Jostaberry: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
When and how do you plant a jostaberry bush?
Plant your jostaberry in unfrozen, workable soil that is not waterlogged, in sun or light partial shade. Choose ground that retains some moisture while draining excess water. Bare-root plants go in while dormant; container plants allow a wider period, avoiding severe heat and drought. Leave sufficient room for this vigorous shrub as it develops.
Keep bare roots moist until planting without leaving them submerged for a long time. Water a dry rootball before removing the pot. Weed the site and make a hole wide enough to spread roots or accommodate the rootball comfortably. Depth depends on the plant and its final position rather than automatically being twice the rootball’s depth.
Check the nursery’s planting-depth advice. For an ungrafted bush, covering the base by a few centimetres can encourage new roots and shoots, as with blackcurrants. A standard or grafted plant needs different precautions: keep the graft union above soil and follow its recommended level. Do not impose a root collar exactly at the soil surface on every plant.
Backfill with soil distributed between roots, firm gently and water to establish contact. Add mulch while keeping the base clear. Monitor moisture during establishment, especially if weather becomes dry, without allowing water to stand around the roots.
When and how do you prune a jostaberry bush?
How to care for this plant
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Maintain the mulch
Check the ground cover around the base. If the mulch has thinned, top it up on moist, well-drained soil after removing competing weeds. Keep the trunk, crown and graft union clear; add nothing if the existing layer is sufficient.
When and how do you harvest jostaberries?
