Blackcurrant 'Summer Pearls Black'

One of the largest blackcurrants available, Summer Pearls Black will reward you with huge, juicy berries giving you a whole new eating experience! Unlike other varieties of blackcurrant, this beauty can be picked as single berries rather a cluster making the sweet and aromatic, single fruit perfect for snacking.

'Summer Pearls' is robust and easy to grow making it perfect for those gardeners who have never grown blackcurrants before or for those short on time.

A pure-bred black currant, Summer Pearls is very productive, and the fruits have a distinct cassis aroma, which along with their sweet taste gives you the ultimate flavour sensation! Fruits form on short clusters with 2 - 4 berries, and individuals can reach well over 1cm wide.

Described by the breeder as well-balanced and juicy, they recommend that you savour the blackcurrants one by one and experience exactly how fruity a black currant should taste.

Supplied as an established plant in a 9cm pot, ready for immediate planting. Ultimate height 140cm x 100cm and crops in June

• Max Height:140 cm
• Max Spread:100 cm
• Perfect In Pots
• Plant In Sunshine
• Winter Hardy
• Edible
• Easy To Grow
• Wildlife Friendly

Top Tips

• If you're short on space, blackcurrants can be grown in a large pot.
• Blackcurrants are ready for picking in July and August and are at their best about seven days after they have turned black.
• They can be gathered individually or, if you want them to stay fresh for a little longer, you can harvest the whole trusses. Pick the blackcurrants in dry conditions and they can be eaten immediately or stored in a fridge for one to two weeks.
• Alternatively, they can be frozen for eating later - they should last at least six months this way.

Care Guide

Planting Advice:

• Blackcurrants prefer moist, well-drained soil in full sun, or light shade.
• Dig a hole at least 2x the diameter of the root ball and spread the roots out. Plant 6cm (2.25in) deeper than previously to encourage young shoots to develop from the base.
• Mix the soil from the hole with well-rotted manure and backfill. Firm in and water.
• If growing in a pot, choose one that is around 45-50cm (18-20in) in diameter and use a good-quality compost (John Innes No 3 is ideal).
• Repot every 2-3 years into the same pot or slightly larger. Trim back some of the roots and tease away the old soil replacing it with fresh JI No 3 compost.

Aftercare:

• Plants will give a reliable crop year after year even when left to their own devices - although you'll get better results and a bumper crop by following a few simple rules:
• Feed them well with blood, fish and bone in mid-spring, followed by a dose of poultry manure or another high nitrogen plant food, in June.
• Fruits taste better when exposed to plenty of sunshine - always clear the ground of weeds, especially perennial types. Avoid hoeing near the base of the bush where new shoots are developing.
• Keep well-watered

Pruning Advice:

Year one:

• In early spring of the first year after planting, prune the main stems on the head back by half.
  

Year two:

• In November, shorten the main stems that you pruned in the spring back to half of their new growth. Any new side shoots that have grown from the main shoots can also be either shortened by half or removed if they are not needed. At the same time, remove any suckers or side shoots from the trunk.

After year two:

• Bushes just need a simple twice-yearly trim. In July, trim all new side shoots to 5 leaves.
• In winter, cut back main stems by half their new growth and any side shoots back to 2 buds (these are the shoots that you trimmed in July).
• Any stems that are damaged, dead or out of place can also be removed.

Our experienced team at the nursery will always carefully package and send your plants nursery fresh in the perfect condition to thrive once you receive and plant them. Although most plants are extremely tough and will not be affected by all but the most extreme of weather conditions, we always avoid dispatching the most perishable plants if extreme frosts or heat is forecast. We also avoid dispatching orders over Bank Holiday weekends.

Please allow us 5 - 7 working days to dispatch your order. If you have ordered a 'pre-order' item, these will be sent out as soon as possible after the quoted dispatch date and we generally ship your entire order with any pre-ordered items. Once your order has been dispatched, we will send you an email with details on how you can track it.

We send most of our orders via a fully tracked courier service with Yodel. We will send you a tracking link as soon as your order has been dispatched. To avoid perishable items being stuck at depots and deteriorating, we will not require a signature on delivery, and we ask out couriers to leave your item in a safe place ad your delivery address.

*Please note, once your item has been delivered, we cannot be held responsible for loss or theft from your delivery address. If you have delivery instruction and require our courier to leave your item in a specific place, please let us know - there is an option to leave a message for the courier at the checkout.

For smaller and single-item orders, we may send these via the post with Royal Mail - Tracking will not be available for orders sent via this method.

**Please note, we cannot guarantee delivery on a certain day or time. Delivery to outlying postcode areas may take 1-2 days longer, dependent on your location.

For all orders, a small delivery fee of £4.99 will be charged or spend over £60 for FREE Delivery!

There are currently no reviews for this item.