pruning blackcurrant bush

[kate&rob]

i've had my lottie for 4 years now and have never touched my blackcurrants. i noticed this year that they are looking a bit sorry for themselves. do they need pruning? if so at what time of year do i do this?

[Rhona]

I've just bought a brill Christopher Brickell pruning book for Mr R... also have two large blackcurrant bushes. Very briefly, take out about a third of the old branches, prune down to ground level. Did you plant them yourself? Only as as they are supposed to do better with a deep planting, although yours sound pretty healthy.

They will crop without much attention but need pruning to maximise the cropping potential and size/quality.

[Reb Williams]

If yours are anything like mine (I inherited from previous allotment owner) they will be springing up all over the place, some near the parent bush, some far away. Rhona, or anyone, do you know how to cope with the 'baby' ones? Do I root them up, or should I actually be extra nice to them as they are the next generation? I can't leave them, because I can barely get between the bushes now.

Reb
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[Polly Fouracre]

I prune mine when I harvest. I get myself a comfy garden chair and a large bowl, then I cut off a whole (older) branch, low to the ground and sit and pick. I just leave a few young branches to grow on.

[Alison]

I prune when I harvest too as it saves time. If you just want to find out roughly what to do then have a look at the how to sheets on the Ken Muir site, they're very useful (and of course, free!)

[kate&rob]

they have been there for many years by the look of them. so it's too late to prune them now? i'll have a look on ken muir's site too.