Greetings!

There are lots of variables in getting a plant to grow successfully-I am by far NO expert, but here's a few things...
*Is the plant hardy to your area? I know I do a lot of zone-stretching and I have one area in my yard that I consider a micro-climate one zone higher, but otherwise if I see something is for a zone 6 or higher, I won't even consider it. Zone 5 is 'iffy' here... I also try to get some plants locally that I know will take the weather here. Somethings it might not matter, shrubs, fruit trees, I think your best bet is to get it from the same zone you're in.
*Honestly, sometimes it's just a crap shoot. I can grow some things without even thinking about it that I've read are difficult. There are others which are supposed to be incredibly easy but I can't get to grow.
*Soil, does the plant need acid or sweet soil? For some plants it's a necessity that they have the right soil.
*Sun-does it get enough sun or too much?
*Water, can it take a dry spell or does it need to be watered regularly?
*What plants do you know of that grow well in your area?
*How big were the plants when you got them? Some of the 'starter' plants some places sell take anywhere from 2 to 6 years before you will see anything.

Sometimes you get bad plants...it just happens.

For the most part, I don't have the time/energy/inclination to 'baby' most of my plants...I do the basics (fertilize, prune, some soil ammendments, mulch) but after that, they pretty much are on their own.

I feel for you...Gardening did not come easy to me, a LOT of mistakes (translate: dead plants), a lot of patience, a lot of trial and error...

How long have you had the currents, how big were they when you got them? What kind are they? I understand currents are not all that long lived a bush. I have some that are ten years old, I planted them in two different places...one lingered a year or two before finally dieing, the other is doing well. I think by year three you should be seeing something, if not, get rid of it and get another.

The long 'blueberry'...is that a type of viburnam or a 'real' blueberry? I've never had any luck with blueberries, even the ones that are supposed to grow in my zone. I amend the soil, I mulch, I all but dance naked around it when there's a full moon but they still all die...

I have two of the infamous easy to grow manchurian apricot. Sure it grows well, but it doesn't fruit (all my other apricots fruit like mad). I've had it for six years, last year I informed it that this was it, no fruit and it would be firewood this fall....it's been warned...

I discovered these rules for currants after many failures.
In my zone red currant likes a lot of sun, the white currant will thrive in the sun-shade ratio of 1:1, and the black one will be happy in light shade all day plus some reflected sun (from the house siding).

Hi Belle_Michele! Ha ha, I've been an 'unsuccessful' gardener for years and years, if I get a plant to grow, then some other fate will befall it (like when a tree fell on my garden, aaaugh!). I remembered the name of the 'long blueberry', it's a honeyberry. I checked that they like lower ph, so I put some peat on them, hopefully that will help. They like moist soil too. I don't test the soil, I sort of amend it and see what happens. Re your manchurian bush apricots, I have those too! I just plunked them in the ground 3 years ago, they haven't done much at all. They are still only 3 feet high. You may want to try and root prune your manchurians a little bit if they aren't producing yet.

My currants, one is a black one (Ben Sarek) and the other is pink champagne. I get some flowers and a few fruit, but that is it. I think it's the growing location, maybe not enough sun, but they do get sun during the day. I will just wait and see, I never kill a plant, they commit suicide on their own, ha ha!

I think it's just some family curse that I'm under. So called 'difficult' plants like eggplant were easy to grow for me...but if it says "Easy to grow" it might as well mean easy to die, ha ha! Thanks for your post.

Thanks for the advice Levadia, actually sounds like my currants and yours are in similar climates, but different zones. :) At least they are leafing out this year. :) I guess I should test the soil this year. I'm so lazy about that stuff..

Catalog translations: Easy to grow= we want your money. Delicious flavor= not very productive. Very productive= you might use this to make jam, but forget about eating it fresh. Disease resistant= pest susceptable. Shipped potted not bare root= we stuck a cutting in last week. Heirloom= your grand parents were delighted when a better variety replaced it. Rare= not many people are dumb enough to plant it. Hardy= unless you have unpredictable weather. Deer proof= well until it dries out and the deer get hungry, anyway. Hardy, prolific, unique= invasive weed.

LOL! Thank you for the translation, fruithack! That is SO true, especially the bareroot one, hee hee! Only success I've had with bare roots usually is from jung seed, they always send good plants, not always the case with other plant catalogs.

What is the adult size of the plants in question? I don't have experience with currants, but the closly related gooseberries are small plants (about 2' tall and wide) and never produce much except in mostly sunny areas. The will grow in shade, but are thin, leggy, and rarely fruit at all. I'm also unfamilliar with "Honey Berries", but most blue berries are small plants. 3' is big for a low bush cultivar.
Some plants take several years to establish themselves before doing anything. I've planted tree seedlings that stayed a foot tall for years and then took off.

If you have limestone soil, the peat won't do much unless you till in a bunch and add it on a regular basis. You should probably check the soil before amending it. My dad used to try growing rhododendrons and pines, but could never seem to get the soil acid enough for them to stay alive long. When I checked the soil many years later, it turns out the soil was acid (pH from 3.5 to 6.0) and he was killing them by making the soil more acid.

Good luck,

Ziggy