Pruning blackcurrantis one of the most important treatments in the cultivation of this shrub. The purpose of pruning is to stimulate the currant to produce young and strong shoots that will bear fruit abundantly.Cutting the black currantalso improves the quality of the fruit and protects the shrubs against diseases and pests. Seehow and when to prune black currantto enjoy a nicely formed and abundantly yielding bush!
How and when to prune blackcurrant?
When to trim black currant?
Prune freshly planted blackcurrant bushes before winter , because blackcurrant has a very strong rooting ability in late autumn and even in winter (when the ground is not frozen). If we decide to wait out the winter andcut young currants in spring , we should do it as early as possible, before starting the vegetation (preferably at the turn of February and March). Such an early term of pruning is necessary because black currant starts vegetation very early and develops rapidly.
Older blackcurrant bushes are pruned regularlyfrom the fourth year of cultivation. We cut right after the harvest (August), fall (November) or winter (February). The finalcutting date for black currantsis early spring (March), before flower buds begin to develop. Delaying the cutting date ends with the shrub shedding flower buds and, consequently, a significant reduction in the yield.
How to trim black currant?
In late autumn,after planting the blackcurrant bushes, cut them very shortly , i.e. 2-3 eyelets above the ground. This treatment will stimulate the bush to produce a large number of strong shoots. Cover the cut shoots with a thin (2-3 cm) layer of light soil to protect them from freezing. You can coat the cut with a garden ointment, e.g. Funaben 03 PA.
For the first 2-3 years after planting, blackcurrant does not require pruning . We only remove damaged or sick shoots on an ongoing basis.From the fourth year of cultivation, after the black currant bushes are fully fruiting, rejuvenating pruning is performed every year.Black currant fructifies most abundantly on one-year and two-year-old shootsThere should be no shoots older than three years on the bush, which are of little value due to poor fruiting.
Remember!The rule is to cut four-year-old blackcurrant shoots, i.e. those that have already fruited three times. They are the thickest and have dark bark. It is not recommended to trim the remaining shoots because it reduces the yield.
Pruning blackcurrant every year, cut about 20% of shootsWe remove all shoots older than three years, damaged and infected by diseases and pests. We also cut out shoots lying on the ground, poorly covered with buds, crossing each other and stiff, vertical shoots growing from the middle of the bush.
4-6 of the strongest annuals and 3-5 two- and three-year-old shoots are left on the bushes. The most abundant fruit harvest is if the bush consists of 15-20 shoots, one to three years old. Tooweak pruning of blackcurrant bushes causes its rapid agingCut the shoots low above the ground.
In blackcurrant froth forms, the principle of pruning is the same . All four-year-old shoots, diseased and damaged, are removed right next to the trunk. We also cut out any shoots that touch the ground or grow vertically upwards to maintain the correct shape of the crown.
Become confident in pruning fruit plants
"If you are unsure how to make a cut or are just afraid to do it, the fantastic book "Cutting School 2" ontrimming fruit trees and shrubs
This is the second part of the best-selling book "Cutting School", in which the authors Lucyna and Alicja Grabowskieexplained in a simple and clear way the secrets of cuttingornamental plants. The first book The School of Cutting for its simple language and clear, accurate drawings was loved by garden owners all over Poland.The book quickly became a bestseller- 20,000 copies sold! "
"Cutting School 2" will make youconfident in pruning fruit trees and shrubsand learn to cut plants so that they grow according to your expectations and bear fruit abundantly. After reading this book, your approach to pruning plants will probably change completely!
