Cutting down currant bushes to promote new growth

Vivienne-

Has anyone had any success with completely cutting down their currant bushes to the ground to promote new fresh growth?
I was going to grub out my current bushes and start afresh however on a recent addition of GW the mighty Don said you could cut them completely down to the ground
Not that I doubt the wisdom of this but would be interested if anyone has done this with any sort of success 

Bagpuss57

I have a currant bush but i didn't cut it down completely. I have just reduced it by thinning it out by cutting down the old wood to the ground. if you're not sure about cutting the whole thing to the ground you could just try thinning out part of the bush but just cut a few stems right down and see what happens to those next year. If they regrow you can do it better the following year. 

Vivienne-

Thanks Bagpuss57 I usually do as you have suggested 
however the bushes have been in for a number of years and this year the yield wasn’t so good so was attracted to this radical approach
i won’t be doing anything until the bushes are dormant 

cornelly

I remove this years fruiting stems, but not down to the ground, leave about six inches.

debs64

We have cut down all our raspberries but only because we want to dig them up however lady on our allotment cuts back hard every year and her bushes were smothered with berries so maybe it's a plan??

Vivienne-

Thanks debs64
I am seriously tempted to have a go and see what happens
I can always go back to plan A and invest in some new bushes

Skandi

I have a row of red currents that we inherited with the property, they are over 40 years old and I don't think they have ever been pruned! We felled a tree ontop of some of them so they got rather smashed, those I cut right down and they have come back wonderfully. All the bushes produce well, but the ones that were cut back did a bit better than the others this year, but that is 3 years after they were cut.

Vivienne-

Mange tak Skandi
I think I will definitely cut them all down to the ground in February and hopefully it will be a case of treat them mean to keep them keen