[Roger of Lytham]

I'm growing redcurrants as cordons against a fence, 18" spacing. Pruning advice says shorten side shoots to four or five leaves in July. Should I prune as if they were espalier (i.e. retain only sideways growing shoots) or can I retain shoots that grow in all directions as well as sideways? Seems a waste not to retain them. Advice from experienced grower would be appreciated.
Ta
Roger

[SusieB]

In any direction for cordons I'd say.  (But I'm not too experienced, so hopefully somebody'll back me up).

[spadework]

Prune the shoots all round the stem. By shortening them in the summer and again to a couple of buds in winter you create spurs right up the cordon. After a few years the cordon needs less pruning as it gets filled with fruiting  spurs.

This is also the way you prune a redcurrant (and gooseberry) bush except that with a bush you prune all the branches as if each were a single cordon.