Blackcurrant Bushes Spacing

[MarkHackwell]

I have started to finally start my fruit cage out. It was full of Blackcurrant Bushes and Redcurrant Bushes. The Redcurrant Bushes i have had to take out and throw out as they seem to be rotten, the Blackcurrant Bushes seem to all be good however need to be spaced out correctly. I have read that they need to be 5 foot each way however this seems to mean I will only have 2 Blackcurrant Bushes and I have about 10 at present. My Fruit Cage is 8 foot wide by 12 foot long. I was thinking of doing them in a figure of five (2 at front, 1 in middle and 2 at back, 1 in middle, 2 at back). Would this work? and would I be able to get amongst them in the Summer to pick the Fruit? or would you do something different?

https://ibb.co/jZ79Z7L

[roitelet]

I would have thought that the maximum you could get in the space would be three. You really need to keep to the 5ft spacing, they get huge!! If you plant them too close you wont be able to get in to pick the fruit.

[Aberdeenplotter]

I agree with ^^^^^^^^^her

[Mark_Riga]

Hello, a lot depends on how many blackcurrants you want to pick. A good established bush should give you 10lb, the same for redcurrants and maybe a bit less for gooseberries. Raspberries about 1.5lb per foot. And then there are strawberries.

2 well grown blackcurrants may be all you need unless you really want lots and not much else. Also, I find that blackcurrants are not generally attacked by birds so you could try some outside the cage and expect to pick a decent amount. Redcurrant however and strawberries do need protection. If any of the redcurrant bushes are still about and have some live wood in the twigs, it would be worth pushing a few cuttings into the ground as they root very easily.

[Scarlet]

I've never had much trouble with birds on my blackcurrant bushes until last year - stripped the lot. I don't know why?

Red currants and gooseberries are always taken

Agree with Roitelet on spacing.

[MarkHackwell]

Thanks all The only problem I have is that I have 11 Blackcurrant bushes in total soo will need to get rid of quite a few I think Just thinking. If I have 2 in the middle and then leave 5 foot and put 3 diagonal to that would that work? Has anyone got any photos of there fruit cages at all? Thanks in Advance

[veggiechicken]

Just because you have 11 bushes, it doesn't mean you have to plant them all in a cage. Plant the best of them in there and the rest outside. See which does better.

[Scarlet]

This is mine - not in a fruit cage. It's a hedge. The distance is just over 30ft long. ( Greenhouse is 20ft)
I've got 7 bushes with the end ones planted on the edge and 4ft between each Bush. Easily 5ft wide.
I wish I'd given a little more room, as it is I have to walk up and down to pick and I can't get through the middle.
I have them because the ones closest are early fruiting, then the others come later so I spread the harvesting. Picking them is a pain but the jam is delicious

[Logunner]

The bushes I took over had been planted less than 3ft apart, far to difficult to pick.

Dug them up and one day I’ll take them to the tip...

[Scarlet]

When you plant them young it's just a stick - so I spaced mine with a metre and a half between each stick - it's easy not to think that when they grow the base become a foot or so wide.

[veggiechicken]

They're so easy to grow from cuttings that I also have some squashed bushes!! I poked the cuttings in the ground, with some jostaberries and redcurrants and I'm sure they all grew.

[farendwoman]

Happy Birthday VC.
Let’s all have a rousing chorus!!!

[veggiechicken]

Thanks FEW but I think you're on the wrong thread.

[Kirk]

Just moved mine and settled on 1 meter apart.
2 are little more then a stick, 1 is a few branches and the other 2 are a bit bigger but nothing to really get concerned over for size.

Seems everything I have never seems to get to the sizes often quoted - just "harvested" the parsnips that were a massive 2 inches long, 1 actually managed 2 1/2.