Today I purchased 6 currant bushes, 2 red, 2 white and 2 black. All grow to about 5ft apparently. Will they be OK to grow in containers for one year before planting in the ground? Or am I better planting them now; then moving them at the end of next year?
Put them in the garden straight away. They will grow much better and produce stronger shoots on which to fruit.
I grew a black currant in a large black bucket for 12 months and it didn't do very well. Produced fruit but not many of them and not a lot of new shoots for the following years fruit.
I must admit I dug up my white currant bush and binned it. Other than red currant jelly and being able to enter a class in the local show I am not sure of the value of red currants either.
Red and white currants seem to be very prone to some form of leaf miner.
Quote from: Toadspawn on December 06, 2009, 22:22:56
Put them in the garden straight away.
A long story for my reasons, but will I be able to move them next October/November if I put them in the ground???
Quote from: ktlawson on December 06, 2009, 23:46:26
Quote from: Toadspawn on December 06, 2009, 22:22:56
Put them in the garden straight away.
A long story for my reasons, but will I be able to move them next October/November if I put them in the ground???
Probably, I had no shortage of takers for some fruit bushes I needed to remove a month ago on our site. I think that they'll probably have a bad year following the move and you'll need to prune them quite hard too but they should then be fine.....
chrisc
If they are going to be re-sited next autumn/winter, I think I would be tempted to grow them on in large pots, keeping them well watered, fed and then transfer them. Although I have moved both mature and youngish bushes with good results :)
Put them in the ground
They won't have put on huge roots by next year, so will still be easy move
Currants are great for wine as well as jelly btw :P
I too tried to grow BC's in large containers quite a few years back - did very poorly...
Mel
Quote from: Toadspawn on December 06, 2009, 22:22:56
I am not sure of the value of red currants either.
Red currants need to stay on the bush for much longer than you expect.
They then become very sweet and can be eaten as dessert fruit.
We freeze them by the pound and eat them (thawed!) throughout the winter
along with blackcurrants, white currants, gooseberries, . . . .
Quote from: ktlawson on December 06, 2009, 23:46:26
Quote from: Toadspawn on December 06, 2009, 22:22:56
Put them in the garden straight away.
will I be able to move them next October/November if I put them in the ground?
It's very easy to take cuttings: 95% success if you just push the cut twigs into the ground.
put in pots for the winter and plant out in spring - you will need to water though. Better if you can get them in the ground now and move them next autumn as soon as they go dormant - you won't get a crop this year anyway as they need older wood to fruit on.