To Prune or Not to Prune my Blackcurrant

[MarkPelican]

How does "How to prune your blackcurrant" go out of date?

Not this particular thread specifically, but there is information on the web in general which is out of date and can be misleading. The web information should be policed and kept relevant. I'd be intrigued to know how many of the threads on this discussion forum are "dead" or duplicates. An awful lot of people (again not specifically on this site) seem to ask questions without having looked for an answer first. If you take this thread, there are lots of places that tell you how to prune blackcurrants so why was the question asked in the first place?

[Snadger]

Not this particular thread specifically, but there is information on the web in general which is out of date and can be misleading. The web information should be policed and kept relevant. I'd be intrigued to know how many of the threads on this discussion forum are "dead" or duplicates. An awful lot of people (again not specifically on this site) seem to ask questions without having looked for an answer first. If you take this thread, there are lots of places that tell you how to prune blackcurrants so why was the question asked in the first place?

I could get all the answers I require by trolling the net. I would just rather use this discussion forum.

[Jay-ell]

Not this particular thread specifically, but there is information on the web in general which is out of date and can be misleading. The web information should be policed and kept relevant. I'd be intrigued to know how many of the threads on this discussion forum are "dead" or duplicates. An awful lot of people (again not specifically on this site) seem to ask questions without having looked for an answer first. If you take this thread, there are lots of places that tell you how to prune blackcurrants so why was the question asked in the first place?

Sometimes With the old threads the posters no longer visit the forum and there may be info you aren't sure of (e.g. how to tell old shoots from new).

Sometimes knowledgeable grapes weren't part of the original discussion and it's nice to get their view.

Sometimes your Google-fu just fails you.

[veggiechicken]

Not this particular thread specifically, but there is information on the web in general which is out of date and can be misleading. The web information should be policed and kept relevant. I'd be intrigued to know how many of the threads on this discussion forum are "dead" or duplicates. An awful lot of people (again not specifically on this site) seem to ask questions without having looked for an answer first. If you take this thread, there are lots of places that tell you how to prune blackcurrants so why was the question asked in the first place?

This is a forum - where people meet to discuss issues that are important to them.
The Vine is more than 10 years old - of course the same questions will be asked over and over again as new members join. We're here to help, not say The Answers on Goggle so go away. Whether the information on the web is right or wrong, we're not able to "police" it! Who can??
People join this forum for many reasons, some for info, some for free seeds! Whatever their reasons, Vine members are real people, with experience and knowledgeable answers for most of the questions that arise.
All these questions and answers form part of the Vine's knowledge base - and we're justifiably proud of it. We're not going to delete questions and answers because they're a few years old.
If you want one question about pruning blackcurrants and one answer - buy a book!

[bearded bloke]

information should be policed and kept relevant.

It is and it is, well up until it gets tangentised

If you take this thread, there are lots of places that tell you how to prune blackcurrants so why was the question asked in the first place?

Yes indeed there are, the question was asked because a member wanted to know, simples

[vixylix]

Mark that seems a bit harsh! It can be difficult to find the relevant information in old threads - some of which are very long and the whole point of this forum is so people can ask questions. If everytime someone asked a question the response was we discussed this is 2012 go look for it, it wouldnt be such a lovely place to be!

[BUFFS]

I do see this forum, with its different themes, as a modern version of having my granddad, when I was a nipper, being able to ask him a question, and get a reply, if he didn't know (quite rare), he would go, find the answer and explain it to me, in a way a 6yr old could make sense of, he was organic 50/60yrs ago, without even realising it, all creatures had their place but by clever planting he would limit damage to his crops. people will ask the questions that are new to them, those of us of the elder persuasion just have to recall that we asked the same when we started out and we were lucky enough to have some of the old school left.

[Greenleaves]

For every barrel of apples Mark, there are bound to be a few bad ones!

People ask questions on here as it's like asking a friend. In addition a website can't ask you to explain in more detail, if you ask the wrong question, you won't get the right answer.

[Losos]

Mark that seems a bit harsh! It can be difficult to find the relevant information in old threads -

I agree with you on this Vixylix, I have done 'searches' on here and on well known search 'engines' and not had a definitive answer, or in some cases well known search engines have failed to find any thing relevant.

The ability to have a 'discussion' as well as answer a question often brings up secondary points which are quite important e.g. with black currants many sources will tell you to cut back the old canes that have carried fruit but some say a quarter, some say a half, and some tell you to cut all the old fruiting canes down to ground level and just leave the new (light colour) canes.

From this thread I've learned that the extent that you 'cut out' old canes determines the size of the bush, I never knew they could get to 9ft. high as someone above has said.

So these forums do have their uses and long may they continue to do so

[BUFFS]

I agree with you on this Vixylix, I have done 'searches' on here and on well known search 'engines' and not had a definitive answer, or in some cases well known search engines have failed to find any thing relevant.

The ability to have a 'discussion' as well as answer a question often brings up secondary points which are quite important e.g. with black currants many sources will tell you to cut back the old canes that have carried fruit but some say a quarter, some say a half, and some tell you to cut all the old fruiting canes down to ground level and just leave the new (light colour) canes.

From this thread I've learned that the extent that you 'cut out' old canes determines the size of the bush, I never knew they could get to 9ft. high as someone above has said.

So these forums do have their uses and long may they continue to do so

9ft, on a chicken run, as was, but it was that first year, got to just 7ft this year but put out lots more sideshoots, so next year may be a real bumper year....hopefully..