Good return from currants

Press, 18 July 1980, Page 5

Good return from currants

Currants, by which we refer to black, red and white, can be most profitable bearing berry - fruits for comparatively little attention, provided that Which is given is well and propertjy carried ppt,4 '* Of the three, Wack cur? rants have proved by far the most popular in all respects, may . be as much because they are generally easier to handle as well as that their high source of vitamin C has given them all'the publicity. Just for the record, red currants contain ■■ only one? quarter of the vitamin C of black currants. White currants, which are but an albino form of the red one, contain none at all. The fruiting habits of the black, and red as well as white, tend to differ. It is probably- this factor which has the major influence on the life expectancy of the respective 'currants in . the way of good yield. More

than ten years for black, and fifteen to twenty for the others. However, there are bound- to be many claims of bushes which have cropped well. for much, ipnger. than these estimates.. - ' •< Black currants produce most of their fruit on wood produced in the previous growing year •— usually referred to as one-year-old wpod — and spurs borne thereon. Red and white currants, on the other hand, produce their fruit mainly on spurs on the older woodThis basic difference In fruiting habit dictates not only pruning procedure, but also the format of growth development and the shape and permanency of the respective bushes. The need for constant replacement of shoots which have borne fruit on established black currant bushes means that they require heavy annual pruning to impose a need fnr continuous renewal of the growth. Tn contrast, once the framework of the red and white currants has been formed these bushes develop a semi-permanent structure which is renewed over a period of four years,

PRUNING PROCEDURE: Basically, Blapk currants should be started as stools from ground level, cutting all the shoots of the new plant to buds close to the lowest buds. . Little pruning is necessary in the next year or two where bushes are flourishing. Thereafter, the obiectiv# should be to cut out as much of the spent wood as possible while retaining all the strongest one-year-old shoots. Remove any which are thin and spindly, or badly riddled by stem borer. The practise of two-year rota-

tional pruning of wellmanaged black currants so that alternate bushes are cut back only every second year has merit But this is perhaps best left to those growers who are prepared to give extra attention .to their plants. Shoots, arg not tipped.Red and white currants are grown to advantage if developed on a short leg or stem of 125 mm or so, partly because of the differing framework, but also to hold the branches off

the ground. All but the top four to five buds should be removed. The aim in establishing these currant bushes is to develop ten to twelve well-spaced, long branches which reach out and up wards. To promote lateral development these main shoots are tipped and the latter are • subsequently shortened back to a bud within 40mm of their base to induce spur formation. Each year, following establishment, some of the

oldest growths should be cut right out so as to maintain and induce a continuous cycle of replenishment. A watch should be kept for undeveloped or dead buds on the shoots. This is a tendency with some varieties such as Fay’s Prolific, whic.l, if not pruned back to sound buds, can lead to complete die-back of that particular shoot.

Stem borer is also likely to kill many buds. Badly infested wood should be cut back, and, as with black currants, infested prunings should not be left lying around, but preferably burnt. Red currants can also be successfully trained as cordons against walls or fences.