I have just got a couple of currant bushes & a gooseberry - do I leave the soil around them bare or can I let the grass grow around them?
For first couple years I would keep the ground 'bare'..as competing growth underneath would slow their growth and productivity down.
But after that currants are not too disturbed with undergrowt..they've got much deeper root system and will cope..now gooberries are bit different 'kettle'..their roots are much more shallow and would benefit if you can keep the ground bit more 'cleaner'. You could always put some cardboard down and cover it with compost..that is easy then repeat as and when it start disappearing ;)
Blackcurrants particularly would benefit that sort of mulching as they are more 'greedier' for nutrients.
I mulch my fruit bushes (rasps and gooses) with shredded paper, manure and compost and I try to keep that topped up during the season (with straw if I can't get anything else), as I find it gets a lot of grass if you let it get away with it and once the branches are in full growth (with all those hurty spines on them!!!) They are a b*gger to weed!!!
Also it keeps the moisture in, seems preferable to me...
Thanks for your help