Currant, Gooseberry, and Jostaberry Care Guide

General Cultivation and Care: Currants, gooseberries, and jostaberries (a cross between currants and gooseberries) are easy-to-grow fruits that thrive under good care. These hardy bushes respond well to proper cultivation, fertilizing, and mulching. While they can tolerate some neglect, they will be more productive with regular attention.

1. Site selection: this family of plants evolved in Northern European climates. As a result, they prefer partial or full shade. They respond well to being planted on the East side of buildings where they are shaded from afternoon sun. 
2. Soil and Mulching:
• Soil Requirements: These bushes prefer well-draining, fertile soil rich in organic matter. Keep the soil pH near neutral (around 6.5 to 7).
• Mulching: Mulching helps conserve moisture and suppress weeds and can replace regular cultivation in home gardens.
3. Cultivation:
• Shallow Cultivation: When cultivating, ensure it's shallow to avoid damaging the shallow root system. In the home garden, dig up the soil in early spring, then maintain the soil with hoe cultivation throughout the summer.
4. Fertilizing:
• Manure: A good dressing of manure (well-rotted) in Spring will aid healthy fruit production. Do not use manure at the time of planting, and give the main root mass a wide berth when applying it supplementally. 
• Fertilizers: In addition to manure, use a 5-10-5 type fertilizer in the Fall. Wood ashes provide additional benefits of lime and potash.
• Organic Matter: Ensure the soil remains rich in organic matter, as currants and gooseberries are particularly sensitive to soil quality.

Pruning: Pruning is vital for maintaining the health and productivity of currants and gooseberries.

1. Timing & Technique:
• Best Time: Prune in late winter or early spring, before new growth begins.
• Remove Old Growth: Canes older than 3 years should be removed to encourage new, productive growth. Retain 6-9 vigorous canes per bush (3 one year old canes, 3 two year old canes, 3 three year old canes).
• Sprawling Varieties: For spreading varieties, remove the prostrate canes to keep the bush tidy and productive.
• Upright Varieties: For upright-growing types, thin the center to improve airflow and sun penetration, which helps reduce disease.
1. Note: Jostaberries may not sprout new ground growth as much as gooseberries and currants.
2. Josta’s may have 1 trunk with 1 or 2 new canes per season. Retain the new canes and shape the bush to encourage new cane growth. 
2. Fruit-Bearing Habits:
• Fruit Location: Currants, gooseberries, and jostas bear fruit on one-year-old shoots as well as spurs on older wood. The best fruit often comes from two- to three-year-old wood.

Pests and Disease Control:

1. Insect Pests:
• Currant Worm: The imported currant worm is a green caterpillar with black spots that appears in the spring and devours the foliage. A second brood often appears around July. Early-stage damage can be controlled with Bacillus thuringiensis (Dipel), which is effective against caterpillars. It is important to observe your plant for  this caterpillar because they can entirely defoliate even a mature bush. When leaves fully mature in Spring, apply the Dipel before the caterpillar has a chance to mature. Squishing them by hand is also effective if you get them all. 
• San Jose Scale: This pest can be controlled with a lime-sulfur spray in the spring while the plant is dormant.
• Currant Borer: Currant borer larvae burrow into the canes, weakening the plant. Cut out and burn infested canes before May 1 to prevent further damage.
• Aphids: Aphids suck sap from the shoots and foliage, causing leaves to curl and yellow. Control them with insecticidal soap.
2. Fungal Diseases:
• In southern, high humidity growing zones, Currants/Gooseberries/Jostaberries can suffer in late Summer heat and will sometimes defoliate, independent of any pest or disease issues. Typically these plants come back in full health the following Spring. 
• We attempt to offer varieties that exhibit the most resistance to powdery mildew. Anthracnose and leaf spot usually appear in late Summer and can cause defoliation if unattended. In our experience, these plants tend to come back beautifully the following Spring.
• Powdery Mildew: This fungus is common on European gooseberries and manifests as a whitish, powdery coating on leaves and shoots. Control with lime-sulfur sprays applied when the leaf buds are opening, and repeat at 10- to 20-day intervals until 3-5 applications are made. Remove and burn infected canes to prevent reinfection.
• Anthracnose & Leaf Spot: Both diseases appear as brownish spots on the upper surface of the leaves, causing premature leaf drop. The treatment is similar to powdery mildew: apply lime-sulfur sprays and remove infected canes.

Uses: Currants, gooseberries, and jostas are versatile fruits with many culinary uses.

• Gooseberries: Gooseberries can be enjoyed fresh or in desserts, jams, or pies when fully ripe. They are especially popular in Europe.
•  Currants: Currants are prized in Northern countries. They are used in beverages (like juices and syrups), jellies, and as a culinary ingredient. Their strong, tangy flavor may take some getting used to, but they’re highly nutritious.

Varieties: There are two main types of gooseberries: American and European.

• American Varieties: These are more resistant to diseases and are often more productive, with smaller but high-quality fruit. Most American varieties are hybrids of American and European varieties. 
• European Varieties: These tend to have larger, more attractive fruit and a wider variety of cultivars, but they are more susceptible to powdery mildew and leaf spot.

Conclusion: Currants, gooseberries, and jostas are relatively low-maintenance fruits that reward gardeners with bountiful harvests. Proper care, including regular pruning, pest and disease management, and soil maintenance, will ensure robust growth and a flavorful yield.