Redcurrent ...

[Silver Ether]

Last year I bought a redcurrent from Wilkinson's ... end of season, dead cheap .. poor thing needed a home ... Been out tending the garden and I see I have a lot of little green berries appearing ... I hope they cling on ... just thought I would share ...

[Millymollymandy]

Great!

Whilst we're on the subject, what are the pesky caterpillars that are eating my redcurrants? I keep having to squish them.

[Bluemoon]

The caterpillars could be Gooseberry Sawfly larvae (which like currants too) I love red currants, if only because they look so attractive when ripe and sparkling in the sun. I have a tendency to leave them on the bush too long, just so I can look at them - still they make a great addition to a wine even when over-ripe.

[Millymollymandy]

Thanks Bluemoon, at least they seem to be abating now that I've had quite a few squidging sessions. Caterpillars are a lot easier to deal with than the aphids on my blackcurrants!

[JR]

I brought one too although a blackcurrant and it tried to sprout only for the cold snap last month to turn it to a stick which is how it has remained since.

[Enormous Sage]

I bought a B&Q redcurrant (yes, that was on offer too! ) and all the berries got savaged by birds as soon as they started to ripen.

I've put a net over it this year, so hopefully I should have lots of redcurranty goodness to enjoy sometime in the summer.

Mine seems to be covered in ants at the moment - no greenfly or anything at all, just ants. They don't seem to be doing any harm... or are they up to something?