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blackcurrant 'Big Ben' (PBR)
blackcurrant
Blackcurrant 'Big Ben' can produce a bumper crop of up to 9kg (20lbs) on mature bushes from mid-July. The huge...
3 litre pot
available to order from autumn
2 + 1 FREE 3 litre pots
available to order from autumn
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Delivery options
Plant description
Blackcurrant 'Big Ben' can produce a bumper crop of up to 9kg (20lbs) on mature bushes from mid-July. The huge fruits are more than double the size of your regular blackcurrant and as the sugar/acid balance is just right, they have an outstandingly delicious taste.
Usually ready to harvest from mid-July, the fruits have soft, shiny skins and are particularly high in anthocyanins, which is a natural antioxidant.
Usually ready to harvest from mid-July, the fruits have soft, shiny skins and are particularly high in anthocyanins, which is a natural antioxidant.
Eventual height & spread
Flowering period
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Plant features
Position
Full sun
Rate of growth
Average
Soil
Moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Hardiness
Fully hardy
How to care for blackcurrant Big Ben (PBR):
When planting, space plants 1.5m (5ft) apart in well-prepared, weed-free soil enriched with well-rotted compost or manure. Potted plants can be planted at any time of year, provided the soil isn't frozen or waterlogged. Set young plants slightly deeper than they were in the nursery pot to encourage new shoots from the base.
Keep plants well-watered in dry spells, especially in their first year. Mulch in spring with well-rotted organic matter to conserve moisture and suppress weeds. Feed with a balanced fertiliser in early spring and again after harvest to support next year’s crop. Netting, or growing within a fruit cage, helps protect developing fruit from birds.
Once the plant has reached flowering maturity, remove about a third of the oldest stems at the base to maintain an open shape and promote new fruiting wood—do this in winter. Harvest blackcurrants once they’ve ripened fully, usually in mid to late summer, picking whole strigs when fruits are dark and glossy.
Keep plants well-watered in dry spells, especially in their first year. Mulch in spring with well-rotted organic matter to conserve moisture and suppress weeds. Feed with a balanced fertiliser in early spring and again after harvest to support next year’s crop. Netting, or growing within a fruit cage, helps protect developing fruit from birds.
Once the plant has reached flowering maturity, remove about a third of the oldest stems at the base to maintain an open shape and promote new fruiting wood—do this in winter. Harvest blackcurrants once they’ve ripened fully, usually in mid to late summer, picking whole strigs when fruits are dark and glossy.
Please note:
This plant is deciduous so it will lose all its leaves in autumn, then fresh new foliage appears again each spring.
