How Do You Prune Black, Red, and White Currants Correctly?

Currants are pruned differently depending on the type, and mixing up the methods is an extremely common mistake. Black currants fruit best on young shoots from the current and previous season, so the pruning goal is constant renewal of new wood. Red and white currants, on the other hand, fruit on short spurs on older wood, exactly like gooseberries — so they are pruned to maintain a permanent framework with productive spur systems. These two approaches are almost opposite in logic.

Pruning Black Currants: Renewal System

Black currants are pruned to a stool bush — a multi-stemmed plant with no clear permanent framework. After planting, cut all shoots to just above ground level. This delays cropping by a year but establishes a vigorous base. Once established, the annual pruning task is to remove about a third of the oldest darkest stems at ground level each winter, leaving the younger pale-barked stems to fruit next season. This constant renewal keeps the bush producing on young, productive wood and prevents the gradual decline in yield that affects unpruned old plants.

Pruning Red and White Currants: Spur System

Red and white currants are grown on a short clear leg — a permanent trunk of 15 to 20 cm — with a framework of main branches above it. They are pruned similarly to gooseberries: shorten all lateral shoots back to two or three buds each winter, and maintain an open goblet centre. The old wood is productive and should be retained, not removed wholesale as with black currants. Every four or five years, you may replace one of the main branches if it becomes very old and unproductive, but the skeleton framework is permanent.

Recognising Big Bud on Black Currants

Big bud is caused by a microscopic mite (Cecidophyopsis ribis) that causes buds to swell to an abnormal rounded shape rather than the usual elongated form. Infected buds do not open properly and the mite spreads reversion disease, which significantly reduces yields over time. Heavily infected bushes should be dug up and replaced — there is no effective chemical treatment for home gardeners. Prune affected shoots back and dispose of the material; do not compost it.

Summer Pruning Red and White Currants

Like gooseberries, red and white currants benefit from summer pruning in June or July. Shorten all lateral shoots to five leaves, leaving the main framework shoots untouched. This improves light and air circulation inside the canopy, reduces mildew and aphid pressure, and exposes developing fruit to more sunlight for better ripening and colour.