After planting I read that they should be pruned to the ground ? Why ?
Can I expect fruit this year ?
I did not do this with my jostaberry last year although to be honest it looks more like a small tree than a bush.
Currants throw up new stems from the base and flower on last years growth, if you trim it back you won't get any but you will get a better bush. You have been warned about that Jostaberry... I harvest by cutting off branches.... it will end up 8' in all directions if you let it!!
;D
Quote from: saddad on March 25, 2008, 17:31:39
Currants throw up new stems from the base and flower on last years growth, if you trim it back you won't get any but you will get a better bush. You have been warned about that Jostaberry... I harvest by cutting off branches.... it will end up 8' in all directions if you let it!!
;D
lol. I have been pruning the jostaberry.
About the currents.
I found this :-
http://www.how-to-grow.co.uk/how-to-grow-soft-fruits-blackcurrants.htm
QuoteCut back the leading shoots by about half after planting.
Trim the lateral shoots to a couple of buds.
But with mine they all look the same - leading shoots.
Do I need to prune the white currants ? I bought one last year from cool temperate and another 2 this year (one just a week ago) and I was told not to prune it by Phil Corbett.
I'm not too keen on some of the info shown on that site, davholla. Laterals don't really come into it with blackcurrants, so I don't really think it's a site to recommend for info.
If your blackcurrant already has lots of stems coming up from soil level, it may be 2 or 3 years old when you bought it, so you may not have to cut it. If it doesn't have lots of stems, cut it and give a high nitrogen feed.
In my experience, whitecurrants are pretty slow growing and don't need a great deal of pruning. Follow advice for redcurrants when pruning whitecurrants, they are totally different from blackcurrants.
I have 2 black currants. One is Wellington XXX from Rougham Nurseries and quite big 3 stems but 30 cm or more high.
The other one is X from poundland much smaller.
I guess the first is 2-3 years old and the other a new one.
They are both in pots with lots of manure.