[rugbyman]

Hi all
New to this grow your own. We have purchased from a garden centre in their reduced section 2 red currant plants. They look very bare and what fruit is on the is tiny. I know that it has most probably not been watered, cared for and also pot bound. My issue is that all the sites say it should be a bush. The ones we have purchased are about 3ft tall before you get to the branches, it is more like a mini tree!!! I have seen them a Wisley and they seem to start branching from about 10 inches from the ground.
With all this am I going to have major problems with my bushes/trees or should I just return them to the garden centre and ask for my money back?

[WebSiteEvo]

Give them perfect conditions and they will recover and flourish. I have bought lots of ill looking pants and most recover if given the right conditions.

Use plenty of mulch (pine needles works well)
Keep them from drying out .... use rain water though.
Make sure the soil is acidic and don't use any compost with added lime..
I also place coffee grounds and homemade compost around mine which they seem to like.

[gillie]

It sounds to me as if they have been trained as espaliers - just like an apple tree.  Espalier red currants cost a lot more than the ordinary bush ones!

It is up to you whether you wish to go on training them or let the develop into bushes.  I have never heard of planting red currants in acid soil.  Blueberries yes, but not red, white or black currants.

This year I have picked 7kg of my two bushes - and there is more to come.

Gillie

[SG6]

I have something similar, except mine is about 4 ft high. Mine were bought as semi-standards. Wonder if your was intended to be the same. Always thought 4 ft was a bit big for semi.

Are there branches at the top or is it a graft?

Either way plant, water and wait for fruit next year.
I find them pretty easy, also the birds tend to leave them more then most fruit as they are not a sweet as most fruits.

Suggest that you stake the main stem for support.

Mine grow with the branches horizontal, may be an idea to train yours much the same.

Don't think the soil matters greatly as I am on thin soil over chalk. The chalk is a few inches down. They grow happily enough.

They fruit on "old" wood, 2yr +, so if you prune them this year, they will make new wood but no fruit next year.

[kermit]

It sounds to me as if they have been trained as espaliers - just like an apple tree.  Espalier red currants cost a lot more than the ordinary bush ones!

It is up to you whether you wish to go on training them or let the develop into bushes.  I have never heard of planting red currants in acid soil.  Blueberries yes, but not red, white or black currants.

This year I have picked 7kg of my two bushes - and there is more to come.

Gillie

really - 7kg off two bushes?!  Thats great - I planted 3 reds and 2 blacks last december - look healthy enough (apart from something eating the leaves) but I have literally had 5 berries off the whole lot.  Im hoping its due to them being in 1st year    If I get anything like 7kg next year, I'll be a happy man!

[gillie]

Our bushes must be nearly 20 years old.  The largest is six feet high and about ten across.  One year I heavily pruned it to try and keep the size down.  It only encouraged it!

Every winter they are heavily mulched with either well rotted manure or leaf mould.  Last year it was leaf mould.

Gillie

[SarahB]

I find them pretty easy, also the birds tend to leave them more then most fruit as they are not a sweet as most fruits.

Unless you have bullfinches in the area - they'll go for the flowers and snip off entire strigs!  We have to net as soon as the flowers are out here.