Timely and competent pruning of fruit bushes can significantly extend the life of plants and increase the amount of harvest. Pruning is carried out both in spring and autumn, but the goals are different. For example, autumn pruning is carried out for general rejuvenation and the formation of a bush, and spring pruning - to remove frozen and diseased shoots.
Advantages and disadvantages of spring currant pruning
Without proper care, this fruit shrub is capable of producing good yields for about 5 years, later the level of fruiting decreases. If the bushes are cut on time and correctly, then the terms of high yields can increase 5 times for black and 3 times for red and white currants.
The main advantage of spring pruning can be considered the minimization of the risk of frostbite at the cut site, and in spring the probability of error in identifying shoots that are not capable of fruiting is lower. By the spring, it becomes clear how well the plant has endured wintering.
In general, spring pruning provides the following benefits:
- The plant will redistribute the nutrition of the shoots in such a way that the largest part of the nutrients will be directed to the strongest branches of the remaining ones, as a result of which the total volume of fruit collection and their size will grow.
- As a result of the balanced lighting achieved by thinning, the ripening dates of the berries are synchronized in the whole bush and in the brushes in particular.
- Removing infected and insect-infested branches minimizes the risks of disease for the entire bush.
- Partial pruning of branches stimulates the growth of new shoots, which will be ready for active fruiting the next year.
The disadvantages of the procedure include the following factors:
- Spring pruning is considered an additional measure, not a primary measure.
- If you skip the autumn processing, hoping that you can make up for lost time in the spring, the measure will not bring the expected result, but will only slightly improve the situation, subject to the execution technique.
With spring pruning, a plant that is ready to grow will have to spend energy on restoring damage and increasing the number of new shoots, which can negatively affect the timing of fruit ripening.
The benefits of spring pruning in the future are greater than the foreseeable risks, so the procedure is appreciated by experienced gardeners and is used everywhere.
Features of spring pruning of black, white and red currants
The processing of black, red and white currants is different. If pruning of black currants is recommended to be done in late autumn, then in relation to white and red, this procedure is best done in spring or even summer, after fruiting. Pruning principles are also different.
Bush black currant - wide, spreading, shoots have multiple branches, because of which the bush thickens very quickly, and fruiting shoots are deprived of the necessary amount of sun rays, which are important for uniform ripening of berries. Branches that are more than 5 years old do not form fruit ovaries at all, however, fruiting branches originate from them, on which berries appear in the second year.
Formative pruning of black currants begins from the moment of planting and is carried out twice a year. When the bush reaches the age of five, a rejuvenating treatment is carried out. After pruning, carried out in order to rejuvenate the plant, 5 mature branches and as many young ones should remain on the bush.
The video presented tells and shows how the pruning of black currants is carried out in the spring:
Have red and white currants do not remove young shoots at the age of 2-3 years and do not pinch the tops in order to form side branches. This is due to the fact that its shoots branch slightly or do not branch at all, all are "skeletal", that is, the main shoots grow directly from the root collar.
The refusal to pinch the tops is also associated with the peculiarities of the growing season - due to the absence of lateral branches, it is on the upper parts of the main shoots that the red and white currant lays fruit ovaries.
The general principles of bush formation for adult plants are preserved with the plant reaching the age at which the yield decreases. Anti-aging pruning should be done regularly by cutting off old branches.
Red and white currants are not cut off at the root, but several buds are left in the lower part of the shoot, due to which the size of the bush rapidly increases, and with it the number of fruit-bearing branches.
In the following video, an experienced gardener shares his knowledge of the correct pruning of red currants:
Unlike black, in these types of currants, shoots are considered old at the age of 7 years, and not 5.
Features of pruning young and old currants
For young bushes and those that have stepped over the peak fruiting age (5-7 years), different processing principles are applied. In young plants, mainly the tops of the shoots are cut off in order to form a bush.
In first-year seedlings, only 2-3 root buds are left, completely removing the existing shoots. This measure helps to get about 5 branches ready for fruiting by the end of summer.
In subsequent years, they continue to pinch the tops and remove the so-called "zero" shoots - those that appeared last summer, leaving only 3-5 of the most powerful.
Starting from the sixth year, they start rejuvenating treatment - they remove branches with cracked bark, dry, frozen, affected by diseases. This is necessary so that the plant does not waste energy on maintaining shoots that are not capable of abundant fruiting, as well as to provide young shoots with the necessary amount of sunlight, because old branches thicken and shade the bush very much.
Bushes under the age of 5 years are formed, and then they rejuvenate and thin out.
Timing
It is necessary to carry out spring pruning even before the onset of active sap flow, which can be determined by the swelling of the kidneys. Currants begin to grow early, so it needs to be processed in early spring, even in the presence of snow.
If you missed the indicated dates and the buds are swollen, you can prune the plant, but you must also take into account the timing of its recovery after stress - the period of fruit ripening can significantly shift.
After removing thick branches (more than 2 cm in diameter), be sure to treat the cuts with a compound that will promote the speedy healing of damage - clay or garden pitch.
To increase the effectiveness of the clay putty, mix it with mullein and dilute with water to a gruel state. With the resulting composition, coat open sections. Also, this mixture can be used to treat any other damage to trunks, from minor scratches to fractures.
Do not use a large amount of manure, especially fresh manure - this can burn the plant, and instead of accelerating its adaptation, you will get the opposite effect. Clay should be the main component.
For red and white currants, it is important to shift the processing time until mid-April, if we talk about central Russia. Black currants must be processed in March, before a warm average daily air temperature is established.
Rules
Before starting spring pruning, inspect the bush and determine if it needs this procedure. First of all, remove damaged shoots and those that are affected by diseases and insects. Read about currant diseases and pests here. They can be identified by the following criteria:
- bark cracked;
- lichen or other foreign inclusions appeared on the surface;
- the branch is dry or broken;
- patches of blackened bark appeared;
- the shoot is drooping or lying on the ground.
After that, you need to determine the age of the remaining branches, because for abundant fruiting, currants need shoots of different ages. Visual signs of shoots of different ages are as follows:
- first years - thin, green, without lateral branches;
- two-year-olds - similar to first-years, only the color of the bark changes to brown;
- shoots at the age of 3-4 years - dark brown color of the bark, the presence of lateral branches (in black currant);
- five-year-old shoots (seven-year-old - for red and white currants) and older - the bark cracks, lichen may appear.
Based on the rule that it is necessary to leave 5 young and mature branches, at this stage, remove the shoots older than 5 years. Cut off even those that are not affected by diseases, leaving 4-5 of the healthiest.
Next, select the best of the young shoots (the same number), and remove all the rest. Pay special attention to those branches that are directed inside the bush - they should be removed without fail.
For maximum efficiency, take note of the rules of experienced gardeners:
- Always use only perfectly sharpened tools.
- Prune the branch so as not to interfere with sap flow.
Currant pruning schemes
First of all, determine the purpose of treating the bushes in your particular case: formation or rejuvenation. Then select the appropriate cropping method from the ones below.
The main techniques in the spring pruning procedure are as follows:
- Root pruning - this method is used in the event that it is necessary to remove the shoot completely (sick, infected with parasites, etc.). In order to avoid decay of the remainder of the branch and exclude infection of the root, stumps are not left and the cut is placed exactly at the place of its branch from the root collar.
- A cut of the upper part of the shoot with one or two buds - it is used to stimulate branching - based on the knowledge that the plant nourishes the upper three buds most abundantly, when using this technique, leave the section of the branch intact, on which the buds are directed outward, and the top with the buds from which branches will grow to the center of the bush - remove ...
- Ring cut - complete removal of lateral branches in order to stimulate their renewal, it is important mainly for black currants. It is preferable to carry out in the fall, but it is also allowed in the spring if such cleaning was not carried out in the fall. Features: the cut is strictly perpendicular to the direction of shoot growth and is located along the outer branch, without touching it, but also excluding the formation of a hemp from a distant shoot.
- Thinning branches - only the shoots that thicken the bush are cut, and those that are directed outward are preserved. It is recommended to retreat no more than 5 mm from the top shoot to the cut point - to minimize hemp and avoid damage to the preserved kidney.
The methods listed above are suitable for you if you are an experienced gardener and have a good understanding of what is at stake. If you are just starting your path as a farmer, use the recommendations below:
- Find branches larger than 1 cm in diameter and remove all of them.
- Now cut off the branches that are on the ground and those that are pointing down.
- The next step is to remove the shoots directed towards the center of the bush.
- Finally, trim the branches pointing straight up using the “ring” technique.
These recommendations will allow you to achieve high rates of fruiting without requiring special knowledge and skills.
Currant care after pruning
Pruning is stress for currants, adult plants react especially sharply to such procedures, for which, due to age, rehabilitation is more difficult. To speed up this process, the bushes must be fed.
Fertilizers are selected based on the timing of the procedure. At different stages of the growing season, the plant is especially in dire need of various nutrients:
- With spring pruning, complex feeding is relevant. However, pay special attention to the presence of phosphorus and potassium in the fertilizer in equal proportions; currants also respond well to the enrichment of the soil with nitrogen (superphosphate, urea, ammophoska are suitable).
- The best organic fertilizers are mullein and horse manure, which also contain nitrogen as the main nutrient.
- Organic matter must be rotted, it is better if it is aged for at least 2 years. Fresh manure in its pure form causes serious burns to the root system and can destroy the plant.
- Open sections must be covered with clay or garden varnish in order to prevent infection from entering the channels through which the juices move.
We recommend that you read the article on how to properly care for currants in the spring.
Popular bugs
Among the main mistakes of novice gardeners, two extremes are most common:
- cutting out all young shoots, based on the assumption that the older, most powerful branches will give a larger yield;
- removing all old branches in the hope that a complete renewal of the bush will enhance fruiting.
Both approaches are erroneous and will not give the desired results, since each shoot at its own age performs its own function and cutting out all branches of the same age category can provoke a long adaptation of the bush after stress and even the death of the plant.
Gardeners who do not have enough pruning skills confuse the rules for processing different types of currants. Most often, they are guided by recommendations for caring for black currants when working with red and white. As a result, the plant, instead of increasing the number of fruit ovaries, is forced to grow new shoots again.
Additionally, we recommend reading the article on the features of growing white currants.
Some novice gardeners do not go into the intricacies of pruning at all and act according to the usual scheme, which is relevant for vegetables - they use a simple pinching of the tops on all branches, regardless of their age. This decision does more harm than good.
The bush begins to branch strongly in all directions, spending energy on forcing numerous shoots to the detriment of fruit formation. And those fruits that nevertheless set will ripen unevenly and risk being affected by insects. A dense vegetative mass is a favorite habitat for spider mites and weevils, which can completely deprive you of berries.
With a competent approach to caring for garden plants, you can not only increase the volume of the crop, but also significantly increase the periods between the complete replacement of bushes. High-quality pruning can extend the life of a currant up to 25 years, while without proper care, a five-year-old bush is considered old, because from this age, a noticeable decrease in yield and desynchronization of ripening of berries in the clusters begins.