Currants are one of the foods that we often find in the supermarket. But, have you ever seen a white currant? Do you know what bush they come from? If you want to know another type of food that is rarer and still exquisite, pay attention to what we have prepared for you.
In the article we are going to talk about what the white currant is like and the care it needs in case you get a plant of this type. Shall we start?
How is the white currant
The white currant, with the scientific name Ribes Rubrum, is a thornless shrub. It is a variety of currant species that is characterized by the name that defines it: white. And it is that the currants that it throws are not red, but white, almost transparent, and much larger than those that you can commonly know.
This shrub is deciduous, which means it will lose its leaves in winter and sprout again in spring. In addition, they do not need two bushes to fertilize themselves, they are actually self-fertile, that is, they pollinate themselves in such a way that you can have the fruits even when you only have one plant.
The roots of the white currant are not too deep, so it does not need a lot of space. Also, it doesn’t grow too big either. The average height for this shrub is approximately two meters.
As for the leaves, they are green, large and with a jagged edge. Although what is most striking is the peculiar smell they leave behind (in fact, if you rub the leaf a little with your fingers, it will leave that aroma on you).
After flowering, which usually occurs in the spring months, the fruits arrive, the white currants, Edible although with a sweet and sour taste that not everyone likes. Even so, many consume them due to the properties they have as they are a source of vitamins, ascorbic acid, tocopherol, pectin…
White currant care
Now that you’ve gotten to know the white currant a little better, How about we talk to you about the care this plant needs? That you know that it is not too complicated to have, especially if you have a guide with the base that you must follow, but you must adapt it to the climate, environment, temperature… that you have where you live (or where you have the plant).
That being said, the main care is the following:
location and temperature
Let’s start by placing your white currant. And, for this, the best place where it will be is, either in full sun, or in semi-shade. What does it depend on? Where you live or have the plant. We explain:
If you live in a very hot area where the temperatures are high and the sun burns, it will be better if you place it in semi-shade.
If, on the other hand, the climate is more temperate or cool, best in full sun so that it has the necessary amount of light.
Their natural habitat is a cool and humid area, but they can adapt when there is some heat.
As for the temperature, they withstand frost well, as well as heat, although when it is quite intense it can cause them to stop.
Substratum
The white currant is not a plant that demands a lot from the soil. As long as you provide a somewhat acidic soil, with a lot of organic matter and that maintains humidity, it will be enough.
Of course, do not forget to also add a little drainage so that the roots can breathe well.
Irrigation
Irrigation is one of the most important care, and you must take it into account if you want to enjoy good fruit. To begin with, you should know that it must be abundant in spring and summer, while in autumn and winter you will only have to keep the soil moist.
If it is very hot where you have it, you may have to water it daily, while in winter, once or twice a week may be enough.
Yes indeed, We recommend that before watering you check if it really needs wateringsince throwing it when it is already wet can end up making it sick.
pruning
Pruning takes place during the fall and winter months. To do this, you have to eliminate those branches that are dry, that hinder the air from entering the bush and it is ventilated, as well as those that can be seen sick.
This will help it to put out new branches in spring, which will also be the ones that give you the most currants.
If the climate where you have it is rather cold, then you can wait until the beginning of spring to do it, always before the first buds begin to appear. In addition, we recommend that you try to cover it with some mesh or something. And it is that birds are among the animals that love white currants the most and if you want to try them, you will have to make things difficult for them to eat some that are not pecked.
Plagues and diseases
In this case, the most common disease of the white currant is anthracnose, caused by a fungus that will cause the leaves to begin to have spots that become larger and finally fall.
Multiplication
To finish, we tell you that you can propagate the white currant in three different ways:
- Through cuttings. You will take these from the mother plant itself and then you will have to get them to take root so that you can become, by themselves, a unique plant.
- With children. When the plant is well cared for, it is possible that, over time, you find that new little plants begin to emerge from the base of the plant attached to the main one. If you let them grow long enough and then cut them down, you could easily reproduce them.
- By division. This can be done when you transplant the plant. The objective is to try to divide it if it is very large so that, instead of putting it in one pot, you do it in two or more. Of course, when separating it you must make sure that each one has roots.
As you can see, now you can say that you know the white currant much more thoroughly and that you could even allocate a part of your garden or balcony to have it. Do you see yourself taking care of this plant?
