Red currant

Red currant: plant 120 cm (47 in) apart in the row and 200 cm (79 in) between rows, 1 plant per 16 squares. Good neighbours: Chives, Garlic, Marigold.

Key facts

Spacing in the row	120 cm (47 in)
Between rows	200 cm (79 in)
In a 30 cm (1 ft) square	1 plant per 16 squares
Sun	Part sun, 4–6 hours a day
Root depth	40 cm (16 in)
Height when grown	130 cm (51 in)
Crop rotation group	Herbs, flowers and perennials
Support	None needed

Planting

How it is started	From a bought plant, from cuttings
Cuttings per planting hole	1
When to plant	Outdoors before the last frost; soil at least 8 °C

Care

Takes transplanting	Only with care, keep the root ball
Hardening off	10–14 days
Life cycle	Perennial
Cold tolerance	Takes a light frost → hardy, takes hard frost
Soil	Rich, with compost, free draining, pH 6–6.5
In a pot	30 L, 40 cm (15.7 in)
Watering	Water when the soil is dry two fingers down; at flowering, while fruit sets
Feeding	Moderate; in spring, after harvest
Support and training	Wires or a frame; prune

Harvest and planning

Days to first harvest	1–2 years, from planting
Ready when	The fruit has its full colour
Harvest window	All at once, 2–4 weeks
Typical yield	2–4 kg per plant
Botanical family	Grossulariaceae
Watch out for	Birds, powdery mildew, grey mould
First crop after	2 years
Pollination	Fruits on its own

Good neighbours

◐ good with a condition · Why, with the sources →

Plan Red currant in your garden

Open the free planner, drop Red currant onto a bed and see how many plants fit.

Start Planning Your Garden

Sowing and harvest

Plant out	Oct–Nov
Harvest	Jun–Jul

My dates for this crop

My country Last spring frost where I live

Give the date once and this page, the sowing calendar and the planner all follow it.

Months for a temperate climate: about a month later in the north and a month earlier in the south. Give your own last frost date for exact dates.

What to plant next to Red currant →

From the same family

Plants of the Grossulariaceae family share diseases and pests, so they follow each other in the rotation only after a break.

Grown much the same way

Crops that need about the same room and care, from another family.

What to plant after Red currant

Crops that still have time to grow on the same spot once it is lifted, from another rotation group.

Sources

The values on this page marked as checked come from these sources: spacing, sowing depth, germination, soil, timing and safety notes, each against the source named here.

Spacing of Small Fruits in the Home Garden — Iowa State University Extension for: between rows, spacing in the row; checked 2026-10-31
Cornell Guide to Growing Fruit at Home — Cornell Cooperative Extension for: soil; checked 2026-10-31

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