This information is provided as a free service to viewers. We do not sell these plants.
Overview
Ribes nigrum or the Blackcurrant is a medium sized shrub with upright stems and alternate, palmately lobed, aromatic, mid green leaves.
It is grown for its delicious, piquant fruits which appear from 8cm long racemes of flowers made up of around 10-15 flower heads.
They are pollinated mainly by insects but also from pollen on the wind with the green fruits setting around mid spring and ripening to a rich purple/black by mid summer.
The fruits have a glossy sheen and retain the calyx at the bottom on the fruit. Blackcurrants are an abundant source of vitamin C and many other healthy ingredients including iron and manganese.
They have a tart taste when raw so are usually cooked with additional sugar to make jams, jellies and juices with the high levels of pectin assuring good jam setting.
Pureed blackcurrant is also a delicious addition to cheesecake, fruit pies and a wide variety of deserts like ice-cream, yoghurt and the great English staple 'Summer Pudding'.
Soil: They like damp, fertile soils but can manage with light and sandy soils or heavy loams if necessary, though an addition of organic material will always help. They like the soil ph to be slightly acid and choose a sunny location.
Best planted as two year old stock. Plant in autumn or early winter to allow establishment before flowering. Prune back existing shoots to ground level to encourage new growth.
Maintenance: Note: they are frost hardy but need frosts to have passed before flowering.
Apply a thick dressing of well composted animal manures in early spring but do not use mushroom compost which is generally a bit too alkaline.
They are gross feeders so apply a slow release, balanced formulation to ensure all nutrients are available in good quantities.
Diseases: Reversion is transmitted by insects and is a big problem in the US and Europe but not so much in Australia.
White pine blister rust is only a problem if white pines are closeby,
Some mildews and botyritis can affect in wet seasons.
Other Species: Around 150 species of flowering and fruit bearing shrubs in the Ribes genus including goosberries, redcurrants, goldcurrants, dogbramble amongst many others.
Comments: First cultivated in Russia in the 11th century by monks. Blackcurrants became popular in Europe in the 17th century.
During world war 2 the British government encouraged large scale cultivation as an alternative source of vitamin C which was affected by the interruption of supply of Oranges. The juice was distributed free to families, even after the war, to ensure good nutrition in times of prolonged rationing.
Apart from the berries, the leaves are also used for tea infusions and as seasoning.
Author: Bob Saunders.