This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. In most cases, pruning in late winter will be just fine. In the fall, be sure to prune weakened shoots that have not received the necessary development. Pruning your currant bushes every year is the key to maintaining a consistent and high volume of fruit production. You may also see suckers growing around the base of the plant. Plan on keeping about 10 or so outward growing stems. Prune out the short, spindly, dead or damaged wood – as close to the base of the currant as practical. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. This will keep the center of the bush from becoming congested and allow plenty of room for new, productive growth. You can prune redcurrants the same way you prune white currants. Pruning Gooseberry, Redcurrant, Whitecurrant and Worcesterberry Bushes First keep the leg (if you have one) clean by removing any growth emerging from it up to the point that your bush branches out properly. Another reason you don't want the stems to hang too close to the ground is because they might get tangled up in weeds. This can be the hardest part of pruning because you may have to select some of the healthy new growth to get rid of. A well-rotted manure will do just fine. Up to and including the fourth year after planting, remove weak, wispy shoots, retaining a basic structure of 6 … Prune out wood in the centre – for light and airflow. A bush, grown on a leg which is 10-15cm of bare stem from the ground up, with an open centered, bowl shaped plant is the favoured form. Bush plants: In early spring of the first year after planting, select five main stems and prune them back to 15-20cm (6-8in), removing all other stems from the base. Learn more... Redcurrants are a type of shrub that produce beautiful, red berries. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. So, if you have a blackcurrant bush that is in its first summer, then don’t prune any of the new growth. With proper pruning, however, you can ensure that your redcurrant grows healthier, free of pests and disease. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Learn more... Blackcurrants are an easy-to-grow, fruit-bearing bush that produces edible purple berries during the summer. Prune. Blackcurrants bear fruit during the summer on the branches that grew the previous summer. Tip: Long-handled lopping shears are a good choice of shears for the job. Kinds. Volumetric - shaping or rejuvenating, trimming in the cold season is not allowed. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Alpine currant, or Ribes alpinum, shrubs are mounding, dense and compact, making them ideal bushes for a hedge. Both tools need to be sharp so that they leave behind a nice, clean cut. You'll be using the loppers for thicker stems, and the secateurs for thinner. Prune in winter to leave between eight and ten healthy, strong main branches each year. Year One: Have a cup of tea. Remove the entire branch right down to its base. Last Updated: November 25, 2019 All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published, This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Old branches will still bear fruit, but not nearly as much as new branches. They are relatively easy to care for, and the efforts are quite rewarding. This may seem like a lot of extra work, but you don't want to transfer the infection to healthy wood. Aftercare of Pruned Redcurrants Regular supply of new shoots (canes) is the desired end result, so ensure that you feed the bushes after pruning – in early spring – with a balanced fertiliser. You cannot prune them the same way you'd prune blackcurrants, however. Shorten all the branches by a quarter, cutting to an outward-facing bud. However, winter pruning is allowed only on absolutely healthy bushes. Remove any branches that are criss-crossing with one another as well in order to keep the bush from growing tangled. With the exception of big bud mite, redcurrant and whitecurrants bushes may suffer from the same pests and problems as … A simple guide for DIY gardeners. Cut back any stems that are touching the ground or that appear to be diseased or broken. The pruning can either be a general trim back to shape - but bear in mind that growth will be quite rapid after pruning, so a light prune might not be enough. You can use these methods to prune white currants and gooseberries as well. Cutting away the old growth rejuvenates the blackcurrant bushes and allows room for new, more fruitful growth. If your plant is in a pot, water it with liquid fertilizer every 2 weeks between late winter and early spring. The alpine currant is very hardy, tolerating winter temperatures as low as -50 degrees Fahrenheit and is drought-tolerant. If rabbit damage is found you can protect the plant with a fence formed with hardware cloth … This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. Alpine Currant. % of people told us that this article helped them. If you planted the bush in fall, however, you should definitely wait until spring before pruning. With the right pruning tools, it’s a job that you can do in just a few minutes! {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/2\/2b\/Prune-Blackcurrants-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Prune-Blackcurrants-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/2\/2b\/Prune-Blackcurrants-Step-1.jpg\/aid11354445-v4-728px-Prune-Blackcurrants-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"