Why and how to prune currant bushes correctly? How to prune currants after fruiting and in the fall. Is it possible to thin out red currants in summer?

It is almost impossible to imagine any summer cottage without the presence of currants. Of course, this is a very tasty berry, which is a real treasure trove of vitamins and other healthy elements. Therefore, every summer resident must know how to care for currants after harvesting.

Blackcurrant "Titania"

There are not many varieties of currants. It differs in the color of the berries and the timing of harvest. Currant bushes require good care in any season. But it is especially necessary to care for currants after harvesting and subsequent preparation for the cold season.

Currant processing after harvest in August

This period is indeed very important. After all, already when the entire rich harvest is harvested, the bushes begin to transfer the remaining strength to their leaves, roots and young branches. The time of most active growth depends only on the variety of berry, but generally it occurs at the end of summer - that is, in August.

If you carry out all the required procedures correctly and on time, then there is no doubt that next summer you will again have a rich and tasty harvest.

So, the secret of proper processing of currants after harvesting in August lies in the implementation of the following mandatory procedures:

Trimming shoots;
Loosening the soil;
Feeding;
Prevention and control of insects;
Watering;
Preparing for the coming cold weather.

Let's look at each of these procedures in more detail.

When to prune currants after harvest

The procedure itself must be carried out in two stages:

The original, so-called medicinal» pruning, during which it is necessary to remove all outdated, diseased or damaged shoots. And the branches that shade the bush.

The next one can be called " cosmetic", since the bush is given its final shape and the number of branches of different ages is controlled. This will allow the bush to produce a healthy, full harvest in the future.

An important point: bushes of any type of currant, the age of which does not exceed three years, only need to undergo therapeutic pruning.

As you know, the main part of fruiting is the shoots. The berries spread along the entire length of the branches, which are one or two years old. The branches die after just a few years of fruiting. Therefore, there is no point in preserving shoots that are more than three years old.

For this very reason, experienced gardeners do not recommend growing currant bushes as a border line. The bush must have at least fifteen healthy branches, among which there must be two-year-old, one-year-old and very young ones. Those who are not yet a year old.

What exactly needs to be trimmed:

All branches that were deleted must be burned without regret. But when to prune currants after harvest? Therapeutic pruning can be carried out almost immediately after picking the berries, so that the bushes do not transfer excess strength to the wrong branches.

Otherwise, pruning is carried out in early spring or late autumn. It is extremely important to carry out this procedure annually. It is advisable to treat all cuts with garden varnish. And then carry out active feeding of the bushes.

How to properly treat the soil around bushes

Caring for currants in the autumn season is important not only in terms of looking after the bush itself, but also the soil where it is planted. In general, soil cultivation consists of digging up areas of soil around the bush.

The soil must be dug up and loosened very carefully and carefully, stepping back from the center of the bush by about a meter.

After digging, the soil must be watered and covered with dry soil, the layer of which should not exceed ten centimeters.

The benefit of sprinkling with dry soil is that it will help conserve water and protect the entire root system from early frosts.

Features of seasonal feeding

Proper care of currants involves not only digging up the soil, but also fertilizing it. For these procedures, it is advisable to take potassium-phosphorus type fertilizers. Organic fertilizers are more appropriate to use only in the spring season.

Note that currant bushes can also be fertilized with superphosphate. And for mulching (sprinkling with dry soil after digging and watering), it is allowed to take humus.

Caring for currants after harvest is especially important because after the end of the fruiting period, the bushes begin to form new ones for almost the next season.

By the end of summer, the soil has already spent almost all its nutrients, which is why it is so important to help it and feed the bushes yourself.

If you skip this procedure, you may not even hope for a good harvest next summer. Additionally, you can perform a so-called “calming” treatment if the bushes look weakened.

How to feed currants after harvest

It is allowed to apply both organic and mineral fertilizers. But we must not forget that in any case potassium and phosphorus components must be included there.

How to feed currants after harvest? Experienced experts advise using the following fertilizers:

A mixture of potassium sulfate and superphosphate– one tablespoon per whole bucket of liquid;
Mixture of urea, superphosphate– one tablespoon per bucket of liquid, plus a glass of wood ash;
Mineral fertilizer It is advisable to use if the bush is weakened;
If we talk about organic fertilizers, they can be used bird droppings and verbascum(aka mullein).

The litter must be diluted in water in a ratio of 1 to 12 and left for two weeks. Take half a liter of tincture for a whole bucket of regular liquid. Mullein should be diluted in equal portions and left for a week. The liquid will need to be poured into the furrows made during the process of loosening the soil.

Remember that any variety of currant simply does not tolerate bleach. This is especially true for red currant varieties. Therefore, using potassium chloride for fertilizer is a very bad idea.

If you don't have enough time to prepare organic infusions, compost is a good alternative. It should be applied at the rate of one bucket per bush.

We should not forget about the benefits of folk remedies that were successfully used by our great-grandmothers and great-grandfathers. For example, you can use potato peels as fertilizer. It is enough to bury it in the ground around the perimeter of the bush.

Fishmeal and fish scales are also suitable for these purposes. One bush will require about four hundred grams. The bushes will thank you, because this fertilizer is rich in phosphorus, and currants simply adore it.

Blackcurrant, perhaps, can rightfully be called the most popular variety of currant. It has a special sweet and sour taste and a very pleasant aroma.

But even if at first glance the bush looks completely healthy, this does not mean that it does not require treatment. After harvesting, this must be done, because the bushes have remained defenseless for a long time.

To protect currants from fungal diseases, you can use a one percent solution of Bordeaux mixture, Fundazol or Topaz. These drugs will effectively help, for example, in the “battle” against powdery mildew. This is what black currants get sick with quite often. If a bush is sick, it is almost impossible to cure it.

If you see them while picking berries, you need to do this - five days after treating them with fungicides, treat the currant bush with insecticides. For kidney mites, good remedies are, for example, “Kleschevit” and “Karbofos”.

If no insects were found, then treatment with a fungicide will be sufficient. Afterwards all that remains is to sprinkle the tree trunk circle with sawdust or straw. This will help conserve moisture in the soil and protect the root system from overheating.

High-quality watering is the key to a rich harvest

In preparation for winter, all the plants in your garden begin to store useful components and water. Including currant bushes. Caring for currants after harvest should include abundant and high-quality watering. And it is recommended to do this before the first frost.

In order for the currant bushes to have time to prepare for wintering, it is necessary to additionally remove from the branches all the leaves that have not had time to fall and pull excess water from the branches. Only then will you allow the plant to retain more strength for a successful winter.

Preparing currants for the winter season

Winter is a special season. Which makes you shiver from the cold, but without a doubt pleases you with fluffy snow. This is the time when all nature falls into natural hibernation. But it happens that during the winter many bushes, including currants, simply freeze, which, of course, is not what any gardener wants. And so that such an unpleasant incident can be avoided, it is very important to properly prepare the plants for this period.

Caring for currants in preparation for the cold season is simple. To make wintering successful, it is enough to perform a few simple procedures.

Even before the first frost, it is necessary to wrap the currants. This can be done using twine. You need to use it to pull the branches up in a spiral. In this state, the branches will not rub in the wind and will be able to retain a maximum of fruitful buds;

If you are afraid of damaging the branches with twine, you can use another method - lay the branches closer to the soil and cover them with slate. This will protect the bush from the cold wind.

When the first snow appears, it will be useful to compact it next to the bush and cover the entire bush. It is very important to wrap young shrubs like grapes and cover them with earth.

Remember that quality preparation for the cold season will protect your currants from freezing. It happens that the wrapping has already been removed, but the frost has returned. In this case, it will be useful to cover the currants with straw or even old blankets. This will save the harvest.

Summer is a busy time for gardeners and summer residents. Already from mid-July, currants begin to lay buds for next year. Therefore, before the end of August, you need to set aside time and tidy up the berry bushes. Mandatory procedures: pruning, watering, loosening, fertilizing and protection from pests.

Have you harvested your currants? Don't rush to finish things with the bushes. They don’t look very nice, of course: branches sticking out in different directions, yellowing leaves, shoots slightly or severely damaged by pests. All this needs to be removed.

Advice! Do not confuse summer processes with autumn ones. Processing the bush after harvesting is preparation for subsequent activities. However, it is necessary to carry out all procedures in order to get a good harvest next year. In addition, summer feeding will allow the bushes to gain strength before wintering.

The processing process is carried out on all currant bushes, regardless of the variety. Let's consider what and how to do correctly to improve the health of berry plants.

Pruning after harvest

Sanitary pruning is carried out after removing the berries. Sharpen the pruning shears and first trim diseased, dry, old, thick brown shoots with plaque and damaged branches. Also remove excess root shoots located inside the bush. These shoots only thicken the plant. Powerful annuals should be shortened by 5-8 cm, but branches that lie on the ground or almost touch the ground will have to be removed completely.

Ballast prevents the bushes from developing normally and takes away juices. Once all unnecessary branches are removed, the plant will direct its sap to the main shoots. Remember that the thicker the bush, the fewer berries it bears, so regular pruning of currants should become a habit.

And now the leaves. Pluck damaged, old, diseased leaves by hand, but only on black currants. On red bushes, the leaves should fall off on their own so that the plant does not experience severe stress.

Advice! If after pruning there are good healthy branches in the pile, they are cut into cuttings and used for propagation. The leaves can be added to marinades, dried and brewed into tea.

Proper watering of currants

In order for berry plants to lay strong buds, they need moisture. Watering is carried out after pruning and harvesting the leaves. Add warm fresh water under the bushes in volume: for red currants 1-2 buckets for each bush, for black currants - 3-4 buckets also for each bush. The next watering will be only in the fall before wintering the bushes.

Abundant watering for black currants is needed to nourish the root system, which is located close to the surface of the soil. Red and white berries have a deeper root system.

Feeding bushes after harvesting

By mid-summer, the soil is already pretty depleted, so the bushes will have to be fed with a variety of compounds. A mineral mixture and organic matter will come in handy. And if the berry plants look tired, then anti-stress treatment is carried out.

Ingredients for processing currants:

For 1 bucket of water take 1 tbsp. l. superphosphate and potassium sulfate, add 1 tbsp. wood ash. Pour the mixture under each bush.
Dilute bird droppings (1:12) or mullein (1:6) with water, leave for a week and then feed the bushes. The finished mixture is diluted again with water at the rate of 0.5 liters of infusion with droppings per 1 bucket or 1 liter of mullein infusion. Pour a bucket of water under each bush (the grooves will help apply the fertilizer more evenly).
There is no time to infuse organic matter, add 1 bucket of compost under each currant bush.
A pile of potato peelings is the best way to feed the bush. Scatter around the perimeter or dig up cleaning. Fish meal and scales, 400 grams each, will also come in handy. for one bush.

Advice! Currants cannot tolerate chlorine additives. Therefore, it is better to leave potassium chloride and compounds with it until spring.

Anti-stress treatment consists of feeding with complex mineral compounds. It can be nitrophoska, and spray the leaves with Zircon. Both mixtures have a beneficial effect on berry plants and help to recover from exhaustion. If the currant is affected by chlorosis, this can be seen by the intense yellowing of the leaves, treat with nitrogen: 1 tbsp. l. urea per 10 liters of water and spray the bush.

Pest treatment

Both affected and apparently healthy bushes need to be treated:

A 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture, fungicides Topaz, Fundazol help against fungus.
For powdery mildew, repeat the treatment after 7-10 days or according to the instructions for the drug used.
For currant gall midge, use Lepidocid, Kinmiks, Bitobaxibacillin.
From bud mite: Mite mite, Karbafos.
From the glass: Fitoverm, Iskra, Aktara, Lepidotsid;
From aphids: Kinmiks, Fufanon, Iskra.

Advice! Treat with insecticides no earlier than 5 days after applying fungicides.

After the mulch is scattered, the plants are protected, you can calmly wait for the first frost. Then once again remove the weeds, carrion and leaves under the bushes, add soil to protect the roots from frost. And on the first day of snow, wrap the bushes in matting, burlap, spunbond and wrap them with twine - this will protect the berry plants from the cold.

Pruning currants in the fall for beginners is a responsible undertaking on which the fruiting of the bush depends. To perform pruning correctly, you need to know why it is needed and how exactly it is done.

Why do you need to prune currants in the fall?

Currants are one of the most unpretentious fruit plants for the middle zone. It develops very quickly, the fruits are tasty and plentiful.

However, after just a few years of the seedling’s life, fruiting may decrease - if pruning has never been carried out. The fact is that the old branches of the plant, growing, begin to interfere with the formation of fruit-bearing shoots and take away useful substances from them. In addition, with high density it is very difficult to notice branches affected by pests or fungi - in the presence of diseases, the development of currants also slows down.

Annual pruning in the fall allows beginning gardeners to:

remove all diseased and dead branches from the currant;
trim old shoots, freeing up space and resources for the development of new ones;
form a beautiful and easy-to-care bush;
make it easier for yourself to collect fruits from a currant bush;
promote abundant fruiting and increase in berry size.

With good care and regular pruning in the fall, the life cycle of currants is extended 5–6 times. For about 15 years, novice gardeners may not think about planting new fruit bushes.

Timing of pruning

The procedure is carried out quite late in the fall - at the end of October or even the beginning of November, when the growing season of currants almost stops. In cold weather, currants are less injured when pruning. In addition, it has already completely shed its foliage, so it is much easier to assess the condition of the branches and determine which ones need to be removed.

Pruning in the fall makes it easier for currants to cope with winter cold. In the spring, the plant will not have to spend time recuperating - the currant will immediately begin to actively produce new shoots.

Autumn currant pruning scheme for beginners

The procedure looks quite simple. It also takes a little time. But for beginners it will be easier to break it down into several stages - this will allow you not to miss important points. It is also useful to see what pruning currants in the fall looks like in the video for beginners - this will help you understand the nuances.

It is important to remember that even autumn pruning injures currants to a certain extent. In particular, at the 3rd stage you should not thin the bush too much, otherwise the plant may die.

To carry out the procedure, you need to arm yourself with garden shears, a knife and pruning shears - and use tools depending on the thickness of the branches. Pruning tools must be sharpened - only neat cuts are harmless to the health of the currant. Rough and uneven cuts can lead to rotting of the shoots.

Pruning for beginners is carried out annually, and for the first time it is carried out shortly after planting the seedling - before the onset of the first winter in its life. At the very first pruning, it is customary to remove all leaves and young shoots from the currant, leaving only the buds located low to the surface of the ground. Over the next few years, the procedure is carried out slightly differently, since it serves different purposes.

One year after landing

In the second year of life, the currant seedling needs to be slightly shortened and pinched - this is why pruning is done. As a rule, only strong, strong shoots are left in the amount of 3 - 4 pieces, and all other growth is removed as unnecessary. The tops of the remaining shoots can be pinched.

Before starting pruning for beginners, it is necessary to assess the condition of the currant seedling. If the young bush is very weak, then it is better to cut the entire growth into 2–3 buds; if the plant develops averagely, you can leave only 1–2 young shoots.

Pruning for beginners a year after planting helps to form the correct shape of the currant bush and has a positive effect on the speed of plant development.

2 years after landing

In the third year of life of the currant seedling, work on the formation of the bush continues. Pruning for beginners is done like this:

Last year's branches are either left untouched or lightly pruned into 2–3 buds for a more uniform crown formation.
root shoots are completely eliminated;
They also remove all new shoots growing towards the main trunk and all intertwining branches.

When pruning in the fall for beginners, it is necessary to leave only 2 - 3 of the strongest and most promising young shoots.

3 years after landing

As a rule, in the fourth year of life, the currant bush still continues to form, so the pruning procedure for beginners differs little from the previous year. The following activities must be carried out:

completely eliminate root shoots to avoid growth and thickening of the bush;
remove low-quality young shoots that grow inward, and leave only those that grow away from the trunk;
leave the shoots of previous years, but if the growth is weak, shorten them at the ends so that these branches do not absorb useful substances.

With proper pruning for beginners in the 4th year of life, the currant should be a neat bush with a spherical crown, consisting of approximately 10 shoots of different years.

Further trimming

By the fifth year, the currant bush reaches its best period and bears fruit most abundantly. At the same time, the oldest shoots begin to become lignified and gradually complete their life cycle. If left and not eliminated, they will begin to drain resources from the entire plant.

Therefore, in the fifth year of currant life and in all subsequent years, pruning in the fall for beginners is carried out mainly for rejuvenating purposes. Old and dry branches are systematically removed, freeing up opportunities for new growth. At the same time, for beginners, you need to remember that it is impossible to cut off absolutely all the old wood in one year - this will become a strong stress for the currants. Pruning should be done piecemeal, year after year.

Along with the old branches, bent and diseased shoots must be removed, as well as all young shoots, or so-called tops. Only strong, healthy, fruit-bearing branches should remain.

As for shortening pruning in the fall for beginners, shoots from 2 to 4 years old are pruned to the 4th bud, and young annual shoots to the 2nd.

Attention! After annual pruning in the fall, it is recommended for beginners to collect all the removed currant branches and foliage, and then burn them - this will prevent the spread of pests and diseases.

What is the difference between pruning red and black currants?

Beginners should know that pruning for different types of currants is slightly different. This is due to the fact that the life cycles of currants with red and black fruits are not the same, and if you prune in the fall for beginners in the same way, you can damage the plants.

First of all, red currants bear fruit several years longer than black currants - and develop more slowly. Therefore, shoots that have reached 7 or 8 years are considered old - only after this period it is necessary to prune in the fall for the healthy development of young branches. At the 5th year of life, as when working with blackcurrants, they should not be touched.
Also, when caring for red currants, beginners should not shorten 2-3 year old shoots and pinch out the upper part of last year’s branches.
Red currants produce young shoots in smaller quantities than black currants. Therefore, every year when pruning in the fall, it is recommended to leave some of them - new branches will contribute to the rejuvenation of the plant.

But sanitary pruning in the fall for black and red currants is exactly the same. Every year, for beginners, it is advised to completely remove all diseased, twisted, inward-pointing or damaged branches of the plant. It is necessary to eliminate shoots that spread parallel to the ground.

Advice! Although pruning in the fall is the least traumatic for both black and red currants, upon completion of the procedure, the cuts still need to be treated with a disinfectant solution - for example, Bordeaux mixture or ordinary garden varnish.

Care after pruning

After pruning in the fall, the currants go to winter, and care for them is reduced to a minimum. However, before the onset of cold weather, several more procedures must be carried out.

Before winter itself, for beginners, you need to take care of covering the roots of the plant. It is customary to mulch the ground around the currant with any heat-insulating material - for example, sawdust or peat. The layer should be about 10 cm, then the ground will not freeze and the roots of the plant will not be damaged.

Conclusion

Pruning currants in the fall for beginners is a mandatory procedure. There is nothing particularly complicated about it - you only need to remember a few main rules. Proper pruning in the fall will help to significantly increase the yield of the plant and extend its life cycle.

Young currant bushes begin to bear fruit after 2 or 3 years. With proper care, the yield reaches its peak by the age of five or seven, but if currants are not regularly pruned in spring and autumn, the plantings quickly thicken, the berries become smaller and there are very few of them. The natural aging of bushes, which occurs on average at 14 years for black currants, and at 18 years for red currants, occurs much earlier.

Purposes of pruning currant bushes

Proper pruning of a currant bush is the key to abundant fruiting and high quality berries. If old, damaged or, on the contrary, young but weak shoots are removed on time and regularly:

nutrients will be redirected to the ovary;
there is no crowding of shoots, there is less risk of infection by fungi and lichens;
plants are less susceptible to attacks by pests and diseases;
The bush is gradually renewed; old branches are replaced by correctly formed new shoots.

With the help of pruning after harvesting, good annual growth is ensured, the harvest of future seasons is laid, and mature, properly formed bushes are maintained in a fruit-bearing state for a long time.

Annual pruning of black, white and red currants should include several stages:

Pruning, aimed at forming a bush consisting of no more than 20 skeletal branches of different ages, is carried out after harvest, in autumn or early spring.
Spring pruning is sanitary in nature and is carried out with the aim of removing dry, damaged, frozen and pest-infested branches.
To ensure that more flower buds are formed on actively growing shoots, such branches are pinched in mid-summer.
After 5–6 years, the pruning scheme includes cutting out old branches.

Pruning currant bushes at different life stages and seasons

Currant is a rather spreading bush, which over several years without proper attention quickly loses its shape and ability to bear fruit effectively. The branches grow so much that the shoots inside become inaccessible to the sun.

As a result of pruning, there should be from 15 to 20 branches up to 6 years old. Weak, excess young shoots and already mature branches are cut out.

But this does not mean that pruning affects only bushes six years old and older. The formation of all types of currants begins from the first year, literally from the moment of planting.

Pruning currant seedlings

To properly prune a seedling, cut off the tops of existing shoots on the plant at the height of two or three buds. You should not leave more than three or four shoots so that the buds produce strong healthy growth during the growing season.

The main amount of ovary on black currants is formed on branches three or four years old, namely on short annual fruits.

The life of these branches does not last long; after one or two harvests they die off. And in skeletal branches older than 5–6 years, fruiting fades, and the shoots gradually dry out from the top to the root.

In red and white currants, fruit buds are concentrated on shortened shoots, and the ringlets are quite strong, after harvesting they do not dry out for several years and are located on the border of growth of different years. The greatest harvest should be expected from branches 4–6 years old. The lifespan of bushes in general for this crop is longer than for black currants.

It is important to remember that by using formative, sanitary and rejuvenating pruning, you can get a stable currant harvest for many years and not be afraid of the appearance of traces of diseases dangerous to this crop on the bushes.

Pruning currants in the second year of growing season

In July, in order to stimulate the formation of side shoots, future fruits, the existing branches are made shorter by 10–15 cm or by two buds. This technique allows you to activate underground buds, which will give new growth this summer.

Autumn pruning of black currants of the second year of life should be accompanied by the removal of fresh or “zero” shoots, except for a few of the most powerful and promising ones. They will become the skeletal branches of a berry bush.

If the plant produces too many shoots, you shouldn’t feel sorry for it. Until the end of October, when currants are pruned in the fall, puny shoots that create shadows and interfere with others should be mercilessly cut out.

They will not have time to ripen by autumn and will go under the snow too weak for wintering. As a result, the entire plant will not receive enough nutrition, and during spring pruning, frozen shoots will still have to be removed.

Third year currant pruning

In general, the process of pruning bushes that have already entered the fruiting season repeats the pattern of last year. Since quite a lot of shoots are already emerging from the root, for those starting mass fruiting of plants, it is most important that weakened branches that have not received proper development, emanating from the middle of the bush and capable of subsequently shading the formed ovary, are removed.

In mid-July, annual shoots are shortened, as they were a year ago, and from two to four buds are left on all branches of older branches. Whenever a currant bush is pruned, in the spring, before the juices begin to flow, or in the fall, all dry or pest-damaged parts of the shoots must be removed.

If diseased branches are found, it is recommended to burn them. In winter, a three-year-old bush leaves fully prepared and practically formed.

Pruning currants from the fifth year

Starting from the age of five, after harvesting, blackcurrant plants already need gradual rejuvenation, during which branches five years old and older that have already experienced their peak fruiting are removed. They are cut out above the surface of the soil, capturing all the tops and shoots coming from the base.

For an adult bush, it is important to remove all dry branches located in close proximity to the soil, as well as diseased and shading branches.

the lateral branches of two-, three- and four-year-old branches are shortened so that only 2 to 4 healthy buds grow;
in one-year-old shoots, pinch 10–15 cm to the bud pointing upward or towards the side;
cut out all annual shoots, except for the three or five most promising ones.

Features of pruning white and red currants

Red currant and its direct “relative” white currant have a slightly different bush shape. There are fewer drooping branches here, so the plant's need for sunlight must be satisfied by carefully removing all shoots that shade the fruiting branches.

And the whole pruning scheme is somewhat different from that carried out on black currants. In this case, flower buds are formed not only at the base of one-year-old branches, but also on short perennial ringlets from 2 to 3 cm long. Therefore, branches older than five years old bear fruit on red currants, and rejuvenation for this crop is required later than for black currants, and much less frequently.

Weak branches coming out of the fruiting season should be cut out after harvesting, starting at the age of seven. But you can’t pinch annual white and red currants in the summer - it’s on their tops that the fruit buds are located.

Annual pruning of red currants is carried out in the spring, before the buds swell and the active movement of juice, or during the dormant period, before the onset of cold weather. As a result, the bush contains from 16 to 20 branches of different ages, provided that 3 to 4 of them are powerful “zero” shoots.

Note to the gardener

In autumn or summer, after harvesting, remove unripe tops that are infected with diseases and pests. If the shoot requires severe pruning, it is better to remove it completely.

Branches with a hollow core require special attention. A back door going deeper into the shoot is a sign of a glassworm larva, a dangerous pest. Such branches are cut out and burned without regret.

In summer, during flowering, you can find brushes with signs of terry. They are subject to immediate sanitary pruning, including a small area of healthy wood.

For beginning gardeners, it can be difficult to determine the age of a shoot. The bark, like wood, is always darker on older branches.

But experts advise removing not only six-year-old shoots that have outlived their days, but also all weakened ones, as well as those sticking to the ground.

You can intensify the fruiting of black currants if, during annual autumn pruning, you remove branches older than three years, as well as those that have grown less than 20 centimeters during the season.

Old branches should be trimmed properly at soil level. The maximum height of the stump should not exceed 2–3 cm, so that it is not the tops that have a common root with the obsolete branch that grow, but the underground buds that start to grow. All saw cuts are treated with garden varnish.

It is important to remember that late spring pruning of living branches can lead to weakening of the black or red currant bush due to the excessive flow of juice.

And dead branches can and should be cut out without fear in any season, from early spring until the onset of autumn cold weather.

Pruning red currants is an annual simple event that allows the bush to renew itself and bear fruit well. But what is the secret of pruning? How and when to carry it out? Let's look into everything in more detail.

Why do you need to prune red currants?

It would seem that the bush is growing and producing good fruits, so why bother it? But this opinion is deceptive. Every novice gardener should know the basic purposes of pruning currants. And this:

Provide the plant with all the conditions for normal growth and fruiting.
Update the bush. This must be done because red currants will bear fruit only on branches of a certain age, and on old and diseased branches the harvest is pitiful and meager.
Carry out sanitization. It is necessary to remove all weakened and unhealthy shoots on which infection can multiply or where pests are already present.
Provide the bush with normal sunlight. Too dense bushes do not allow the sun to reach the base, which can lead to poor fruiting of the heat-loving plant.
Renew fruiting shoots. After all, by cutting off those that do not bear fruit, you open the opportunity for new branches to grow and bear fruit.
Form the correct shape of the bush.

Thus, by annually renewing the branches, you get a healthy bush that will bear fruit well.+

Pruning red currants

Under no circumstances should you prune red and black currants under the same system. The fact is that black currants bear fruit on 3-4 year old branches on the side parts. They are shortened for a better harvest.

Things are completely different with red currants. Let's talk about the basic rules for pruning red currants.

Currants need to be trimmed before planting. This is done so that the root system is better formed and the bush takes root. Usually 2-3 buds are left on the shoots.
An already planted bush is worth inspecting. If the shoots are large and long, they should be shortened to 20 cm and pay attention to their condition: the weaker the branch, the shorter it needs to be cut.
The first pruning is best done in early spring, before sap flow, when the air temperature is not lower than 5 degrees;
After the first planting pruning, some do not touch 2-3 year old shoots and do not prune last year’s growth. This is necessary for the bush to form and begin to bear fruit.
An important nuance is determining the placement of the cut. You cannot cut a branch at the bud. You need to retreat 5 mm. The cutting angle should be 45 degrees.
Cut off those branches that prevent you from forming the correct shape and grow inward. The branches should be positioned outward to better allow light to reach the bush.

The main task of the gardener is to trim old branches that are more than 5-6 years old. They already bear fruit poorly and do not allow the bush to renew itself. One-year growths should be left without pruning; this should be done only for the next year. You can leave old branches, provided that they bear fruit well. To do this, it is worth cutting off the old branch to the nearest branch. This activates the growth of lateral growth.

If you understood everything correctly, you should have 15-20 branches in a healthy bush from one to 7 years old.

Spring pruning

Why is it better to prune red currants in spring rather than in autumn? This is because you can already see exactly which shoots died over the winter and which are green. In addition, this will renew the bush before spring growth.

Here are step-by-step instructions for pruning:

First you need to remove all broken, very old and diseased branches from the bush;
If some of the young shoots do not bear fruit, you can also say goodbye to them. Don’t be afraid to cut branches; three good shoots are enough for normal fruiting;
If you see that the growth is not growing well, you need to cut off some old branches for better growth;
Remove young pagons and weak growths to the base;
If the tops have dried out a little, they should also be trimmed.

Thus, every year you should only have healthy pagons that will grow to the sides.

Care after pruning

After you have done the spring pruning, all the bushes need to be thoroughly fed with urea, the tree trunks loosened, and mulched with compost or peat. In addition, the bush can be fertilized with organic fertilizers under the bush. In summer, do not forget to water the bush.

Rejuvenation

Another method of pruning is rejuvenation; it applies only to old shrubs that are more than 15 years old. You need to do the following:

Cut the third part of the bush to the base;
From the shoots that appear, select the strongest ones, remove the rest;
Next year, cut out another third of the old shoots, leave the rest of the strong ones;
After another year, remove all old branches, young growth and weak shoots.