Kitchen Garden Forum

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?

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

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!

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.

Bon appetite!
JB.