Pruning Never before pruned black/red currants and gooseberries

[marchogaeth]

A few years ago (maybe five) my OH tried to start a garden in the top of one of our fields. Before illness halted progress, we had planted fruit bushes and autumn rasberry canes. Despite total neglect, the fruit crop this year was impressive. So now I'm trying to get the garden going having had so much fun with my tunnel. I have dealt with the rasberries (half to the ground and half half way). I would appreciate some advice before I have a go at these. (They will be netted to make up for the loss of their protective layer of rampant grass.) Thanks.




black, red, red, goose, goose

[Two_Sheds]

Pruning soft fruit

[marchogaeth]

Sorry by the way, I thought the pics were named when I put them up before. Just realised my mistake.

Pruning soft fruit

Thanks that really helps. Now I can work out how old the currant branches are. Do I treat the Red currant the same way as black? What do you think then, reduce the goseberries by about half using the Beeb's instructions as a guide?

[vicky]

Make sure you stick the prunings in the ground as they'll root into new plants!

[daylily]

Sorry by the way, I thought the pics were named when I put them up before. Just realised my mistake.



Thanks that really helps. Now I can work out how old the currant branches are. Do I treat the Red currant the same way as black? (It's pic no 1 and not especailly large.) What do you think then, reduce the goseberries by about half using the Beeb's instructions as a guide?

That's not that hard as it sounds. They will have different thickness and colour.

[BeatTheSeasons]

I have a similar task to do over the next few months.

Blackcurrant is definitely treated differently to redcurrant. For a start, my RHS book says that blackcurrant should be done during the dormant season (i.e. now) whereas redcurrant (and gooseberry) should be done in early March. It also recommends a summer pruning for gooseberries in June.

I'm going to be moving my blackcurrants and planting them a few inches lower as they have few stems, and crops can be increased with a multi-stemmed stool. It says this in your link as well. Perhaps you didn't plant them deep enough originally and that's why there are only a few stems in your pictures? I don't think the same is true of redcurrants by the way.

[marchogaeth]

I have a similar task to do over the next few months.

For a start, my RHS book says that blackcurrant should be done during the dormant season (i.e. now) whereas redcurrant (and gooseberry) should be done in early March. It also recommends a summer pruning for gooseberries in June.

I'm going to be moving my blackcurrants and planting them a few inches lower as they have few stems, and crops can be increased with a multi-stemmed stool.

Thanks. My book says November - March for gooseberries and redcurrants but having done one of each and then read your post, I've decided to leave the others for now. Still no frost here yet so I'll try to wait for that, I'm just worried they'll start growing again.

I've decided to do nothing with the black currant this year. I'll see what it does after a season when it's not totally swamped with grass and weeds and then consider moving it/re planying lower down etc.