Ribes rubrum "Saharnaja"

• Species: red currant, Ribes rubrum
• Height at maturity: about 1.2–1.5 m (species data)
• Spread: about 1–1.2 m
• Flowering: May, self-fertile
• Fruiting: July–August, sweet berries in clusters
• Light: full sun or part shade
• Soil: loose, moisture-retentive, pH 6–6.5
• Hardiness: USDA zone 3, no cover needed
• Supplied as: 9 cm pot (P9)

Planting. Plant in early spring or from September to early October in full sun or light shade, in loose, moisture-retentive soil (pH 6–6.5). Dig a 40×40 cm hole with compost, set the bush 5–6 cm deeper than it stood in the pot and shorten the shoots to 3–4 buds; space plants 1–1.5 m apart.

Care. Mulch with 5–7 cm of compost or bark, weed regularly and hoe only shallowly because currant roots sit near the surface. In spring check the bush for big bud mite and powdery mildew.

Watering and feeding. Water deeply but not often – 10–15 L per bush weekly in dry weather, especially while berries swell. Apply nitrogen or compost in spring, a balanced fertiliser after flowering and potash with phosphorus in late summer to ripen the wood.

Winter and pruning. Currants are fully hardy (USDA zones 3–4) and overwinter in Estonia without cover. Red currant fruits on spurs of older wood, so in late winter keep 8–10 healthy branches of mixed ages (up to 6–7 years) and cut out the rest.