Red Flowering Currant Seeds - Ribes Sanguineum - Versatile and Perennial
Quantity: 30 Seeds
Ribes Sanguineum is a fruiting and ornamental shrub in the Gooseberry family, Grossulariaceae. Red flowering Currants originate in North America, but grow wonderfully in gardens across the world. They are perennial down to zone 5. The berries taste sweet and delicious, and are grown in abundance! They can be eaten raw or cooked into deserts, jams, and sauces. The seeds can taste a little astringent when eaten fresh, so it's recommended to pick the fruit clusters when fully ripe, and let them age for a month in a cool dry area. This helps the flavour mellow and it enhances the sweetness too. Red Flowering Currants taste similar to other gooseberries except these are sweeter and less tart. The fruits contain high amounts of pectin, so it makes a great base for jam and jelly.
As well as being edible, these plants are highly ornamental too. come early spring the branches will be packed with gorgeous red plower clusters, and they are a major source of food for pollinators. The plants will grow tall and bushy if left unpruned, but staking isn't necessary as the branches are sturdy.
All seeds are organic and open pollinated.
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Growing Instructions
For the highest yields, It’s best to start Red Flowering Currant seeds indoors about 6-8 weeks before the last frost; I start them here on the farm in mid march. It's good to sow them in a sterile growing medium; most available seed starting soils should do the job nicely; I use sunshine mix (peat moss and perlite). The soil should be made moist, but not damp. Sow the seeds on the surface for best results. Store in a warm area until tiny sprouts emerge from the soil. A heat mat greatly aids in this step, but is not necessary. Once germinated, and the first true leaf has formed, it's time to pot up to a larger container that contains a good quality potting soil. Transplant to their final location when the nighttime temperatures are consistently 10°C or higher; here at the farm, this is around mid May.