How to grow Redcurrant in Australia
Redcurrant (Ribes rubrum) is a small deciduous shrub that hangs with strings of glossy, tart red berries in early summer. It is a fruit for cool southern and highland gardens, it copes with some shade, and one well-pruned bush gives a generous crop for many years.
📖 Our full guide: How to Grow Redcurrant in Australia
At a glance
When to plant by region
| Region | When to plant | Regional note |
|---|---|---|
| South East Queensland | Not suited | Not viable in SEQ. Currants need hundreds of chill hours and mild summers. |
| Northern Rivers NSW | Not suited | Not viable. Needs hundreds of cold winter hours the Northern Rivers never gets. |
| Sydney & Coastal NSW | Not suited | Not reliable on the coast. Needs cold winters and mild summers; grow it in the upper Blue Mountains instead. |
| Melbourne & Victoria | June to August | |
| Adelaide & SA | June to August | |
| Perth & WA | Not suited | Not reliable in Perth. Winters lack chill and summer heat scorches the bush. Cooler south west only. |
| Tasmania | June to August | |
| Canberra & ACT | June to August | |
| North Queensland | Not suited | Not viable. Currants need hundreds of chill hours. Impossible in the tropics. |
| Darwin & Top End | Not suited | Not viable. Currants need winter chill and dormancy. No chill in Darwin. |
Where to plant
Redcurrants do best in a bright spot that is shaded from the hottest summer sun, with shelter from strong, hot winds. They will grow in part shade, though the fruit ripens later and is a little less sweet. Most well-drained soils suit them if you dig in compost first; they do not like drying out in summer or sitting in waterlogged ground.
Gardening Australia notes that currants do not need a great deal of winter chill, but they crop better where winters are cold. Our planner treats them as a cool-climate fruit.
- Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart and Adelaide: plant bare-rooted bushes from June to August. In Adelaide, give them afternoon shade and steady summer water.
- Sydney and Perth: not reliable on the coastal plain, where winters are too mild and summers too hot. The Blue Mountains, the tablelands and the cooler south west of WA suit them better.
- South East Queensland, the Northern Rivers, North Queensland and Darwin: not suited.
How to plant
- Plant in winter while the bush is leafless. Dig in compost or well-rotted manure first.
- Dig a hole wide enough to spread the roots and plant at the depth the bush grew in the nursery, with the crown at soil level.
- For a bush, keep a short clear stem of about 10 to 15 cm at the base before the branches start, so the fruit stays off the soil.
- Space bushes about 1.2 to 1.5 m apart. Bushes grown as single-stemmed cordons on a wire can go 30 to 40 cm apart, and fans against a wall about 1.5 m apart.
- Water in well and mulch over the root area, keeping mulch off the stem.
Watering and feeding
Keep the soil evenly moist, especially in the first two years and while the fruit swells in late spring and early summer. A thick mulch of compost or straw helps hold moisture and keeps the shallow roots cool.
Feed once a year in late winter or early spring with a balanced general fertiliser, or spread compost over the root area. Bushes in well-mulched, rich soil need little else.
Pruning and care through the year
Redcurrants fruit on short spurs along older branches and at the base of last year's side shoots, so they are pruned differently to blackcurrants. Prune in winter while dormant.
- Train a bush to an open goblet shape on a short stem, with up to ten well-spaced main branches and an open centre for air and light.
- Each winter, shorten the side shoots on the main branches to one or two buds to build fruiting spurs, and shorten last season's growth on the main branches by a quarter to a half.
- Remove a few of the oldest, least productive branches every few years and let a strong new shoot replace each one.
- Net the bushes as the fruit colours. Birds find redcurrants very quickly.
Harvesting
The fruit ripens in early summer, around December and January in southern Australia. Pick when the berries are fully coloured and glossy. Snip off whole bunches (strigs) rather than single berries, as the berries bruise easily. An established bush can give about 4 to 5 kg of fruit.
Fresh currants keep a few days in the fridge and freeze well on their strigs.
Growing in pots
Redcurrants can be grown in a large pot at least 40 to 45 cm wide, filled with a good quality potting mix. Pots dry out fast in summer, so water often and keep the pot out of hot afternoon sun. Feed in spring and repot into fresh mix every few years.
Using it
Redcurrants are tart and are classic in jelly, jam and sauces for meat, especially game. Fresh strigs make a bright garnish for desserts, and frozen berries go straight into cooking.
Propagation
Redcurrants are easy to grow from hardwood cuttings taken in winter. Cut pencil-thick lengths of this year's wood about 20 cm long, just below a bud at the base, and push them into the ground or a pot of mix so that about two thirds sits below the surface. Most root by spring. Expect fruit two to three years later.
Pests and diseases
Birds are the biggest problem for most home growers. Good air flow and winter pruning keep fungal problems down.
Pests to watch for
- Birds Berries stripped as they colour. Net the bushes in late spring.
- Aphids Curled, blistered leaves at the shoot tips in spring, with small insects underneath.
- Currant borer
Diseases to watch for
- Powdery mildew White powdery coating on young leaves and shoots, worst on crowded bushes.
- Leaf spot Small brown spots on the leaves that may yellow and drop early in wet summers. Rake up fallen leaves.
Common questions
Can you grow redcurrants in Australia?
Yes, in cool climates. They grow well in Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart, the Adelaide Hills and highland areas, and less reliably on the warm coastal plains of Sydney and Perth. They are not suited to Queensland or the tropics.
When do redcurrants fruit in Australia?
In early summer, usually December and January in southern areas. Bushes normally start cropping in their second summer.
Do redcurrants need full sun?
They grow in full sun or part shade. Shade from the hottest afternoon sun helps in Australian summers, but more sun gives sweeter fruit and a bigger crop.
How do I prune redcurrants?
Prune in winter while the bush is dormant. Keep an open goblet of up to ten main branches, shorten the side shoots to one or two buds to form fruiting spurs, and replace the oldest branches every few years. Redcurrants fruit on older wood, unlike blackcurrants, which fruit on young wood.
How do I grow redcurrants from cuttings?
Take hardwood cuttings about 20 cm long in winter, cut just below a bud at the base, and set them two thirds deep in soil or potting mix. Keep them moist; most will root by spring.
Why are birds eating all my redcurrants?
Birds love the bright berries. Cover the bush with fine netting before the fruit colours, and secure it at the base so birds cannot get underneath.
Sources we checked: Gardening Australia: Ribes (currants); Gardening Australia: Hardwood cuttings; RHS: Redcurrants, grow your own; RHS: Pruning redcurrants and whitecurrants.