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Rarely does a garden in Russia exist without black or red currants. This berry is not only tasty and healthy, it grows and ripens well in a wide variety of climatic conditions. And although this berry bush is quite unpretentious, it still requires some care. Pruning and caring for black currants in the spring are those operations on which not only the harvest depends, but also the health of the bush, its long and active fruiting.
Why do you need spring pruning of currants?
A feature of currants, like many other berry bushes, is active fruiting only on young shoots. Peak yield is achieved on young branches; older branches bear fruit much worse. At the same time, the bush is forced to spend nutrients irrationally, to use them not for the ripening of berries and the formation of fresh shoots, but for maintaining the life of older ones. Regular cutting of branches older than 3 years perfectly rejuvenates the bush, promotes its active growth and fruiting.
Spring pruning is also of great sanitary importance. After winter, some of the shoots may be broken under the weight of snow; bushes are often damaged by rodents or other animals; some branches may suffer from frost. In such shoots, insect pests usually lay their offspring; folds and cracks in the bark may contain fungal spores or pathogens. During spring pruning, all damaged and dried branches are removed.
The next most important function of spring pruning is the formation of a bush. Currants grow chaotically, forming a large number of young shoots. Over time, the inner space of the bush becomes heavily shaded, air exchange in it is disrupted, and this leads to the appearance of diseases and a drop in yield. During spring pruning, thickening shoots are removed, and shoots growing deep into the bush are also cut out. In addition, the number of shoots can be normalized if the goal is to obtain a crop with good marketable properties.
When can you prune currants in spring?
The timing of pruning black currants in spring depends on the region of growth. The optimal time is when the growing season on the bushes has not yet begun, but the frosts have already stopped. You can navigate this issue by melting snow; as a rule, the optimal time for spring pruning coincides with the complete disappearance of snow cover. At this time, the air temperature remains within + 3-5 °C, but sap flow inside the shoots has not yet begun, and the buds have not yet begun to swell. In Central Russia, black currants are pruned at the end of March or early April, in the northern regions a little later.
Features of pruning currant bushes in spring
Pruning currants in the spring is usually not difficult even for novice gardeners. However, some varieties of this shrub, or more precisely, red and white currants, have slight differences in the scheme and methodology of the procedure compared to black ones.
Pruning red currants in spring
Red currants, unlike black currants, do not age so quickly. Its shoots can bear fruit well up to 5, and with good care, up to 7-8 years. The annual growth of red currants is much smaller, so pruning of this shrub in the spring is not carried out so intensively. As a rule, branches are removed only after their annual growth is reduced to 15 cm or less. In the spring, sanitary cleaning of the bushes is mandatory; all diseased, dry and damaged branches must be cut at the root.
The pruning patterns for black and red currants in spring are slightly different. An important feature of red currants is that the main fruiting occurs in the annual growth zone, so they are not pinched. This differs from the black one, the berries of which ripen, as a rule, on the lower part of the shoots. Therefore, shortening the growth of black currants will not have a noticeable effect on the yield, unlike its red or white varieties.
Pruning black currants in spring
The bulk of the blackcurrant harvest ripens on shoots that are 2-3 years old. Therefore, there is no point in leaving branches that are 5 years old or older on the bush, since their fruiting is weak and they take up quite a lot of nutrients.Such branches need to be cut out completely in the spring, younger ones should be shortened. Annual shoots are cut to 1/3 of their length. Excess root growth is completely removed. This is a brief scheme for pruning black currants in spring
Pruning white currants in spring
There is no fundamental difference between white and red currants. Their structure and life cycle are the same, the only difference is that the berries lack a coloring pigment. Therefore, when pruning white currants in the spring, the gardener should follow the same rules as for red ones.
How to prune currants in spring
To trim currants in the spring, use a garden pruner; for thick old branches, it would be more correct to use a lopper. The cutting edges must be sharpened before carrying out work; in this case, the cut will be smooth and clean, without torn edges. This way it will heal much faster. Before starting work, the cutting tool must be disinfected with any alcohol-containing liquid to eliminate the possibility of infection.
There are several techniques for performing pruning. Depending on the purpose, they can be as follows:
- Ring trimming. This is nothing more than removing the shoot completely. The cut is made at the base of the annular bead, which is the point at which the shoot begins to grow.
- Pruning "to the bud". The method is used to change the direction of shoot growth, which is cut off just above the bud, the direction of growth of which coincides with the necessary one.
- Pruning “for promising shoots.” Of two or more shoots, only one is left, better developed or growing in the desired direction.
Sanitary pruning
Sanitary pruning of currants is carried out not only in spring, but also in autumn, as well as in cases of emergency, for example, when the bush is affected by a disease or its mechanical damage. The purpose of this procedure is to remove debris (broken and dried shoots), which is usually a breeding ground for diseases and a place where pest larvae accumulate. In addition to cleaning, it is necessary to cut out excess root growth and lighten the interior of the bush
Formative pruning
Formative pruning of the currant bush is carried out in the spring for several years, starting 1 year after planting. It consists in normalizing the amount of young shoots, as well as adjusting the direction of growth and strengthening the lateral branching of branches. As a result of such an operation, the bush should grow by 3-4 strong branches every year. The ultimate goal of formative pruning is to form a powerful fruit-bearing bush by the 4-5th year of life, consisting of 15-20 shoots of different ages. For beginners, you can clearly see the stages of pruning currants in the spring at different periods of life in the pictures below.
- After planting a blackcurrant seedling in a permanent place, the shoots are cut to a height of 0.15-0.25 m from the ground surface. In this way, the growth of lateral shoots is stimulated.
- For the 2nd year, growth is normalized - from all the young shoots, 3-4 of the most powerful and promising shoots are selected, evenly spaced around the circumference of the bush. In mid-summer, their growth point is pinched, giving impetus to the development of lateral branches. Shoots of the 2nd order are shortened, leaving from 4 to 8 buds on them.
- In the 3rd and 4th years, the formation of the blackcurrant bush continues. Weak young shoots are cut out at the root. Branches should also be removed if they cross each other and grow deep into the bush. Every year, from 2 to 4 shoots are left, growing evenly along the periphery of the bush. First-year shoots are pinched, older branches are shortened by 2-4 buds from each branch.
- In the 5th and subsequent years, the bushes begin to partially rejuvenate. From the growing root shoots, 3-5 of the strongest stems are selected, all the rest are cut out at ground level. Old fruiting branches are pruned annually, and after 6-7 years they are completely cut out. They also remove side branches if they lie on the ground.
Using pruning, you can form currants on a trunk. To do this, leave only one shoot, regularly cutting out all the remaining basal shoots. In mid-summer, the crown is pinched to promote lateral branching. Currants on a trunk have a beautiful decorative appearance. In addition, the ripening berries will be larger in size and have a good taste, but the yield will be noticeably smaller in quantity. A significant disadvantage of this technology is the rapid aging of the bush; currants on a trunk can grow for no more than 5 years.
In addition to the traditional one, there are many special methods of pruning currants, which have been used over the years to increase yields.
- Michurin pruning. Its positive quality is the high yield of bushes; this method allows you to collect 1/3 more berries than with the usual method. This technique is used in farms engaged in growing commercial products.Here are the basic principles for forming a blackcurrant bush according to this type.
- During the first 5 years, the bushes do not undergo any pruning, grow freely and bear fruit.
- Upon reaching 5 (sometimes 6) years, half of the bushes are mowed down to the roots in the spring, and after 1 year the second half is cut off. After cutting, the bushes are fed intensively.
- A year after cutting, 1/5 of the newly grown shoots is left, the rest is cut out at the root in the spring.
- 2-3 years after the first cutting, the blackcurrant bush is completely removed and replaced with a new seedling in the spring.
- Pruning for beginners. The method allows you to get a good result and at the same time minimizes the number of operations and, accordingly, the likelihood of error. Here are the basic principles of this type of blackcurrant pruning.
- The age of the branch does not matter. If its annual growth is less than 15 cm, it must be removed.
- Excess zero shoots are removed if the bush is very thick.
Advice from experienced gardeners
Currants are a very popular berry bush, and gardeners have accumulated a lot of experience working with them. Here are some practical tips regarding pruning it.
- The average lifespan of a black currant bush is 15 years, red and white - 20-25 years. You should not strive to endlessly rejuvenate it; it is much easier and more effective to uproot the old one and plant a new bush in its place.
- Currants take excellent cuttings. To take cuttings, you can use trimmed parts of the bush if they are not damaged by pests or disease.
- In order not to harm the blackcurrant bush, it is necessary to carry out pruning for the first time under the guidance of an experienced specialist.
- Compared to spring, autumn is considered a more promising time for pruning blackcurrants. This is largely due to the fact that the spring period of time suitable for carrying out the procedure is quite short and with the onset of warm weather it is easy to be late. In autumn, the procedure can be performed slowly and with high quality. But for white and red currants, spring pruning is more preferable; in addition, many gardeners prune these species even in the summer, immediately after harvest.
- Sanitary cleaning of currant bushes from dry or broken branches can be done at any time, not just in spring and autumn.
- The best time to pinch young currant shoots is mid-July.
- If the branches are old, but bear fruit well, then there is no need to rush to remove them. You can prolong active fruiting if you transfer its growth to the nearest strong lateral shoot.
- Different varieties of currants produce different annual growth. Fast-growing species are shortened more strongly; such shrubs reach their age limit faster, and the maximum age of shoots in them should not exceed 5 years.
Video for beginner gardeners about pruning currants in spring:
Care after pruning
After pruning, all large cuts must be coated with garden varnish. It is advisable to use natural-based products for this. After sanitary pruning, all branches must be collected and burned. To reduce the stress from the surgery, currants are fed. In the spring, it is better to do this with the help of organic matter, for example, rotted manure or compost. You can also add nitrogen fertilizers, such as nitrophoska. After autumn pruning, nitrogen-containing fertilizers are not applied.At this time, currants need phosphorus and potassium mineral compounds to lignify green shoots and better prepare for winter.
Conclusion
Pruning and caring for black currants in spring are the main activities that shape the future harvest. The health of the bush and the duration of its active fruiting depend on their timely and high-quality implementation. Pruning currants is not particularly difficult, but this activity must be approached responsibly. Inept or untimely pruning can greatly weaken and, in some cases, destroy the shrub.
