Secateurs will help currants, or prune shrubs correctly

Each plant growing in the garden requires attention and care, and then it mutually meets a generous harvest. Pruning is an indispensable element of comprehensive care for any fruit shrubs, including currants. If you carry out this agrotechnical procedure in the optimal time and do it right and regularly, the result will not slow down the quality and quantity of berries grown.

Do I need to prune currants

Currants are one of the most common shrubs in our gardens. If you leave it to grow without cultural interference, then in a few years it can lose shape, become infected with diseases and minimize fruiting.

When undertaking a pruning shears, the gardener must understand that his main goal is to form a bush of 12-15 main branches no older than five years old. To finally make sure that this procedure is necessary, simply compare the appearance of the same bush before and after pruning.

The type of currant bush before and after pruning is a clear proof of the need for this procedure

Depending on the objectives, the following types of cropping are distinguished:

• sanitary - removal of dry, curved branches damaged by winter frosts, crossing or growing inside the bush;
• formative - an event that is held at the initial stage in order to form a young bush;
• anti-aging - a procedure to increase the productivity of an adult bush. With its help, the gardener can bring the culture into proper condition. If the bush is maintained constantly, then anti-aging pruning is easy to do. If they started to care for him, then you will have to work hard to bring him into a proper form.

Bush structure

Before you talk about the features of pruning, you should determine what a currant bush is. It consists of a root system, basal shoots and branches, the number of which increases with each year of life of the shrub.

Each currant bush consists of a root system, root shoots and branches growing every year

When to trim

The main work associated with pruning and forming currant bushes should be done in spring or autumn. It is required to carry them out annually. Most of the work is best done in the fall, and the effects of the wintering are corrected in the spring.

Spring pruning currant bushes

Spring pruning is more for sanitary purposes. Anti-aging pruning of the bush in spring is possible only in the northern regions, but even in this case it is better to still transfer it to autumn.

Spring pruning should be completed before the start of sap flow, which begins with the currant early enough. Prerequisite: the temperature when cutting must be positive.

If the pruning is delayed in time, then the started sap flow will prevent wound healing after the procedure. This will attract insects, which may increase the likelihood of the plant becoming infected with diseases.

Video: spring currant care rules

Autumn pruning

Over the summer, the bush acquires a lot of both necessary and extra shoots. Therefore, in the fall, you should conduct an inspection and get rid of everything that prevents the plant from developing properly and bearing fruit abundantly. The options for the work will be different depending on the varietal and age characteristics of a particular bush.

The best time for this procedure is considered the end of September-beginning of October, because pruning is necessary before the onset of cold weather, so that the plants have time to heal the damage resulting from the procedure.

Pluses of autumn pruning:

• a longer period for work
• the ability to get rid of diseases and pests,
• stimulating the formation of substitute shoots next year,
• creating conditions for fruiting in the new season.

Conducting a rejuvenating and shaping pruning is best planned for the fall.

Post-harvest pruning

The summer trim option comes down to two operations:

• removal of diseased and dried branches,
• pinching young shoots.

In summer, currants can remove old and diseased branches, as well as pinch young shoots after fruiting

Currant pruning rules

During the annual regular pruning, the aging branches are cut or rejuvenated, and as many zero shoots are left to replace as the old ones were removed.

The currant pruning pattern depends on the age of the bush

Anti-aging pruning

There are a number of rules that should be followed when cropping:

1. Perform a preliminary inspection to understand which branches need pruning.
2. Cut old (over five years old) branches with low productivity. They can be identified by the black color of the bark. They are removed from the surface of the earth, leaving a small stump, which is covered with garden var.
3. Cut branches infected with glass. They are identified by the black hole inside the stem.
4. Cut all branches hanging to the ground and lying on it.
5. Thin out heavily interwoven branches growing inside the bush.
6. Young strong shoots should be slightly shortened, leaving a few buds on each branch.

When pruning a currant bush, it is necessary to remove old, diseased and thickening branches

Forming Cut

When pruning a young bush, there are their own characteristics:

1. The first haircut is carried out almost immediately after planting. Shoots are cut just above the third kidney: this helps the correct formation of a growing bush.
2. At two-year-old bushes, zero shoots should be cut, leaving 4-5 branches, which will create a later skeletal base. In this case, all branches growing inside the crown and obscuring the fruit shoots are cut.
3. By the end of the third year, the bush can be considered formed. Subsequently, in its structure, with the annual replacement of old branches with younger ones, 12-15 branches should be constantly present at the age of one to four.
4. To form additional lateral branches, starting from the age of one year, the shoots of the current year are shortened by 3 buds.

If annual currants are cut, starting from the moment of planting, then by the third year the bush can be considered formed

Stem Currant

In addition to bushes of a familiar type, the standard form has recently spread. The stem bush resembles a small tree. To form it, suitable varieties that give a minimum of shoots from below, for example: Dove, Goliath, Rovada.

1. To begin the formation of the stem, in the early spring, one well-developed vertical shoot up to 30 cm high is selected, and the side shoots are cut off at the base.
2. Two or three apical buds are left on the shoot.
3. On the shoots of the first year, all buds in the area of ​​the stem and basal (zero) are removed.
4. On the shoots of the second year, shorten all branches longer than 10 cm.
5. From the third year they perform regular sanitary pruning. From the upper shoots form a crown. Too long - shorten.
6. All shoots formed on the stem are regularly removed. For stability, the bush is tied to a peg.

To form a stem currant, one well-developed vertical shoot is selected, and the side branches are cut at the base

Berries of standard currant ripen faster and contain more sugars than fruits of the same variety from a traditional-shaped bush.

The formation of standardized forms of fruit shrubs is a creative occupation that requires time, effort and inspiration. But as a result, in addition to a rich harvest, you can get a beautiful, but at the same time compact decoration of the site.

Photo Gallery: Standard Currant

If pruning currants regularly, preventing uncontrolled growth of branches and shoots, then it is not difficult to do. If everything is left to chance, then, as in any business, later you will have to work hard, correcting flaws.