Special Consideration--Cross Pollination
It is recommended that two different varieties of black currants be planted to facilitate cross-pollination and a larger crop.

Planting
Plant currants and gooseberries in good, well drained soil that contains at least 2-3% organic matter. Planting on a slight slope will facilitate air drainage. Avoid southern facing slopes since intense sun may injure the plants. The soil pH should be between 6.0 to 6.5.

Black Currants
Set black currants 3-4 feet apart in the row. Spacing between rows should not be less than 6 feet.

Special consideration for Titania: space 4-5 feet apart in the row.

Pruning to a Bush
As soon as plants are in the ground each branch should be pruned back to two buds showing just above the soil. Do not leave any branches to bear fruit because this will delay plant development. At the end of the first year, two to three branches along with some weak shoots should have sprouted and grown. Prune out all the new, weak shoots and cut back all branches so that you are left with one or two main branches. Bushes should be pruned every year to prevent the accumulation of too much old wood and to encourage the production of strong new growth. Since black currants crop most heavily on one-year old wood, your pruning is meant to stimulate new growth and take out older growth. With this objective, in subsequent years, prune back three or four of the oldest branches to strong new growth, or to the base of the branch. Your objective is for 6-8 good branches per plant that are continually renewed.

Gooseberries and Red Currants
Set gooseberries and red currants 3 to 4 feet apart in the row. Plants should be set slightly deeper than they were in the nursery. Rows should be spaced at least 6 feet apart for gooseberries and red currants.

Pruning
Red currants and gooseberries fruit most heavily on the spurs (short branches) that occur on 2-3 year old branches. Your pruning task will be approximately the same for both groups of plants, so they will be described together. You can grow currants and gooseberries in a bush form or as a 'cordon' (espalier) form for a trellis.

Cordon
Single, double, or triple cordons can be used for tighter spacing and easier harvesting. Cut back the first year growth to one main branch. The second year, cut back a single cordon by 1/2 its new growth. Double cordons require that two strong shoots be tied down during the second season to a horizontal position. Triple cordons have two horizontal shoots and one central, vertical shoot. Winter prune the horizontal shoots to an upright bud and the central shoots to 1/2 their growth. Cut any side shoots back to one bud and remove any low growth or suckers. The third year, cut back vertical cordons by one-half of their growth and trim side shoots back to one bud. Many other variations can be developed from the basic cordon theme.

Read more about cordon training...

Fertilization
No fertilization is needed during the planting year. The second year and subsequent years, you can use 5 oz. of 10-10-10 per plant. Fertilizer may be applied all in the spring, or split with one-half applied in the spring, and one-half applied in the summer.

Weeding
Mulches such as straw, sawdust, or wood chips can be applied at 2 to 4 inches thick. Mulches help conserve moisture and keep down weeds. Clean cultivation can also be practiced by either hand-pulling weeds or using a scuffle hoe. Please contact your local Cooperative Extension service for advice on using chemical weeding methods.

Foliage Diseases including powdery mildew and rust can hurt growth or defoliate the plant completely. Planting in shaded areas can make this problem worse. Benomyl and/or sulfur-based fungicides or Stylet oil work best. Be careful as some gooseberry varieties are sensitive to sulfur. Newer fungicides Nova™ and Cabrio™ are labeled to control these diseases.

Ordering information
We recommend that you order as soon as possible. Once ordered, the plants will be reserved in your name and will be sent when you are ready to plant. Most orders are sent UPS Ground to arrive prior to the weekend. If you want the plants to arrive on a specific date we would recommend our 2 or 3 day service. For larger orders air freight or LTL service is recommended.

IF you are planning to plant on a Monday or Friday we recommend receiving the plants on Thursday or Friday and storing them in a cool or refrigerated place until you are ready to plant. We do not recommend storing the plants more than seven days. If you need to delay shipment please provide at least 3 days notice. You shouldn't have plants shipped until the planting site is prepared, so planting occurs within a few days if not immediately upon arrival.