Currant Pollination

[Hans Mum]

I've build a fruit cage round my currants black/white/red as the pigeons/pheasants/ etc decimate them....but as I was leaving site last night one of the lottie holders said ' do you need to take the net off for pollination

So do I need to ???

thanks

[rustylady]

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm How big is the mesh on your netting. If bees etc can get through the holes you should be OK.

[quark1]

HM - glad you asked this question - my addition is

Do you have to have more than one currant bush to pollinate or will the bees etc do the job?

Bought a couple of currant bushes 2 yrs back - one red, one white. One is in flower and I haven't a clue which shade of currant it is! No sign of flower buds on the other. In fact I'm rather delighted that both survived this harsh winter and somewhat surprised.

So if more than one bush needed - will a paintbrush or cotton wool do?

[womble]

I'm pretty sure you only need one bush, I wouldn't fancy going round my bushes with a paintbrush! :horror: They've got millions of tiny delicate flowers on them!

Hans, as rustylady said. If you've just got bird sized netting, you should be fine.

[Hans Mum]

Qaurk ive got 3 of each black/red/white and never had any problems growing currants they have formed huge clusters of fruit but the bl**dy birds strip them in no time hence netting

[bobleponge]

Pollination is done by little buzzy things, so unless you have voile or something as your protection, they will be fine. No need (that I can see anyway) to take your cage down.

Quark, I have several different currant bushes and they all pollinate and grow quite happily. I took a cutting of one though, and planted it in a place all on its own, and that also gave fruit the second year, at least 100 yards away from all the other currants.

[quark1]

Thanks - so some kind of netting may be needed, I guess, as bird deterrent.

[sarraceniac]

Currants are the rabbits of the soft fruit world. You only need one of them for it to to be a mummy. It's not just flying insects that pollinate. The wind helps and even crawling insects. So leave your netting up and just enjoy your currants.

[quark1]

babbits away then......!

[Hans Mum]

So leave your netting up and just enjoy your currants.

thanks thats what I was hoping for

[Guttata]

Currants are the rabbits of the soft fruit world. You only need one of them for it to to be a mummy. It's not just flying insects that pollinate. The wind helps and even crawling insects. So leave your netting up and just enjoy your currants.

Definitely. I only have one on my balcony and I always get fruit off it and I have yet to see a pollinating insect near it. They're usually too busy with my flowers to show it any attention.