First allotment - Blackcurrant pruning advice please

[Gardeninggirl]

Hi, advice needed regarding a plot I've just taken over for £10 a year. It has two cages which are a bit wonky and need repairing (wooden frame with plastic netting) One has veg boxes which need desperate weeding and topping up with good soil. The other conatains fruit, mainly currants with a few gooseberries. The currants are huge, one of them is over 10' tall and extends out of the netting. Tempted to cut them down to ground but is there a chance for some fruit if I reduce by half and cut out a third of the very old thick branches? Also, are birds a real problem with currants, as I'm tempted to get rid of the cage altogether...........
Huge thanks

[WendyC]

Congratulations on your new plot. Sounds like you definitely need to get those currants under control. Do you know if they are blackcurrants or red or even white currants? Blackcurrants conveniently smell of ... Blackcurrants! I would do as you said, thin out the oldest branches and get the remaining to a sensible height. I would keep fruit netted, blackbirds love fruit! What's in the second cage?

[Gardeninggirl]

Congratulations on your new plot. Sounds like you definitely need to get those currants under control. Do you know if they are blackcurrants or red or even white currants? Blackcurrants conveniently smell of ... Blackcurrants! I would do as you said, thin out the oldest branches and get the remaining to a sensible height. I would keep fruit netted, blackbirds love fruit! What's in the second cage?

Thank you, think mostly Blackcurrants but maybe some red? Ok, some repairing to do then! The second cage has 3 boxes with strawberries - these also look tatty but shall I keep them? Then one really large box which I will put potatoes and beans in?? The a couple more medium sized ...it's a challenge!!!

[Lumpy]

The fruit cage we have is about to be turned into a winter brassica cage - I decided that my winter veg was more important than the overun strawberries.
p.s Welcome to the Vine with all its advice and novelty.

[cariann88]

Hello and welcome to the vine.