.
When the shoots are well established, after about four seasons, aim to remove around one third of the old wood each winter.

Harvesting
When the fruits ripen birds can be a problem, wire cages or netting can be used to protect them. Fruits are ready when they become black , the time of ripening depends on the variety you choose. Always pick the fruits on a dry day as the fruit can go mouldy quickly.