{"id":4183,"date":"2026-10-01T19:56:35","date_gmt":"2026-10-01T19:56:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/?p=4183"},"modified":"2026-10-10T20:36:04","modified_gmt":"2026-10-10T20:36:04","slug":"black-currants-refusing-to-fruit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/black-currants-refusing-to-fruit\/","title":{"rendered":"Black Currants Refusing to Fruit (But Red Currants Are Fine?)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n<div class=\"kk-star-ratings kksr-auto kksr-align-left kksr-valign-top\"\n    data-payload='{&quot;align&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;4183&quot;,&quot;slug&quot;:&quot;default&quot;,&quot;valign&quot;:&quot;top&quot;,&quot;ignore&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;reference&quot;:&quot;auto&quot;,&quot;class&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;count&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;legendonly&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;readonly&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;score&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;starsonly&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;best&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;gap&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;greet&quot;:&quot;Rate this&quot;,&quot;legend&quot;:&quot;0\\\/5 - (0 votes)&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;24&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Black Currants Refusing to Fruit (But Red Currants Are Fine?)&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;_legend&quot;:&quot;{score}\\\/{best} - ({count} {votes})&quot;,&quot;font_factor&quot;:&quot;1.25&quot;}'>\n            \n<div class=\"kksr-stars\">\n    \n<div class=\"kksr-stars-inactive\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"1\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"2\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"3\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"4\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"5\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n<div class=\"kksr-stars-active\" style=\"width: 0px;\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 5px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 24px; height: 24px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n                \n\n<div class=\"kksr-legend\" style=\"font-size: 19.2px;\">\n            <span class=\"kksr-muted\">Rate this<\/span>\n    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<div class=\"tldr-box\" style=\"background: #f4f9f4; padding: 20px; border-left: 5px solid #4CAF50; margin-bottom: 30px; border-radius: 4px;\">\n<h3>\ud83d\udccc Quick Diary Summary: Mid-Summer Check-In<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>\ud83e\uddc5 <strong>Seeds vs. Sets:<\/strong> If you can&#8217;t get out to your garden early in the spring, starting onions from seed might be a waste of time. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/grow-huge-onions\/\">Planting onion sets<\/a> (small bulbs) is much more reliable for weekend gardeners.<\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc26 <strong>Mischievous Birds:<\/strong> Wagtails and other small birds often pull up tiny onion seedlings not to eat them, but just for fun!<\/li>\n<li>\ud83e\uded0 <strong>The Black Currant Mystery:<\/strong> Red currants and black currants have different soil preferences. If your property is surrounded by pine trees (acidic soil) and sits on a sandy base, acid-loving plants like hydrangeas and wild blueberries will thrive, but black currants will often refuse to fruit.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">G<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Galiy (Galina) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 VIP User (17,768 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Stupino, Moscow Reg. (USDA Zone 4b) | \ud83d\udcc5 July 3, 2021<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>I\u2019ve come to the conclusion that I just shouldn&#8217;t bother growing onions from seed. I get out to the dacha way too late in the season. My indoor onion seedlings looked great, I didn&#8217;t mess with them, just eventually moved them outside. Well, I finally planted them, and they just sat there doing nothing. Then the wagtails (birds) came and pulled most of them out of the ground. Apparently, pulling up onions is a fun game for them. It&#8217;s just a waste of seeds. The leeks are doing okay, but the regular onions are a sad sight.<\/p>\n<p>On a brighter note, I am loving a determinate tomato variety from a seed swap called <em>Malinka<\/em>. It\u2019s a real beauty, so happy with it! I planted a mix of commercial hybrids and my old saved seeds this year. So far, I like the results, at least I know what to expect.<br \/>\nAlthough, the main growing tip on my <em>Tulip (Tyulpan)<\/em> tomato split and forked into two. Maybe it\u2019s because I shocked the seeds by dipping them in boiling water and then cold water before planting? I did that to all my seeds, but only the Tulip split its top.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">G<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">gala7496 (Galina) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (2,463 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Unknown Region | \ud83d\udcc5 July 3, 2021<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<p>I tried growing leeks from seed this year and planted them out in the beds. Total failure. However, my standard onion sets are growing beautifully!<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;ve also noticed over the years that black currants absolutely refuse to fruit for me. I&#8217;ve tested this for years. Meanwhile, my red currants are magnificent and completely loaded with berries.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">U<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Ulyasha (Ludmila) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Legend (23,807 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Novorossiysk (USDA Zone 7b) | \ud83d\udcc5 July 3, 2021<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p><strong>gala7496 wrote:<\/strong><br \/>\n&#8230;black currants absolutely refuse to fruit for me.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Galya, you probably just need to find &#8220;your&#8221; variety. Black currants don&#8217;t do great for me either. I&#8217;ve tried planting various varieties, but ended up having to rip the bushes out because they just stood there with no berries.<br \/>\nThis is the second year I&#8217;m growing <em>Selechenskaya<\/em> from a seed co-op order. It looks like it might actually give me some berries. The bush is still young, but the berries it does have are huge. I&#8217;ll see how it does next year.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">G<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">gala7496 (Galina) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (2,463 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Unknown Region | \ud83d\udcc5 July 3, 2021<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p><strong>Ulyasha wrote:<\/strong><br \/>\nGalya, you probably just need to find &#8220;your&#8221; variety.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>I&#8217;ve decided it\u2019s actually the soil that is the problem. My property has a lot of pine trees. I planted the currants out in the open, sunny spots, and I&#8217;ve tried multiple different black currant varieties. Nothing. (My golden currants do have a few berries, though).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">U<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Ulyasha (Ludmila) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Legend (23,807 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Novorossiysk (USDA Zone 7b) | \ud83d\udcc5 July 3, 2021<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p><strong>gala7496 wrote:<\/strong><br \/>\nI&#8217;ve decided it\u2019s actually the soil that is the problem. My property has a lot of pine trees.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>That might be exactly it. What if you planted them the way we plant blueberries? Dig a hole, line the sides to isolate it, and fill it with normal, pH-neutral soil? Under pines, your soil is almost certainly highly acidic.<\/p>\n<p>My cultivated blueberries are doing amazing this year (knock on wood!). They live in isolated, lined planting holes. They are cheerful, healthy, and loaded with a crop. If someone had told me years ago that I would be successfully growing and harvesting blueberries, I never would have believed them. Life is full of surprises! \ud83d\ude04<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">G<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">gala7496 (Galina) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (2,463 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Unknown Region | \ud83d\udcc5 July 3, 2021<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p><strong>Ulyasha wrote:<\/strong><br \/>\nWhat if you planted them the way we plant blueberries?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>I already have wild blueberries, lingonberries, wild strawberries, and wild raspberries growing naturally on my property. Part of my lot is literally just a forest.<br \/>\nThe soil is definitely acidic &#8211; my hydrangeas grow beautifully and are nearly 6.5 feet (2 meters) tall. I planted a rhododendron this spring, and I think it will be very happy here too. Cultivated blueberries would probably grow great, but since the forest is already full of wild blueberries, I can just walk out into the woods to pick them!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">G<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">Galiy (Galina) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 VIP User (17,768 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Stupino, Moscow Reg. (USDA Zone 4b) | \ud83d\udcc5 July 3, 2021<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p><strong>gala7496 wrote:<\/strong><br \/>\nCultivated blueberries would probably grow great&#8230;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>I think Ludmila meant you should try planting your <em>black currants<\/em> in isolated soil separate from the rest of the acidic ground!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"forum-post\">\n<div class=\"author-header\">\n<div class=\"forum-avatar\">G<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-meta\">\n<div class=\"author-name\">gala7496 (Galina) <span class=\"author-stats\">\u2b50 Pro Grower (2,463 posts)<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-geo\">\ud83d\udccd Unknown Region | \ud83d\udcc5 July 3, 2021<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-content\">\n<blockquote><p><strong>Galiy wrote:<\/strong><br \/>\nI think Ludmila meant you should try planting your black currants in isolated soil&#8230;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>I do plant them separately! The native soil on my lot is basically pure sand after just one spade depth, so all my garden beds use imported topsoil.<\/p>\n<p>In these conditions (using imported soil), absolutely everything else grows wonderfully\u2014gooseberries, red currants, all the vegetables in the raised beds. The <em>only<\/em> thing that fails is the black currant, even though they are planted separately and in different locations around the yard.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"editor-note\" class=\"editor-note\" style=\"background: #eef7ff; padding: 20px; border-left: 5px solid #2196F3; margin-top: 25px; font-size: 1.1em; line-height: 1.6; border-radius: 0 4px 4px 0;\">\n<h4 style=\"margin-top: 0; color: #1565c0;\">\ud83d\udc68\u200d\ud83d\udd2c Editor&#8217;s Botanical Note: Black Currants vs. Red Currants in Sandy\/Acidic Soil<\/h4>\n<p>Why would red currants thrive in Gala&#8217;s yard while black currants completely refuse to fruit? It comes down to a combination of <strong>pH tolerance<\/strong> and <strong>soil structure<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>1. The pH Difference:<\/strong> Red currants and gooseberries are quite tolerant of acidic soils (pH 5.5 &#8211; 6.5). Black currants, however, are heavy feeders that strongly prefer neutral, rich soil (pH 6.5 &#8211; 7.0). Because Gala&#8217;s property is surrounded by pine trees and naturally grows acid-loving plants like hydrangeas and wild blueberries, the ambient soil pH is likely too low for black currants to properly uptake nutrients, causing them to drop their blossoms.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. The Sand Trap (Leaching):<\/strong> Gala noted her native soil is pure sand just one spade deep, so she uses imported topsoil. Even if you fill a hole with rich topsoil, if the subsoil is pure sand, nutrients (especially Nitrogen and Potassium, which black currants desperately need to set fruit) will rapidly leach out of the root zone every time it rains. Black currants have shallow root systems and will starve in sandy environments much faster than red currants.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\ud83d\udccc Quick Diary Summary: Mid-Summer Check-In \ud83e\uddc5 Seeds vs. Sets: If you can&#8217;t get out to your garden early in the spring, starting onions from seed might be a waste of time. Planting onion sets (small bulbs) is much more reliable for weekend gardeners. \ud83d\udc26 Mischievous Birds: Wagtails and other small birds often pull up &#8230; <a title=\"Black Currants Refusing to Fruit (But Red Currants Are Fine?)\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/black-currants-refusing-to-fruit\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Black Currants Refusing to Fruit (But Red Currants Are Fine?)\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4183,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1068],"tags":[1070,1069,1071,560],"class_list":["post-4183","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-berries","tag-acidic-soil-gardening","tag-black-currant-fruiting","tag-growing-in-sand","tag-onion-sets"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4183","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4183"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4183\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5054,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4183\/revisions\/5054"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4183"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4183"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4183"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tomat-pomidor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4183"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}