Topic: Blackcurrants question

[fitzsie]

I planted two black currant bushes last year and they have grown very poorly. They look like a group of half dozen twigs with no side shoots. Very little fruit. Have found some instructions which say that after planting I should cut right back . I didn't do this , is it too late to do it now ? Will it benefit the prune or just rely on a good mulch/compost to help feed? Any advice please ?

[laurieuk]

You do not say if they were bare root plants or container grown. If they were in containers did you soak them before planting as they can stay dry after planting as the surrounding damp soil will take the water away . It is best to cut them back hard when planting but they still should have made some new growth , I think I would now prune them back hard and in the spring give them some high potash feed and mulch well. this will mean no fruit next year but will benefit later years, hopefully.

[goodlife]

I find black currants will benefit hugely with good feeding.  Generous mulch around the plants and spring feed should get them to make plenty of new growth.
The original instructions for 'hard prune'  is to stimulate new vigorous growth. Lack of it could also be down to the bushes roots are still trying to find their way out to support it. Sometimes it just takes that bit longer for them to get going.
If you don't want to be brutal and chop them down totally, you could always trim few branches from each plant. If they need pruning stimulation for new growth, then even just partial pruning would have massive effect and you can always trim rest of the old stems following year. There is not much to gain with this way but those old' branches should give your few berries to tease your taste buds with.

Looooooove you black currant bushes and pamper them....mulch, feed and water and they will 'pamper' you back.. 

[fitzsie]

I've pruned them down to half their length as they were certainly looking ridiculous !  I've put some manure around the base and will give a spring feed as advised. I won't expect anything next year but I really need to seriously look after them now so hopefully the year after will be more fruitful !!
PS they were container grown and I had watered them.

Thanks for the tips, will just have to wait now.....

 

[laurieuk]

My query about  them being container grown is because if the soil in the container is on the dry side when you plant, it can remain dry despite constant watering. I have seen small trees that were dry in containers still dry 18 months later despite a lot of watering. I do not believe in watering any plant from the bottom but before plating a container I would stand it in a bucket the day before to make sure it is not dry in the middle.

[jimc]

My soil is pH 8-8.5 which is far too alkaline for black currants. My plants won't produce much and I have lost 2 out of 3 now. A nearby gooseberry wont even flower. I will have to try harder to lower the pH.

[Obelixx]

My soil is also alkaline but very fertile as it is loam based and has been cow pasture for centuries.   I grow very healthy, fruitful blackcurrants, redcurrants and gooseberries.  I suggest you give yours a good mulch of well rotted manure and garden compost in autumn and again in spring eery year as this will improve fertility, increase the presence of beneficial micro-organisms and worms and retain moisture round the roots.

[goodlife]

My soil is also alkaline but very fertile as it is loam based and has been cow pasture for centuries.   I grow very healthy, fruitful blackcurrants, redcurrants and gooseberries.  I suggest you give yours a good mulch of well rotted manure and garden compost in autumn and again in spring eery year as this will improve fertility, increase the presence of beneficial micro-organisms and worms and retain moisture round the roots.

Exactly! I've had pleasure to see 'wild' currants to grow in their natural habitat. They are happiest on the 'woodland edge' situation where they are not too much over shadowed with over growing canopy but still be given annual 'mulch' of tree leaves. Basically they like growing in soil that is 'black'=humus.
When I was kid we used to go currant picking into 'wood's' where they were growing wild on this steep hill. It wasn't all open and easy access but growing thicket of various things. Every so often you came across a 'twig' or two where different colour currants have found their way from birds droppings. The bushes, such as they were,  had really sparse growth because of the competing growth but they berries were the best! ...or have I got rose tinted childhood glasses on again?   But yes, the bushes were there several year and then the trees over took the hill and I grew up too...resulted to easier pickings from gran's bushes on the yard.

At the moment I have couple of currant bushes...I suspect they are red sort, that have grown from bird's droppings as I haven't planted them there. They are still young and not cropped anything yet...hopefully next year as they've grown a lot this summer. Both bushes are growing under  apple trees...I wonder if resident bird has sat down on apple branch for a 'relief' after feasting its gut full of berries from my bushes. They have germinated in position were there is old woodchipping mulch on the ground, plenty of leaves fall from the tree too, just at the edge of the canopy and surrounding grass area... almost like woodland edge situation.
 I'm certainly looking forward to see what these bushes will do in future