{"product_id":"blackcurrant-ben-connan","title":"Blackcurrant ‘Ben Connan’","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis super-productive Scottish-bred blackcurrant produces heavy crops of particularly large berries with a sweet-sharp flavour. 'Ben Connan' (unlike 'Ben Alder') is an early-fruiting variety, which means late spring frosts can be a bit of an issue. However, it's worth the worry for its genuinely enormous fruits! It also has particularly good disease resistance and a tidier, more compact shape than many other varieties, making it excellent for a smaller kitchen garden.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFruiting months:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e July–August\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHeight:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e 120–130cm\/4–4.5ft\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePlanting distance:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e 150cm apart\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFruit colour:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Glossy black\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePosition:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Full sun; tolerates light partial shade\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePollination:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e Self-fertile\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHannah's Garden Diary\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e Blackcurrants produce their best crops on younger wood, so encouraging plenty of fresh growth will help keep your harvests up year after year. For many years, I didn't bother pruning mine, mostly because I'm just a bit lazy... I always wondered why the blinking things produced so poorly! Yearly pruning has revolutionised my blackcurrant harvests!\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThey also LOVE a good mulch (to keep their roots moist... of course!). They tolerate a richer mulch, like well-rotted farmyard or horse manure, but will also do well under a more neutral mulch, like bark mulch (not bark chips, they are different!!).\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rotherhill","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53514487103867,"sku":"Non Vat","price":12.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0635\/1369\/0164\/files\/IMG_7940.jpg?v=1762857146","url":"https:\/\/rotherhill.co.uk\/products\/blackcurrant-ben-connan","provider":"Rotherhill Nurseries \u0026 Garden Centre","version":"1.0","type":"link"}