Fertilising guide
How to fertilise Jonkheer van Tets Redcurrant (Ribes rubrum 'Jonkheer van Tets')— schedule & NPK
Also called Jonkheer van Tets redcurrant, early redcurrant.
More about jonkheer van tets redcurrant
About Jonkheer van Tets Redcurrant
Ribes rubrum 'Jonkheer van Tets' · also called Jonkheer van Tets redcurrant, early redcurrant · edible
'Jonkheer van Tets' is a popular early-season redcurrant bearing long trusses (strigs) of glossy, bright-red, slightly tart berries in early to mid-summer. Vigorous, upright, and heavy-cropping, it fruits on a permanent framework of older wood, so it trains well as a bush, cordon, or fan against a wall in sun or part shade.
Growth habit: Vigorous, upright deciduous shrub that fruits on spurs on a permanent framework of two-year-old and older wood (unlike blackcurrants). It is pruned by shortening side-shoots to form fruiting spurs, which makes it ideal for training as cordons, fans, or open-centre bushes.
Watch for — American gooseberry mildew: White powdery growth on shoots and fruit, worse with soft nitrogen-rich growth. Prune for an open centre, feed with potash not excess nitrogen, and ensure airflow.
What fertiliser jonkheer van tets redcurrant actually wants — and why
Jonkheer van Tets Redcurrant feeds in two distinct phases — balanced to build the plant, then high-potassium the moment flowering starts to set and fill a heavy crop.
Balanced (even N-P-K) at planting for roots and frame, then switch to a high-potassium ("high-potash") tomato-style feed once the first flowers open — potassium is what sizes and ripens fruit, not nitrogen.
For the language behind the three numbers on the bottle — what nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium each do — see the NPK ratio explained entry. The short version for jonkheer van tets redcurrant: match the feed to the job the plant is doing right now, not to a generic “plant food” on the shelf.
How often to feed jonkheer van tets redcurrant, and which months
Feeding only earns its keep while the plant is in active growth and can use the nutrients — pour feed into a dormant or low-light plant and it simply builds up as root-burning salt. For jonkheer van tets redcurrant:
Redcurrants are potassium-hungry: apply a high-potassium fertiliser (such as sulphate of potash) in late winter, plus a light balanced spring feed. Avoid excess nitrogen, which gives soft, mildew-prone growth at the expense of fruit. Mulch annually with compost. Container plants need regular liquid feeding. So: a balanced feed or compost at planting, then a high-potash liquid every 1-2 weeks from first flower through harvest across the main season (spring through early autumn).
The dormant-season rule matters more than the exact interval: skip feeding entirely when jonkheer van tets redcurrant is resting. For the wider context on indoor feeding rhythms across the seasons, the houseplant fertiliser schedule walks through the year month by month.
What strength to mix for jonkheer van tets redcurrant
Follow the crop-feed label rate for jonkheer van tets redcurrant — these are calibrated for hungry vegetables. Consistency through fruiting matters more than strength; erratic feeding causes problems like blossom-end rot.
Feeding always goes onto already-damp soil, never dry roots — water jonkheer van tets redcurrant first if the soil is dry, then apply the diluted feed. The companion question is when to water at all, covered in the jonkheer van tets redcurrant watering schedule.
Signs you are over-feeding jonkheer van tets redcurrant
Over-feeding is far more common — and more damaging — than under-feeding for most plants. The classic tells for jonkheer van tets redcurrant:
- Vigorous dark-green leafy growth but few flowers or fruit (excess nitrogen).
- Lush foliage hiding the crop; soft growth prone to pests and disease.
- Salt crust on the soil and scorched leaf edges in containers.
Signs you are under-feeding jonkheer van tets redcurrant
- Pale, yellowing lower leaves and stunted growth.
- Small fruit, poor set, and a quickly exhausted plant.
- Blossom-end rot and weak cropping from erratic or insufficient feeding.
If the symptoms point at watering, light or roots rather than nutrition, the full jonkheer van tets redcurrant care brief covers soil, humidity and the common problems for this species.
Flushing and leaching the salts
In containers, fertiliser salts build up fast — water jonkheer van tets redcurrant thoroughly so excess drains from the base each time, and flush pots with plain water every few weeks to prevent a damaging salt build-up.
Organic vs synthetic feeds for jonkheer van tets redcurrant
Organic options
Garden compost or well-rotted manure dug in before planting, plus a liquid comfrey or seaweed feed once fruiting starts. UK: comfrey feed or organic Tomorite; US: Espoma Tomato-tone or Neptune's Harvest. Builds soil and feeds in one.
Synthetic / liquid feeds
A balanced feed at planting then a high-potash tomato feed in fruiting — UK: Growmore at planting then Tomorite (Levington) or Phostrogen; US: a balanced 10-10-10 then Miracle-Gro Tomato or a bloom booster.
Brand names are examples, not endorsements, and UK and US ranges differ — check the label’s own NPK and dilution rate, since formulations change.
Fertilising jonkheer van tets redcurrant — frequently asked questions
What fertiliser does jonkheer van tets redcurrant need?
Balanced (even N-P-K) at planting for roots and frame, then switch to a high-potassium ("high-potash") tomato-style feed once the first flowers open — potassium is what sizes and ripens fruit, not nitrogen. Jonkheer van Tets Redcurrant feeds in two distinct phases — balanced to build the plant, then high-potassium the moment flowering starts to set and fill a heavy crop.
How often should I feed jonkheer van tets redcurrant?
Redcurrants are potassium-hungry: apply a high-potassium fertiliser (such as sulphate of potash) in late winter, plus a light balanced spring feed. Avoid excess nitrogen, which gives soft, mildew-prone growth at the expense of fruit. Mulch annually with compost. Container plants need regular liquid feeding. Redcurrants are potassium-hungry: apply a high-potassium fertiliser (such as sulphate of potash) in late winter, plus a light balanced spring feed. Avoid excess nitrogen, which gives soft, mildew-prone growth at the expense of fruit. Mulch annually with compost. Container plants need regular liquid feeding. So: a balanced feed or compost at planting, then a high-potash liquid every 1-2 weeks from first flower through harvest across the main season (spring through early autumn).
What strength of feed for jonkheer van tets redcurrant?
Follow the crop-feed label rate for jonkheer van tets redcurrant — these are calibrated for hungry vegetables. Consistency through fruiting matters more than strength; erratic feeding causes problems like blossom-end rot.
What does over-feeding jonkheer van tets redcurrant look like?
Vigorous dark-green leafy growth but few flowers or fruit (excess nitrogen). Lush foliage hiding the crop; soft growth prone to pests and disease. Salt crust on the soil and scorched leaf edges in containers. Staying on a high-nitrogen feed once jonkheer van tets redcurrant starts flowering is the classic error — you get a huge leafy plant and a disappointing crop. Switch to high-potash the moment flowers appear.
Should I flush the soil of jonkheer van tets redcurrant?
In containers, fertiliser salts build up fast — water jonkheer van tets redcurrant thoroughly so excess drains from the base each time, and flush pots with plain water every few weeks to prevent a damaging salt build-up.
Keep reading
- Jonkheer van Tets Redcurrant care — the full brief (light, soil, humidity, problems, pet safety)
- How often to water jonkheer van tets redcurrant — the watering schedule
- The houseplant fertiliser schedule — feeding through the year
- NPK ratio explained — what the three numbers on the bottle mean
- How to fertilise tomato
- How to fertilise pepper
- How to fertilise cucumber
- All 3899 fertilising guides in the Growli library