If how to prune currants correctlyThe bushes will bear fruit for about 15 years. A properly formed crown produces abundant berries annually. A decrease in yield is a signal for rejuvenation treatments. Before beginning work, it's important to familiarize yourself with bush formation patterns.
Pruning purposes
Currants can grow in the same place for up to 15 years. A bush's viability is determined by the amount of annual growth. This growth is greatest at the basal shoots, which form from early buds. The older the branch, the less growth.
Blackcurrants primarily bear fruit on two- and three-year-old branches. Each year, this fruiting "moves" toward the periphery of the bush. The first rings, on which flower buds form, appear on two-year-old branches. After 2-3 years, they die off. Because of this characteristic, a branch's fruiting period is limited to five years.
A properly formed bush consists of 15–20 branches. Their age is determined by the number of lateral shoots and the color of the bark—young trees have light bark, while older trees have dark bark. Blackcurrant pruning is performed several times per season, with the following goals in mind:
- bush rejuvenation;
- removal of damaged, dried branches;
- formation of a well-lit, ventilated crown with branches of different ages.
If a bush is neglected, some branches are in the shade. Berries set on them, but due to dampness and lack of light, they ripen late and are sour. A poorly ventilated, dense crown causes low growth and disease. A weakened immune system makes currants susceptible to pests, reducing their productivity. Proper pruning ensures a stable harvest and prevents diseases.
Basic rules
The degree of blackcurrant pruning depends on the variety. The standard approach is to determine the productivity of branches by their age. They live up to 6-10 years, but bear less fruit.
Varieties derived from Siberian blackcurrant varieties bear fruit on two- and three-year-old branches. Bushes of European subspecies remain productive longer—up to seven years.
Pruning a one-year-old bush
Care for the plant begins after planting. About 2-3 healthy buds are left on the shoots. During the spring planting season, these will produce 5-6 young shoots 70-80 cm long. These will form the fruit buds. It takes about 5 years for the bush to fully develop.
Pruning two-year-old currants
Pruning two-year-old currants in spring begins with an inspection. First, remove all branches damaged by weather or pests. Later, begin shaping the bush. For scaffold branches, leave 3 to 5 of the strongest shoots; all others are removed.
In July, don't forget to prune second-tier branches back to two buds and pinch the tips of young shoots. This procedure provides three benefits:
- promotes the formation of fruit buds on old branches;
- enhances branching;
- stimulates the growth of zero shoots.
To increase the number of fruiting buds, currants can be pinched back. This is done once or twice during the summer.
Pruning a three-year-old bush
The third year is the most fruitful. The pruning pattern is the same as the previous year. Three to six of the strongest shoots are left from the initial shoots. It's best to prune the thin branches growing in the center of the bush generously. They will slow the growth of the young shoots and shade the fruiting shoots.
The tops of branches formed last year are trimmed back. On 2-3-year-old plants, the lateral branches are pruned, leaving 3-4 healthy buds on each. If pruned correctly, the bush's crown will acquire the desired shape by the end of the third year. It contains the required number of branches of varying ages: 2-3 three-year-olds, 4-6 two-year-olds, and the same number of one-year-olds. To better understand blackcurrant pruning techniques, it's worth watching beginner-friendly diagrams in videos or pictures.
Trimming an old bush
By the fifth or sixth year of life, the plant becomes old. The fruit buds at the ends of the branches die off, and annual growth does not exceed 15 cm. Water sprouts form at the base of the main branches, and blackcurrant yield declines. To restore the yield, rejuvenation pruning is necessary—removing all five- and six-year-old branches and water sprouts from the base.
Having completed the radical haircut, work continues according to the classic scheme:
- on 3-4 year old branches, lateral branches are shortened by 2-4 buds;
- the tops of last year's shoots are cut off;
- 3-5 of the most promising ones are left from the zeros.
Choosing the right time for a haircut
To avoid being left without berries, it's important to prune currant bushes at the optimal time. Some pruning is done in the summer, but the bulk is done in the spring and fall.
Spring
Blackcurrants should be pruned before bud break, removing frozen and broken branches. Delayed pruning can lead to negative consequences: wounds take a long time to heal and often become infected.
Plants that have spent a lot of energy healing have weak seasonal growth. In cold regions, seedlings planted in the spring are not pruned. Post-planting pruning is done in the fall. A proper cut is made to the outer bud.
Summer
During the growing season, the bushes are inspected. Branch tops damaged by pests and infections, as well as basal shoots growing in the center of the crown, are removed. Unhealthy specimens are identified by visual signs:
- brown spots, gray coating on the bark;
- on the shoot the buds are underdeveloped or absent;
- deformed, twisted leaves.
Summer is the best time to identify and prune unproductive branches. They bear no berries, or only a few, and the berries are small. In late June and July, it's helpful to pinch the tips of the unproductive shoots. This encourages the formation of lateral branches and the development of fruit buds—the fruit for next year's harvest.
Autumn
Most branches are removed in the fall. Immature, deformed, broken, and pest- and disease-damaged specimens are cut off at ground level. Sanitary pruning of bushesIt's part of the annual maintenance plan. Once completed, they begin crown adjustments:
- unproductive branches are cut off at the root;
- Well-developed last year's growth is shortened by a third of its length, weak growth - by half;
- The basal shoots are thinned out, leaving 3–5 of the strongest ones.
Features of red currant pruning
Caring for red currants has its own unique characteristics. This crop bears fruit longer—up to 12 years—with fruit buds forming on 2-3-year-old and older branches. Most of the fruit is concentrated at the edge of the growth.
It's easy to tell which branches are one-year-old and which are two-year-old. On the first, they grow singly, while on the second, they grow in groups. Since the tops of the redcurrants bear fruit, there's no need to pinch them. This will reduce, not increase, the number of berries.
Sanitary pruning is carried out in the same way, but crown shaping has its own peculiarities. Each year, 2-3 young branches are left, and all specimens older than 8 years are removed at the base of the root. A properly formed plant has 20-25 branches of varying ages.
Post-haircut care
After the seasonal pruning, currant bushes will require care. In the fall, perform a moisture-replenishing watering: pour two buckets of water under the bush. Be sure to add fertilizer to each:
- 30 g of simple superphosphate;
- 20 g potassium salt.
Cover the tree trunk with a 5 cm layer of mulch. Use humus or compost to insulate the roots and retain soil moisture.
If the procedure is carried out in the spring, the blackcurrants are fertilized. The soil is loosened every 1-2 days and mulched with a 1:1 mixture of peat and sand.
| Fertilizer for root feeding of currants after spring pruning | Norm per 1 bush |
| Urea | 20 g per 10 liters of water |
| Mullein infusion | 1 l |
When caring for the crown, it's important to adhere to the pruning schedule and timing. To encourage underground buds to develop, unnecessary branches are pruned at ground level. The acceptable stump height is 2–3 cm. Leaving it longer will cause water sprouts to form. Crown maintenance should be continued throughout the season to ensure the bush produces fruit reliably for a long time.
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