2 April 2017 Pruning Black Currant Bushes.

[Durgan]

2 April 2017 Pruning Black Currant Bushes.
Posted on April 2, 2017 by Durgan
http://durgan.org/2017/April%202017/2%20April%202017%20Pruning%20Black%20Currant%20Bush/HTML/ 2 April 2017 Pruning Black Currant Bush

There are two black currant bushes in the garden. They are good producers and must be pruned each year. Very easy to grow. Here is a URL for information. http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/facts/98-095.htm#Varietie Currants and Gooseberries

The fruit is seldom sold commercially in quantity probably due to difficulty in picking. The fruit is probably one of the best for a small garden. Here is my processing method with a unique picking system.
http://durgan.org/2016/July%202016/10%20July%202016%20Black%20Currants/HTML/ 10 July 2016 Black Currants (Picking an Juicing)
Three pounds of fruit from one black currant bush was made into three liters of pressure canned juice. This is one pound of berries to one liter of added water. Procedure was wash, cook until soft, blend into a slurry, screen, and place in liter jars, pressure can at 15 PSI for 15 minutes. There is very little residue from the screening. The method of picking was to make a mesh over a container and swipe it along the branch to collect the berries. Currant berries do not fall off, they have to be removed. Cleaning is by covering in water and removing the debris and then hand picking the remaining residue. There is one more bush to harvest, which will be left about a week to further ripen the fruit. Currant juice is very pleasant.

 

[headfullofbees]

I prune my blackcurrant bushes immediately after they fruit (early July in the UK) so that they have time to grow the wood for next year's fruit.
I know it's much earlier than most recommend, but I find it gives a better harvest. (Fruit only grow on young wood, and best on the previous year's)

I love blackcurrant jam (jelly) and they make a rather decent red wine, if you let it mature.

 

[Durgan]

The black currants make what I consider is the best of fruit juice. My issue is getting a reasonable quantity of fruit. I will plant a few more clusters, since they grow so well here. The one shown in the pruning picture grew spontaneously. It is about 50 feet from the mother bush. It took about three or four years to produce.

 

[headfullofbees]

That is likely to be a seed dropped there by a bird.

Blackcurrants propagate readily from hardwood cuttings.

I have 2 new bushes this year.

Blackcurrant juice is delicious, I agree, and makes a wonderful flavoured yogurt.