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A rare garden in Our Country does without black or red currants. This berry is not only tasty and healthy, it grows well and ripens in a variety of climatic conditions. And although this berry bush is quite unpretentious, it still requires some care. Pruning and caring for blackcurrants in the spring are those operations on which not only the harvest depends, but also the health of the bush, its long and active fruiting.
Why spring pruning of currants is needed
A feature of the currant, like many other berry bushes, is active fruiting only on young shoots. The peak of productivity is reached on young branches, older ones bear fruit much worse. At the same time, the shrub is forced to use nutrients irrationally, to use them not for the ripening of berries and the formation of fresh shoots, but for maintaining the life of older ones. Regular cutting of branches over 3 years old perfectly rejuvenates the bush, promotes its active growth and fruiting.
Spring pruning is also of great sanitary importance. After winter, some of the shoots may be broken under the weight of snow, rodents or other animals often spoil the bushes, some branches may suffer from frost. Insect pests usually lay their offspring in such shoots; spores of the fungus or pathogens can be found in the folds and cracks of the bark. During spring pruning, all damaged and dried branches are removed.
The next most important function of spring pruning is the formation of a bush. Currant grows chaotically, forming a large number of young shoots. Over time, the inner space of the bush turns out to be heavily shaded, air exchange is disturbed in it, and this leads to the appearance of diseases and a drop in productivity. During spring pruning, thickening shoots are removed, and shoots growing deep into the bush are also cut out. In addition, the number of shoots can be normalized if the goal is to obtain a crop with good commercial properties.
When can you cut currants in spring
The timing of pruning blackcurrants in the spring depends on the region of growth. The optimal time is when the vegetation on the bushes has not yet begun, but the frosts have already stopped. You can navigate this issue by melting snow, as a rule, the optimal time for spring pruning coincides with the complete disappearance of snow cover. At this time, the air temperature is kept within + 3-5 ° C, but the sap flow inside the shoots has not yet begun, the buds have not yet begun to swell. In Central Our Country, blackcurrants are pruned in late March or early April, in the northern regions a little later.
Features of pruning currant bushes in spring
Pruning currants in the spring is usually not difficult even for beginner gardeners. However, some varieties of this shrub, or rather, red and white currants, have slight differences in the scheme and methodology of the procedure compared to black.
Pruning red currants in spring
Redcurrant, unlike blackcurrant, does not age so rapidly. Her shoots are able to bear fruit well up to 5, and in case of good care and up to 7-8 years. The annual growth of red currant is much smaller, therefore, the pruning of this shrub is not carried out so intensively in the spring. As a rule, branches are removed only after their annual growth is reduced to 15 cm or less. In the spring, sanitary cleaning of the bushes is mandatory, all diseased, dry and damaged branches must be cut at the root.
Pruning patterns for black and red currants in spring are slightly different. An important feature of the red currant is that its main fruiting occurs in the zone of annual growth, so it is not pinched. In this it differs from black, the berries of which ripen, as a rule, on the lower part of the shoots. Therefore, shortening the growth of blackcurrant will not have a noticeable effect on the yield, unlike its red or white variety.
Blackcurrant pruning in spring
The bulk of the blackcurrant crop ripens on shoots of 2-3 years of life. Therefore, it makes no sense to leave branches 5 years and older on the bush, since the fruiting on them is weak, and they take quite a lot of nutrients. Such branches need to be cut out completely in the spring, younger ones should be shortened. Annual shoots are cut to 1/3 of the length. Excess root growth is removed completely. This is a brief scheme for pruning blackcurrants in spring.
Pruning white currants in spring
There is no fundamental difference between white and red currants. Their structure and life cycle are the same, the only difference is that there is no coloring pigment in the berries. Therefore, when pruning white currants in spring, the gardener should be guided by the same rules as for red ones.
How to prune currants in spring
For pruning currants in the spring, a garden pruner is used; for thick old branches, it would be more correct to use a pruner. Cutting edges must be sharpened before work, in which case the cut will be smooth and clean, without torn edges. So he will heal much faster. Before starting work, the cutting tool must be disinfected with any alcohol-containing liquid to exclude the possibility of infection.
There are several ways to perform cropping. Depending on the purpose, they can be as follows:
- Trimming “on the ring”. This is nothing but the removal of the escape completely. The cut is made along the base of the annular influx, which is the starting point for the growth of the shoot.
- Pruning “on the kidney”. The method is used to change the direction of growth of the shoot, which is cut off just above the bud, the direction of growth of which coincides with the desired one.
- Pruning “for a promising escape.” Of two or more shoots, only one is left, better developed or growing in the right direction.
Sanitary pruning
Sanitary pruning of currants is carried out not only in spring, but also in autumn, as well as in cases of emergency, for example, when a bush is affected by a disease or mechanically damaged. The purpose of this procedure is to remove debris (broken and dried shoots), which is usually a breeding ground for diseases and a place where pest larvae accumulate. In addition to cleaning, it is necessary to cut out excess root shoots, brighten the inner space of the bush
Forming pruning
Formative pruning of a currant bush is carried out in the spring for several years, starting from 1 year after planting. It consists in rationing the number of young shoots, as well as adjusting the direction of growth and strengthening the lateral branching of the branches. As a result of such an operation, the bush should grow by 3-4 strong branches every year. The ultimate goal of forming pruning is to form a powerful fruit-bearing bush by the age of 4-5 years, consisting of 15-20 shoots of different ages. For beginners, you can clearly see the stages of pruning currants in the spring at different periods of life in the pictures below.
- After planting a blackcurrant seedling in a permanent place, the shoots are cut to a height of 0,15-0,25 m from the ground. In this way, the growth of lateral shoots is stimulated.
- For the 2nd year, growth is normalized – from the entire young growth, 3-4 of the most powerful and promising shoots are selected, evenly spaced around the circumference of the bush. In the middle of summer, they pinch their growth point, giving impetus to the development of lateral branches. Shoots of the 2nd order are shortened, leaving 4 to 8 buds on them.
- For the 3rd and 4th year, the formation of the blackcurrant bush continues. Weak young shoots are cut at the root. Branches should also be removed if they intersect with each other and grow deep into the bush. Annually leave from 2 to 4 shoots, evenly growing along the periphery of the bush. First-year shoots are pinched, older branches are shortened by 2-4 buds from each branch.
- For 5 and the next year, the bushes begin to partially rejuvenate. From the growing root shoots, 3-5 of the strongest stems are selected, all the rest are cut at ground level. Old fruiting branches are pruned annually, and after 6-7 years they are completely cut out. And also remove the side branches if they lay on the ground.
With the help of pruning, you can form a currant on a trunk. To do this, leave only one shoot, regularly cutting out the rest of the root growth. In the middle of summer, pinch the top of the head, this contributes to lateral branching. Currant on the trunk has a beautiful decorative look. In addition, ripening berries will have a larger size and good taste, but the yield will be noticeably smaller. A significant disadvantage of this technology is the rapid aging of the bush; currants on a trunk can grow no more than 5 years.
In addition to the traditional, there are many special ways of cutting currants that have been used in different years to increase yields.
- Michurin cut. Its positive quality is the high yield of bushes, this method allows you to collect 1/3 more berries than with the usual method. This technique is used in farms engaged in the cultivation of marketable products. Here are the basic principles for the formation of a blackcurrant bush for this type.
- During the first 5 years, the bushes do not undergo any pruning, grow freely and bear fruit.
- Upon reaching 5 (sometimes 6) years, half of the bushes are mowed in the spring at the root, after 1 year the second half is cut off. After cutting, the bushes are intensively fed.
- A year after cutting, 1/5 of the regrown new shoots is left, the rest are cut out in the spring under the root.
- 2-3 years after the first cut, the blackcurrant bush is completely removed and replaced with a new seedling in the spring.
- Pruning for beginners. The method allows to obtain a good result and at the same time minimizes the number of operations and, accordingly, the probability of error. Here are the basic principles of this type of blackcurrant pruning.
- The age of the branch does not matter. If its annual growth is less than 15 cm, it must be removed.
- Extra zero shoots are removed if the bush is heavily thickened.
Tips from experienced gardeners
Currant is a very popular berry shrub, and gardeners have a lot of experience working with it. Here are some practical tips for trimming it.
- The average lifespan of a blackcurrant bush is 15 years, red and white – 20-25 years. You should not strive to endlessly rejuvenate it, it is much easier and more efficient to uproot the old one and plant a new bush in its place.
- Currants are excellent cuttings. For harvesting cuttings, you can use the trimmed parts of the shrub, if they are not damaged by pests or disease.
- In order not to harm the blackcurrant bush, it is necessary to carry out pruning for the first time under the guidance of an experienced specialist.
- Compared to spring, autumn is considered a more promising time for blackcurrant pruning. This is largely due to the fact that the spring period of time suitable for the procedure is rather short and, with the friendly onset of warm weather, it is easy to be late with the deadlines. In autumn, the procedure can be performed slowly and with high quality. But for white and red currants, spring pruning is more preferable; in addition, many gardeners prune these species even in summer, immediately after harvest.
- Sanitary cleaning of currant bushes from dry or broken branches can be done at any time, and not only in spring and autumn.
- The best time for pinching young shoots of currants is mid-July.
- If the branches are old, but well fruiting, then you should not rush to remove it. You can prolong active fruiting if you transfer its growth to the nearest strong side shoot.
- Different varieties of currants give different annual growth. Fast-growing species are shortened more, such shrubs reach the maximum age faster, and the maximum age of shoots in them should not exceed 5 years.
Video for beginner gardeners about pruning currants in spring:
Care after pruning
After pruning, all large sections must be coated with garden pitch. It is advisable to use natural-based products for this. After sanitary pruning, all branches must be collected and burned. To reduce the stress of the operation, the currants are fed. In the spring, this is best done with organic matter, such as rotted manure or compost. You can also add nitrogen fertilizers, such as nitrophoska. After autumn pruning, nitrogen-containing fertilizers are not applied. At this time, currants need phosphorus and potassium mineral compounds for lignification of green shoots and better preparation for winter.
Conclusion
Pruning and caring for blackcurrants in the spring are the main activities that shape the future crop. The health of the shrub, the duration of its active fruiting depends on their timely and high-quality implementation. Pruning currants is not particularly difficult, but this event must be approached responsibly. Inept or untimely pruning can greatly weaken, and in some cases even destroy the shrub.