Topic: Pruning redcurrants

[macmac]

Can anyone tell me the best way to prune redcurrants? :-\I just helped my friend down the lottie to pick all hers and she's not sure what to do next ::)
I could look it up in a book but the folks on this forum are so informed and the information given is from experience which gets my vote every time :D

[OllieC]

Isn't it: wait until Autumn, new growth halved, plus remove the odd 3 or 4 year or older branch(mainly dead stuff or low branches that go on the ground)... that's what I do anyway!

[Tee Gee]

Isn't it: wait until Autumn, new growth halved, plus remove the odd 3 or 4 year or older branch(mainly dead stuff or low branches that go on the ground)... that's what I do anyway!

I'd go along with that!

see here; http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Currants/Black%20currant.htm

[hopalong]

What Ollie says is certainly right for blackcurrants but I was taught to prune redcurrants and whitecurrants (which are just a paler version of redcurrant) differently to blackcurrants. Once they're established you just cut the sideshoots back to one bud and tip prune the main branches. This should be done in winter, as for blackcurrants.

[Kea]

Redcurrants are pruned like gooseberries not like blackcurrants.....I think that red currants fruit on 2 year old wood and Blackcurrants on 1 year old wood. I have a book somewhere that gives quite a bit of detail on the different pruning but I can't find it at the moment..it's this book http://www.amazon.co.uk/Horticultural-Societys-Encyclopaedia-Practical-Gardening/dp/1840001534/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1246615656&sr=1-1

Someone else may have it too.

[small]

I've checked the RHS encyclopedia entry and it's definitely a winter pruning job. Gives you time to get hold of a copy of this book. This forum is brilliant for help, but the RHS books also have excellent diagrams, I've been known to prop mine open by the bush I'm pruning!

[Kea]

Yes it's the diagrams that make the book so good...unfortunately hard to describe clearly without the diagram.

[Borlotti]

Didn't prune my redcurrants and had so many this year, loads in the freezer.  Pruned the blackcurrants as the bushes were old and getting too big, and have had no blackcurrants this year, but healthy bushes and lots of leaves so probably will get loads next year.  What can I do with all the redcurrants apart from jelly and jam, no-one seems to want them.

[Kea]

Summer pudding!

My ex- MIL used to make fantastic raspberry and redcurrant jam it was better than raspberry on it's own.

[manicscousers]

I make mixed berry cordial, just chuck whatever I've got in a pan, stew a bit and seive  ;D

[Borlotti]

I have made a summer pudding, but with two of us we only ate half.  Also the fridge is full of strawberry and redcurrant (sets better) and raspberry and redcurrant jam.  Given some to next door and my daughter.  Trouble is I just stick in old jam jars, coffee jars etc. (washed of course) and don't seal so has to be eaten fairly quickly.  If I wanted to give it to other friends would have to buy proper jars and label it.  How do you sterilise jars in microwave???  Well that will be a project for when the weather is not so good.

[Palustris]

Washed and dried and 5 minutes in the microwave is what we do. Some of our jam is not getting on for 3 years old and still in good nick.

[Palustris]

Above reply should be 'now' not 'not' but Edit seems to be no longer available.

[Borlotti]

5 minutes in the microwave with no water in, thought they might explode (the jars).  Will certainly try that as don't want to give jam away and poison people, although it has always been OK for us.  I really need a jam saucepan or pan or whatever and certainly labels as it is always a guess what jam one is eating but can usually see from the smell, taste but not good enough to give away.

[Palustris]

The dry jars do not explode as you fear, but some do crack. They would crack in any case when you put boiling hot jam in so no loss and a lot less mess.

We puree the Redcurrants and freeze for Winter use in all sorts of dishes.