Blackcurrants - great foliage but no fruit

[Urszula]

Hi, I would be grateful for some blackcurrant advice please. I planted 3 plants about two years ago. Last year I had no flowers and no fruit, but I put this down to settling in. This year I have amazing foliage, really healthy, the plants are really bushy and about 3ft tall. I did not however have any flowers and no fruit again this year. Can someone tell me why? Also do I prune these like raspberries, just this years fruiting canes to cut down, or do all the branches need to be cut to the base.

Thank you for your help

Best Wishes Urszula

[Tam]

Blackcurrants fruit on older wood - the lush growth you mention will give you a good crop next year.
Normally one would remove the branches that have fruited and leave the current year's growth for future fruit. If you look after your plant they will give you massive crops for years. Our plants are over thirty years old.

[rustylady]

As Tam said, the lush growth should bear fruit next year, so no pruning required at the moment.

[Aberdeenplotter]

Once a blackcurrant bush is established, the norm is to cut out about a third of the old wood every year.

[Aberdeenplotter]

When planting the bushes, it is recommended that the stem be cut back to about 9". Not quite sure what that is about except perhaps to encourage the production of new shoots but not doing so may also affect the production of flowers and the setting of fruit. The "I've had my head cut off and I'm going to die so I must reproduce syndrome "

[Tam]

Blackcurrants should always be planted deeply to encourage new growth from beneath soil level. I always remove as much old wood as possible each year, but sometimes there are this year's stems growing from previous year's growth and, if they are in the right place, the older branch is pruned back
ro just above the current year's stem.

[Urszula]

Hi Everyone, thank you so much for all of your comments, and there I was thinking I had a bad batch of plants and was thinking of digging them out!! I will persevere and keep looking after them and hopefully next year I will reap my rewards. Thank you all again so much for your help. Happy Gardening Urszula

[Two_Sheds]

I've had very poor fruit this year: only 100g. Last year I had so many blackcurrants that I made jam and wine. My pruning hasn't been over-vigorous

My redcurrants have been poor too (and they haven't been pruned at all ~ 2 yo plants)

[oldie]

I'm the exact opposite, marvellous redcurrant crop and pathetic blackcurrant one on three year old bushes.

[Snadger]

Deffo sounds like a pruning issue rather than too much nitrogen.

[shaunbrook]

What pot sizes do you plant currants in? I need to re-plant mine but have no idea what to put it into? Its in a 7" pot and the plant is about 30" tall! Do I step up in size every year or can I go straight into the big 40-50" pots????

[VirginVegGrower]

I've had very poor fruit this year: only 100g. Last year I had so many blackcurrants that I made jam and wine. My pruning hasn't been over-vigorous

My redcurrants have been poor too (and they haven't been pruned at all ~ 2 yo plants)

Snap Two Sheds and I have pruned - on all currants.