The practice forces the canes to form more canes with healthy buds. This promotes dense branching from the bottom up. If you planted the bush in fall, however, you should definitely wait until spring before pruning. After the plant is four years old, you will begin removing any canes that are older than three years old. For bush-grown plants: cut all the side-shoots back to one to three buds from their base. "Gudrun on Friday 27 January 2012 "Don't do any more, Gudrun. Alpine currant is one tough cookie. If you can’t burn the stems, treat with an fungicide or pesticide that’s intended for the disease. They had a prune when you planted them. Broken and dead wood are removed annually and some thinning needs to take place to enhance air and light penetration. If your plant is in a pot, water it with liquid fertilizer every 2 weeks between late winter and early spring. Blackcurrants and redcurrants can both be pruned in winter, but they need a slightly different pruning method to keep them healthy and fruiting. Mark them in the fall before leaf drop so you'll know them in the late winter. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. Very little pruning is needed after this for the first four years except for removal of broken and dead wood. The alpine currant is a dense shrub, so make sure you remove as much interior bulk as you can. First cut away all dead, diseased and intersectiong branches. % of people told us that this article helped them. A These soft fruits are all pruned in the same way.. The best way in how to prune currants is by using sharp implements that will make clean cuts and won’t invite pathogens. As you can see form the photos they are looking a bit tatty now. Remove one-half of new growth again the following spring. Native to Europe, alpine currant, Ribes alpinum, is a low growing, low maintenance plant with bright green foliage present throughout the summer. Pick the fruit as and when it ripens. Prune currant bushes. I could use some advice as to what to do next with my alpines. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. You are essentially cutting about a third of the stem off. Leaves grow on thin stems, so a pair of pruning shears or secateurs should be large enough to cut through them. The 5 Things You NEED to be Doing to Get a Job, Faster. Most plants found in the nursery trade are male plants, which will not produce seeds. Many people are nervous about the process so leave fruit unpruned which will result in progressively lower yields as the plant ages. What Are Hybrid Tea Roses And Grandiflora Roses? Plan major rejuvenation over a three-year period, and remove one-third of the plant each year. By: Bonnie L. Grant, Certified Urban Agriculturist. Bright green leaves are 3-5 lobed, turning to a dull yellow in fall. They key thing is to keep the soil moist, especially when the fruits are forming. Older stems are darker and thicker, while younger ones are thinner and paler. Prune in winter to leave between eight and ten healthy, strong main branches each year. Extremely winter hardy. Do this as blooms wind down in late winter, after Valentine's Day has passed. In the fall, it drops its leaves without much fanfare, and in the spring it greens up again in the blink of an eye. Very low maintenance with no ornamental appeal than its dense green foliage. Prune branches that obscure vision at intersections. Broken and dead wood are removed annually and some thinning needs to take place to enhance air and light penetration. What is an alpine currant? Shorten all the branches by a quarter, cutting to an outward-facing bud. After planting, water the new plantings Q How do I prune gooseberries, white currants and red currants? Before growth starts the next spring, identify new growth since your pruning. Learn more... Redcurrants are a type of shrub that produce beautiful, red berries. References We use cookies to make wikiHow great. How much do you recommend I prune this winter? wikiHow's. Prune out branches growing low to ground. Watch this expert RHS video on pruning soft fruits including redcurrants, white currants and gooseberries when growing in a restricted space Last Updated: July 13, 2019 The third year, prune for shape. Tolerates some drought. Start alpine currant hedges with shrubs less than 2 feet tall, and cut them back by one-half at planting. Fruits are produced on three-year-old wood, which needs to be preserved. This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. Choosing the Right Currant Plant. Never prune a red current bush when in leaf. Noteworthy Characteristics. Do not plant currants in low spots where frost can settle. Remove branches all the way back to the main stem or a large, vigorous shoot. Prune at any time of year (flowers are insignificant) or simply allow plant to grow naturally. In this case, 98% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. The saxifrage and sea thrift could possibly do with some heavy pruning. Thanks.". Depending on the condition of the plant, various pruning methods can be applied. The key thing to remember is to prune the bush in the winter so that the middle is hollow. Fruit production in the home requires that the gardener learn how to trim currant bushes. Prune away any crossing shoots or branches. Cut the new plants back to about half their height. This may seem like a lot of extra work, but you don't want to transfer the infection to healthy wood. ", "As an 84 year old novice, I found all I wanted to know. Approved. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Removing them means that your plant will get more water and nutrients. Green Mound Alpine Currant will grow to be about 4 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. Plant currants in slightly acidic soil to neutral soil; a soil pH of 6.5 to 7.0 is optimal. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/a\/a4\/Prune-Red-Currants-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Prune-Red-Currants-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/a\/a4\/Prune-Red-Currants-Step-1.jpg\/aid10067784-v4-728px-Prune-Red-Currants-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"