Autumn pruning is a mandatory agrotechnical technique that allows you to simultaneously solve several agrotechnical tasks. The pruning technique changes depending on the goals and the age of the shrub. Find out how to properly prune currant bushes in the fall?
When is autumn pruning required?
Currant seedlings quickly go to growth - in a couple of years the bush grows, gains power, begins to produce crops. After 3-4 years, fruiting begins to decline, and the bush itself loses shape, becomes too bulky - he needs pruning.
It is best to prune currant bushes in the fall. When the bush is prepared for wintering, and the sap flow in it is stopped, the plant receives minimal stress from removing shoots.
Pruning is a complex agronomic measure, the intricacies of which gardeners have been studying for years. But the main rule is true for all types of pruning - each branch should receive its share of sunlight.
Pruning goals:
- Remove old branches - they suck nutrients from the bush, reducing yields.
- Remove thickening branches to allow sunlight to reach the fruit.
- Remove dry, diseased and frostbitten shoots.
Crop Results:
- the growth of young branches is stimulated;
- the growth and development of the bush is accelerated;
- the bush takes on a neat shape;
- the fruiting period is extended to 15 years.
With proper care, the life cycle of a currant bush can be extended fivefold. We recommend reading the article on how to care for currant bushes in the fall.
Dates and weather conditions
Autumn is the most favorable and safest time for pruning shrubs. Cutting currants in the spring is dangerous - they begin to bud early, and the threat of frost in spring is great. In autumn, there is no such danger - you can slowly remove all unnecessary shoots.
The procedure is carried out in late October or early November, when all vegetation processes end in the bushes. In cold weather, less stress and trauma to the plant. Pruning is done when the bushes drop all the leaves. It is convenient for a gardener to assess the condition of branches on bare bushes. Pruning is done on a dry, fine day.
By region
With currant pruning, you need to keep within the interval between foliage falling and the onset of the first frost. The exact timing of pruning depends on the region and its climatic conditions.
Terms of cutting currants by region:
Region | Recommended timing |
Moscow suburbs | end of October (soil freezing here starts from about November 15) |
Leningrad region. | from October 15 |
Siberia | given the unstable climate of the region, pruning has been carried out here since early September |
To make sure that it is time to trim, cut the shoot. If juice flows from the wound, it is too early to trim the bushes, postpone the procedure for a week.
According to the lunar calendar
Experts do not recognize the lunar calendar, but amateur gardeners often look into it. It is believed that the best time for pruning trees and shrubs is the waning moon (phases 3 and 4), when the plant sap tends to go down. In the fall, pruning is recommended to be done on a flawed moon, shortly before the new moon.
It is strongly not recommended to prune currants with a young moon, especially a few days before a new moon. But to cut the tops, experts say, is best on the new moon.
The best days for fall trimming on the Lunar calendar for 2019:
Month | Favorable |
September | 2, 5, 7, 9 |
October | 1, 4, 5, 10, 29, 31 |
November | 3, 7, 8, 11, 28, 30 |
Gardeners believe that pruning on a growing moon makes the bush thick and spreading, and on a waning moon, it helps to build up the root system.
Tools and other inventory
Tools for trimming should be sharpened and sanitized - this will allow you to make accurate cuts without spreading the infection to healthy bushes.
To prune a currant bush, you will need:
- Garden knife. With its help, it is possible to make even cuts. Apply only to thin branches.
- Secateurs. To remove thin and middle-aged shoots.
- Hacksaw. Take a saw with small teeth - for cutting thick branches.
- Brush cutter. Cope with branches of any thickness. Allows you to give the bush the desired shape.
- Lopper. Tool with long handles to reach branches in hard-to-reach places.
Pruning targets
There are several types of currant pruning. Each type of pruning is carried out with a specific purpose:
- Sanitary. Its purpose is the removal of all excess shoots, sick, damaged, dry, defective. It is forbidden to break shoots with your hands, leaving stumps - the risk of damage to the bushes by rot increases.
- Anti-aging. It is aimed at removing old branches that draw away plant juices. As a result, the yield of the bush increases.
- Molding. This pruning is aimed at the formation of a certain concept of the bush. Achieve uniform fruiting of branches of different ages. The shrub is given a neat and attractive appearance, convenient for maintenance, and contributing to the ripening of berries.
- Supportive. Carried out throughout the life of the bush, aimed at maintaining good growth, fruiting and healthy adult plants. The task is to prevent the growth of branches outside the boundaries of the formed bush.
- Topping. It consists in removing the tops - with pruning shears cut off 2-5 cm of the shoot. The process is similar to molding trim, but the effect is similar to the sanitary and anti-aging procedure. Pinching is used only on black currants, as in red and white, berries are formed just on the upper branches, and the removal of the tops will negatively affect their yield.
Pruning rules
The procedure and rules for pruning currants in the fall:
- First, they carry out sanitary pruning, remove:
- cut into a ring, broken, thin, short and growing in depth shoots;
- one of two intertwining shoots;
- branches lying on the ground - in the summer they do not have enough light and they practically do not bear fruit;
- branches affected by diseases and pests.
- branches whose wood has not matured - they will be damaged during frost.
- Then they carry out anti-aging pruning:
- remove all shoots older than 5 years old;
- shorten the branches by a quarter, older than 3 years;
- cutting off annual shoots leave 4-5 the strongest shoots, the rest are cut out;
- cut the annual growth by a third.
- Next, a molding pruning is carried out, the subtleties of which depend on the type of bushes - red and black currants are cut in different ways. Remove all excess shoots that have grown over the summer.
The video below shows the rules for pruning currants in the fall:
To increase productivity, several branches of different ages are left on the bushes - from 1 to 6 years.
Cropping methods and instructions for them
Currant pruning has to be carried out throughout the life of the bush. There are different methods of trimming - they differ not only in the technique of execution, but also in the tasks set. Let's consider the most popular cropping methods.
Before boarding
Principles of pruning a seedling before planting:
- Before planting seedlings in the ground, their tops are cut off.
- Only 2-3 buds are left on each branch.
- Weak branches are cut more strongly - only 1-2 buds are left.
Trimming the tops stimulates branching, which increases yields and makes the bushes more powerful.
For rejuvenation
Rejuvenating pruning is best done in the fall. Timing depends on the type of currant:
- black is rejuvenated at 5 years of age;
- red - in the 8 year old.
To rejuvenate currants, remove old shoots in one of three ways:
- Cut to the ring. The branch is cut off entirely - no hemp is left. Sections must be covered with garden pitch.
- Cutting for the kidney. The shoot is shortened - only part of it is cut off. If the bush is sparse, a cut is made on the bud, looking deep into the bush - so that it becomes thicker.
- Sliced on the external kidney. If the bush is too thick, then the cut is made on the outer bud - so that it becomes less frequent.
Anti-aging pruning has its own nuances for red and black currants:
- In blackcurrant, the main crop ripens on three-year-old shoots. Therefore, all branches older than 5 years are removed. To stimulate the growth of annuals, they are cut by a third. If there are many two-year-olds on the bush - more than 8, then three-year-olds are cut out completely.
- Red and white currants have the most productive shoots - 5-8 years old. Therefore, all branches over 8 years old are removed, leaving no more than 12 branches on the bush.
Also, red and white currants often carry out partial rejuvenation - pruning with a transfer to branching. Thus, rejuvenate old, but fruiting branches, aged 5-6 years. Choose a strong 1st order branch. The skeletal branch is cut off after branching.
Old overgrown shrubs rejuvenate gradually, leaving 15-18 fruiting branches. Rejuvenation procedure:
- Cut the zero shoots, leaving the three strongest.
- Remove all shoots thickening the bush.
- Gradually prune old skeletal branches - 5 pieces per year, no more. First remove those that are more than 5 years old - they are easy to recognize by a small increase, the color of the bark and branches of the 2nd order.
For 3-4 years, the old bush is brought back to normal.
What you need to know about pruning currants, says an experienced gardener in the video below:
After harvest
Experienced gardeners practice pruning immediately after harvesting. The advantages of this pruning:
- The branches receive more sunlight, which promotes photosynthesis of young shoots.
- The plant does not waste energy on shoots that it does not need.
- The inner branches, like the lateral branches, grow intensively - a beautiful bush shape is formed.
- The risks of fungal infections are reduced.
Pruning immediately after fruiting increases the yield of the next year. If you notice that the fruiting of the bush is falling, pick the berries, and cut 2-3 skeletal branches - under the root. Most importantly, do not leave stumps. So you will free up space for new branches, the sun will better illuminate the fruits next year.
Michurin method
A private garden is one thing, a whole plantation of shrubs is another. For an industrial scale, conventional pruning techniques are disadvantageous. For intensive cultivation of currants, the Michurinsky pruning method is used. This method was developed at the All-Russian Research Institute of Horticulture. Michurin, it increases the yield by 30%.
The procedure for pruning currants according to Michurin:
- Planted currants are not pruned for 5 years. Fruiting begins in the second year.
- For 5-6 years, 50% of the plantation is cut under the root. The soil is fertilized. The remaining bushes continue to bear fruit.
- After a year, the overgrown root young growth is thinned out, leaving about 20% of the shoots.
- A year later, the rest of the old bushes are cut out. The rest are thinned and pruned.
The rejuvenation carried out allows harvesting for another three years. Then the bushes are uprooted.
Radical method
Radical pruning is carried out with the rejuvenation of the bushes aged 8-15 years. Its purpose is to prolong fruiting.
Radical pruning order:
- Cut all branches to the base. Leave stumps no more than 3-4 cm in height.
- Lubricate the cuts with garden pitch.
- Sprinkle the soil near the stumps with plenty of humus and sprinkle with it the hemp left over from the bush.
- To prevent the roots from freezing in winter, the remains of the bush are mulched on top with straw or sawdust.
The time of the event is late autumn, when all the foliage falls from the bush. Radical pruning contributes to the awakening of basal buds, and new shoots will appear in the spring. Of these, the strongest will be selected - of which they will form a new crown.
Trellis Trimming
The method of growing berry crops on trellises came from Western Europe. This approach reduces the final yield, but the berries are sweeter and larger.
The procedure for pruning currants when grown on trellises:
- After planting on seedlings, cut off all lateral shoots - up to 5 cm. Such a large pruning translates growth buds into fruit buds.
- Cut branches located near the ground so that the berries do not touch the ground. Do not touch the main shoot. With the systematic pruning of the lower branches, the crop is formed at a height of 90-150 cm - this simplifies harvesting.
- If the plant has two trunks, then choose a stronger one, remove the second.
- In subsequent years, the formation is carried out, regularly cutting out the basal shoots and those close to the ground. In appearance, the currant bush should look like a columnar tree.
Pruning currants on a trunk
Once, standard pruning was popular in Russia - back in the 19th century, then it was forgotten, and now it becomes popular again. This unusual pruning method allows you to form a sprawling mini-tree from a currant bush.
Trim order:
- Choose one shoot, the most powerful - it will become the trunk of a currant "tree". Cut all other branches.
- Cut the vertical shoot, chosen for the role of the trunk, to the desired height - 80-100 cm. Leave 3-4 upper buds - to form the crown.
- Wrap the lower part of the shoot with an opaque film or put on a tube (plastic, rubber). Place a support - pipe, timber or something similar - to support the "tree".
- Pinch the lateral shoots that will appear in the upper buds after 3-5 leaves.
- In the second year, pinch new cuttings.
- In the third year, the plant takes the form of a tree. Cut out any broken, diseased or weak branches. Remove shoots constantly.
Pruning by years
Cutting currants is carried out annually. The first time a seedling is cut immediately after planting - even before the first winter in its life. During the first pruning, all foliage and young shoots are removed - only the buds are left in the lower part of the seedling. In the future, from year to year, the pruning procedure changes slightly.
One year after planting
In the second year of life, currant seedlings are shortened and pinched - this is the main purpose of pruning at this stage. Thanks to this pruning, the correct shape of the bush is formed, accelerate the development of the plant.
Features of pruning one year after planting:
- Leave only the most powerful shoots. The optimal amount is 3-4 pieces. All other growth is cut off.
- At the left shoots, it is recommended to pinch the tops.
Before pruning a seedling, evaluate its condition - in weak bushes, growth is cut by 2-3 buds, in a medium-developed plant, only 1-2 shoots are left.
After 2 years
In the third year of life, they continue to form a bush. The cropping procedure is as follows:
- Do not cut the branches of last year, or shorten them by a couple of buds - so that the crown forms evenly.
- Cut the entire root shoot.
- Remove all young shoots growing towards the trunk as well as any adjacent branches.
- Of the young, leave 2-3 of the most promising.
3 years later
In the fourth year of life, the formation of the bush is still ongoing, so pruning almost repeats the previous one:
- Cut out the root shoots completely so that the bush does not grow and thicken.
- Remove weak young branches growing inside the bush. Leave only those that grow from the trunk.
- Leave the branches last year and earlier. Shorten their ends so that useful substances are not wasted.
If pruning is carried out correctly, then in the 4th year of life, currant is a developed spherical bush. The approximate number of shoots at this age is 10 pieces, and they are all of different ages.
In the video presented, the gardener shares his experience of pruning fruit and berry bushes using the example of red and black currants:
Further pruning
In the fifth year of life, the currant bush reaches its peak fruiting. At the same time, the lignification of the shoots begins, the life cycle of which is coming to an end.If you do not remove them, a decline in productivity will begin - age-related shoots will take strength from the bush.
Pruning principles for the 5th year of life:
- The main goal at this stage is to rejuvenate the bush, so remove any old and dead branches to make room for young shoots.
- Do not cut off all old lignified shoots at once - you cannot expose the bush to such stress. Cut these branches gradually, from year to year.
- When cutting off old branches, in parallel, remove diseased and crooked shoots, as well as tops - these are vertically growing fattening shoots that take away strength from the bush. Leave only healthy, fruiting branches.
- Trim branches 2-4 years old to the 4th bud, and one-year-olds to the 2nd.
Rake and burn fallen leaves and all cut branches to prevent the spread of pests and diseases. Read about currant diseases and pests here.
Features of cutting currants of different varieties
The pruning technique, more precisely its subtleties, depends on the type of currant. Currant varieties differ in nuances:
- Altai;
- with active shoot formation;
- with passive shoots.
Altai varieties
A distinctive feature of Altai varieties is fruiting in the middle and upper part of the stem. Therefore, if you cut off these parts of the shoots, the yield is reduced. In these varieties, only old, well-bearing branches are cut off. All other shoots are not shortened, except for diseased and damaged by insects processes.
With active shoots
Varieties with active fruiting have a large number of zero shoots - they are produced in large quantities every year. They sprout mainly in the basal zone of the bush. These shoots are unbranched - to be cut. If the young shoot has grown to 30 cm, it is cut off, cutting off weak kidneys.
With passive shoots
Passive fruiting varieties are less in demand than previous types of currant varieties - they grow too slowly. Young branches on such bushes are cut slightly, or not cut at all. By pruning tops and old branches - 6 years of age, they enable the young to feed and give a good harvest.
Care after trimming
After the autumn pruning, currant bushes leave for the winter, so more care is not required. There are just a few things to do:
- Loosen the soil. Add potash and superphosphate. Spread humus or compost near the bushes.
- Spray bushes with Karbofos, Bordeaux liquid, colloidal sulfur - for the prevention of diseases and pests.
- Insulate the trunk circle - pour peat or sawdust into it with a layer of 10 cm.
Gardeners Mistakes
Common mistakes for pruning currants:
- Leave many branches. Beginner gardeners often feel sorry for the shoots - do not cut them, leave too many old branches. Such pity turns into a drop in yields. The bush spends energy on maintaining old branches, and not on harvesting.
- Incorrectly choose the cutting time. If you are late with pruning, the bush may freeze. If you start pruning, when the leaves have not fallen, and the sap flow has not stopped, currants after pruning “cry” for a long time. The plant gets stressed, the risk of infection increases, immunity and yield decrease.
Autumn pruning is a compulsory agrotechnical measure when growing currants. By remembering the order and rules of pruning, you can maintain the productivity of the bushes at a high level and extend their life cycle.
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Russia. City Novosibirsk
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