Pruning currants in spring and during harvest

Pruning currants in spring – one of the integral components of caring for this plant, which helps to form a harmonious bush, significantly increase the yield and simplify the process of harvesting it.

Red and white currants should only be pruned during the dormant period, when there are no leaves on the plant. These currant varieties bear fruit on old branches, so during the initial formation of the bush, you should select five or six of the strongest shoots and cut them at a level of about 20 centimeters from the ground, and remove all other branches completely. In the future, the bush will be formed precisely from the five remaining branches. Currant pruning in spring should be done annually or at least once every two years. At the same time, its main task is to form a bush, so branches should be shortened according to this principle: a quarter along the edges and a little lower in the center of the bush, so that the latter has the shape of a bowl. It would also be a good idea to thin out the crown a little in areas of excessive thickening.

Black currant harvest is formed on both young and old shoots, while the berries on too old branches grow small, so they need to be removed. It is necessary to shorten the shoots during the dormant period or immediately after harvesting, cutting them to a strong bud or almost to the ground and immediately hilling the bushes to stimulate the growth of new branches. During the initial formation of the bush, you should leave up to ten of the strongest shoots, and in subsequent years, remove no more than a third of all branches of the bush.