Black Currant Growing Guide
Growing Black Currant is easier than you think. This guide walks you through everything you need — from planting your first seed to harvesting.
At a Glance
Difficulty
Easy
Category
Berry
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Frost Tolerance
Frost Hardy
Cold Hardiness
Survives to -34°C
Plant Family
Grossulariaceae
Growing Season
Cool Season
Plant Lifecycle
Perennial
Also grows well as
How to Start It
★ Recommended for beginners
Take pencil-thick hardwood cuttings in autumn and bury them deep, leaving just 2 buds above soil — deep planting encourages the new basal shoots black currants fruit on.
An intensely flavoured, vitamin-packed bush fruit. Unlike red currant, it fruits best on YOUNG wood, so plant deep to encourage new shoots from the base and cut out about a third of the oldest stems each winter. Loves cold and rich, moist soil.
When To Start
First Chance to Plant
—
Last Chance to Plant
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When should you plant Black Currant?
Your planting dates depend on your local climate. Sign up and add your location to unlock personalized dates.
Your Black Currant Planting Window
Start planting
May 15, 2026
Last chance
Sep 10, 2026
The Journey Ahead
Black Currant's Lifecycle
Seedling
Mature Plant
Seed Production
Step 1
Prepare Your Space
150 cm
Plant Spacing
180 cm
Row Spacing
Vertical Growing
No.
Succession Planting
No.
Good Companions
Bad Companions
Step 2
Planting & Sprouting
Growing Tips
- 1Black currants are hungry and thirsty — feed and mulch richly, water in fruiting.
- 2The key prune: each winter take out about a third of the oldest (darkest) stems at the base to keep young, fruitful wood coming.
- 3Net against birds.
Seedling Phase
Step 3
Growth & Maturity
150 cm
Mature Height
150 cm
Mature Width
Pests to Watch For
Diseases to Watch For
Mature Plant
Step 4
Harvesting
Harvest Window
21 days
When to Pick
Pick whole strings once all berries are black and shiny
How to Harvest
- 1Pick whole strings when every berry is black and glossy (the top ones ripen last), or strip individual berries for the kitchen.
- 2They hang ripe for a while, so there's no big rush.
Step 5
Saving Seeds
Seed Production
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