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- Ribes nigra. (Blackcurrant)
Ribes nigra. (Blackcurrant)
Blackcurrants are a fantastic versatile plant. The plants grow as deciduous shrubs eventually reaching approximately 1m tall and wide however can be easily kept in trim.
The stems and leaves offer a distinctive pleasant scent when crushed. The leaves being used in teas and cooking. (Try wrapping the leaves around fish or chicken for a fruity infusion flavour).
The fruits ripen in late summer and can be eaten fresh (a fantastic source of vitamin C, just 6 little blackcurrants hold the same as one orange.) They can be cooked in numerous dishes, blackcurrant & coconut traybake a recent delight.
Once established crops can be large but thankfully these preserve well. As jams & jellies or freeze them for use later in the year.
To keep healthy and compact yet fruiting plants, we recommend pruning the plants at time of harvest to just below the lowest bunch of currants. This allows the plant time to regrow new shoots for next year, whilst reducing over compaction of the plant. Pruning's can also be used as cuttings to make new bushes.
Not only a good cropping plant these can also be planted in a wild garden as they are favoured by birds offering a food supply.
Plants are sent as healthy rooted plants propagated from our own healthy heavy cropping stock to guarantee good healthy plants with sweet fruits. They are approximately 20cm tall and ready to be planted out. Will produce the first few fruits within a year and crop heavily within 3. We advice if space to grow 3 or 4 plants for a large crop that can be preserved and kept for the 'off season' Or try other currants also available.