poorly red currents

[DanielC]

We acquired an allotment in the summer and there are 3 rather old and sad looking red current bushes. They are covered in lichen. Will they be ok? Is there anything we can do?





Cheers!

[nick the grief]

Hi Daniel,

Welcome to the vine. Your problems with the currants is the climate where they are growing, not the actual bushes themselves. I don't think that Lichen will hurt the bushes themselves. If they are in really bad state of repair, I'd think about replacing them with some new ones - You could leave thse in place till the replacements are old enough to give a decent crop, then just dig them out & burn them or if you can get hold of a chipper put them thru that.

[DanielC]

Hi Daniel,

Welcome to the vine.

Thanks!

Your problems with the currants is the climate where they are growing, not the actual bushes themselves. I don't think that Lichen will hurt the bushes themselves. If they are in really bad state of repair, I'd think about replacing them with some new ones - You could leave thse in place till the replacements are old enough to give a decent crop, then just dig them out & burn them or if you can get hold of a chipper put them thru that.

That sound good. They actually looked like they had had quite a lot of berries on last season (not too many leaves though!) I wondered if the lichen was a sign they were diseased or if it 'sucks' anything out of them. Is it 'contagious'? If it doesn't do any harm I don't suppose that matters. Interestingly the site is quite open and seems to get a lot of sun, is that what lichen likes? The plot was more like a medow when we took it over though. I have been given one new plant so I could replace the worst one this year and then go from there.

Also I'm not entirely sure how they had been trained. They seem quite squat, 4 foot with a big hole in the middle. This is in stark contrast to my Dad's bushes that are beasties at least 8'. Do you know what is best to be aiming for?

Thanks,
Daniel

[PAULW]

Daniel
Lichen is an indicator of clean air nothing to worry about, but then again I would be more worried about the mossy stuff growing under the currant bushes try doing a PH test and look to giving the currants a feed in the spring.

[DanielC]

Mrs C did clear under the bushes at the end of the summer and there was a lot of moss and ivy. Mostly grass coming up now but a bit of moss too. What does that indicate?

[nick the grief]

Hi Again,

The lichen won't hurt your currants. Try looking here for more info

http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0212089/lichen.htm

As to the size & shape, I guess ot depends on th avarieties as to the size, but if they were overgrown I guess that won't help. I guess someone has cut out the centre to help with the air flow as you would for a Gooseberry. As to what to do, Red currants fruit on the old wood so it's just a case of removing any dead, damaged or diseased wood an anything that is weak. Give thm a good feed and try and keep the weeds/grass down around them amd they should start to recover in no time.

Moss shows poor drainage but be carefull diging around the bushes.

[PAULW]

Moss does not thrive in fertile ground, if you have moss in a lawn you fertilize the lawn and the moss disappears.

[DanielC]

Nick/Paul,

Thanks for the info. Feeling more confident about them now!