When and how to prune currants correctly for a good harvest

Currant pruning is the most important agrotechnical technique that is carried out for the proper development of bushes. Before removing currant shoots, you need to become more familiar with the features of this process.

The feasibility of pruning

First, you need to figure out why shrubs with berries are pruned. There are two main types of this procedure, which have different goals:

• Formative. Gardeners advise carrying out formative pruning of bushes so that they do not have many shoots and their crown has the correct shape. If you periodically remove old branches, younger and more fertile branches will begin to appear on the plant, which contribute to increased fruiting. The procedure is carried out in the first half of spring, before the first buds swell.
• Sanitary. Proper care of the plant should be accompanied by sanitary pruning. It is carried out to clean the bush of dried leaves and dry branches, to which the plant gives part of its nutritional components. Experts advise immediately getting rid of dried branches with leaves, as they promote the growth of fungi and attract pathogens. Most often, powdery mildew develops because of this, which leads to the death of the planted currants.

What tools are needed

Before removing shoots from currant bushes, you will need to first prepare your equipment. To perform the work, use the following tools:

• garden scissors for cutting leaves and thin twigs;
• brush cutter;
• bypass or regular pruning shears;
• lopper

Some experts advise using a hacksaw if you need to cut down thick, dried branches. All elements of equipment must be sharp, and therefore, if necessary, they are sharpened.

Terms and rules

It is recommended to determine the timing of the procedure in advance in order to figure out when it is best to get rid of old branches.

Autumn pruning

In order for the shrub to survive the winter normally, it is pruned in the autumn. In this case, the procedure is carried out 1-2 weeks after all the leaves have fallen from the plant. The main advantages of pruning in autumn include:

• increasing productivity;
• strengthening immunity;
• activation of shoot development.

Summer bush formation

Some people prefer to prune their bushes in the summer after picking berries. Most often, the procedure is carried out in August or July, when the crop is fully ripe.

In summer, young green shoots are pinched on the bushes and dried branches are cut off.

Spring

Experts advise pruning shrubs in the spring, before the growing season begins. Pruning is done after frosts have disappeared outside and the temperature will always be above zero.

When is it better to prune currants: in autumn or spring?

Some gardeners can't figure out when to prune their shrubs. To have a good harvest in summer, it is better to cut the shoots in mid or early autumn.

Does regionalization affect timing?

When determining the timing of pruning currant bushes, pay attention to the region in which they are grown. For example, Siberian gardeners should do this only in spring or summer, when there are no severe frosts. It is much easier for residents of the southern regions, since the climatic conditions of their area allow them to independently choose the timing of pruning.

Step-by-step instructions for pruning

It is not easy to prune plants without preliminary preparation, and therefore gardeners will have to familiarize themselves with the peculiarities of such work in advance.During preparation, a pruning diagram is studied, as well as step-by-step instructions for performing the procedure.

Pre-landing

Many gardeners plant currant seedlings a month and a half before the first frost. It is during this period that pre-planting pruning of the plant is carried out. The tops of all shoots are carefully cut off, after which three buds remain on the branches. The very next year, at least five young shoots will form on the bushes.

The simplest sanitary

When carrying out sanitary pruning of bushes, the following sequence of actions is performed:

• removal of dried and broken branches;
• cutting out shoots that grow slowly;
• cutting shoots that have a deformed shape;
• eliminating branches intertwined with each other;
• pruning shoots that are infected with infectious diseases.

Radical

Radical pruning is done if you need to completely cut off the central stem with all the side shoots. This method is used when old shrubs 10-15 years old are rejuvenated. Rejuvenation is carried out in early spring or late autumn before the onset of frost. After cutting the bush, the remaining stump is mulched with sawdust or straw.

Michurinskaya

The Michurin method is used by people who plant currants to sell ripe berries.

If you prune currant bushes correctly, over time their yield will increase significantly.

The procedure is carried out no earlier than five years after planting the berries on the site. The plant is pruned at the root, after which the soil near the cut is fertilized with organic fertilizers. In a year, young fruit-bearing branches will appear at the cutting site.

Standard forms

When growing standard currants, you will have to periodically trim the bushes so that their root system develops normally. To do this, all shoots are shortened so that no more than three young buds remain on them.

How to rejuvenate an old bush

Without periodic rejuvenation, currant bushes will begin to bear fruit worse. Therefore, we need to figure out how to properly rejuvenate shrubs during cultivation. When rejuvenating, you need to get rid of:

• weakened growths that grow poorly;
• barren branches without berries;
• broken shoots or branches that lie on the ground.

When pruning, you need to ensure that the branches are cut to mature wood, from which powerful and fertile branches will grow.

What is the difference between pruning red, black, and white currants?

Some inexperienced gardeners think that there are no differences in pruning different types of currant bushes, but this is not the case. Rejuvenating white and red currants is slightly different from rejuvenating black currants. The differences are related to the characteristics of fruiting and plant growth.

In white and red varieties, fruit buds form near the base of the shoots or near the ringlets. Thanks to this, their old branches bear fruit just as well as new ones. Therefore, experienced gardeners do not advise frequently pruning such shrubs. Old branches of black currant, on the contrary, bear fruit worse and have to be cut off.

The nuances of pruning different varieties

There are certain nuances in pruning shoots for different varieties of currants. You need to familiarize yourself with them in advance in order to properly rejuvenate the bushes.

Altai

The main feature of Altai currant varieties is that they bear fruit only in the middle and upper part of the stem. Therefore, if you cut them, the amount of harvest obtained will drop several times.

Gardeners who have been growing Altai berries for several years are advised to cut off old branches, as they bear fruit worse than others. You can also get rid of diseased and drying shoots.

Bushes with active shoot formation

Berries with active fruiting are popular among gardeners, as they are the most productive. A distinctive feature of such bushes is the high rate of emergence of new shoots in the lower part of the plants. They branch poorly, and therefore some of them are completely cut out. Shoots longer than 35 centimeters are shortened to get rid of young and weakened buds.

With passive shoot formation

Plants that have passive shoot formation are planted much less frequently than other varieties, as they grow slowly. Gardeners advise cutting off branches that are more than six years old because they stop bearing fruit.

Is it necessary to feed the plant after the procedure?

Some gardeners are interested in whether it is possible to fertilize currants after pruning. Fertilizing is mandatory, as it saturates the soil with nutritional components that are needed for the development of currant bushes.

Sometimes after rejuvenation, the bushes become depleted and weaken. In this case, they are fed with nitrophoska and other mineral fertilizers. You can also add fertilizing mixtures that contain nitrogen to the soil. To prepare them, add a tablespoon of urea to ten liters of water, after which the mixture is poured under the currants.

Don’t forget about organic fertilizers, which the berries also need. Fertilizer made from bird droppings is considered effective. To create it, litter with mullein is added to a barrel of water in equal quantities.The mixture is infused for a week and a half, after which it is poured under each bush. In order not to waste time creating fertilizing mixtures, you can add compost to the soil.

The main mistakes made when shaping a bush

Correct formation of the bush is very important, since the yield depends on it. However, not all people manage to prune their plants perfectly due to mistakes made. Common mistakes include:

• Failure to comply with work deadlines. Some gardeners remove shoots at the wrong time. This can lead to the death of currants.
• Inattention. There are cases when people inattentively prune bushes, and they are left with dry or disease-affected branches.
• Using unsharpened tools. All equipment used when cutting branches must be sharp.
• Violation of the frequency of pruning. It is necessary to cut out old and dry shoots annually. If this is not done, the bushes will quickly thicken and begin to develop more slowly.

Conclusion

Many gardeners plant currant bushes in their summer cottages. During their cultivation, it is recommended to periodically trim the shoots. However, before this, you need to become familiar with the purpose of removing branches, as well as with the main features of this work.