Black Currants - Picture(s) Of The Day 12-31-2012

I have 2 black currant bushes.

Each bush is about 3 feet tall and 4 feet in diameter. They get full sun. The bushes are 5 years old.

The bushes are maintenance free. I throw well-rotted cow manure at the base of the bush in the late Fall and in the Spring after the ground starts to loosen up. I mulch the base of the bushes before the snow.

The berries grow in clusters throughout the entire bush.

I hand pick them by gently sliding my hand down the cluster freeing the berries. The berries are ready to be picked at the end of July. I have to pick them quickly because the birds love them. It takes a week for all of the berries to mature and be picked. I spend  couple of hours a day picking them.

I eat them sprinkled with sugar. They are very rich and tart. I use the balance to make jam.

My neighbor coincidentally shows up right around harvest time for his handful.











The berries are ready to be picked at the end of July. I have to pik them quickly because the birds love them.