How to Grow Black Currants

Prepare a sunny growing area in the autumn or very early spring. Loosen the soil down to a depth of 6 to 8 inches. Add 3 to 4 inches of compost to the top of the soil and work the compost in with the garden spade to incorporate it.

Dig holes for the black currant shrubs. Make the holes deep enough to plant the shrubs at the same depth as the black currants are in the temporary containers and wide enough to accommodate the root system with 3 to 4 inches of extra room. Space the holes 3 feet apart to grow black currant hedges and 6 feet apart to grow individual specimen shrubs.

Remove the black currant shrubs from their temporary containers and place them gently into the prepared holes. Fill soil in around the shrubs to fill the holes up to the crowns of the plants and tamp the soil down firmly with your hands.

Provide a thorough watering of the newly planted black currant shrubs immediately after you finish planting them. Keep the shrubs evenly moist throughout the growing season by providing water when the top inch of soil dries.

Add between 2 and 4 inches of shredded mulch around the soil area beneath the black currant shrubs to keep the soil moist and prevent weeds from growing near the shrubs. Maintain the same depth of mulch by adding additional mulch each year.

Prune the black currant shrubs in early spring by removing the oldest branches from the shrubs with the pruning shears. Differentiate the oldest branches from newer branches by the dark color of the old branches. Cut these branches down to the base of the shrubs, removing up to one-third of the entire shrub at one time.

Harvest black currants when the berries turn a deep purple or black in color. The berries will feel firm to the touch and you can generally clip off an entire bunch of ripe berries as a group to harvest.