Growing Currants from Seed? Here’s What You Need to Know
Updated: Sep 30
You can grow currants (Ribes species) from seed by extracting seeds from ripe berries, cold stratifying them for 8 to 12 weeks at 1 to 5°C, then sowing them 0.5 to 1 cm deep at 15 to 20°C. Seedlings usually appear within 2 to 6 weeks and can start fruiting in their second or third year, though they won’t be identical to the parent bush.
Currants are one of the best fruits for Irish gardens: hardy, productive and happy in a cool, damp climate. This guide covers growing black, red and white currants from seed, and the faster alternatives of cuttings or young plants.
Want fruit sooner? Seed-grown currants vary and take a couple of years to crop. A young nursery-grown bush, such as our black currant, fruits reliably from its first or second summer.
Currant Quick Facts
Latin names: Ribes nigrum (black currant), Ribes rubrum (red and white currant)
Stratification: 8 to 12 weeks cold (1 to 5°C)
Sowing depth: 0.5 to 1 cm
Germination temperature: 15 to 20°C
Germination time: 2 to 6 weeks after stratification
Time to first fruit: 2 to 3 years from seed; 1 to 2 years from a young plant
Position: Full sun to partial shade
Soil: Moist, fertile, well-drained, pH 5.5 to 7
Spacing: 1.5 m for black currants, 1.2 m for red and white
Harvest: July to August
Hardiness: Fully hardy in Ireland and the UK
Step 1: Choose Your Currant Type
Black currants (Ribes nigrum): rich, tart and high in vitamin C. Best for jams, cordials and cooking.
Red currants (Ribes rubrum): bright, sharp berries for jellies, sauces and desserts.
White currants (Ribes rubrum): a pale form of red currant, sweeter and milder, good eaten fresh.
Currants do not grow true from seed, so seedlings may differ from the parent in flavour, size and yield. If you want a known variety, take cuttings or buy a young plant (see Step 5 and the final section).
Step 2: Collect the Seeds
Pick fully ripe berries in summer.
Mash them in a bowl of water and leave for a few minutes. Viable seeds sink; pulp and empty seeds float.
Pour off the pulp, rinse the seeds and dry them on kitchen paper for a day.
Store in a labelled envelope somewhere cool and dry until autumn.
Step 3: Cold Stratify the Seeds
Currant seeds need a winter chill to germinate. In Ireland and the UK, the easiest way is to sow them in pots in autumn and leave them outside over winter. For a spring sowing, stratify them in the fridge:
Mix the seeds with moist sand or compost in a labelled bag or tub.
Refrigerate at 1 to 5°C for 8 to 12 weeks.
Check every couple of weeks that the mix is damp but not wet.
Step 4: Sow and Raise the Seedlings
Sow stratified seeds 0.5 to 1 cm deep in trays or pots of free-draining seed compost.
Keep at 15 to 20°C and water to keep the compost evenly moist.
Give bright light once seedlings appear, on a windowsill or under a grow light.
When seedlings have a few true leaves, pot them on individually.
After 8 to 10 weeks, harden them off over 7 to 10 days and grow on outdoors in pots until autumn.
Step 5: The Faster Way: Hardwood Cuttings
If you already have a currant bush you like, hardwood cuttings give you identical plants and are easier than seed.
In late autumn or winter, cut 20 to 25 cm lengths of this year’s healthy, pencil-thick growth.
For black currants, keep all the buds; for red and white currants, remove the lower buds so they grow on a short stem.
Push the cuttings two-thirds deep into moist soil or deep pots in a sheltered spot.
Keep them weeded and watered. They root over winter and spring and can be planted out the following autumn.
Step 6: Plant Out and Care for Your Bushes
Planting: plant between November and March in a sunny or partly shaded spot. Plant black currants 5 cm deeper than they grew in the pot to encourage strong new shoots from the base.
Soil: currants like moist, fertile soil. Dig in compost and mulch every spring.
Watering: water deeply in dry spells, especially while fruit is forming.
Pruning: in winter, remove about a third of the oldest wood on black currants each year; red and white currants fruit on older wood and are pruned to an open goblet shape.
Troubleshooting Currants
Poor germination: seeds may need a longer cold period. Give them another 4 weeks in the fridge and keep them moist.
Damping off: avoid overcrowding and overwatering, and improve airflow.
Aphids and blistered leaves: currant blister aphid causes red blisters on leaves. Encourage ladybirds and hoverflies, and remove badly affected tips.
Stripped leaves: sawfly larvae can defoliate bushes quickly in late spring. Check under leaves and pick them off early.
Yellow leaves: often a sign of hungry or waterlogged soil. Mulch with compost and improve drainage.
Best Companion Plants for Currants
Comfrey: attracts pollinators and makes a nutrient-rich mulch. We grow comfrey Bocking 14 for exactly this.
Chives and garlic chives: strong scents that help confuse pests.
Nasturtiums: draw aphids away from your bushes.
White clover: a living mulch that adds nitrogen and feeds beneficial insects.
FAQ: Growing Currants from Seed
How long does it take to grow currants from seed?
Currant seeds need 8 to 12 weeks of cold stratification, then germinate in 2 to 6 weeks. Seed-grown bushes usually produce their first fruit in their second or third year, and reach full cropping after 3 to 4 years.
Do currants grow true from seed?
No. Currant seedlings are a mix of their parents' genes, so fruit size, flavour and yield can differ from the parent bush. To get an identical plant, take hardwood cuttings or buy a named variety.
When should I sow currant seeds in Ireland?
Sow currant seeds outdoors in pots in autumn and let winter provide the cold they need. Alternatively, stratify them in the fridge for 8 to 12 weeks and sow in early spring.
What is the easiest way to propagate currants?
Hardwood cuttings are the easiest way. Take 20 to 25 cm cuttings of this year’s growth in late autumn or winter, push them two-thirds into moist soil, and they will root by the following autumn.
Do currants need full sun?
Currants fruit best in full sun but tolerate partial shade better than most fruit, making them useful for north-facing spots and the edges of a food forest.
Seed, Cutting or Plant? Getting the Most from Your Currants
Seed is a fun experiment, cuttings are perfect if you already have a bush you love, and a young plant is the quickest route to a reliable harvest.
At Earthling Plants we grow black currants, red currants and white currants, all sent bare-root from November to March, the ideal planting window. For something a little different, the thorny, disease-resistant Worcesterberry is a cross between a currant and a gooseberry.
Can you start a currantbush from a plant division? Our native ones seem to spread widely.