How to properly prune red currants in the fall

Red currants grow in almost all household plots. The plant is unpretentious, but there are some agrotechnical procedures, without which the shrub will not give a decent harvest. These include watering, feeding, and pruning bushes.

Red currant. Illustration for this article is used under a standard license © ofazende.com

How can you prune red currants in the fall to get a bountiful harvest?

Autumn is a favorable period for the formation of red currant bushes. Carrying out pruning in the autumn will help the plant to easily withstand the winter cold, and with the onset of spring, direct nutrients to the development of the bushes.

In the middle lane, the optimal time for performing procedures comes in November, as soon as the leaves begin to fall off, and the culture enters a dormant phase.

Pros of autumn pruning

Pruning is considered one of the main agrotechnical measures, and performing the procedure in the autumn has some advantages:

• has a beneficial effect on the development of currants with the arrival of spring;
• helps to direct nutrients to the plant's ovaries;
• with the onset of spring, the currant does not use its forces to form the leaves of old branches;
• shoots on the bushes are not intertwined;
• young branches receive a large amount of nutrients and sunlight;
• the risk of infection with fungal diseases and the invasion of parasites decreases;
• there is an increase in the duration of fruiting;
• picking berries is greatly facilitated;
• the yield increases.

Procedure schemes: recommendations for young summer residents

There are four types of pruning, and each is recommended for a specific purpose. Before carrying out the process, you need to determine which shoots to leave on the bush, and which ones should be removed so that they do not interfere with the growth and fruiting of the culture.

Formative pruning

This pruning helps to shape the shrubs. It is necessary to leave shoots of different ages on the same bush. With this approach, fruiting will be regular.

In addition to the usual form, there are several types of shaping procedures:

1. Stamp. Not suitable for all varieties, since the lower branches have to be cut off especially hard. At the same time, with such pruning, the berry clusters are significantly increased and lengthened.
   The stamping procedure is carried out in several stages:

• the seedling is shortened by ½, removing the lower buds, and leaving 3-4 pieces on top;
• after a year, four branches should be left on the trunk, the rest of the buds are removed;
• in the third year, you need to get rid of the root shoots, leaving healthy two-year-olds shortened by 1/2 branches;
• with further care, weakened and damaged shoots are removed, side branches are shortened by 10 cm.

1. Cordon. With this type of pruning, side branches should be no more than 1 m long, and the height of the shrub should be 1.5 m.
   The sequence of actions when forming a plant like a cordon:

• when planting, use the main shoot, shortening it in half and tying it to a support;
• cut side shoots;
• in the spring, the main conductor is shortened to 15 cm;
• side branches are cut annually by 2-3 cm.

1. On the trellis. To cultivate a plant on a trellis, you need a one-year-old seedling with three healthy main shoots.
   The process consists of several steps:

• one shoot is used to form a central stem;
• the rest of the branches are attached on both sides;
• every year, as they grow, young shoots are fixed horizontally, building up new tiers;
• the places of the cuts are processed using a garden varnish.

Rejuvenating procedure

The plant needs a rejuvenating procedure, which is carried out in the fall or spring. Pruning stimulates the renewal of the entire culture.

A few tips to heed before starting your rejuvenation procedure:

• at the end of the berry picking, all fruiting branches should be cut off;
• weakened shrubs are cut off up to five buds;
• old bushes with high yields rejuvenate radically, cutting off all obsolete shoots;
• on non-hybrid varieties, the branches are partially cut;
• on healthy bushes, at least fifteen shoots are left, on weakened ones - no more than five.

Restorative pruning

The foliage and branches of plants deteriorate from the effects of diseases and therefore need to be restored. All damaged parts of the plant are cut off and burned, the bush is treated with fungicidal preparations or Bordeaux liquid.

Shrubs also need to be cleaned from invasions of parasites, and then treated with insecticides.

Sanitary procedure

A few tips for doing sanitary pruning:

• I cut the branches in half;
• leave 3-4 uneven-aged shoots;
• the cut should be about 5 mm from the kidney;
• the tops of two- and three-year branches are left unchanged;
• branched branches are shortened;
• a few healthy annual shoots should remain on the bush;
• after a four-year period, all branches should be removed at the root;
• in the fall, two-year-old shoots need to be shortened by 8-10 cm.

When growing red currants, you need to take a responsible approach to the formation of shrubs, performing correct and regular pruning. The quality and quantity of the future harvest depends on this.

Read also: To help beginner gardeners: common mistakes when pruning grapes

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#Red currant#currant pruning#autumn time