Red Currant shrub (Ribes rubrum) STANZA

Red Currant (Ribes rubrum) 'Stanza'

Dutch high-yielding variety with strong and robust growth.

'Stanza' is a proven Dutch red currant variety originating from the St. Anna-Parochie experimental farm. It has been available on the market since 1967. It is popular for its strong and robust growth, high yield, and very aromatic fruits that remain on the bush for a long time without dropping.

Main advantages of the variety:

• Very high yield.
• Strong and dense growth, resistant to lodging.
• Very good frost resistance (down to -29 °C).
• Aromatic sweet-sour taste with mild acidity.
• Fruits do not drop after ripening (long harvest period).

Origin and Registration

• Country of origin: Netherlands
• Origin: St. Anna-Parochie Experimental Farm
• Market introduction: 1967

Variety Characteristics

Bush

• Growth: Strong, dense, and uniform (height 1 – 1.5 m). Resistant to lodging.
• Suitability: Ideal for classic bushes as well as shaped hedges.

Fruit

• Size: Medium to large.
• Appearance: Dark red, shiny, and firm berries.
• Cluster: Medium long to long.
• Taste: Very aromatic, sweet-sour, with pleasant mild acidity.
• Usage: Universal (fresh consumption, jams, juices).

Resistance and Requirements

• Frost resistance: Very good (down to -29 °C).
• Disease resistance: Good resistance to diseases and pests.
• Soil requirements: Higher. Requires permeable, nutrient-rich, and moist soil.

Cultivation Recommendations

• Flowering: Relatively late (end of April – May). Has a medium tendency to flower drop (poor pollination).
• Pruning: Fruits mainly on two-year-old wood.

Harvest and Storage

• Ripening time: Mid-early (late June – July).
• Harvest: Berries are easy to pick, suitable for mechanical harvesting. Fruits do not drop.