Before getting down to the essence of the article, I would like to say that the biggest mistake is a complete refusal to prune currants. Some gardeners deliberately ignore the procedure so as not to harm the plant. This is a serious misconception that leads to reduced yields, and in some cases even loss of crop.
Pruning is necessary to solve the thickening problem. If the shoots begin to compete with each other for sunlight, you can forget about a good harvest. Poor air exchange and high humidity sooner or later lead to the appearance of fungi and harmful microorganisms. Starting from the center and thickened skeletal branches, diseases begin to affect the entire culture. Also, do not forget that old poorly fruiting branches consume nutrients, which are often lacking for young shoots.
There is only one conclusion from all that has been said. If you leave the currants without pruning, the yield will be unenviable. Of course, the berries will not disappear anywhere, but this will only be a small part of the potential of the culture.
Pruning is not a complicated procedure, however, when carrying out it, you should adhere to the basic rules and try not to make mistakes. Which ones? I will discuss this below.
In order not to waste time, I decided to omit such popular mistakes as pruning with a blunt tool or leaving branches affected by fungus. I think my readers are already well aware of them.
Mistake # 1
When pruning, some growers leave branches very close to the ground. The berries ripen on them later, which makes it possible to feast on the fresh harvest for longer. This is due to a lack of light.
The problem is that the efficiency of the lower thickened layer is very low. The branches consume a lot of nutrients and moisture, and in return give a very meager harvest. The presence of such ballast reduces the overall crop yield.
Mistake # 2
When pruning, the crop variety must be considered. In black currants, you can safely cut off all shoots that are more than five years old. In the case of red and white currants, this cannot be done. The branches of these varieties are considered old only after the eighth year of existence. Premature removal of fruiting branches leads to a decrease in yield.
Mistake # 3
When pruning, do not leave weak young shoots. They won't do much good. The same applies to underdeveloped and thin branches. It is important to assess their prospects and capabilities.
Removing old branches in favor of weak young shoots does not always guarantee that the latter will begin to develop. As a result, you can greatly harm the currants and reduce the yield several times.
Mistake # 4
If the currant bushes are too thick, pruning should be done in two stages. In the first year, you need to remove all old and diseased shoots, and in the second, correct the shape of the bush. If you remove everything in one step, the currants will experience severe stress. An injured crop will take a long time to recover and will not be able to give a full harvest.
Read also on my website -Mistakes that make watering currants with boiling water a useless and harmful procedure
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