How to prune my established redcurrant bushes

[wadsleyparkowl]

Last November I took over my plot & was fortunate enough to have three well established red currant bushes. They produced a bucket load of red currants which we've frozen. However I notices on the summer the bind weed was all over them to a point where it had flowered. Now they are dormant I was going to prune them and dig out as much weed as possible. My question re pruning is how severe should I be, is it the odd few stems / stalks or right back to the wood?

I read various magazines & some have said take it right back to an inch or so from the ground which seems a bit harsh, where as other have said puune to two buds from the main stalk. I'm confused!!!!

please help.

[Feral007]

Following, since my two bushes might be termed éstablished' soon.

[Paulieb]

Last November I took over my plot & was fortunate enough to have three well established red currant bushes. They produced a bucket load of red currants which we've frozen. However I notices on the summer the bind weed was all over them to a point where it had flowered. Now they are dormant I was going to prune them and dig out as much weed as possible. My question re pruning is how severe should I be, is it the odd few stems / stalks or right back to the wood?

I read various magazines & some have said take it right back to an inch or so from the ground which seems a bit harsh, where as other have said puune to two buds from the main stalk. I'm confused!!!!

please help.

Red/White currants are pruned differently to Black currant.

Black currants, in general, you take out one third of the stems back to the ground.

RHS says:
Redcurrants bear their fruit on old wood. Prune bushes by removing diseased or very old branches in winter, then prune new growth back to two buds in early summer to keep plants compact. Leaders should be pruned to outward facing buds unless the branches are bending, in which case they then should be cut to upward facing buds.

[Two_Sheds]

the bind weed was all over them to a point where it had flowered.

Pruning the currant won't get rid of your bindweed. You need to keep removing that by pulling every time it appears. It's very persistent, so expect to be doing this for years to come.
Never let it flower or you risk it spreading itself by seed (as well as by root)

some have said take it right back to an inch or so from the ground

If you do that you will have no fruit ~ I know, because I've done it

How to winter prune gooseberries and redcurrants - Projects: Video projects - gardenersworld.com