[Berry crops](https://dunger.ua/en/blog/categories/berry-crops) # How to plant currants: from nursery stock to the first watering Published 2026-11-08 Updated 2026-11-08 To read 7 min Find out when to plant blackcurrants and redcurrants, how to handle the roots, and how deep to plant a bush, standard or cordon. Planting currants starts with identifying the plant you have bought. A bush-form blackcurrant can go a little deeper than its nursery mark to encourage shoots from the base. A standard on a clear stem or a trained redcurrant has a different structure. Bare roots need protection from drying, while a container plant should have an evenly moist root ball. Once you have checked those points, you can choose the site, prepare the hole and water the plant in. ## What to check before unpacking the plant - Whether it is a blackcurrant, redcurrant or whitecurrant. - Whether it is a bush, a standard or a cordon with one main stem. - Whether it has bare roots or has been growing in a container. - How wide it will be at maturity and whether it needs support. - How quickly water leaves the intended planting area after rain. ## When to plant and how to protect the roots Plant bare-root currants while they are dormant and the soil is workable. That can be after leaf fall in autumn or in early spring before active growth. Frozen or saturated soil makes it hard to spread the roots and fill around them. Even in the same part of Ukraine, a freely draining upper slope may be ready sooner than a low spot with clay soil. Look at the ground and forecast before arranging delivery or opening the package. Unpack the plant in shade and keep the roots out of the wind. Until planting, keep them cool and slightly moist. If the work has to wait, do not store the plant standing in a bucket of water. Ask the nursery how to hold the plant in the condition in which it was supplied. Bare roots can be moistened in clean water immediately before planting. Follow the supplier’s directions on preparation time, since the condition of the stock and the way it was packed vary. A currant that has grown in a pot can be planted outside the dormant season if you can keep an eye on watering. In a hot spell, wait for cooler conditions or work at a cooler time of day and get water ready beforehand. Water the pot before removing the plant. The middle of a dry root ball can remain dry even after the surrounding ground is wet. Feel the ball and let any excess water drain. On delivery, look at the base of the shoots, the roots and the root ball while the label is still to hand. A snapped shoot tip and soft, blackened tissue at the base warrant different responses. Take a photo and contact the nursery if the damage is substantial or the ball has fallen apart and torn off fine roots. A dormant plant can naturally have no leaves. With several cultivars, put their names on durable labels so you can distinguish them during watering and pruning. ## Choose a site for a bush, a trained redcurrant or a standard Currants grow in sun or light shade and do well where soil retains moisture but lets surplus water drain away. Avoid a spot where water stands after every downpour. If you garden on heavy ground, compare several places after a rain. On an exposed south-facing slope, make sure you can water a new planting during dry periods. The guide to [assessing garden soil](https://dunger.ua/en/blog/soil-assessment-before-fertilizing) can help with preparing the site. Plan access around the spread of a mature plant. Leave space to harvest, mulch and prune between vigorous bushes. The gap between today’s slender shoots tells you little about the space they will need. As a starting point, leave about 1.5-1.8 m between bush-form blackcurrants, using the wider end for vigorous plants. Bush redcurrants can be spaced at about 1.2-1.5 m, subject to the nursery’s recommendation for your cultivar. Choose spacing for a narrow cordon separately according to its form and support. Install support for a cordon or fan before planting to avoid driving a post into the newly planted root zone. On a standard, support the trunk below the head of branches with a soft tie that will not constrict it. A bush with several stems from the base is placed and managed differently. For later training and renewal, see the guide to [pruning currant bushes](https://dunger.ua/en/blog/pruning-currant-bushes). ## Plant without trapping air or damaging roots ### Set the depth for the plant’s form Find the old soil mark on the stem or use the top of the root ball as a reference. A typical multistemmed blackcurrant bush can sit about 5 cm deeper than that level to encourage shoots from the base. Plant a standard blackcurrant at its previous depth. With redcurrants or whitecurrants, establish whether the plant needs to retain a clear trunk or main stem and follow the nursery’s depth advice for that form. Burying every currant by the same amount can interfere with the structure you are trying to maintain. ### Spread the roots, backfill and water - Make the hole wider than the root ball or the spread of the bare roots. Check the plant’s position before backfilling. - Lay out bare roots without turning them upwards. Remove the pot carefully and gently loosen tightly circling roots where the ball allows. - Add soil back while keeping the plant at the right level. Firm it lightly to close large gaps around the roots. - Water the root zone and check the depth again after the soil settles. Redirect surface water if it drains off paving or a roof outlet towards the planting. Keep concentrated mineral fertilizer granules out of direct contact with new roots in the hole. If the soil needs work, assess and prepare a wider area. One pocket of loose potting mix does not fix a poorly drained site. A newly planted bush first needs water and air around the roots. While the hole is open, check whether any long roots run hard against the sides. Widen the hole to fit them instead of bending them into a bundle. For a row, mark the centres first and check the distance to the fence or garden boundary. Leave a route along the side you intend to work from while the marks are still easy to move. ## Care in the first few weeks After planting, spread mulch over the soil and leave an open ring around the base of the shoots. Mulch reduces evaporation and helps suppress weeds. Check moisture beneath it, especially after several warm days or a spell of wind. If the ball is wet but the leaves droop, check drainage and roots before adding more water. In loose ground, the new plant may need watering earlier than it does in a shaded part of the same garden. Remove broken or plainly dead shoots. Further formative pruning depends on the currant and how it was supplied. Some bare-root blackcurrants are cut back after planting to encourage strong new basal stems. A redcurrant trained to a support requires a different approach. If you have a stem without roots, start with the separate guide to rooting currant cuttings. ## Feeding currants once they are established  ### [Complex fertilizer fruit crops granular](https://dunger.ua/en/mineral-fertilizers/small-packaging/for-garden-plants/complex-fertilizer-fruit-crops) Once the bush has settled, assess its new growth and previous applications before buying fertilizer. If it needs feeding, DÜNGER’s granular complex for fruit and berry crops has a separate instruction row for berry bushes, including currants. For bushes already in the ground, consult the full directions on the product page. Keep granules away from bare roots at planting. When choosing between the 3 and 4 kg packs, count the bushes that actually need feeding and verify the crop group in the instructions. The area of the whole garden does not give a useful estimate when there are also fruit trees and strawberries, which have their own instruction rows. Check the weight, price and photo of the chosen pack. Keep a note of what was applied and when so the same requirement is not counted twice. The fertilizer is intended for feeding both new plantings and existing ones. Apply evenly in loose areas before planting; mix with loosened soil or scatter around already planted plants. [Plan the growing zone in My Garden](https://dunger.ua/en/my-garden) ## Frequently asked questions ### With bare roots, aim to plant before active growth when the ground allows it. A container-grown plant with an intact ball has a longer window, but warm dry conditions make it harder to maintain moisture. Prepare the ground and have water ready before taking it out of the pot. ### ### ## Rate this article No ratings yet. Be the first! Rate this article ## Discussion(0) This discussion is shared across all article languages. 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