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autumn-sale

'Ben Alder' Blackcurrant Bush

Blackberry wine? Yes, please!

Grown by John

South Downs National Park

Premium Plant in a 3L Pot

60-90cm

£10

£18

In stock

Perfectly happy plants, or your money back

Specialist overnight plant delivery

The highlights

  • Intense flavour and juiciness
  • Highly productive
  • Use the juice for wine or bake in a tart
  • Harvest from July to August

Description

  • If you're looking for a productive blackcurrant bush, then look no further than 'Ben Alder'!
  • This variety, first bred in Scotland by The James Hutton Institute (formerly the Scottish Crop Research Institute), is vigorous and well-suited to growing in British conditions (it can easily withstand temperatures well below freezing)
  • The pocket-sized shiny currants boast great sweetness (with just a little earthy tartness) and are perfect for juicing and making cordials - or wine, if that's more your tipple!
  • These blackcurrants will freeze well, so don't panic if you're left with more berries than you know what to do with
  • Certified by the Royal Horticultural Society as one of its Plants for Pollinators

What To Expect

Supplied as:

Potted plant
Premium plant in a 3L pot

Height on arrival:

60-90cm

Eventual height:

1-1.4m

Eventual spread:

1-1.4m
Spreads approximately 1-1.4m.

Tasting notes:

Refreshing and juicy

Time to first crop:

2 years
Often starts bearing fruit in its second year.

Flower colour:

Yellow
Small chartreuse/yellow-green flowers appear in the spring

Habit:

Bushy
Grows into an easily maintained bush shape.

Hardiness:

Fully hardy
H6 - Frost hardy in even severe British winters, withstanding temperatures down to -20°C.

Self fertile:

Self fertile

Uses:

Eating fresh, jams, juicing and baking

Rootstock:

Spacing:

1.5m
Plant 1.5m apart to allow for spreading.

How To Grow

Good pest and disease resistance

This variety showcases good resistance to powdery mildew but can be affected by aphids and gall mites.

Water well when establishing

To help your blackcurrant bush establish well, water it routinely throughout its first growing season. Once established, though, additional watering will only typically be needed during hot and dry spells.

Full sun to partial shade

For best fruiting, plant your blackcurrant bush in a sunny position (at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day). The bush will still grow well enough in partial shade, however.

Any moist, well-drained soil

Not particularly fussy with regards to soil type, but prefers moist, well-draining soil wherever possible.

Feed in winter

Blackcurrant plants like 'Ben Alder' benefit from a good winter feed with fertiliser that's high in potassium, and also a generous mulching around the plant's base, making sure to leave a small gap between the mulch and the plant's stems.

Planting Calendar

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  • Best time to plant
  • Harvest
  • Flower

South Downs National Park

Meet John

110 years' expertise free with every plant

You simply can’t buy better fruit plants and here’s why. John grows them outdoors, just like his family has done since 1908, so they’re more than a match for the UK weather. John only has time for the top performing varieties, meaning that you can be assured of a successful (and blooming tasty) soft fruit crop.

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Growing with Roots

Good to know

Our plants are grown 
in the UK

Specialist UK growers we know and trust grow your plants the traditional way, with organic fertiliser and biological pest control. They pick only the healthiest plants for you, professionally pruning them so that they’ll grow strong and well shaped.

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Your plants are sent to you fresh from the field in our plastic free box that’s specially designed to hold them tight, then securely delivered by specialist plant couriers - straight from the grower to your garden within 
24 hours.

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We want your plants to have a long and healthy life. Expect easy-to-follow grow guides and videos devised by our team 
of experts.

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We’re confident that you’ll be delighted 
with your new plants. Need help? Alice and her team are here to guarantee you’re 
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The delivery timescale for each plant is on the web page (near the 'add to basket's button). You'll receive a dispatch email with an exact delivery date once your plants are on their way, so you can get the garden ready.

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We deliver to anywhere in Mainland UK for our standard delivery cost. We are able to deliver most plants to Highlands and non UK mainland however this will be at an additional cost. This will be calculated at the checkout. Please note, deliveries to these locations will take longer. Unfortunately, we are not able to deliver to Northern Ireland at present.

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