Pruning black & red currants

[Primrose]

Now that I've picked all the fruit, will it hurt if I prune back my black & redcurrant bushes now? The leaves on the new growth stems this year have developed some kind of "blister" infection and I'd like to snip the affected parts off now before leaves fall to the ground and possibly infect the soil.

[Chantal]

I've been told that many people cut off the branches still loaded with fruit to make picking easier and prune at the same time.

On that basis I can't see why you can't prune now.

[Geoff]

But remember the pruning is very different for each. Blacks you thin the shoots taking out the oldest looking for approximately a three year cycle. Reds you create spurs by shortening new growth to a third.

[John]

Hello Primrose
What you've got is a blister aphid infection. I don't think that any pruning now is going to help very much. The RHS site covers this problem very well:

http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles05 ... _aphid.asp

The recommended treatment is a winter wash spray.

John

[Mole]

Primrose

By all means prune your blackcurrants now. Remove low branches and up to a third of the oldest less productive wood at ground level or lowest vigorous new sideshoot.

Redcurrants (and white) are pruned differently - the same way as gooseberries. Remove unwanted shoots completely - those which are too low etc, and prune back long sidesoots to about 5 leaves, to be pruned further in winter to 2 buds of this years growth. I wouldn't advise that you prune the leaders of any retained branches until winter - it will have a suppressing effect. The blister aphid will be unaffected now by pruning, and usually doesn't really harm bushes.

Mole

[Chantal]

Blimey Primrose I'm glad you asked this question, I was about to prune my redcurrant like my blackcurrant

Thanks to Mole and Geoff my redcurrant bush may survive with lots of fruit next year.

Cheers guys.

[Primrose]

Thanks for your advice folks. Certainly didn't realise blacks and reds had to be pruned in different ways. Looks like the task it will now have to wait until this heavy rain stops.