How to prune blackcurrants for a double harvest: the method also works for old bushes

Imagine: old blackcurrant bushes that have been withering away in the corner of the garden for years are suddenly covered with clusters of large berries.

This is not a fairy tale, but a reality for those who know one simple trick with pruning shears.

The method, which experienced gardeners keep quiet about, requires only a couple of hours a year, but turns weak plants into generous sources of vitamins.

February is a turning point for currants. While the ground sleeps under the snow, the bushes are already preparing to awaken.

Pruning at this time triggers active growth mechanisms, forcing even older shoots to produce new fruit-bearing branches.

The secret is to remove everything unnecessary before the sap starts to flow. Using a sharp pruner, cut off branches older than three years at the root - they are easily recognized by their cracked bark and unnatural bend. Such shoots only take away strength from the bush, producing almost no berries.

Young plants require a different approach. They are left alone for the first two years, allowing them to grow green mass.

In the third year, 5-6 strong one-year-old branches are left, the rest are cut at the ground.

For old bushes, there is a strict rule: three stages of pruning per year.

After harvesting, diseased branches are removed, the crown is formed in November, and radical rejuvenation is carried out in February. Skipping even one stage reduces the yield by a third.

The main mistake is to spare the bush. Too dense a crown creates a shadow, provoking fungal diseases. Dull leaves, small berries, peeling bark - all these are the consequences of an overgrown plant.

It is even more dangerous to use a blunt instrument: jagged cuts become a gateway for infection.

After work, the pruning shears must be treated with alcohol, and cuts with a diameter of more than 1 cm must be sealed with garden pitch.

The harvest begins not with watering or fertilizing, but with the correct movement of the hand holding the pruning shears.

Those who have mastered February pruning collect buckets of berries even from bushes planted by their grandmothers. Currants thank you generously for your attention - you just have to give them a chance.