How to Grow Jostaberry
Ribes × nidigrolaria
Jostaberries are vigorous thornless bushes — a blackcurrant-gooseberry hybrid that combines the best of both parents. They produce large dark berries with a mild sweet flavour from mid-summer. Virtually disease-free and easy to grow. Prune in winter by removing a quarter of the oldest wood. Feed in spring and mulch generously. Excellent fresh, in jams, or for juice.
Yearly Lifecycle
Care Essentials
Early spring with a high-potash fertiliser. Mulch generously with well-rotted manure or compost.
Watch For
- Gooseberry sawfly
- Aphids
- Big bud mite
- American gooseberry mildew
Companions
Comfrey, Tansy, Nasturtiums
Care Requirements
Light
Full sun to partial shade
Produces best crops in full sun but tolerates partial shade. More shade-tolerant than gooseberry but less productive in deep shade.
Watering
Regular during fruiting
Water regularly during fruit development for plump berries. Mulch generously to retain moisture. Established plants are fairly drought-tolerant outside fruiting season.
Fertilizing
High-potash feed in early spring
Apply a high-potash fertiliser in early spring. Mulch generously with well-rotted manure or compost. Avoid excessive nitrogen which promotes leafy growth over fruit.
Pruning
Remove oldest stems each winter
Each winter, remove about a quarter of the oldest stems at the base. Thin crowded growth to maintain an open centre for good air circulation and light penetration.
Growing Tips
Give it space
Jostaberries grow into large bushes up to 2m tall and wide. Allow plenty of room or use as an informal hedge.
Disease resistant
Unlike its parents, jostaberry is virtually immune to mildew, big bud mite, and most common Ribes diseases. Minimal spraying needed.
Harvest over several weeks
Berries ripen unevenly over 3-4 weeks. Pick individual ripe berries rather than whole trusses.
Renewal pruning
Each winter, remove about a quarter of the oldest stems at the base to keep productive young wood coming through.
Spacing & Planting
| Plant spacing | 180 cm |
| Row spacing | 200 cm |
| Mature height | 150 cm |
| Mature spread | 150 cm |
Grown as a large bush. Needs space as it grows vigorously to 2m tall and wide.
