Grow Your Own Magazine

My blackcurrants haven't fruited this year (newly planted in the spring) so would it be wise to forgo pruning this year allowing them to make bigger bushes?

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My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

Blackcurrants fruit best on young wood and you always want to cut as much old wood as possible, but in your case you are right to leave it alone until next year. A good system is to cut all the fruiting stems when the fruit is ripe - you will find it easier to gather the currants and you will be doing your pruning at the same time. I hope you planted your currant bushes deeply enough as you want as many new shoots as possible. If your bushes have produced any weak growth this year or growth where you don't want it to be, you could, of course, prune this out now. Look after them and they'll give you tons of fruit.

excellent to hear.

I bought a blackcurrent cane from the pound shop at a reduced price of 50p - didn't think it would grow. it's about a foot tall.

Going totidy it up a bit and then leave it until next year.

Thanks for the advice.