If you like currants and gooseberries, you will love jostaberries. They taste wonderfully fresh and fruity and are also very easy to plant.
Some call it Jostaberry, others Jochelbeere and others just say Josta - but it always means one and the same type of berry. And as you might have guessed from the name, it is a cross between a gooseberry and a currant. Sure, everyone has currants and gooseberries. But not jostaberries. However, more and more hobby gardeners are becoming friends with the thornless plant. No wonder, because delicious jams, jellies, juices and liqueurs can be made from the sour-tasting berries. On top of that, they are also true vitamin C bombs.
Jostaberries are larger than currants and smaller than gooseberries and are ripe around mid-June to July. However, the berries do not ripen at the same time, which makes harvesting difficult as it spreads over several weeks. However, in order for the berries to form and develop magnificently, you not only have to choose the right location. How rich the harvest is also depends on the care.
The perfect location for jostaberries
In order for young plants to thrive and bear plenty of berries, they must be planted in a sunny to partially shaded spot in the garden. They thrive best in well-drained, medium-heavy soil. But please note: The distance to the neighboring plants should be at least two meters, because the jostaberry becomes very large. It grows more luxuriantly than the two starting plants and can reach heights of growth between 100 and 160 cm.
Our planting tip
If you have decided on the jostaberry, it is best to plant it in your garden between August and mid-October. The best way to do this is as follows:
❶ Before you plant the jostaberry in the garden, it makes sense to water the root ball first.
❷ In the meantime you can dig the hole. This should be about 25 centimeters deep and wide.
❸ Then take the plant and plant it as deep in the soil as it was covered with soil in the pot. The surface of the root ball shouldi.e. flush with the floor level.
❹ Then fill the planting hole again with the excavated soil and start the soil well. Then water thoroughly and distribute some rotted manure or mature compost around the plant.
❺ In the first year you will probably not be able to harvest any berries. But already in the second year in June the first fruits will be hanging on the bush for you to nibble on.
| Jostabeere (Ribes 'Jostabeere') | |
|---|---|
| Growth Speed: | 30 - 50 cm a year |
| Growth: | 120 - 180 cm |
| Growth: | 150 - 250 cm |
| Flower: | May - June |
| Location: | Sun to partial shade |
| Floor: | normal garden soil |
How to properly care for jostaberries
Casting:
To ensure that the plants grow well and that many delicious berries form, you must water your Josta shrubs abundantly in the first few weeks after planting. When the first new shoots appear, you can stop watering.
Fertilize:
You will also need to fertilize the shrubs several times a year. We recommend once in April with a berry fertilizer and once in autumn with compost. Here are some tips on how to properly fertilize berries.
Pruning:
Regular pruning is only necessary from the third year. You don't even have to cut much. It is only important that you remove the branches that are no longer bearing any berries. You have to cut these off as close to the ground as possible.
Hiberation:
In winter, the jostaberry also needs some protection. Although it is hardy, a covering of brushwood or compost does not hurt.