What month do you prune blackcurrants?
Pruning of blackcurrant bushes is very simple. The time to prune is when they are dormant, mid-winter to early February is a good time for this garden job. Don’t prune for the first year of their life.
How do you prune an overgrown blackcurrant bush?
Prune sprawling branches laden with fruit for easy picking, cutting back to strong upright growth, but delay the main pruning until winter. Cut out a quarter to a third of the branches each year, aiming to remove old unproductive wood, weak growth and low-lying branches.
When and how do you prune blackcurrant bushes?
Pruning Blackcurrants: This is to encourage bushier growth from the base in year one, making a solid foundation. If you were planting pot grown plants in summer, you would leave them to grow as they were until winter, then snip the top/s off to encourage bushiness and still get fruit the next year.
Do blackcurrant bushes need pruning?
Just as is the case with pruning shrubs, it’s essential to prune blackcurrant bushes regularly to keep the plants healthy and help increase their yield. If you have a mature plant then pruning will be slightly different to new plants.
Do blackcurrants grow on old or new wood?
Blackcurrants are grown as a ‘stool’, with most shoots arising from ground level or close to it. One-year-old shoots are the most productive. Two-year-old wood will produce some fruit but older wood becomes non-productive, so each year some stems need to be removed to make space for younger ones.
Can I prune blackcurrants after fruiting?
Blackcurrants carry their fruit on the previous summer’s growth. Pruning couldn’t be simpler, remove the old fruited branches. Ideally pruning should be carried out immediately after harvesting or more practically, September.
How many years do blackcurrant bushes last?
10-15 years
Blackcurrants are usually trouble free and may live for 10-15 years. Net the bushes down to ground level to prevent birds from stealing the fruit . Or grow in a fruit cage. Reversion and Big Bud Mite may reduce their life but frost can be a problem particularly in Northern regions with early flowering varieties.
Can you prune blackcurrant bushes in summer?
Ideally pruning should be carried out immediately after harvesting or more practically, September. By the middle of summer the blackcurrant bush will be a mass of fresh young shoots surrounding the older fruiting branches.
When should fruit bushes be pruned?
In mid-winter, prune some sideshoots back to one bud and others to two. Cut back developing main stems by half their new growth and established ones to a single, new bud. In summer, shorten non-flowering laterals to four or five leaves and sideshoots growing from these to one leaf.
What do you feed blackcurrants?
Blackcurrant bushes need plenty of watering and feeding – particularly if container grown. In spring, feed with pelleted chicken manure or other high potash fertiliser, and add a thick mulch. Keep weed-free during the growing season and when the fruits start to mature, net your plants to protect from the birds.
Can You prune blackcurrants in the spring?
Yes, you can prune your blackcurrants in the spring. When growing this fruit, pruning is very important. Interestingly, it is also very simple to prune blackcurrants. The best time to prune this fruit is when they are dormant. Mid-winter to early February is a great time to prune your blackcurrant bushes in your garden.
How do you take care of a blackcurrant tree?
Finally, remove dead and fragile branches. In spring, add fruit tree fertilizer to enhance fruit-bearing and blackcurrant harvest. In summer, during heat waves or prolonged dry spells, water at the base without wetting the leaves.
How do you grow Blackcurrants from cuttings?
Adding fertilizer during planting raises productivity and blackcurrant harvest. Refer to our guidelines for planting. At the end of the winter, cut back old blackcurrant branches to about one-third and free some space in the center to create a bowl-like shape.
What is blackcurrant?
This fruit shrub produces beautiful black berries that sweet-toothed persons like to savor in pies, crumbles, jams and clafoutis. With a high Vitamin C content, blackcurrant is a must-have in the fruit shrub category. Blackcurrant is most delicious by far once it is cooked, since it is often very tangy when eaten raw.