How to Fertilize Currants
- 1). Perform a soil test to determine nutrient needs in the bed the summer before planting new currant bushes. Soil test kits are available from garden centers and extension offices. Follow the testing instructions detailed for the specific kit; most kits require taking a soil sample and testing it via a strip system or by taking it to a lab.
- 2). Spread the initial fertilizer application in the bed one week prior to planting new currant bushes. Follow the application rates and fertilizer recommendation detailed in the soil test results for the initial application. Turn the fertilizer into the top 8 to 10 inches of the planting bed.
- 3). Sprinkle 2 tbsp. of ammonium nitrate fertilizer, a 36-0-0 fertilizer blend, around the trunk of each currant bush in an 18-inch circle one month after planting. Water the soil after fertilizing so the nutrients dilute and leach into the soil around the plant roots.
- 4). Apply 2 oz. of 36-0-0 fertilizer to each plant the second spring after planting in an 18-inch circle around the trunk. Apply the fertilizer when new growth first begins on the currant bushes.
- 5). Increase the 36-0-0 fertilizer each spring in 1 oz. increments until the fifth year. Fertilize 5-year-old or older bushes with a total of 5 oz. of 36-0-0 blend each spring.
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