No flowers on Blackcurrant, Gooseberry .

[Marb67]

I can't for the life of me understand why I have had one goosberry on two large plants when I had a freezer drawer full last year. Ditto for blackcurrent which has no flowers at all. Just leaf. Loads of bees in my garden, more than every as I have a lot of plants to attract them.

Any theories ?

[Scarlet]

Birds like to eat the buds in Winter ...especially bullfinches.

[brownfingers]

I bought a bare root blackcurrant at the end of last year. This year, it has put on some nice growth and thrown few flowers which at the moment are green currants. If the blackbirds leave them alone, I might judst get a taster later on. Looks as though it will do well next year.

[Marb67]

No bullfinches in my garden.

[veggiechicken]

I'm sure you have other birds though, Marb?

[Marb67]

No more than usuall and in 12 years of having blackcurrents i have never known this.

[Scarlet]

Are they old plants? Do you prune them, mulch, feed etc?

[Tadpole123]

If it makes you feel any better I had less flowers this year on my gooseberry and zero fruit. No idea why, it's been fine for many years, just one of those things I guess.

[solway cropper]

Even with healthy and well maintained bushes the productivity will start to fall off after 8-10 years. If you've had them for 12 years that could possibly be part of the problem. They are very easy to propagate from cuttings or layering but with old bushes I'd be tempted to start replacing with new, disease-free plants.

[snakeshack]

It could be due to the very mild winter, it may not have been cold enough to trigger fruit bud formation or full dormancy. Some plants need a long cold period. I'm waiting to see if we start getting posts saying garlic hasn't split and has just produced single bulbs for the same reason


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[Marb67]

Interesting. As my garden is walled this may have given it extra warmth in the mild winter. I do mulch but not really fed. It has got a bit big now anyway. On the other hand, my 2 year old white current bush has no flowers either.