oops! redcurrant pruning disaster?

[bigpepperplant]

I think I may just have done something terrible to my redcurrant bush, which is taking over one of my beds with long, leggy shoots with no currants on whatsoever. (There are a few right down near soil level).

I looked up pruning redcurrants in a couple of books and cut what I thought were the sideshoots back to five leaves. Now looking at it carefully I think i've actually cut all the main branches (around 20 of them) back to five leaves instead. There don't seem to be many side shoots anyway, perhaps because it's in a shady, somewhat crowded position. I did the same last year which may be why the bush has got itself into this mess.

Does anyone have any advice as to what I should do?

[Mike Vogel]

You may well ahve given the bush a new lease of life, BPP. I don't suppose you'll get any currants, but just select the shoots you want to call the main ones, let them grow and form side-shoots, and then take it from there.

I speak without knowledge, but common sense suggests that you should be OK after a year or 2.

mike

[Johnboy]

Hi Bigpepperplant,
As Mike says you have just given your plant a new lease of life. You obviously have no chance of a crop this year but if you use this year wisely you should end up with a superb crop next year on a bush that you will in future be able to control.
JB.
PS. Hope you made plenty of Redcurrant Jelly last year!

[bigpepperplant]

phew, thanks for that, I'm very relieved! No redcurrant jelly unfortunately, though I have just harvested almost my entire crop this year (8 currants) which are currently stewing with some rhubarb and about to be eaten with plenty of double cream.

[Johnboy]

Bon appetite!
JB.