Currants are among the hardest-working fruit suppliers in the home garden. You can significantly improve fruit quality and crop yield with expert pruning. Red and white currants are blended differently than black varieties. In this tutorial you will read when and how to properly prune currant bushes.

Currants should be pruned annually

Table of Contents

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  1. Types of cuts and dates
  2. Planting and training pruning
  3. Maintenance cut red and white varieties
  4. Conservation cut black currants
  5. taper cut
  6. Topiary standard
  7. frequently asked Questions

    8. Cutting currants - types of cutting and dates

    Red and White Currants bear the best fruit on the one-year-old side shoots of two- and three-year-old bottom shoots. By the fourth year at the latest, the yield is visibly decreasing. Black Currants fruits excellently annual long shoots. In both cases, pruning is aimed at promoting fruit wood and continuous rejuvenation through thinning out. The following table provides an overview of all types of cuts with recommended dates:

    cut type goal/occasion best appointment alternative date
    Planting and training pruning advantageous structure, growth promotion in spring 1st and 2nd year none
    Preservation cut red and white currants Convey fruit wood, thin out old wood from the 3rd year after harvest from the 4th year in spring
    Conservation cut black currants Promote one-year long shoots, remove old wood from the 3rd year in spring none
    taper cut Revitalize stale currants late winter none
    Topiary standard Prune the crown profitably after harvest in early spring

    Central pruning dates for currants are in midsummer or early spring. On the day itself, please make sure that the weather conditions are suitable. Please spare your shrubs from the stress of pruning on sweltering hot, dust-dry summer days. at mild temperatures and overcast skies all woody plants respond more friendly to pruning measures. The same applies to freezing cold winter days with temperatures below freezing.

    Planting and training pruning - step-by-step instructions

    All currants benefit from planting and training pruning. A slight pruning on the day of planting is the prologue. In the spring of the first two years you show a berry bush the way to productive growth. For this purpose, the number of bottom shoots that bear the fruiting wood is limited. This is how you complete the cutting care with expertise:

    • After planting in autumn, cut out damaged shoots that are noticeably weak
    • The following spring select the best five to seven shoots and cut back by a third
    • Start cutting over one outward bud at the ideal distance of 2 to 3 mm
    • Remove all remaining ground shoots
    • In the 2nd year on the scaffolding shoots previous year's increase cut back by half
    • Carry out pruning again on buds
    • Thin out excess, weak ground shoots

    The number of suitable ground shoots for the shrub structure depends, among other things, on the space available. If a currant bush can develop freely, leave up to twelve strong bottom shoots as a framework. A higher number puts you at risk of growing too densely, which significantly affects the crop yield.

    Freshly planted currants should be cut back by a third to force budding and build up an optimal structure. A currant bush is well positioned with five to seven strong shoots on the ground. All remaining ground shoots are removed.

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    Plant pruning - wake-up call for unwilling buds

    Every gardener finds it difficult to immediately cut a freshly planted currant by at least a third. If you later want to indulge in legions of juicy berries, you should still bring yourself to cut the plants. The reason for the urgent recommendation is a targeted redirection of the juice pressure to lower-lying buds. The growth law of top promotion teaches that a berry bush uses all its strength to transport its reserves into its top buds in order to grow as quickly as possible. Deeper buds do not sprout and roots grow weakly for lack of sap and vigour. By pruning buds at the top positions, sap flow is diverted to the neglected buds. This is where lively budding sets in, which is beneficial for rooting and gives you the valuable fruit wood.

    Red and white currants - maintenance cut

    Beginning in the summer of the third year, the training phase leads to the maintenance phase. There are two main goals for red and white currants: continuous regeneration and promotion of one-year-old side shoots on two- to three-year-old trellises. Four-year-old and older bottom shoots decline sharply, so they are removed in time to make room for new scaffolding shoots. The valuable fruit wood, which should not crowd each other too much, sprout along the two- and three-year-old shoots. This is how a maintenance cut runs perfectly:

    • The best time is after the harvest, alternatively in the following spring
    • To start, cut off 3 older scaffolding shoots (dark brown bark) at the base
    • In return, leave the 3 most promising young bottom shoots (light brown bark) uncut
    • Remove excess shoots from the rootstock
    • Cut back side shoots harvested from remaining scaffolding shoots to 1-2 cm short stubs
    • This year's light brown twigs as future fruiting wood do not cut

    Finally, devote yourself to fine-tuning the maintenance cut. First, remove all side branches up to a height of 30 centimeters. Side branches close to the ground are irrelevant for fruiting because there is a lack of light at this point. Basically, do not subject this year's budding to any pruning. An exception applies if the young side shoots thrive close together on the skeleton shoot, with a distance of less than 10 centimeters. Trim every other side shoot to a short stub.

    From the third year thin out three old shoots in exchange for young wood. It shouldn’t be more than eight to twelve scaffold shoots that are one to four years old. Cut off side shoots close to the ground. Cut worn fruitwood down to short stubs.

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    Immediately remove wild shoots on tall stems

    In the small garden or on the balcony, currants thrive splendidly as tall stems. This is a high-yielding noble variety that was grafted onto the trunk of a wild rootstock by the hand of the master gardener. Sometimes the wild rootstock draws attention to itself by shoots sprouting from the rootstock or trunk. No flowers or tasty fruits are to be expected from such shoots. Rather, so-called water shoots compete with the noble currant for nutrients, water and light. Remove wild shoots as soon as possible. Simply tear off the cheeky branches from the rootstock. Cut off blind shoots along the trunk just before the bark, without damaging it.

    Cut black currants

    Blackcurrants receive a significantly stronger maintenance cut than their red-fruited counterparts. The reason for the rigorous pruning is the valuable fruit wood in the form of annual long shoots. As the figure below illustrates, annual long shoots are not a case for secateurs. The continuous rejuvenation, similar to red currants, rounds off the maintenance pruning in a meaningful way. How to properly cut black currants from the third year:

    • The best time is in spring
    • Thin out some older scaffolding shoots at the beginning
    • Leave young, strong shoots on the ground as a substitute and do not cut them
    • Remove remaining shoots without long stubs
    • Cut back the remaining main branches to just above the second or third long shoot on the side
    • Cut back worn long shoots to 2 cm short cones

    Measure the number of main branches after a light-filled growth. Act according to the rule of thumb: a few, well-lit bottom shoots with one-year-old long shoots carry the larger and juicier currants.

    You have done everything right if, after cutting, your blackcurrant has up to twelve bottom shoots that only carry one-year-old long shoots.

    One-year long shoots are spared from the scissors when cutting for maintenance. These are easily recognizable by their light brown bark. Three older skeletal shoots are replaced by young ground shoots. Cut back the remaining skeleton shoots to the second or third long side shoot.

    tips

    Branded pruning shears are perfect for trimming one- to three-year-old branches. Thinning out old shoots on currants is no longer possible with one-hand pruners. You can easily trim thick fruit branches with a handy folding saw (€17.70) or two-hand pruning shears.

    Rejuvenate senile currants

    A well-groomed currant cannot do without an annual pruning. Neglected berry bushes withered within a few years to become an impenetrable bush with sparse fruit. That is no reason to expect the feat of deforestation. If you subject the undergrowth to an expert rejuvenation cut, there are good prospects of a new beginning rich in berries. How to proceed correctly step by step:

    • The best time is in late winter (good for the shrub and conforms to the Federal Nature Conservation Act)
    • Saw off dead, over-aged scaffold shoots to ground level
    • If there are any, leave young, light-brown shoots untrimmed for new growth

    As shown in the figure below, do not prune out old shoots if they have at least one young side branch to offer. Here the pruning shears apply just above the young wood, which takes on the function of the new main branch.

    Ideally, you can fall back on new shoots and some light brown side branches on old main branches. If both conditions are not met, the currant no longer has the will to live and should be cleared.

    Without a regular pruning, overaged, dark brown wood dominates in the currant bush. Cut off all old shoots at ground level. Young shoots with light brown bark remain as a substitute. Old skeleton shoots with young side shoots are rejuvenated by a diversion pruning.

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    Deriving pruning clears the way for young fruit wood

    In the professional pruning of currants, the focus is on a regular alternation of generations of young against older shoots. If the gardener is familiar with the derivation pruning, the pruning is very easy to do. To rejuvenate a worn, senile bottom shoot, look for a young, light brown side shoot at the bottom. Where dark-brown, old wood and young, light-brown wood fork, scissors or saws come into play. The old wood is cut a few millimeters behind the fork so as not to damage the fresh fruit wood.

    Shape cut on the high trunk

    Popular currants thrive as a decorative standard with a richly branched crown. An annual topiary aims for light-flooded growth and a harmonious, productive crown. Best time is after harvest. In contrast to red and white varieties, high-stem blackcurrants should be blended more. The following guide sums up the details:

    Red and White Currants

    • Ideal crown with a central shoot and 4 evenly distributed main branches in a diagonal-horizontal direction of growth
    • Cut back leading branches to a maximum length of 30 centimeters
    • Shorten worn fruit wood to short cones
    • Remove all side shoots of the leading branches that are 5 cm and less from the central shoot/stem
    • Thin out one or two older main branches each year in exchange for young scaffolding shoots

    Black Currants

    • Ideal crown with central drive and 6 evenly arranged main branches
    • After harvesting, direct all main branches to a young side shoot that is further inside
    • Cut back biennial side branches on the crown structure to 2 cm short cones
    • Cut out weak shoots that are growing towards the inside of the crown or that are steeply upright

    After a cut, please carefully inspect the support post. High berry stems are at risk of breaking, especially at the grafting point. That's especially true when the crown has its sweet load to bear. A solid support made of hardwood prevents the mishap. Tie the crown to the stake once and the stem at least twice.

    frequently asked Questions

    Are currants self-fertile?

    All currants are naturally self-fertile. The harvest yield is of course much more productive if you add at least a second variety. There are no limits to the variety selection. If you love variety, socialize white, red and black currants.

    Two years ago I planted red and black currants as stems. This year the yield is noticeably decreasing. What to do to keep getting good crop yields?

    Thin out the crowns every year in late summer by cutting out some of the older, thick shoots at the base. An airy, loose crown is important so that currants can get enough sun to ripen. Apply a special berry fertilizer (€3.94) with a balanced nitrogen-phosphorus ratio. Nitrogen-rich compound fertilizers drive the growth of leaves, which is at the expense of flowers and berries. Regular watering is important, because buds and flowers trickle away when it is dry. Cover the ground with bark mulch or use ground cover as underplanting.

    Are currants suitable for growing in pots? If so, how big should the pot be at least?

    Currants can be kept in tubs as long as the water and nutrient supply is ensured. For optimal pollination, we recommend planting at least two different varieties in close proximity and in your own bucket. A pot should have a volume of at least 15 liters, more if you like. In a sunny location, the substrate dries out quickly, which can lead to fruit drop. The more potting soil surrounding a berry bush, the lower the risk of drought stress.

    On my black currant, numerous fruits turn brown and soft every year. What are the causes? Can I do something about it?

    Currants are characterized by their pronounced sensitivity to drought during fruit ripening. If the soil dries out, the fruit will drop prematurely. Before that, the berries turn brown and soften. As a preventative measure, please ensure that the soil is continuously moist. Thin out the shrub once a year to allow air to circulate and allow sunlight to fall on the flowers and fruit. Check daily with a thumb test whether the soil has dried on the surface and whether there is a need for watering.

    Should I prune a blackcurrant after planting like red or white varieties?

    A moderate pruning after planting is advisable. However, do not cut too deeply into the wood so close to winter, otherwise frost could cause more damage. A light pruning in autumn supports root development and strengthens buds in the lower part of the plant. Only in spring prune all shoots by a third or half to get the branching going.

    When and how should a high standard be blended with red currants?

    After harvest, thin out the crown thoroughly. Cut off deadwood, transverse or inward shoots. Cut off worn side branches of the main branches to short cones so that they sprout and bear fruit the summer after next. In terms of continuous regeneration, we recommend regularly removing the thickest, oldest shoots completely so that healthy, young wood can develop. If branching on the main branches is lacking, liven up the shoots with a third or half cut back. Cut briefly across a bud aimed at the outer crown area.

    The 3 most common cutting mistakes

    The disappointment is great when fresh home-grown currants are a rarity in summer.Bald, senile berry bushes with poor yields are the result of classic pruning mistakes. The following table lists the three most common mistakes when pruning currants, names typical signs of damage and gives valuable tips for prevention:

    cutting error damage picture prevention
    never cleared densely branched undergrowth with a few currants in the outer area pruning out some of the oldest ground shoots every year
    cut back young shoots low crop yield Do not prune light brown young shoots
    no plant cutting poor branching, little fruiting wood after planting, cut all shoots by a third

    Another mistake when cutting currants is made by home gardeners in advance. Due to a lack of time or because it is simply annoying, scissor blades and saw blades are not cleaned before cutting. The result is an unbridled spread of diseases and pests via infected cutting tools. Please clean the scissors and saw with hot water before each use. Disinfect the cutting edges with spirit, benzine or Sagrotan.

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    tips

    Drip is a common phenomenon on grapevines, which also affects currants. Late frosts, extreme drought or cold in the middle of the flowering period will cause bud and flower shedding. Maintain consistent soil moisture throughout the season. If meteorologists announce delayed ground frosts, protect your berry bushes overnight with a warm fleece hood.

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Vegetable garden