Currant in Zone 4a & 4b
Ribes spp.
Yes, currant grows in zones 4a and 4b and comes back each year. Set out nursery plants Apr 17–Apr 24.
When to plant currant in zone 4b
Zones 4a and 4b share the same average frost dates, so this page covers both.
Method: Buy as a start: Buy as a nursery start and transplant outside. It's slow or unreliable from seed, so most gardeners skip seed-starting it entirely.
| Start indoors | Not started from seed; buy as a nursery start |
|---|---|
| Direct sow / transplant outside | Apr 17–Apr 24 |
| Estimated harvest | First real harvest the season after planting |
Spacing: about 20 square feet per plant (square-foot-gardening spacing). Mature height: 3-5 ft.
Before you plant: Currant has a winter-hardiness note for zone 4b. See the details below.
Plant alongside it in zone 4b
These go outside within two weeks of currant in zone 4b, so one planting day can cover them.
- BlueberryApr 17–Apr 24
- GooseberryApr 17–Apr 24
- Nanking CherryApr 17–Apr 24
- RaspberryApr 17–Apr 24
- GrapeApr 24–May 1
- StrawberryApr 24–May 1
Currants are the fruit for the difficult corner. They tolerate part shade better than anything else you can grow for fruit, they're hardy to zone 3, and they crop from their second year. If you have a north-facing fence or a spot that only gets morning sun, this is what goes there.
How currant fits zone 4's season
Zone 4b's frost-free window runs about 128 days, from May 15 to September 20. Currant takes about 1 growing season to reach first worthwhile harvest, so what matters here is how many of these seasons it gets, not whether one is long enough.
Currant is hardy in zones 3-8, so in zone 4b it stays in the ground through winter and comes back rather than being replanted. Allow about 4 ft of spread at maturity.
Currant planting windows in every zone
Zone 4b is highlighted. Useful for comparing against a neighbouring zone, or for a garden somewhere else.
| Zone | Start indoors | Sow or plant out | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3a & 3b | Buy as a start | May 2–May 9 | First real harvest the season after planting |
| 4a & 4b (your zone) | Buy as a start | Apr 17–Apr 24 | First real harvest the season after planting |
| 5a & 5b | Buy as a start | Apr 12–Apr 19 | First real harvest the season after planting |
| 6a & 6b | Buy as a start | Mar 28–Apr 4 | First real harvest the season after planting |
| 7a & 7b | Buy as a start | Mar 13–Mar 20 | First real harvest the season after planting |
| 8a & 8b | Buy as a start | Feb 25–Mar 4 | First real harvest the season after planting |
Good companions
No well-established companions for currant.
Where to buy currant starts
Currant is almost always bought as a nursery start rather than seeded. Check a local nursery or garden center; we haven't vetted online start/plant suppliers yet.
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See it growing
Search YouTube for "growing currant" videos → (a live search, not a hand-picked video; results vary and aren't vetted by us)
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Growing Currant in USDA zone 4b: when to start seeds indoors, when to direct-sow, and when to expect a harvest.
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