How to grow Whitecurrants

This guide will help you learn how to grow White Currants. It includes the sun requirements, when to plant, feeding, and harvesting tips.

White Currant prefers well draining soil with plenty of compost mixed in. 

Plant White Currant in a full sun to afternoon shade position. 

Yes, White Currant is frost tolerant, but it may need protection from severe frosts. 

Plant White Currant plants roughly 1m apart. 

Late autumn or early spring is the best time to transplant most dormant plants. Plants, with the exception of bare-root, can be transplanted at anytime between when the ground thaws and when it freezes (so anytime if you are in a frost free climate). However, if transplanting in the heat of summer, you'll need to be diligent in watering and provide extra shade for your plant in the first few weeks after transplanting. 

Dig a hole 2-3 times the width of the root ball. The hole should allow the plant to sit at the same level in the soil as it was previously. Fill the hole with soil ensuring the crown of the plant, where roots and stem meet, is level with the soil surface. 

Plant out in the early morning or evening and/or on an overcast day. Avoid planting at peak sun times or on windy days, this will allow your plants to settle in comfortably and protect them from windburn and sunburn. 

Top dress with soil around the White Currant plant with a fresh layer of well rotted compost, some potash and some organic fertiliser. Mulch well. Use an organic fertiliser through the season, particularly if leaves start showing signs of nutrient deficiency. 

Continuous harvest throughout the season when the berries are white. Berries can be eaten fresh or frozen for later use. 

Pests that can affect White Currants include: Aphids, Mites, Weevils, Slug, Snail, Common Gooseberry Sawfly. 

Diseases that can affect White Currants include: Cane Blight, Gray Mold, Raspberry Leaf Spot, Spur Blight, Yellow Rust, Fire Blight, Leaf Curl, Mosaic Virus, Raspberry Ringspot, Phytophthora Root Rot. 

At the end of the season, prune the plant in order to remove old or unproductive wood. Open up the centre to let light and air in by removing any overlapping branches, this will help prevent disease.