As they only really fruit well on the newer growth, after around 4 years you may notice that your blackcurrant start to produce a smaller crop of fruit. Pruning and training. Years 1-3: for the first three years after planting, prune lightly in autumn or winter if the growth is strong by removing weak and low-lying shoots, but if growth is weak, prune hard, cutting at least half the shoots back to near ground level. Foliage – deciduous Flowering – April Harvest – July-August. If you have blackcurrants, blueberries, gooseberries, or redcurrants growing on your property, those should be pruned in the winter. Name – Ribes nigrum Family – Grossulariaceae Type – fruit shrub. How to prune bush fruit Blackcurrants. For this purpose I would use a combination of miracle-grow, Osmocote tabs [slow release tablets you insert just one a year] and the occasional foliar feed of maxicrop. "Happily ever after" with a blackcurrant bush should be about 15 years before they should be replaced. I am about to prune out the old wood. Pruning is the same as for bushes grown in the ground and regular hearty feeding is important to ensure a reliable supply of young growth to continue the fruiting cycle. Copyright © 2020 Ashridge Trees Limited. Cut them right back to one of the the lowest outward facing buds. Blackcurrants bear the most … Prune so that the centre of the bush is not overcrowded. Trim off the soft tip, making the cut diagonally just above a bud to enable rain to drain off easily (and also to make it obvious which end is up when you plant it!). At any yearly pruning session only remove approx 1/3 of the total number of branches. Our site is reader supported, this means we may earn a small commission from Amazon and other affiliates when you buy through links on our site. Remove about 30%ish of the bush from the oldest, most darkly coloured stems - some people remove more. Powered by, Pyracantha ‘Golden Charmer’ – Growing and Care Tips, Pruning Gooseberries – Pruning as bushes or wall trained cordon, 6 Best Inflatable Water Slides For Your Garden, Best Tree Watering Kits and Systems to Automate Watering Newly Planted Trees, Top 4 best pond vacuum cleaners, comparison and reviews, Top 5 Best Tree Stump Killers – Commercial Strength & Domestic Use, Water during the growing season during drier times to keep plants hydrated when the flowers and fruit are forming. Blackcurrant bushes are not difficult to grow and can produce 4.5-7 kg (10-15 lb) of fruit per year. Did you know blackcurrants can be eaten fresh, frozen, cooked, or made into smoothies, jam and jelly? Harvesting Blackcurrants:You'll see them darken and taste sweet when they are ripe, use scissors to cut them off. Blackcurrants are also very easy to propagate :) Related Videos. I cannot make the netting higher. Pruning Black Currants. Can I also reduce the overall height of the bush? hi Barbara, yes this should be fine. After pruning, it is always a good idea to feed with a balanced fertiliser such as Growmore and spread it around the base of the plant at the recommended rate. If you are planting bushes you have just purchased through the autumn and winter, they are usually bare root which is how they are usually sold by mail order nurseries at this time of the year, or alternatively, as potted plants in summer. Remove any older growth first but if you have to prune so it’s within the cage it should respond well as they fruit better of the newer shoots as you probably know. We are a mail order plant nursery, specialising in hedging, trees, fruit, roses & shrubs. Photo: Shutterstock The fruits can be frozen to use at a later date. Grow blackcurrants in moist but well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade. Also remove weak shoots and low ones leaning towards the ground. Pruning. It is now about five feet tall, and will press against the netting cage we will place over it in summer. Cut them right back to one of the the lowest outward facing buds. 2:01. Blackcurrants are also a great source of vitamin C. A healthy established blackcurrant should reward you with around 4.5kg (10lb) of fruit if cared for and pruned correctly. Also pick out all the weak & badly placed or poorly looking stems. Doing so leaves behind the healthy, young branches to produce large harvests each year. Summer pruning not only induces the basal buds on the pruned shoots to develop, but also helps the crop to mature quickly by allowing more light and air. Cook until a candy thermometer reads 220 degrees f so that the jam has candied a bit thickened enough to stand up. Repot container-grown blackcurrants every two or three years in late winter. Plant in full sun and they will grow in damp soil but ensure it is well-drained. removes dead wood; reduces height of bush; helps establish new canes; opens up bush to increase sunlight and air circulation in the canopy (poor air circulation promotes disease) – Ground spray for weed control – Planting of new cuttings If all the wood appears to be old, cut all of the stems down to about 5cm (2in) to stimulate lots of fresh, new growth. Blueberries don’t need any pruning for the first two years. Blackcurrants crop best on two-year-old stems, which should then be cut down to stimulate new stems at... Blueberries. The best time to prune gooseberries is in late winter or early in the spring when the plants are still dormant. Using sharp, clean secateurs, begin by removing dead, diseased or damaged wood. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. If it’s well established you may want to think about removing around a third of older wood at the base to make room for new shoots and they should be done roughly every 4 years. Blackcurrant bushes are very simple to grow. Top Tip: When harvesting, you can also do most of the pruning: just cut out some of the innermost, most heavily fruited stems and take them somewhere more comfortable to be stripped of their fruit: this will make mopping up the rest much easier. How to grow blackcurrants. This helps reduce stress to the plant and make it easier to see what to prune. So one plant may be all you need. Prune after fruiting finishes. Bush initial training. New season wood which is thinner and much lighter in colour. This is when they need the first proper prune. Blackcurrants are pruned in a similar way but fruit on 1 and 2 year old wood. In summer the same bushes may be pruned by just pinching out the tops of the leading growths and reducing side shoots so that five or six leaves remain on each. Your goal with your winter pruning of fruit bushes is to remove old wood and create the best shape. Black currants are naturally high in pectin, which makes them a great choice for homemade jams and jellies. The stems of container-grown black currants that have established roots do not need to be cut back after planting. Hi, just a note to let you know that we do use cookies to help us determine what our customers really want and therefore to give them the great service that they deserve. Older varieties tend to ripen individually, so the fruit will need to be picked individually as they ripen. We also use cookies to enable you to buy products from us online in a convenient and secure manner. Removing the complete branch will cause … They are one of the few soft fruit bushes to like damp soil, but they do need plenty of sun and a sheltered position in the North & Scotland. Height – 40 to 50 inches (100 to 120 cm) Exposure – full sun Soil – ordinary. If you don't have any on hand, use a solution of 1 part bleach and 10 parts water instead. – Pruning of bushes Side pruning, centre pruning, base pruning or selected hand pruning. Cut branches back to a good strong outward facing bud. Prune blackcurrants when dormant – from late autumn to late winter. Old season wood is easy to identify, it’s thick and dark in colour. Get the pruning right – at the right time – and red currants are hardly ever a problem. Pruning out some of the best performing 2/3 year old stems each year will keep the new ones coming. Red Currants are pruned differently to Black Currants. Prune out the short, spindly, dead or damaged wood – as close to the base of the currant as practical. Pruning Blackcurrants. Established bush. Containers. Grapevines are exuberant climbers, so if you plant one for its fruit you will … - J & k Digital Media Ltd, the owner of this website pyracantha.co.uk, is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking pyracantha.co.uk to Amazon properties including, but not limited to, amazon.co.uk. Cut branches back to a good strong outward facing bud. How to Grow Blackcurrants – A Guide to Growing Blackcurrants Blackcurrants. White and red currants fruit on 2-3 year old wood. Cut horizontally just below a … You must have JavaScript enabled in your browser to utilize the functionality of this website. Then mulch around the base of the plant with some good quality compost or well-rotted farm manure which will help retain moisture and suppress weeds. In year four, cut out about one-third of the older wood at the base, using a pair of loppers or a pruning saw. Grow this Onion Alternative for Ultimate Self-Sufficiency. They can be grown directly in the ground, but those of you who don’t have the space, don’t worry as they also grow well in pots. More modern varieties such as Ben Lomond, the fruit will ripen at once in bunches and can be cut off in full bunches by cutting the strings. If you are new to pruning then starting with Blackcurrants is perfect because they are so tough and hardy you needn't worry about killing the bush or severely damaging the shape. Blackcurrants are pruned in a similar way but fruit on 1 and 2 year old wood. Select about 1/3 of the oldest, darkest wood to prune away. After year 4 prune back yearly between late Autumn and winter and cut all the new growth back by around a third removing any dead, diseased or damaged branches as you do. Most of the problems associated with lack of fruit on red currant bushes is owing to the wrong method of pruning. It is easiest to then cut all sideshoots off each remaining stem - they can make it bend and latch onto other stems. These fruit on first-year-canes. Blackcurrants fruit on new season wood and old season wood won’t fruit again. You may consider netting the fruit against birds. This would help to produce the new shoots but we find that left un-pruned and planted as they are they usually do just fine. All Rights Reserved. For blackcurrants, begin by removing as much of the old growth as possible, retaining just the younger shoots. Remove any weak branches and prune back any crossing branches. This will encourage strong root growth. Hope this helps. Basic Black Currant facts. Old wood may gradually be removed from three-year-old and older plants by pruning a quarter of the old wood each year, plus removing broken, weak, diseased or misdirected branches each winter. This will encourage and make room for younger, healthy wood. Remove the entire branch right down to its base. Choosing What and When to Prune 1. The best way in how to prune currants is by using sharp implements that will make clean cuts and won’t invite pathogens. If they are younger and seem like they may have life left in them yet, you can prune them in winter. Clean your tools with rubbing alcohol or bleach after you use them. Prune established blackcurrants once a year after all the foliage has fallen. Some pruning can be done at picking time. BLACKCURRANT Ribes nigrum cv. PRUNE BLACKCURRANTS. Prune away any weak branches and any that are touching each other. How to Prune a Gooseberry Bush This will encourage lower shoots and when you prune back older branches to ground level, new shoots will come from the base of the plant. Your email address will not be published. Pests and Diseases After year 4 prune back yearly between late Autumn and winter and cut all the new growth back by around a third removing any dead, diseased or damaged branches as you do. Removing the complete branch will cause … This will give space and allow new shoots to form which will become the main shoots which you aim to have around 7 or 8 of. When pruning, a good rule of thumb is to keep a ratio fruit bearing limbs by leaving 2-4 shoots each of 1-, 2- and 3-year-old wood. They are excellent plants and produce fruit in abundance (around the mid-summer) which can be used in pies and jams. The stems of bare-root black currants (with multiple stems emerging from the soil) should be cut back to about 1 inch above the ground after planting. Spray your shears with rubbing alcohol, then wipe them down. Plants in their prime will produce 8-12lbs / 3.5 - 5.5kg of fruit each year. Prune mature blueberries between November to... Gooseberries. A basic recipe involves one part currants and an equal amount of sugar with a splash of lemon juice. Up to and including the fourth year after planting, remove weak, wispy shoots, retaining a … Annual pruning should begin two years after an autumn planting, as established blackcurrants produce by far the greatest part of their crop (and the best fruits) on the previous season’s stems. Sign up to our newsletter for a 5 year guarantee. How to prune blackcurrants Along with many soft fruit bushes, pruning is important for two main reasons. Prune in autumn. You can order at any time and your plants will be delivered to you at the best time for planting. Use secateurs to prune off a 15-30cm (6-12in) long shoot of recent growth. Remove the entire branch right down to its base. Very little pruning is needed after this for the first four years except for removal of … They fruit well on two and three year old stems, which then become quite unproductive. This is also a good time to remove any weak or low hanging branches which need to be removed to avoid fruit touching the ground. Remove about 30%ish of the bush from the oldest, most darkly coloured stems - some people remove more. Some of the smaller varieties can be grown in large containers. At any yearly pruning session only remove approx 1/3 of the total number of branches. It is easiest to then cut all sideshoots off each remaining stem - they can make it bend and latch onto other stems. Always prune between autumn and late winter when plants are dormant and have lost the leaves. Gardening and DIY tips, advice & product reviews. Feed with a high potash fertiliser weekly during the growing season and mulch the soil around the plant with well-rotted manure, leaf mould or compost. Diseased or damaged wood in colour to use at a later date other stems degrees. 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