Blackcurrant drop

[Vivien]

My three year old blackcurrant bushes have put on a lovely crop of currants this year. The problem, however, is just as they've got nice and fat and are starting to colour, loads have dropped off. They did this last year, but as that was their first fruiting year and there weren't many, I didn't worry too much. Does any one have any ideas, please?

[sandersj89]

Given the heat in the south and lack of rain it could be like June Drop on apples.

Jerry

[Jude]

I think this is probably normal as mine have done it too (also 3 year old bushes - Ben Sarek) and they are very well mulched and have never got too dry. Given the amount of fruit on them it's possibly a blessing in disguise!

[Losos]

Viviene,
This happened to me too. In my case I think it may have been due to the surrounding soil being loose (Over strong watering )

I 'heeled' in the soil all around & I hope this will help to prevent it next year. Might be worth checking yours just in case.

[Vivien]

Losos,
Thanks for the tip. I'm going for the plant equivalent of a nuclear bunker next year - mulched, fed, watered & netted. I needn't have worried so much about the blackcurrant drop - one day after the remaining fruit turned, every bush was stripped of every single currant by birds. They kindly left the stalks dangling on the bushes, but that was about it. I know there's an attitude of live & let live, but if I get nothing at all from my efforts, I don't see the point of growing the things! I shall be more determined next year!
Vivien

[Allan]

Vivien, if your blackbirds are anything like ours you will have to be 100% perfect on the netting which isn't easy. We thought we had got there this year but still got the whole family inside, couldn't get out and were most uncooperative with us to let them out.
2 years ago they cleared the lot in one day. That was the result of rabbits making a hole at the bottom of the net.
It was actually Jostaberries but that makes little difference.
Allan

[Vivien]

Hmmm - see what you mean Allan. I'll bet the pesky birds have had more practice stipping currant bushes than I have had netting them, but I shall persevere and (hopefully) prevail! I always have been an optimist!

[Chantal]

I must just be lucky. I've had masses of blackcurrants (and redcurrants) for the past 3 years and the birds just don't bother with them. I don't net them and this year picked 28lb of blackcurrants alone.

I did however (going back to the original thread) have significant fruit drop and most of those that fell were a strange sort of browny/pink and rather mushy. This could have been the plants saving themselves as the branches were on the floor with the weight of the fruit, but the colour of the ones that fell was very odd.

[Vivien]

You lucky thing, Chantal! I've been dreaming of blackcurrant pies for 2 years now! I have an inherited white currant bush on my plot that the birds haven't bothered with at all. They must be like me and much prefer the black variety, although I have to confess to having scoffed a good couple of pounds of white currants straight from the bush once they were nice & ripe. Yum!