We have just taken on a second plot and it's overgrown with weeds 6 foot tall plus bind weed, ground elder and marestail. We have tackled about 80% of it and it's looking better. Under all the bind weed we have found 4 currant bushes that have no fruit but do look healthy, although at the moment covered in snails. We want to be able weed through the bushes and wonder if it's safe to prune them back hard now or will that kill the plant ? There is also a thornless rasperry, again no fruit, we have cut that back as the stems were low growing and each stem about 6 foot long! Also.... a rather large grape vine, not many grapes but looks very healthy, when should we prune? Thanks all :)
Hi - I believe Red and Black currants grow on 1-4 year wood so just a small trim will do to tidy it up or you wont get any fruit next year if you cut back harshly.. Some of the big thick older wood can come out.. If the rasps are Autumn fruiting you will get fruit off the new canes next year.. but if they are Summer fruiting you will only get fruit in the second year.. i.e. Summer variety fruits on last years growth.. hope that makes sense!!
When I took on my plot the blackcurrent bushes were buried in weeds like yours. Couch grass was a big problem. I gave up on deciding what was this years growth and not. I cut all branches back to about 8-10 inches. I clawed out the weeds and 2 years later had a good crop and now 4 years later they are cropping well. There were 12 bushes and I dug out 6 which another plot holder took and planted on his patch and are ok. If you are prepared to lose a years crop I think this works well. Another plotholder did the same with a row of gooseberry bushes.
Yes chop back the red and blackcurrants to rejuvenate them in order to get better crops in future years.
However don't prune the grape vine until it is dormant so you can see what you are doing. Find out how to prune it correctly and you will have grapes next year.
Easy rule with raspberries is take off canes that have fruited. With an autumn fruiter that's pretty much everythig, with a summer then there'll be a load of virign canes. Easy to recognise as they'll be softer and greener than the fruited stems...
First I would inspect blackcurrants for any signs of bit bud might or reversion virus. Big bud as big buds which harbour and insect. It carried Reversion virus. Reversion is very small strappy leaves which are considerably longer than they are wide. The fruit tends to be very small and tasteless.. If you have either of these dig them out and restock in the winter with newer resistant varieties.
If not, I would be brutal with most of the blackcurrants. They fruit on the growth from the previous year. If you prune and feed now they might just do something next year. If any have good strong this years growth from near the roots (still slightly green all the way up) they will be the fruiters for next year leave these to continue growing. Cut out as much brown wood as possible. Stick the prunings in the ground. Then give them all a good feed asap.
Red currants and gooseberries are different and fruit on older wood. So if you are brutal now they will not fruit until the year after next.
Many thanks for all your replies and advice. I am off to inspect for any signs of virus now and will then prune the old wood and just trim this years growth. They do look pretty healthy so i think they had just been shaded by weeds stopping them from fruiting this year, so fingers crossed for a bumper crop either next or following year.
Already pruned the rasperry so that should be fine, and will leave the grape till late autumn.
Thanks all, appreciated :)
I also need to prune my redcurrant bushes as they are very straggly.
Could the more pliable semi-ripe tips be propagated for cuttings ??
Debs
I inherited 3 large (old) blackcurrant bushes and 3 large (old) redcurrant bushes. I have one new redcurrant and one smaller one that is doing OK. My friendly allotment neighbour has taken cutting from the blackcurrant bushes, I am not too keen on having too many blackcurrants or redcurrants so am going to give them a drastic prune this year. Would really like to dig them out but they are so old that I would need some help from OH and even he might have trouble. Tried to give the redcurrants away last year, but no-one wanted them, have added them to jam this year and made redcurrant jelly, then left them for the birds. Have never used weed killer or root killer on my allotment but if it is impossible to remove them should I give it a go, think I need a good saw. Any ideas please.
They are shallow rooted so wont take much to dig them out...
I find that red currants and gooseberries take better if the end is pinned down onto the ground still attached to mother plant.
Thanks Digeroo - will do that ??!
Deb
Yes Redcurrants are pruned like gooseberries which are pruned differently to blackcurrants.
Blackcurrants you remove a third of old fruited stems every year or you can do like the commercial growers if you have enough bushes and cut 1/3 of your bushes down every year. I have 6 bushes now (love blackcurrants ;D) but find I have so much fruit I can't get it all picked and processed. This autumn I am going to cut 2 to the ground and tidy the rest by taking out the old wood then next year cut another 2 completely down tidy the 2 remaining bushes etc until I've changed to a 3 year cycle with 4 bushes cropping each year. It has the advantage of helping stop disease as well as the wood will only reach a maximum of 2 years old and it will stop me being too gentle with the pruning.