Blackcurrant Ben Connan

A culinary cultivar with large fruit of excellent flavour on medium long strigs. It produces heavy crops early in the season and has a compact habit.

Position: Full sun
Soil Types: Clay, Loam, Sand
Max Height: 1-1.5 metres
Max Spread: 1-1.5 metres
Moisture: Moist but well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral
Aspect: East–facing or South–facing or North–facing or West–facing
Exposure: Sheltered
Hardiness: H6
Cultivation: Grow as a multi-stemmed bush in a soil enriched with well-rotted manure or compost. Tolerates a range of soils including slightly alkaline ones. Add a balanced general fertiliser and additional nitrogen in spring.
Propagation: propagate by hardwood cuttings in the dormant season
Suggested planting locations and garden types: Cottage and informal garden, Wildlife gardens, Edible fruit
Pruning: Prune blackcurrants when dormant, from late autumn to late winter. Fruit forms on young wood, so when pruning aim to remove older wood, leaving the young shoots
Pests: May be susceptible to gall mites, gall midge and aphids
Diseases: May be susceptible to a leaf spot, Powdery mildews, coral spot and sometimes honey fungus