'Ben Hope' Blackcurrant Bush
The nation's favourite
Grown by John
South Downs National Park
Perfectly happy plants, or your money back
Specialist overnight plant delivery
The highlights
- Bold, punchy blackcurrant flavour
- Great resistance to gall mite
- Make your own cordial or eat fresh
- Harvest from July to August
Description
- 'Ben Hope' is the most widely-grown blackberry cultivar in the UK, and was first bred by the Scottish Crops Research Institute (who also bred varieties like 'Ben Connan' and 'Ben Alder') back in the 1980s, so it's fair to say this variety has pedigree!
- A heavy cropping variety, 'Ben Hope' yields bunches of blackcurrants with exceptional flavour (with each berry typically weighing over 1g) throughout the latter parts of summer
- Like some of the other Ben blackcurrant varieties, 'Ben Hope' displays great pest and disease resistance, particularly to gall mites, powdery mildew and leaf spot
- If you're able to stop yourself from eating all the blackcurrants straight off the bush - and no judgment if you can't - then make yourself a batch of homemade cordial or rustle up a latticework blackcurrant pie
- The blackcurrant plant, Ribes nigrum, has been certified by the Royal Horticultural Society as one of its Plants for Pollinators, proving beneficial to bees in particular
What To Expect
Supplied as:
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Eventual height:
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How To Grow
Excellent pest and disease resistance
Displays great resistance to diseases like leaf spot and powedery mildew. Use bird-safe netting to prevent your feathered friends from getting at your currants.
Water well when establishing
To help your blackcurrant plant establish nicely, water it well throughout its first growing season. Once established, however, additional watering will only usually be needed during hot and dry spells.
Full sun to partial shade
To get the best fruit from your blackcurrant bush, plant it in full sun (at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day). It will, however, tolerate some shade.
Any moist, well-drained soil
Generally unfussy with regards to soil type, but prefers moist, well-draining soil where possible.
Feed in winter
Blackcurrant plants like 'Ben Hope' appreciate a good winter feed with a high-potassium fertiliser, and also a mulch around the plant's base, making sure to leave a small gap between the mulch and the plant's stems.
Planting Calendar
- 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.
Our plants are delivered overnight
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.
We're here to help at every step
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.
Perfect plants, guaranteed
We’re confident that you’ll be delighted with your new plants. Need help? Alice and her team are here to guarantee you’re perfectly happy.
Learn from our experts
Growing Blackcurrants, Redcurrants and Whitecurrants
Digging deep to answer your questions
How do I know I'm getting quality plants?
All of our plants are grown in specialist nurseries with the highest standards of plant care and sustainability. We guarantee you'll love them as much as we do! Don't just take our word for it - we've got thousands of great reviews on Trustpilot.
When will I get my plants?
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.
How will my plants be packed and delivered?
We send all of our orders through a courier network designed to handle plants. Specialist equipment ensures that no plants will be damaged during the packing process and every order is carefully finished and checked by plant-loving humans. Your plants will arrive in the most sustainable packaging possible with minimal to no plastic used.
Where do you deliver?
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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