I was just reading Jon Mundys' fruit cultivation page. It says to cut down to 2" immediatly after planting between Nov and March. I planted mine last Oct, and took some cuttings which left 6 to 8 inches of stems.
Is it too late to cut these back now? And what about the cuttings, shall I leave them as they are till planted in their final positions?
Thankee kindlee
Is that 2 inches or 2 feet?
2 inches seems a bit harsh.
I bought one from Woollies, it's in a pot at the moment with some new growth spurting forth.
I don't intend to cut it back after planting out though.
2 inches.................
I never did it with mine either and I've had no probs.
Thanks guys..........I will let them be then ;)
Star
The reason why they should be cut down to 2 inches straight after planting is to encourage new growth.
Blackcurrants fruit on the second seasons wood and if not done straight after planting will carry a small crop in the Summer. This puts the bush under some stress and can affect future crops. The first season energy should go into producing a good strong root system and not producing fruit.
Regards
Jpn
Ah, ok Jon. Thank you for that. Does that pruning also apply to the cuttings taken last year? Sorry for being thick :-[
Star
If the cutting were taken last year and growing where the cutting was taken then no need to cut these down
Jon
Thank you very much Jon :D
I think there's a bit if a difference in definition of what constitutes a Blackcurrant bush here.
To be honest, a lot of the plants sold in places like Wilkos and Woolies, although viable (usually), haven't yet developed into a multi stemmed plant, they are more of a rooted cutting than a bush.
When you buy fruit from a decent nursery like Blackmoor, Keepers, Deacons etc you tend to get a more mature plant that can take cutting down and respond really well.
I cant remember where I got this one from, but it has got three good stems and was about 3 ft tall. I moved it last autumn and took cuttings. So its a sturdy plant, which has now been pruned since my last post.