Do-it-yourself fencing for currant bushes

Currant bushes are distinguished by a rather intensive growth of young shoots, and over time, the side branches bend close to the ground or even lie on it. In this case, gardeners say that the bush is “falling apart.” Meanwhile, the side shoots are still quite young and bear fruit profusely, so there is no point in cutting them out. It is much more correct to make fences for currants with your own hands, giving the side branches a vertical or close position with the help of such a support.

Why do you need a stand for currant bushes

Fences for currant bushes are made so that the side shoots do not bend too much to the ground. The flexible shoots of the plant, under their own weight and the weight of ripening berries, actually lie on the ground, which not only spoils the appearance of the bush, but also creates a number of problems. Harvesting is difficult on such branches, the berries get very dirty due to their proximity to the ground. Air exchange in such shoots is slowed down, high humidity and proximity to the soil create an increased risk of infection of the currant bush with fungal diseases.

If the side branches are old, then they can be cut. However, this is not always justified, especially in red and white currant bushes. These species bear fruit on shoots that can be up to 7-8 years old, so if they are cut off earlier than this period, then you can obviously lose a significant part of the crop. It is much more correct to install an annular support around the bush, on which the side shoots will rest. Thus, several problems are solved at once:

• The contact of lateral shoots with the soil is excluded.
• Air exchange is normalized in the lower part of the bush.
• Fruiting shoots are preserved.
• The risk of infection of the currant bush with fungal diseases is reduced, as well as the risk of damage by pests living in the upper soil layer.
• Improves the appearance of the garden.

There are a large number of a wide variety of options for ring supports for currant bushes. Finished products can be purchased at a gardening store, and if you wish and have tools, these devices are easy to make with your own hands.

What are fences for currant bushes made of?

To make a fence for currant bushes, you can easily adapt a wide variety of things. Among them:

• wooden slats;
• wire;
• metal pipes, fittings, corners;
• polypropylene or polyethylene pipes;
• metal-plastic pipes.

When choosing a material and project for the manufacture of supports for currant bushes, gardeners are guided primarily by the simplicity of the design, its practicality and minimal installation costs. For some site owners, aesthetics are of paramount importance, and for the sake of the appearance of the garden, they are willing to bear additional costs. In this case, the support for the bushes can be made, for example, from carved wood or wrought iron.

It will undoubtedly look more beautiful, but to perform its main function, namely to support side shoots, such a fence will be no better than the one made from an old water pipe.

Types of fences for currants

The simplest support-fence for a currant bush can be made with your own hands from pieces of reinforcement and wire. Three or four rods are driven evenly around the bush, and then tied with wire, fixing it on each post. It is not worth driving pegs too close to the center of the bush, the fence should support side shoots, and not pull the bush.

Bush fences made of wooden posts and slats look more aesthetically pleasing. Usually they are made quadrangular by driving four bars into the ground at the corners and tying them with wooden planks. The structure is fastened with nails or screws. A wooden fence for currant bushes is often made collective if the bushes are planted in a row. You can see more about this in the video: 

Often, an old polyethylene or metal-plastic pipe is used to make a fence for currants. Typically, such a stand is made in the form of a ring, complementing the design with 3 or 4 legs made from an old metal pipe. For the convenience of putting on a bush, the design can be either closed or open.

To fix the currant bush, trellises may well be used. In this case, the shrub is made flatter by removing some of the shoots from opposite sides. The lower remaining shoots are simply tied to the trellis, and the bush itself is shaped like a fan.

For currants grown in the standard way, a fence is not installed. In this case, next to the shoot, a wooden stake is driven into the ground, to which a trunk is tied.

Requirements for stands for currant bushes

First of all, supports for currants should fulfill their immediate function – to keep the bush in a compact state and prevent the side branches from falling to the ground. In addition, devices must have some other qualities.

• Convenience. The design of the stand should not interfere with agrotechnical work in the root zone, watering or spraying, as well as harvesting.
• Mobility. Well, if the support can be quickly removed and put in place. The design of collapsible coasters is undoubtedly more complex, but they are more functional.
• Environmentally friendly. The materials used for the manufacture of supports should not harm the currant bush itself or the environment.
• Ease of manufacture. It’s good if the support stand can be quickly made or repaired with your own hands.
• Economy. For the manufacture of fences, you can use obsolete things or materials, which allows you to save a lot.
• Aesthetics. Properly and beautifully made support for a currant bush can become a real decoration of the garden.
• Durability. The materials used must be resistant to atmospheric moisture, sunlight, high or low temperatures, and the structure itself must last as long as possible.
• Security. The structure of the support must not endanger the gardener, pets or birds.

How to make a fence for currants with your own hands

If the funds do not allow you to buy a finished product in a store, then the fence stand can be made independently from improvised materials. The following are examples and photos of the most common fences for currant bushes, which you can easily do with your own hands:

wooden cage. To make such a support with your own hands, you will need wooden bars and planks. Their size depends on the size of the bush. The height and width of the cage is chosen in such a way that the angle of deviation of the side shoots resting on the fence from the vertical does not exceed 45 °. Four bars are corner posts. Planks are attached to them, which serve as a support for the side shoots.

Collect the fence as follows. Using self-tapping screws or nails, 4 sides of the cage are mounted on all 3 supports. Then the bush is pulled into a bundle using a conventional belt. The fence is put on the currant from the side, after which the boards are attached, forming the 4th side of the cage. After that, the belt that fixed the shoots is removed.

pipe ring. There are quite a few options for making such products with your own hands. The basis of the support is a ring made of a metal-plastic or polyethylene water pipe. Its diameter depends on the size of the bush. A variety of objects can be used as legs: the same pieces of pipes, fittings, thick wire. Most importantly, there must be a hole at the end of the rack through which the ring from the main pipe is passed.

Depending on the size of the bush, the legs can be from 1 to 4. For ease of installation, the support ring is often made detachable. A variation of such a support can be a plastic ring with wooden posts. In this case, the role of the legs is played by wooden blocks hammered into the ground along the perimeter of the currant bush. A recess is cut out in their upper end, into which the support ring is placed.

The shoots press the ring tightly against the bars, but for reliability it would be better to fix it or make it heavier by passing a metal rod inside or stuffing it with sand.

For lovers of strong and durable structures, it is recommended to make a completely metal stand for currant bushes from a corner or a profile pipe with your own hands. This option is suitable for those who know how to handle a welding machine and have locksmith skills.

Structures of this type can be made both all-welded and collapsible. Before use, they must be primed and painted, this will greatly increase their service life.

To make do-it-yourself stand-supports for a currant bush, you can use the recently appeared polypropylene pipes. They are durable, aesthetic and environmentally friendly, while not distinguished by a high price. For the manufacture of the fence, you will need a polypropylene pipe with a diameter of 40 or 50 mm, as well as 4 corner (two-plane) tees.

You can assemble this design using a special soldering iron. If such a device is not available or the design needs to be made collapsible, then it is preferable to use ordinary self-tapping screws.

A good option for making a do-it-yourself support for currants is a metal rod. If you bend it in a certain way, in the form of a ring with support legs, then such a device will serve as an excellent support for the bush. The method is good for its simplicity, however, to bring the idea to life, you will need good physical preparation.

A currant bush holder made of a metal rod, in the photo below.

The number of possible options for making fences for currant bushes with your own hands is much larger than described in this article. Human imagination is truly limitless.

Conclusion

Making currant fences with your own hands is quite simple, for this there are a lot of different options, for every taste and budget. Most of them do not require special training and are within the power of people with minimal physical labor skills. However, despite all the simplicity, installing a fence on currant bushes is an important procedure, and you should not neglect it.