Redcurrant London Market - Ribes rubrum

The Redcurrant London Market from Organic Agriculture is a proven variety. The plant is self-fertile, very hardy, vigorous and productive. The fairly late flowering is abundant, beginning in May, which puts it out of reach of the last frost. It bears fruit around mid-July, producing long compact clusters of large fruits, with red, juicy, and tart pulp. It is easy to grow in non-scorching sunlight, in well-drained, even poor soil. It is not necessary to plant another currant nearby to obtain fruits.

The Currant Bush, also known as Ribes rubrum, belongs to the Grossulariaceae family. It has been cultivated for a long time and grows spontaneously in many temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, from Europe to Siberia, to Manchuria. 'London Market' is a bushy, non-thorny shrub, with a clump-like habit, slightly stiff and sparsely branched branches, soft wood and abundant pith. This bush will reach 1.50 m (5ft) in all directions. The medium green, palmate, lobed and aromatic deciduous leaves fall in autumn. Flowering takes place in early May, in the form of clusters of small inconspicuous greenish-to-brownish flowers, intensely visited by bees. Fruit production mainly occurs on one and two-year-old branches which are covered with numerous clusters of small round and translucent berries, initially green then bright red, 8 mm (0in) in diameter, containing small seeds. Harvesting takes place as the fruits ripen, from mid-July. Currants have red, juicy, and tart flesh. Currants are low-calorie fruits (whether white or red), rich in minerals and trace elements as well as potassium, calcium, and phosphorus. They are also a good source of vitamin C and fibre. The yield of this variety is excellent, around 7 kg per plant if the growing conditions are good.

Use fresh currants in jelly or pastries for tart fillings or sorbets. In the garden, this bush is unassuming for much of the year and becomes attractive when it is laden with its long blood-red clusters of berries, illuminated by the summer light. The pleasure is threefold, visual and tasty, but also scented when its warm foliage fills the garden with fragrance. It pairs well with white currant varieties, gooseberries, and bushes with beautiful ornamental fruit such as Leycesteria formosa, callicarpas, Nandina domestica and its varieties, Japanese quince, small-leaved Cotoneaster, St. John's wort Magical Beauty, symphorines... For small gardens or to save space, it is a good idea to train 'London Market' against a wall or grow it as a standard. Note that currants can easily be included in an orchard on the terrace, as they do well in large pots, with a depth of at least forty centimetres, do not to water them with too hard water.

The wild currant Ribes rubrum has medicinal properties. It is used to treat rheumatism and infectious diseases, especially since if fruits are consumed fresh.