Your Guide to Growing Redcurrant Rovada

Ribes rubrum

Redcurrant Rovada (Ribes rubrum ‘Rovada’) is a modern classic for gardeners seeking a reliable, high-yielding fruit bush with exceptional flavour and striking good looks. Known for its impressive long strings of glossy, ruby-red berries, Rovada delivers generous crops ideal for eating fresh, freezing, or transforming into jams, jellies, sauces, and cordials.

Whether you grow it as a free-standing bush, a productive hedge, or even in a container, Redcurrant Rovada adapts well to various settings and offers consistent harvests year after year with minimal fuss. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to successfully grow and care for Redcurrant Rovada in the UK—from planting and pruning to feeding, harvesting, and protecting your crop.

Rovada stands out for its high productivity, excellent disease resistance, and superior flavour profile among all redcurrant varieties. It’s a late-season variety, meaning its berries ripen slightly later than traditional cultivars—usually from mid to late July—extending the soft fruit season in your garden.

Rovada’s long fruiting strings make harvesting a breeze. Its sweet-sharp flavour balances beautifully between tartness and richness, making it perfect for both sweet and savoury recipes. Its upright growth habit and good response to pruning also make it a top choice for small gardens and formal fruit training systems.

Selecting the Right Site

To achieve the best results, plant your Redcurrant Rovada in a sunny or lightly shaded location that receives at least six hours of direct sunlight daily. While redcurrants can tolerate partial shade, full sun improves flowering and fruit set, resulting in more abundant and sweeter crops.

Preparing the Soil

Bare Root vs Potted Plants

• Bare Root Plants are best planted in late autumn to early spring while dormant. Soak the roots for an hour before planting, then position them at the same depth as previously grown.
• Potted Plants: These can be planted at any time of year, though autumn is ideal for establishing roots before the growing season. Water thoroughly before planting and ensure the planting hole is at least twice the width of the rootball.

Spacing and Layout

• For bushes or rows, space plants 1.5m (5ft) apart, with the same distance between rows.
• When creating a hedge, reduce spacing to 60cm (2ft) between plants for a continuous fruiting screen.
• If training against a wall or fence, allow 1.2–1.5m of width per plant for cordons or fan-trained forms.

Watering and Mulching

Redcurrants require consistent moisture throughout the growing season, especially during flowering and fruit development. Water deeply once or twice weekly during dry periods, avoiding overhead watering to prevent fungal problems.

Apply a thick mulch of compost or well-rotted manure around the base of the plant each spring to retain moisture, suppress weeds, and gradually feed the soil.

Feeding

• In early spring, a balanced organic fertiliser (such as blood, fish and bone) should be applied to promote healthy growth.
• As fruits form, switch to a high-potassium feed (like liquid tomato feed) every few weeks to support fruit ripening and flavour.

When and What to Prune

Pruning should be done in late autumn or winter while the plant is dormant. Focus on:

• Removing any dead, diseased, or damaged wood.
• Shortening new shoots to encourage the development of fruiting spurs along the framework.
• Cutting back older stems to promote new two-year-old wood, where redcurrants produce most abundantly.

Redcurrant Rovada adapts well to different growing styles:

• Bush Form: Prune to create an open-centred structure, which encourages airflow and easier harvesting.
• Fan or Cordon Training: Perfect for walls, fences, or limited spaces. Tie new growth to supports and prune regularly to maintain a neat, productive shape.

Redcurrants are generally trouble-free, but some issues may arise:

• Powdery Mildew: Often caused by poor airflow or dryness at the roots. Avoid overhead watering and prune to maintain an open shape.
• Aphids and Caterpillars: Control minor infestations with organic insecticidal soap or by encouraging natural predators such as ladybirds.
• Bird Damage: Birds love redcurrants! Use fruit cages or netting to protect ripening berries without harming wildlife.

When to Harvest

Rovada is a late-season variety, typically ready to harvest from mid to late July. Wait until the berries are fully coloured and slightly soft to the touch—this is when they’re at their sweetest.

Pick entire strings rather than individual berries to avoid damaging the fruit and to speed up harvesting.

How to Enjoy Redcurrants

• Fresh: Their tart zing is refreshing in fruit salads or as a garnish.
• Frozen: Spread on a tray and freeze loose before bagging to enjoy in winter bakes or smoothies.
• Cooked: Excellent in jams, jellies, coulis, pies, summer puddings, and even redcurrant sauce for savoury dishes.

Best Pot Size and Compost

Redcurrant Rovada thrives in large containers (30–40L minimum). Choose a loam-based compost such as John Innes No. 3, mixed with perlite or grit to improve drainage.

Container Care Tips

• Water regularly to prevent drying out, especially in warm weather.
• Apply a slow-release fertiliser in spring, followed by liquid potash feeds during fruiting.
• Repot every 2–3 years to refresh the soil and inspect the root system.

Over the years, I’ve grown Redcurrant Rovada in several spots around my garden, and it never fails to impress. What I love about it—aside from the sheer volume of fruit—is how easy it is to fit into almost any garden layout. Whether you’re training it along a fence, planting a small hedge, or popping it in a pot on the patio, Rovada just gets on with the job and rewards you handsomely. The berries are beautifully bright and incredibly versatile—I use them fresh in salads, freeze them for winter baking, and always make a few jars of redcurrant jelly to enjoy with roast dinners. It’s a genuinely low-maintenance plant that gives back so much. If you’ve got a sunny spot and a bit of compost to hand, I can’t recommend it enough—it’s a proper workhorse with a touch of elegance.

Key Points to Remember:

• Plant in full sun with well-drained soil
• Water regularly, especially in dry spells
• Prune annually to encourage fruiting wood
• Protect fruit from birds using netting
• Mulch yearly with compost or well-rotted manure

With its excellent yields, late-season harvest, and adaptability to different garden styles, Redcurrant Rovada is a must-have for any UK fruit grower. Whether you’re cultivating a kitchen garden, container garden, or productive fruit border, this variety delivers reliable results and unbeatable flavour. Give it the right conditions, and it will reward you with armfuls of gleaming, jewel-like berries year after year.

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Read about Redcurrant Jonkheer van Tets here

Q: What is a Rovada Redcurrant Bush?

A: The Rovada Redcurrant Bush is a popular edible redcurrant plant, prized for its impressive clusters of large, translucent red berries that hang on long strings. It’s a deciduous shrub that adds beauty to your garden and provides a delicious, soft fruit harvest.

Q: Do Rovada Redcurrant bushes need full sun?

A: Yes! Rovada Redcurrant bushes thrive in full sun, which helps them produce the best quality fruit. For optimal growth, plant them in a sunny spot in your garden.

Q: How much fruit can I expect from a Rovada Redcurrant bush?

A: Proper care requires a Rovada Redcurrant bush to produce around 10kg of fruit. That’s plenty for making jams and jellies or simply enjoying fresh!

Q: Are Rovada Redcurrant bushes self-fertile?

A: Absolutely! Rovada Redcurrant bushes are self-fertile, meaning they don’t need another plant to produce fruit. However, planting more can improve yields.

Q: What’s the best soil for growing Rovada Redcurrants?

A: These bushes prefer well-drained soil that’s rich in organic matter. Mixing in some well-rotted compost will create the ideal growing conditions for healthy growth and fruiting.

Q: Can I use Rovada Redcurrant bushes in my spring border design?

A: Definitely! They make a fantastic addition to a spring border, especially alongside tulips. Their lobed leaves and green flowers create an attractive contrast, and you’ll enjoy their fruit later in the season.

Q: When do Rovada Redcurrants typically flower and fruit?

A: Rovada flowers late in the spring and fruits later in the summer, making them an excellent choice for extending your garden’s productive season.

Q: Are there any ornamental benefits to planting Rovada Redcurrant bushes?

A: Yes! In addition to being a reliable fruiting plant, Rovada Redcurrant bushes offer ornamental value. Their vibrant green foliage and striking clusters of red berries add visual interest to any garden.

Q: What’s the best way to feed Rovada Redcurrant bushes?

A: Feed Rovada Redcurrant bushes with a balanced, slow-release plant feed in early spring for vigorous growth and high yields. A potassium-rich feed, such as one for fruiting plants, will help encourage abundant fruit production.

Q: Where can I find Rovada Redcurrant bushes for sale?

A: Rovada bushes are available at garden centres and online nurseries. To get high-quality, healthy plants, be sure to buy from a reputable seller.