During the summer, blackcurrants are an easy to grow bush that produces purple berries.Pies, jams, and beverages can be made with the berries.Pruning the bushes will help shape them, encourage new growth, and remove old growth in order to keep your blackcurrants producing berries at their maximum capacity.Pruning can be done in a few minutes with the right tools.
Step 1: After all of the foliage has fallen, Prune establishes blackcurrants.
Blackcurrants are at least 1 year old and already have fruit.Prune the bushes in the late fall or early winter when the foliage has fallen.During the summer, blackcurrants grow fruit on the branches.If you have a blackcurrant bush that is in its first summer, don't cut any of the new growth.The fruit will be produced during the summer.
Step 2: To remove wood, select 1/3 of it.
Blackcurrants have the most fruit on newer branches.The oldest branches have dark wood.New branches will have more fruit than old branches.The blackcurrant bushes can be rejuvenated by cutting away the old growth.
Step 3: Stems that are weak or low to the ground can be removed.
The stems that are weak and wispy should be identified.To encourage stronger, healthier growth, you will need to get rid of these.The fruit will be dragging on the ground and not good for harvesting if these shoots are used.
Step 4: The lightest-colored wood should be left to produce the fruit next summer.
Make sure not to remove the strongest wood.The branches are chestnut brown.The shoots that have grown during the current year will be some of the most fruitful in the next summer.
Step 5: Cut the branches as close to the base as you can with garden shears.
Put the blades around the branch as close to the base as possible.To cut the branch off, squeeze the handles together.Start by cutting 1/3 of the oldest branches, followed by the weak and drooping ones, and finish by shaping the bush and thinning it out.
Step 6: To clean up the cuts, use a pruning saw.
If you weren't able to get all the way to the base of the bush, use a small pruning saw.You should have no more than 2.5 in of branches sticking up from the base of the bush.The closer you can get to the base of the bush, the better.This will allow plenty of room for new growth in the center of the bush.
Step 7: Help define the shape of the bush by removing any new growth.
Pruning shears can be used to remove any new growth that is growing out to the sides.The bush will retain a strong, upright shape as it continues to grow.To keep the bush from growing tangled, remove any branches that are criss-crossed with one another.
Step 8: Remove new wood until there are at least 6 healthy strong shoots.
After cutting away the old wood, weak wood and branches that are growing horizontally, look at the remaining branches.Cut away branches until you have no more than 10.The bush will be able to bear more fruit if it focuses its growing energy on these.If you want to remove the weakest branches, choose those that are growing the closest to others.Thin the bush so it has a goblet-like shape with strong, evenly-spaced branches growing straight up.You may have to remove some of the healthy new growth to get rid of it.Keep in mind that what you are doing will help the bush grow even stronger and produce more fruit.