[missmoneypenny]

I have 3 blackcurrant bushes, planted last year around this time, never pruned. Pathetic crop last summer (about 5 currants in all). When should I prune and how hard?

[Trillium]

Your plants are still a bit young to bear well so be patient. Most importantly, black currants bear most of their fruit on the previous season's growth (one-year-old wood). You need to have about eight fruiting canes, spaced apart, for good production. Also, you must not cut back the tips of branches as this will reduce fruiting. Some pruning may be necessary this spring, to shape the bush and limit the number of main branches to six or eight.

Each spring, leave three or four 2-year canes and about six 1-year-old canes. If the plant is more vigorous, a higher number of shoots can be left unpruned for successive cropping.

[sunshineband]

You can tell which are the older stems, as they are much darker in colour.

It is also useful to cut out any branches that are at ground level as this makes it difficult to harvest propertly, and they tend to root into the ground as well

[missmoneypenny]

Thanks, but I'm still a little confused. Is the advice: wait till spring, cut off the old branches (the darker ones). Avoid cutting the tips of the new ones. Cut off those that are growing close to the ground? Or do nothing this year?

[Trillium]

If you have any very close to the ground, you can cut those off at any time because if left, they'll root and cause some problems for a new grower like yourself.

Your plants are new so don't cut anything this coming spring, just let them grow. In 2014 you can start to trim out thin, excess branches so that you have a strong 'jar shaped' structure of about 8 or so canes but don't cut out all the new growth because you need a few new canes for your 2015 crop. Remember: black currants fruit on two year old wood (which is what you'll have this coming spring). When you do prune, cut as low as you can without cutting into the 'crown' itself where all the shoots spread from.

[missmoneypenny]

Thanks Trillium I think I finally get it. Good to know about the 2 year old wood. I won't touch them this year i promise.

[Kleftiwallah]

That's the blacks sorted out, what about the reds and whites?

Cheers,    Tony.