edenhana

Blackcurrant

More shade-tolerant and less fussy about soil pH than blueberries, making it a genuinely easier berry for a first-time grower. Needs a decent number of winter chill hours to flower and fruit well, so it performs better in cooler regions and is a marginal choice in the warmest parts of the North Island. Fruits on wood from the previous season, so pruning technique matters more than for many other berries.

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Sun
partial sun
Water
moderate
Spacing
150cm
Harvest
Ready in about 2-3 years
Difficulty
beginner
Grows in
Whangārei / Northland, Auckland, Hamilton / Waikato, Tauranga / Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Napier / Hawke's Bay, New Plymouth / Taranaki, Palmerston North / Manawatū-Whanganui, Wellington, Nelson, Tasman, Blenheim / Marlborough, West Coast, Christchurch / Canterbury, Dunedin / Otago, Invercargill / Southland
Expected yield
2-4kg per mature bush per season
Cost to grow
~$15 NZD
Grocery value
~$60 NZD
Mature height
1.5m
Flowering season
Sep, Oct
Evergreen
No, deciduous
Common diseases
Botrytis (grey mould) in wet conditions
Common pests
Birds (fruit), Aphids

When to plant by region

In Whangārei / Northland, Auckland, Hamilton / Waikato, Tauranga / Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Napier / Hawke's Bay, New Plymouth / Taranaki, Palmerston North / Manawatū-Whanganui, Wellington, Nelson and Tasman: June-August. In Blenheim / Marlborough, West Coast, Christchurch / Canterbury, Dunedin / Otago and Invercargill / Southland: July.

Growing stages

  1. Planting & establishmentBare-root, winter

    • Tolerates partial shade better than most fruiting shrubs, though full sun still gives the best crop
    • Water regularly through the first summer while the shallow root system establishes
    • Best suited to cooler regions; it needs a real winter chill to flower and fruit well

  2. Early growthFirst 1-2 years

    • Cut all stems back hard after planting to encourage strong new growth from the base
    • First proper crop is usually 2-3 years away
    • Watch for aphids on new shoots

  3. Flowering & fruiting

    • Self-fertile, so a single bush crops well alone, but bees visiting the flowers still improve fruit set
    • Net the bush as fruit ripens; birds will take a crop quickly
    • Botrytis (grey mould) can affect fruit in wet weather; good airflow through the bush helps

  4. MaturityOngoing annual harvest

    • Established bushes yield 2-4kg per season
    • Fruits mainly on one-year-old wood, so prune out about a third of the oldest stems each winter to keep new productive wood coming through
    • Strip whole fruit clusters (strigs) rather than picking individual berries, which is both faster and gentler on the fruit

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