my red and black currants don't produce fruit!

Nov 28, 2004 2 Replies

I live in Australia a moderate climate ie in winter we can almost get a frost and in summer the temperature is fairly pleasant. I have 4 bushes of black and red currants and they are 3 years old. I have never had any fruit. Could someone tell me if the climate is suitable, or is there something else I can do to make them fruit. Many thanks


It certainly could be your climate (not that I know anything about growing in a warm climate). What happens to the bushes in the winter? Do they loose their leaves and go dormant for at least a little while? If not, I wonder if they will produce the flower buds that will make the fruit. Have any of the bushes flowered at all in the spring?

Steve in the Adirondacks (where winter dormancy is no problem)

One reference says " black currants will usually fail to fruit through lack of winter chill" and another cites USDA zones 3-6b as "suitable" climates; that is, with winter temperatures in the range of -40 to 0 F (-40 to -18 C)

(LOL, literally)

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