Fertilizers for Black/Red Currant Bushes and Grape Vine

Hi everyone,

This is my first post here.

We have a number of black and red currant bushes here in North Burnaby, they are about 10 years old. Their productivity has been steadily declining. We want to do some pruning, remove old branches, etc., but I've also read that they need some nitrogen fertilizer. So we went and bought two bags of Vigoro blood meal. Is that a good choice? I emailed Vigoro and a Marketing Co-ordinator assured me that "blood meal is a great source of nitrogen. It is perfect for use on berries and vines." Is this true?

We are also planning to put in some young grape vines this spring. Can we use the same blood meal on those, as well?

Do we need to use any other types of fertilizers on these two kinds of plants?

Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

Currants make fruit on the branches that grew last year.

so that means that if a branch grows up from the ground this year, then next year it will get fruit on it

next year when it gets fruit on it, then it will also grow more branch spurs <actually it grows the spurs in the spring of next year and then it grows fruit in the summer of next year

and the year after that it will make fruit on the spurs

sometimes they keep it one more year before they cut it back to the ground.

Grapes are a little the same but you rarely cut those branches all the way to hte ground. You prune off what fruited this year and leave the branches that are going to fruit next year.

About the fertilizers, i've used blood meal and I had two thoughts about it.

1. it worked like magic

2. it wore out in two weeks

Nitrogen can come from many sources. The best thing to have is very great soil with worms and stuff. then you just dump the fertilizers on top of the dirt and the worms take care of the rest. They like
compost
manure
sawdust
straw
hay
green manures (other plants, like 'cover crops')

with good worms, add 6-10 inches of that kind of stuff per year; don't let the stuff touch the fruit branches though

You can also get good fertilizers that dissolve in water and can be put on when you water your plants. You can buy a cup that fits on your garden hose and puts fertilizers in the water. The cup costs $5-$8 at most plant nurseries. You might have to mention pesticides before the clerk knows what you are talking about because the cups have been used for pesticide application for years.

berries and other sweet things want a lot of potassium. Potassium is the third number on the fertilizer labels.

nitrogen is the first

phosphorus is the second < grapes have little use for P

and potassium is the third-

potassium is one reason strawberries are called strawberries
they can get their potassium from straw

kelp gives great potassium too

For permanent plantings like yours, you might want to use 'long acting' sources of potassium.
like:
-rock potash
-granite
-basalt rock

^they contain between 2% and 8% potassium and last a few years

 

and where is Burnaby?

 

Does anyone here grow currants at all? How would you boost productivity then?

Grape growers, is blood meal by Vigoro safe to use on young grape vines?

Thank you

 

Hiya Penguin
Pruning sounds like a good idea, you can remove a third of the older unproductive stems (cant off the top of me head remember the best time to do this, i think its winter, i'll check in my pruning book tomorrow for you)
I would think a good feed is also wise, follow the manufacturers instructions.

 

I suggest no fertilizer for the new grapes. You want them to go looking for their food and in doing so, establish a good permanent root structure. Water infrequently (after they get going a bit) and deeply.

Ralph

 

I live in a very sunny USDA Zone 6, at 3300ft and 40.2 degrees latitude.

Something else I noticed about blood meal- it didn't work at all when I tried to use it as a top dressing.

To boost production of your currants, then keep the vines for the full four years. Also it is important that they grow many more branche, so it is good that you are planning on feeding them well.

if you don't find a fertilizer that you like by the time growing season comes, then you can always use fertilizer in your water. Fertilizer in your water works very well.

I bought my bottle at the plant nursery for $6. it's called "Earth Juice".

If you use the fertilizer every time you water during the growing season, the plant will grow as huge as it can.