Currants and Gooseberries - Planting, Care, and Varieties

Cultural Information: Currants and gooseberries belong to the same plant family and typically grow 3 to 5 feet tall and wide. Some varieties are nearly spineless, while others have thorns. In fall, currant leaves display vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows, whereas gooseberries turn bright yellow. Gooseberry fruit is often decorative, marked with longitudinal stripes, and ripens from late spring through summer.

Black currants have a strong, distinctive flavor and are ideal for jams and preserves. Red and white currants are quite tart, making them perfect for jellies. Many varieties of currants and gooseberries are self-fruitful.

Pruning: Prune plants in mid- to late fall when dormant. A mature, well-pruned bush usually has 3 to 5 main branches that are 1 to 3 years old. For red and white currants, remove stems older than 3 years, and for black currants, cut out stems older than 3 years, as older wood produces inferior fruit. Canes on currants are often dark and peeling. Gooseberries follow similar pruning requirements.

Pests and Disease: Currant worms can occasionally defoliate both currants and gooseberries. Use Natural Guard “BT” if this becomes an issue. Both plants are also hosts to white pine blister rust, so avoid planting near white pine trees.

Harvesting: Berry harvesting varies by variety, but most picking occurs within about a month which is around September/October. Unharvested fruit often attracts birds to your area.

Fertility: Currants and gooseberries respond well to Ferti-lome “Gardener’s Special” fertilizer and should be applied at bloom time. Organic fertilizers such as Natural Guard’s “Organic Nitrogen” and/or “IFA Bountiful Earth Humic Acid” are beneficial. Cowgirl sterilized steer manure or O'dell Chicken Compost work extremely well. Avoid planting in soils high in sodium, which can occur with some inexpensive fertilizers.

Planting Instructions: Some gooseberry varieties, like ‘Poorman,’ require at least two plants for cross-pollination. Plant currants and gooseberries slightly deeper than they were grown at our garden center. Use a potting mixture of roughly 1/3 sand, 1/3 Ferti-lome peat moss, and 1/3 existing topsoil. Each plant should have about 16 square feet of space to grow properly. To conserve moisture and control weeds, apply 2–3 inches of bark mulch (preferred) or expensive potting soil (usually has a lot of bark in the mixture).

Varieties:

• Currants:

  • Black Currants: Popular hybrids include ‘Consort’ and ‘Crusader,’ excellent for jams, jellies, and preserves.

  • Red Currants: Varieties like ‘Cherry,’ ‘Perfection,’ ‘Red Lake,’ and ‘Wilder’ are tart and mainly used for jelly. ‘Red Lake’ produces large, dark red berries in clusters.

  • White Currants: ‘White Imperial’ is the most well-known variety.

• Gooseberries:

  • Pixwell: Known for its pink fruit, extreme hardiness in the Treasure Valley, and nearly thornless branches. Ideal for pies; the fruit is tart when eaten fresh.

  • Poorman: Produces sweeter fruit that can be eaten fresh, though the skin retains a tart flavor.