blackcurrant bush

[frazzleju]

I got ahead of myself and bought a blackcurrant bush at the weekend, the lady at the garden centre said not to put out til theres likely to be a couple of frost-free nights- surely that'll be weeks and weeks away?- will it be ok sat in its pot til then? remind me next time to work all this out before I buy! Ju x

[Ecochick]

Yes, should be fine in it's pot so long as you keep it well watered. Best to plant out in spring - enjoy the blackcurrants when they come. Although a pain to pick I make fantastic blackcurrant jam every year with ours.

[dave45]

I find blackcurrants very "robust". You can prune them and the pruned twigs can still come back to life months later. In fact that's how easy they are to propagate - poke a twig into the ground and wait. Leave plenty of space - a bush can grow to a meter diameter and 1.5m high. Use mulch around the base when you plant it... shredded paper is good.

[pumpy]

Blackcurrants and nearly all other "soft" fruits prefer an acidic soil. Coal soot is good for this, but it has to be left to "mature" for a month or two, before use.