Horticulture
Roger Ort, Horticulture Educator, [email protected]
Growing Ribes for Health and Happiness!
Currants and gooseberries are closely related berries well suited to all home gardens. Hardy and productive, they provide fruit useful in jams and desserts. Gooseberries and Currants have been a passion in England where they have been raised from an era of the Tudors till today. Many European and American varieties are planted around the world and their health benefits are still emerging.
Red and white currants are both classified as members of the same species, Ribes sativum, while the European black currant is known as
Ribes nigrum. Gooseberries of American origin are Ribes hirtellum or hybrids derived from this species, while the European type is Ribes uva-crispa. Gooseberries and currants, although closely related, can easily be identified by examining the canes and fruit color; gooseberry canes normally produce a spine at each leaf node and bear roughly grape-sized berries singly or in groups of 2 or 3, while currant canes lack spines or prickles and bear 8 to 30 smaller fruit in clusters. A mature gooseberry or currant shrub can produce up to four quarts of fruit annually
Site requirements
Currants and gooseberries are highly tolerant of less-than-perfect sites. Although full sun will result in the healthiest, most productive planting, the shrubs can perform quite well on as little as half-day sun. A soil pH of 5.5 to 7 (moderately acidic to neutral) is optimal, but growth is fine in alkaline soils as well. Named cultivars have root systems that are fibrous and shallow, they do not tolerate dry sites without supplemental water.
Because currants and gooseberries bloom very early in spring, their flowers are susceptible to late-season freezes. Therefore, a site that warms up more slowly in spring is preferable to a quick-warming location that encourages the plant to get off to too early a start.
If possible, prepare your planting site the fall before you actually plant. Because currants and gooseberries do not perform well under dry or waterlogged conditions, most soils will benefit from the addition of organic material like compost before planting. Test your soil for pH and nutrient needs; professional soil testing may be done through your county extension office.
Care and pruning
Fertilize currants and gooseberries in early spring, before growth begins. Depending on the vigor of last year's growth, apply 1/4 to 1/2 pound of a balanced fertilizer (the ratio of nitrogen: phosphorus: potassium is indicated by the numbers on the bag; look for three numbers that are the same or close to it, such as 10-10-10) per bush. Apply fertilizer in a band around each bush, working it lightly into the soil from near the canes to a foot or so beyond the branch tips.
Above: Black Raspberries
For more information call Cornell Cooperative Extension of Schuyler County 607-535-7161.