How to Care for a Red-Flowering Currant

Plant red currant nursery seedlings in fall before first frost for a full season of rooting and establishment. Choose sites with partial, indirect or filtered sun, full year-round drainage and good air movement. Allot 3-to-5 feet of space for each red currant bush.

Amend the soil to give red currants quick drainage, rich nutrition and effective moisture retention. Dig into the top 10-to-12 inches of natural soil, mix well, and turn in 5-to-6 inches of organic compost, peat moss or rotted manure.

Trim away damaged roots before planting then plant red currant plants in holes just deep enough for their roots. Red currants do best with slightly shallow plantings. Prune the canes down to 6-to-10 inches for growth and branching.

Water the plants with 2 inches of water every week and lay 2-to-3 inches of organic mulch over the soil for protection.

Give red currant plants new compost additions in spring with their first growth. Feed the plants with granular 10-10-10 fertilizer at this time. Maintain 2-to-3 inches of mulch over the soil to prevent weeds and keep the soil moist and cool.

Prune red currant bushes in late winter to promote new growth and large fruit harvests. Cut away 4-year-old wood at the ground and thin the remaining canes. End with nine healthy canes of 2- and 3-year-old wood. Red currants produce fruit on 2- and 3-year-old fruiting spurs.