Garden Care Guide

Red Currant Care

Ribes rubrum

A shrub grown for its fruit that likes cool, humid climates and fertile, well-drained soil. To get a good crop in Izmir's hot, dry summers, it must be grown in a partially shaded position with regular watering and mulching.

Hardy · -30 °C / -22 °F

Monthly care calendar

Timings are for a temperate Northern Hemisphere climate. In warmer areas tasks start earlier, in colder areas later; in the Southern Hemisphere shift them by six months.

January
  • Fertilizing: Apply well-rotted farmyard manure or compost thinly around the plant. Do not overapply.
  • Pruning: Main pruning time. Cut branches older than 4 years at the base, shorten the main branches by 1/4, and prune the side branches leaving 2-3 buds.
  • Plant protection: Apply dormant oil (mineral oil) against scale insect and aphid eggs.
  • General care: For propagation by cuttings, use hardwood branches obtained from pruning.
February
  • Fertilizing: To support fruit formation, apply a potassium-rich fertilizer (e.g. sulfate of potash) or a balanced fertilizer (NPK 10-10-10); do not overapply.
  • Pruning: While dormant, remove dry, broken, crossing and inward-growing branches so that air and light reach the inside of the crown.
  • Plant protection: Before the buds wake up, apply a copper-based preparation against fungal diseases (powdery mildew, leaf spot).
  • General care: A suitable month for planting new seedlings.
  • Frost risk: Protect newly planted seedlings from severe frosts.
March
  • Watering: If the soil begins to dry, water 15-20 L/week; reduce if there is rain.
  • Fertilizing: Apply a balanced fertilizer or well-rotted organic fertilizer once when it wakes from dormancy.
  • Plant protection: Check the new shoots for aphids.
  • General care: Retain moisture and suppress weeds by covering the root zone with organic mulch (compost, straw).
  • Frost risk: Flowers can be damaged by late frosts; protect them if necessary.
April
  • Watering: If there is no rainfall, water every 15 days.
  • Plant protection: Watch for powdery mildew and leaf spot diseases.
  • General care: Watch bee activity for pollination.
  • Pests & diseases: Currant sawfly larvae (small green caterpillars) can quickly eat leaves. Check for them.
May
  • Watering: If there is no rainfall, water once a week.
  • Fertilizing: To support the fruits, a potassium-containing liquid fertilizer (such as tomato feed) can be given; do not overapply.
  • Plant protection: Continue checking for aphids and sawflies.
  • General care: Spread a 5-7 cm layer of mulch over the root zone; it retains soil moisture and suppresses weeds. Do not pile mulch against the trunk.
  • Pests & diseases: If you see holes in the leaves, look for sawfly larvae.
June
  • Watering: Water deeply twice a week; prefer infrequent and generous watering over small and frequent. Water around the roots to a depth of 15-20 cm.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Harvest the fruits when they ripen; netting over them is necessary to protect them from birds.
  • Pests & diseases: Look for white, powdery spots on the leaves (powdery mildew). Thinning dense branches to increase airflow slows its spread.
July
  • Watering: Water deeply twice a week; prefer infrequent and generous watering over small and frequent. Water around the roots to a depth of 15-20 cm.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Harvest continues.
  • Pests & diseases: Look for white, powdery spots on the leaves (powdery mildew). Thinning dense branches to increase airflow slows its spread.
August
  • Watering: Water deeply twice a week; prefer infrequent and generous watering over small and frequent. Water around the roots to a depth of 15-20 cm.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Refresh the mulch layer.
  • Pests & diseases: Look for white, powdery spots on the leaves (powdery mildew). Thinning dense branches to increase airflow slows its spread.
September
  • Watering: If there is no rainfall, water once a week.
  • Plant protection: If symptoms spread and treatment is needed, consult a licensed plant-protection supplier or an agronomist. Plant protection products are regulated; follow local rules.
  • General care: Allow the plant to enter its dormant period.
  • Pests & diseases: Look for white, powdery spots on the leaves (powdery mildew). Thinning dense branches to increase airflow slows its spread.
October
  • Watering: If there is no rainfall, water every 15 days.
  • General care: Collect and destroy fallen leaves that may be diseased.
November
  • Plant protection: Apply a copper-based preparation after leaf fall to prevent diseases.
  • General care: Collect fallen leaves; many disease agents and pests overwinter under leaves.
  • Frost risk: Protect newly planted seedlings during the first winter.
December
  • Pruning: The main pruning period can begin.

The care advice on this page is general and for information only; it is not professional advice. Plant age, soil and your garden’s microclimate can change the outcome. Plant protection products are mentioned only as general information; they are regulated, and the choice, dose and timing must be decided by a qualified professional under local rules. Consult a landscape architect or agronomist before applying.

Want reminders for every plant in your garden? Our garden-care app with monthly task lists and frost alerts is currently available in Turkish; the English version is on the way.

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