Myths About Growing Blackcurrants in Scotland

“Cut out all the old wood on blackcurrants each winter”

Blackcurrants fruit on the previous season's growth, not on very old wood. The advice is to prune in winter by removing about a third of the oldest stems at ground level, not everything. Cutting out all old wood leaves only young growth that has not fruited yet.

Our read The confusion comes from raspberries. Summer raspberries fruit on last year's canes and old canes are cut out. Blackcurrants are the opposite: the one and two-year-old wood carries the crop.

What to do: Cut out about a third of the oldest, darkest stems each winter at ground level, leaving the younger wood standing. Aim for a bush with stems of different ages so some are always coming into bearing.

“Blackcurrants will grow anywhere — just stick them in a corner”

Blackcurrants are tough plants, but they need full sun, rich soil and consistent moisture to produce a worthwhile crop. A sheltered, sunny site with fertile, moisture-retentive soil is what's advised. A bush in a shady, dry corner produces leaves and almost no fruit.

What to do: Give blackcurrants a sunny, sheltered position with soil that holds moisture. Mulch thickly in spring to keep the roots cool and moist. The difference between a pampered bush and a neglected one is not survival — it is kilos of fruit.

In Scotland: Scotland grows some of the world's best blackcurrants for Ribena, and the climate suits them. The soil condition is the variable: heavy Central Belt clay holds moisture well if improved with organic matter, but pure clay starves the roots.

“Big bud on blackcurrants means dig the bush out — it's finished”

Big bud mite is a serious pest but a light infestation is manageable. The advice is to pick off and destroy affected buds by hand before they open in spring. Only a severe infestation warrants removal.

Our read Big bud mite is the blackcurrant pest everyone has heard of and the one most likely to trigger an unnecessary grub. A few swollen buds in spring is a nuisance, not a death sentence.

What to do: Pick off swollen, rounded buds before they open in spring and bin them. If most of the bush is affected, replacement is the right call, but give the plant a season first.

“Blackcurrants need full sun or you won't get a crop”

Blackcurrants tolerate partial shade better than almost any other soft fruit. They can be grown in partial shade, and a north-facing wall that gets morning sun will produce a worthwhile crop.

What to do: A spot that gets morning sun and afternoon shade is fine for blackcurrants. They will crop less heavily in deep shade, but a few hours of direct sun is enough for a family picking.

In Scotland: The partial-shade tolerance is a genuine Scottish advantage. A north-facing border that grows little else can still give you blackcurrants, and the cooler position delays flowering enough to miss the last frosts.

“Blackcurrants fruit on new wood, so cut all the old stems out every winter”

Blackcurrants fruit most heavily on one-year-old wood, but two- and three-year-old stems also carry fruit. Removing only the oldest stems and leaving younger wood gives a more consistent crop than stripping the bush to the ground.

What to do: Prune in winter by removing about a third of the oldest, darkest stems at ground level. Leave one- and two-year-old wood standing. This renews the bush gradually rather than forcing it to rebuild from scratch each year.

In Scotland: A Scottish winter is long enough that a hard-pruned blackcurrant sits leafless for months before regrowth starts. Gradual renewal keeps more of the bush's framework in place and gives an earlier crop the following summer.

“Blackcurrants are self-fertile, so pollination isn't something you need to think about”

Self-fertility is real but the practical conclusion doesn't follow. University extension research on black currant pollination found self-pollination produced the lowest fruit set of any tested condition, while cross-pollination between cultivars and visits from insect pollinators such as bees measurably increased fruit set, yield, and berry size.

What to do: One bush will fruit, but don't assume pollination is a non-issue. Give bushes an open, insect-accessible position rather than a netted or enclosed corner during flowering, and where you have room, a second cultivar nearby will noticeably improve cropping over a single bush on its own.