Blackcurrant Black Marble Organic 13cm

Black Marble® redefines what a blackcurrant can be. Bred by Swiss fruit specialists Lubera as part of their Cassissima® range, it bears the largest berries of any blackcurrant, each one as big as a large blueberry and as round and glossy as a marble. The flavour is just as surprising: mild, sweet and juicy, with a gentle cassis aroma and few seeds, so the berries are a treat eaten straight from the bush, scattered over cereal or tossed into fruit salads, as well as in jams and desserts. It is one of the earliest blackcurrants to ripen, ready from late June, and because the berries are picked individually rather than in strings, harvesting is quick and easy. This plant has been organically grown.

Black Marble® is a healthy, fast-growing bush with an upright habit, reaching around 1.5–1.8m tall and 1.2m wide. It is highly tolerant of powdery mildew and keeps its fresh, light green foliage well into autumn. It is self-fertile and grows happily in full sun or partial shade in any moist but well-drained soil. Its green spring flowers are popular with bees. Dig in plenty of well-rotted compost or manure before planting, and set the plant slightly deeper than it sat in its pot to encourage shoots from the base. It also does well in a large container if watered regularly through summer.

Mulch each spring with organic matter, and water well in dry spells as the fruit swells. A fruit cage or netting will stop birds from getting the berries first. Pruning is simple: once the bush is established, thin out a few of the oldest or weakest stems each winter to keep it open and productive.

Supplied as a young plant in a 13cm pot, ready to grow on. Each plant is hand-selected before dispatch.

Available from Pengelly Garden Centre.