Standard currants look decorative and require less space in the bed than bushes. However, they need more care. Annual pruning is particularly important. Only if pruned correctly will the plants produce many new shoots for a rich harvest.
How do I cut a currant standard tree correctly?
To properly cut a currant standard tree, remove old branches, bare and weak shoots, thin out the crown and cut the standard tree into shape. The best time for pruning is early spring, directly after the last days of frost.
The annual pruning of standard currants
- Remove old branches
- Cut out bald and weak shoots
- Thinning out the crown
- Cut the tree trunk into shape
The best time to cut
Tall stems are best cut in early spring, immediately after the last days of frost.
Depending on the thickness of the branches, secateurs (€14.00 on Amazon) or pruning shears are suitable for cutting back.
Leave annual shoots standing
Cut off all old shoots. The most and sweetest fruits grow on the young branches. It is only better to remove young shoots that are weak or too close together.
First, all branches hanging down are cut off so that only the annual branches remain on the main trunk.
Then all upright branches that are bare are removed directly at the base. You can recognize such shoots because any buds that may be present feel dried out. By cutting out you stimulate the formation of new branches next year.
Thinning out high trunks
You should thin out weak shoots in the crown. They take unnecessary strength away from the plant and only produce a few berries themselves. This also applies to young shoots that grow across the crown.
Through thinning you ensure that the fruits on the main shoots get enough sun. You can then harvest larger and sweeter currants.
Cut the currant tree into shape
The shape of shrubs doesn't play as big a role as it does with standard stems. They are often grown precisely because they look so decorative in the garden.
Short all branches and twigs that grow too far up or to the side so that the standard trunk retains its compact, even shape.
Tips & Tricks
Make sure that you only use clean and sharp scissors. The cuts must be made precisely so that the wood does not crack. Diseases nest in the cracks. Also make sure that the scissor blades are completely clean so that you do not transfer fungal spores from other plants to the currant.
