Pruning currant bushes is a necessary agrotechnical technique, the implementation of which contributes to the proper development of the plant. Subject to all the rules for pruning currants, this work is within the power of novice gardeners.
Why do you need to trim the bush?
This procedure has the following objectives:
- Formation of the correct form.
- Cleansing shrubs from branches damaged by mechanical means, pests or diseases.
- Providing branches with food.
- Rejuvenation of the bushes.
It is very important to form a bush during the first years of its life. At this stage, its further growth and development depends on pruning currants. Mistakes made during this procedure lead to diseases of various origins, low productivity and ugliness of the bush. It can develop one-sidedly. Cutting currants can be carried out in any season, even in winter, but this must be done annually.
What are the benefits of spring pruning?
At this time, for the bushes of fruit plants, the dormancy state was not over yet, since there were no vegetative processes and active movement of the juice. Spring is the best for pruning currants. The exact time of the procedure is affected by the weather. Pruning should be done when positive temperatures are established and no return frost is expected. Gardeners have little time during this period. With massive blooming of the kidneys, pruning stops. The benefits of pruning currants in spring are as follows:
- The growth force of promising branches increases, as a result of which the yield in the current year increases and the foundation for the future is laid. In addition, the berries become larger.
- The fruits ripen at the same time, since the vegetative mass is evenly lit.
- The sun's rays help prevent various diseases of the bush.
- The shoots of next year receive an incentive for growth.
The benefits of pruning in the fall
The procedure should be carried out when the bulk of the leaves fall. At this time, the preparation of currants for winter begins, as the sap flow slows down. Readiness for pruning is easy to learn: if drops of juice do not stand out on the cut, it can be done. The procedure ends half a month before the onset of cold weather, so that the wounds have time to heal. If the region of growth of the currant is characterized by a harsh climate, it is better to prune it in the spring, since autumn frosts can freeze the tips of the shoots. The benefits of pruning currants in the fall are as follows:
- The term of work is increased in time.
- The plant will prepare for the winter period.
- Young shoots are stocked with nutrients, which will allow them to actively develop.
- Replacing shoots in the spring will be more, because, thanks to pruning, the plant receives an incentive for their formation.
- Currant creates conditions under which fruiting will be better in the next season.
Rejuvenating pruning of old bushes
If you constantly update the currant bushes, they can bear fruit for 20 years or more. Anti-aging pruning is to remove old shoots, it stimulates the laying of flower buds. The procedure is best done in the fall. Black currants are cut in the fifth year after planting, and red and white in the eighth. The anti-aging procedure can be carried out in four ways:
- On the ring. With this pruning, all old and thick branches are removed. They are cut off at the very base. Large sections leave wounds from sections. They are treated with antimicrobial agents, and then coated with var.
- On the kidney. During pruning, shoots are shortened, due to which their branching is controlled. To stimulate the density of the bush, a cut is made on the inner kidney. For the formation of shoots, on the contrary, from the center to the outside. Thanks to this pruning, the bush is ventilated, and each kidney receives more light.
- Pinch. This procedure stimulates new shoots to growth, as well as regulated fruiting.
- Trimming to translate to a stronger branch. This procedure is especially effective for red and white currants. It is carried out on old branches that have not yet lost the ability to bear fruit.
Red currant
This berry variety is appreciated for its properties and composition, which is why gardeners grow it. Culture can bear fruit for 15 years or more, delighting its owner with a plentiful harvest. Trimming red currants is carried out in compliance with the following recommendations:
- It is better to carry out the procedure from the end of September to the beginning of the next month. At this time, the foliage will already fall, you can clearly see the shoots for removal. During pruning, the plant experiences stress, but it will be easier for him to transfer it, since currants are already at rest by this period.
- First, young weakened shoots and those that have damaged pests or diseases are trimmed.
- The procedure for trimming red and black currants is carried out in different ways. It should be borne in mind that the formation of a crop of black berries occurs on the shoots of the first, second and third years of life. Therefore, shoots of four years and older are subject to removal from this variety of currant. The remaining branches are shortened so that they branch better, and also cut off some zero shoots.
- The crop of the red cultivar is formed on annual and adult shoots, up to the age of six. During pruning, older branches are removed.
- It should be noted that in red currant young shoots are formed in small quantities. Therefore, they should not be cut, but better shortened.
- Part of the shoot from above is removed in the summer and only when the aphid has damaged it. This can be found on the twisted branches.
- Immediately after planting, all branches are subject to pruning; on each, three buds are left.
- In the future, over six years, only sanitary pruning should be carried out, which consists in the removal of broken, dry and diseased shoots. The procedure can be carried out not only in the fall, but also in any season when damage is detected.
- During pruning, shoots directed inward should be removed.
- With a strong growth of branches, they are shortened by a third of the length.
- To prevent infection, all sections are processed. For this, Bordeaux liquid or garden var is used.
- If the pruning of a bush of red currant is carried out correctly, then it has 20-25 shoots of different ages. All of them will bring a good harvest.
Black currant
This berry variety has high taste and medicinal properties. Black currant is a useful berry due to the high content of vitamins in it. It is used to treat colds and strengthen the immune system. The bush of this berry is sprawling, it has many branches of different years of life. Pruning black currants is to form a bush of 15-20 branches. Six-year-old shoots and older should not be left, as they will not bear fruit. Experts recommend starting the correct pruning of currants immediately after planting them. The concept of “correct” includes procedures that allow the plant to grow, develop and bear fruit normally.
Before planting, the tops of the shoots are cut off, leaving two or three buds on each. In a year, five to six new branches will grow from them. In the second year, the procedure is carried out differently. During this period, there is a need for pruning zero shoots. For this, three to five healthy, powerful branches are left, and the rest are removed. You also need to get rid of shoots that interfere with the development of neighboring branches.
Young stems are shortened to form lateral shoots. This time falls on the second month of summer. It is necessary to pinch the tops at the level of the second kidney. Thanks to such actions, the number of small branches will increase, which, having entered the fruiting stage, will please a plentiful harvest.
Currant bushes of three to four years of life are pruned in the same way as the previous ones. They get rid of unnecessary shoots, leaving only well-developed in the amount of three to six pieces. So that the bush does not thicken, the middle branches are removed, otherwise the fruit-bearing plants located in the neighborhood will be closed from the light. The tops of last year's shoots are shortened, leaving two to four buds. At this age, the formation of currant bushes ends. They get the right shape for their appearance.
Five to six years after planting, old branches form. During this period, anti-aging pruning is necessary. To do this, get rid of all the old branches. Frozen, dry, broken, lodged, diseased shoots are also subject to removal. The bush will survive its rebirth. Subsequently, cropping is carried out as described above.
Pruning a neglected bush in spring
This procedure is carried out when the currant has not been cut for many years. Over the years, many such branches have accumulated in its bush that interfere with the growth, development and fruiting.
- First you need to do thinning by removing all weak, damaged and low-yielding shoots.
- With the slow formation of growth, you need to remove several old, but strong branches.
- At the base, shorten, or better, completely remove the growth.
- Remove dried tops with a small part of the shoot.
Unusual Trimming Method
There are various technologies for carrying out the procedure. But pruning currants for beginner gardeners, experts recommend the Michurin method, which is especially effective in large areas. Its essence is as follows:
- After the seedlings are planted, they do not need to be cut for five years.
- After that, half of all planted bushes need to be cut to the very root.
- After a year, from all the bushes that survived, you need to leave 20, and cut the rest.
- A year later, the same thing is done with bushes of the other half of the site.
- Thus, all old bushes will be uprooted, in their place should be planted new plants.
Useful Tips
To prune currants in autumn for beginner gardeners to be successful, experts advise:
- Plant bushes should be planted before the onset of frost, in about 21 days.
- The shoot cannot be cut near the kidney, as the whole branch may die.
- If fruiting has decreased on an not quite old bush, pagons are completely removed from the plant at the level of three centimeters from the base.