[LucasAndRichard]

Okay, I'm asking for it...
...tell me all...how to plant, what conditions, spacing, pruning - I actually am asking for it.  Someone out there must have grown some and be willing to share the info!  Looking at getting some bare-rooted currants in (soon, I know, the clock is a-ticking...), and wanted to know how people found them, whether you actually get any fruit etc...Tell me all...
 
Lucas

[richyrich7]

Prepare the ground by digging in plenty of manure, plant them at the same height as that of the nursery, blackcurrants fruit best on 2nd and 3rd year old wood anything older than that needs removing. You will probably have to net them to keep the birds off.

[Kate and her Ducks]

I've got one of each and get more red and white currents than I can eat! Only got the black 2 years ago but is coming on (and I don't like them as much).

I just bunged them in the ground and there has been no stopping them. Sorry, not much help :roll:

[Trillium]

All the currants are quite undemanding so there's no secret to them. Just prep the soil well first, then add a manure mulch each spring for best yields. The pruning will come later. I find, like the others, the red and whites outproduce the blacks which I love done as jelly for toast (hate the seeds).

[paintedlady]

Red & white currants (and gooseberries) are at risk from sawfly (completely strips all the leaves) whereas blackcurrant doesn't seem that affected.  

Josterberries are a cross between a gooseberry & blackcurrant but looks & taste like oversized blackcurrants - the one I inherited from the previous plot tenant is very hardy and produces masses of fruit.

[Dominic]

I dig a hole, 1 spade across, 1 spade deep, dump a hand full of NPK pellets in, hold the plant over / roots in hole and fill with compost, then water heavily.
Gooseberry seems to have died, redcurrant grew like mad.
Mine are all about a metre apart.

The first lot all look like they're going to do a lot of growing this yeah

[Kate and her Ducks]

I planted mine about a meter apart too but next time I will plant them further apart as they have grown like wildfire and they are a bit crowded now!

[LucasAndRichard]

How far apart would you suggest then?  1.5m?  ish?  I'm going to plan for them doing well, as if they fade and die then it won't matter how far apart they are are, and if they do do well I won't want to move them!  Besides, I figured the more space between them, the more air they have circulating, you know?  Do they need to be pollinated to produce fruit?

[Trillium]

They all seem to self pollinate but I find the black currants do better with 2 varieties. The reds just go wild regardless.