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Red currant pruning
in Fruit & veg
I have 2 red currant bushes which were planted about a year ago. They did not fruit this year and I know they need pruning. My instinct is to leave them but I think I have read somewhere they need to be cut back now. I am new to fruit growing. When and where do I make the cut, please?
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They need pruning after fruiting so I would leave them this year and look at them again next year.
Thanks
They are not as easy to prune as Blackcurrents where I just cut back hard the old fruited wood. However Redcurrants also bear their fruit on old wood. Prune bushes by removing diseased or only very old branches in winter, then prune new growth back to two buds in early summer to keep plants compact. Leaders should be pruned to outward facing buds unless the branches are bending or crossing, keep the middle open, they then should be cut to upward + outward facing buds. Best left until they have started fruiting.
Good luck,
Thank you all. I will leave them and swat up on prunung in the mean time for the season after.
Bjay- excellent book on pruning is 'How to prune' by the late John Cushnie. My copy is full of scribbles in the margins.
I also keep a diary of when & what I did to my bushes each yr. The weather also plays a part & last yr we had very liitle sun up here!
Looking at the latest forecast I've already told OH that shall be pruning my fruit bushes this Saturday! J.
Not sure just how much to cut off my redcurrant bushes. New growth or old ??
We were also blessed, the birds left half for us!
Hi all,
On the subject of leaders, I planted a new bush from a nursery last year, it was a cordon. I did not cut the leader after I planted it as it seems to be suggested I should have.
Should I do it now or wait until early next year, I haven't ruined my redcurrant by not doing it have I?