There are three types of currants: black, red and white. In the case of black currants, the most productive shoots are young, one-year-old, and two- and three-year-old shoots. In order to get high yields annually, it is from such shoots that the bush should consist.A properly formed and managed river bush should have several one-year shoots and the same number of two- and three-year-old shoots.
In order to maintain a constant number of the most valuable young shoots, we need to x-ray the bush every year.Let's not let the bush grow old, dominated only by old and poorly yielding shoots. These shoots thicken the bush excessively and are often infected by diseases and pests. In spring, we cut out all old growths that are more than 4 years old.
Thanks to this, a few new he althy growths will soon appear in the place of the cut shoot, which will bear the first fruits in the next year.Shrubs managed in this way and regularly renewed can bear fruit even for 12-15 years.
Cutting currants after planting
We start planting young currant seedlings by digging a sufficiently deep hole and placing the bush a little deeper (about 5-6 cm) than it was previously growing in the nursery.We can leave a small depression in the ground at the base of the bush, so that the water will not run off the sides during watering.
Trim the currants very hard in the first year. All shoots should be cut low to the ground, leaving only sections with 3-4 buds. Thanks to this, the bush will branch out intensively during the year and already in autumn it should consist of at least 8-10 new shoots, which will be the backbone of the bush.
Aromatic red currant
If we had not cut all the shoots strongly, the bush would start bearing fruit faster, but it would consist of just a few shoots instead of a dozen, which would make its yield much worse in the following years. After a good pruning, however, the currant bushes are left without cutting for the next 3-4 years, allowing them to grow freely.
