Description
Jonkheer van Tets is widely held to be one of the best red currants grown anywhere, and its first claim is timing: it ripens early, ahead of the main red currant season, which puts fresh fruit on the table while everything else is still green.
The berries are large and excellently flavored and the bush bears heavily. It resists mildew and aphids, which are the two problems a currant grower actually deals with, and it takes espalier training well if you want to fan it against a wall or a fence. The more sun it gets, the sweeter the fruit comes.
Overview
- Ripens early, ahead of the main red currant season.
- Large, excellently flavored berries and heavy crops.
- Resists mildew and aphids.
- Trains well as an espalier against a wall or fence.
Growing Details
Latin Name: Ribes rubrum ‘Jonkheer Van Tets’
Site and Soil: 1/2 day to full day of sun; rich, moist, well-drained soil
Hardiness: Hardy to USDA Zone 3
Rootstock: Grown from cuttings
Bearing Age: Light crop the year after planting; full crops by the third or fourth year
Size at Maturity: Upright and compact, about 3 to 5 ft tall and wide
Ripening Time: Early season; June into July
Pollination: Self-fertile; one bush sets a full crop, and a second currant nearby increases berry size
Additional Notes
- Grower’s Insight: Give it the sunniest spot you have. This is one where sun translates directly into sugar.
- Regional Insight: Currants are cool-climate fruit, at their best where summers stay moderate and winters are properly cold.
- Explore more berries in our collection: Berries
