Pre-winter pruning of currant bushes is one of the necessary care measures that any summer resident must perform. A well-chosen time for this process and some rules will help in increasing fruiting next year and rejuvenating the shrub. As soon as the leaves fall from the bushes, I prune. This usually happens in September. And if it's dry and warm autumn, the procedure can be performed in October-November.
Autumn pruning of black currant bushes
Prepare a pruner before proceeding, or a hedge trimmer for thicker stems. It is imperative to put things in order in the near-trunk circle: remove the old mulch, fallen leaves. And only after that you can trim:
- First, I remove the old branches.
- I cut out all pest-damaged, broken and dried stems.
- I remove the lying branches. If seedlings are needed, sprinkle the base of the branches with soil, and next year they are separated from the shrub and planted separately.
- I thin out in the middle part of the bush so that the sun's rays penetrate inside, and the air can circulate between the stems.
- I remove the basal stems that thicken the shrub.
After pruning, I advise you to treat the plant and soil from pests and fungi, and then apply fertilizer, mulch the trunk circle.
Scheme of pruning of uneven-aged black currant shrubs
Pruning an annual sapling is different from pruning an old shrub.
The annual bush has 2-4 stems. I cut them in the fall, leaving at least two pairs of developed buds on the branches. In the next season, the plant grows, but it must be cut again, leaving 3-4 strong stems growing from the root. The rest of the shoots must be cut off. I also shorten the unripe tops of the branches.
In the future, I cut off the shrub in the same way, leaving 2-4 shoots that grow from the root. I get rid of small growth, large branches of the second order. In addition, I remove the branches that clog the central part of the bush.
Pre-winter pruning of currants (red and white)
These shrubs thicken more slowly, making them easier to form. In addition, the plants are capable of bearing fruit shoots and trimmed annual growths.
Before pruning, I carefully examine the bushes, remove the fallen leaves.
First, I cut off thin and immature shoots, get rid of sick and parasitized branches.
And I leave as many young stems as I plan to remove in the next season. In other words, I first form a replacement shoot, and only after that I remove it. And I must cut off the unripe top, since the yield of the entire shoot will decrease.
Rejuvenation of the old shrub
Rejuvenating pruning can be done in the fall. True, if pruning is done correctly, the shrub will be able to grow and bear fruit well in one place for too long. For example, a black currant bush begins to produce a lot of berries after 4-6 years of life, and by the eighth year, a rejuvenating procedure will be required for the bush. Although after ten years, the culture becomes thinner and degenerates, so at the same time as pruning, you need to prepare a replacement for it.
Rejuvenation for red currants will be needed after fourteen years of the life of the bush. And in the future, the plant needs to be replaced.
The pruning procedure is recommended at the end of September - mid-October.
Rejuvenation can be performed for 2-3 years, and can also be done in one go. For bushes up to ten years of age, the first method is better, and the second can be used for decrepit and sick plants.
In the case of phased pruning, try to remove no more than a third of the old shoots. Trim the stems near the ground, dusting the cuts with ash.
If the shrub is completely hopeless, in the fall or with the onset of spring, cut it off completely and sprinkle it with ash powder. Mulch the root system from freezing. As soon as spring comes, pour the bush with a diluted solution of "Fitosporin", do the composition strictly according to the instructions. Then feed it with a mullein and in the future, start shaping it as a young seedling.
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