Blackcurrant Big Ben (Ribes Nigrum) Fruit Bush 3ltr Pot

About Blackcurrant Big Ben

Bred by the Scottish Crop Research Institute, Big Ben is an outstanding early season variety with many excellent qualities. Its standout feature however is that it produces enormous blackcurrants – two or three times the size of other varieties. Developed especially for the fresh market, the fruit has a soft shiny skin and is extremely sweet –particularly so when eaten straight from the bush! Mature bushes of this variety develop a slightly arching habit which makes the fruit easier to pick and enables the plants to be wire-trained if so desired. Resistant to powdery mildew and leaf spot.

• Self fertile
• Planting Distance 1.5m apart
• Height & Spread 1.5m x 1m
• Crops July

An ideal fruit to grow in a container or small garden, the big ben is an early season blackcurrant that produces fruit from July on . This is a hardy and easy to grow plant that is great for new growers and expert cooks alike. The thick, woody stems develop an arching habit as they grow which makes the fruits easier to harvest. This blackcurrant produces light green serrated leaves and dangling clusters of large black fruit with soft shiny skin. A great and refreshing fruit that goes well with yogurt, ice cream or on its own the sweet juice of the blackcurrant goes amazing well with lemonade or if crushed up with gin and tonic water.

How to look after blackcurrants

Blackcurrants prefer moist, well-drained soil in full sun, or light shade. Feed with a liquid fertilizer once in the spring to encourage a good yield. Repot every 2-3 years into the same pot or slightly larger. Trim back some of the roots and tease away the old soil replacing it with fresh compost. Trim twice-yearly and In July, trim all new side shoots to 5 leaves. In winter, cut back main stems by half and any side shoots back to 2 buds. Any stems that are damaged, dead or out of place can also be removed.

How do you harvest blackcurrants?

In early to mid-summer, the plant will produce small white or pink flowers that will soon fall off to reveal the young fruit. Over the next few months, the fruit will grow inside and change from green to black. Once the whole fruit has gone black you can harvest the fruit by pinching it and twisting it off the stem. Avoid pulling the fruit as it may not come off completely.

How do you store blackcurrants?

Once picked a blackcurrant will not last long. If you want to preserve your fruits for longer you can either blend the fruits into a thick juice which you can freeze or freeze whole fruits in an airtight bag.