What?
This post describes the pruning of established fruit bushes, which generally refers to bushes that are four or more years old. Younger bushes will need more specific pruing and training, which is known as 'formative' pruning.
Why?
If fruit bushes are left unpruned, they will become less productive; aim to keep bushes in an open shape so fruiting stems are not crowded and competing for light. Well-spaced stems are also easier to harvest, and less likely to succumb to disease.
When?
Prune every winter when bushes are dormant, ideally late February / early March, just before the bushes come into bud; the vigourous new growth in spring helps the pruned areas to heal quickly. The new buds are more visible to see at this time, so it's easier to judge where the outward facing buds are positioned.
How?
In general, gooseberries and red and white currant bushes fruit best on stems that are two or three years old. Blackcurrants fruit best from stems that are one or two years old. Other fruit-specific pruning techniques are covered below, but there are some generic points that are relevant to all these types of fruit bushes;
Use clean, sharp tools - secateurs for thin stems, or loppers or even a pruning saw for larger, older woody stems;
Don't remove any more than one-third of the bush;
Remove dead, diseased or damaged stems from their base (the ‘three D’s’;
Remove (also from the base) any stems that are crossing, rubbing, crowding or growing into the centre of the bush;
Prune down to an outward facing bud.
Gooseberries
Wear a good pair of thorn-proof gardening gloves;
Remove any side-shoots from the main, short, central stem, and any low, weak drooping branches that might drag on the soil or break under the weight of fruit;
On older, well-established bushes, after removing the 'three D's'and crossing stems (see above), remove one or two of the oldest, woody stems by cutting them at the base;
Identify last year's newest growth (it will be a paler colour than the rest of the stem), and shorten this by a third;
Cut back other side shoots to three or four buds.
Red and white currants
Aim for no more than ten well-spaced main stems, so fruit can ripen more easily;
Remove the lowest branches that may drag on the soil, then one or two of the oldest, least productive main stems;
Prune shoots growing from the main branches to one or two buds, but retain any shoots that could serve as replacent main branches.
Blackcurrants
Pruning older, established blackcurrant bushes couldn't be easier. Aim to achieve six to ten main stems per bush;
Cut out up to a third of the older, darker, woodier stems. This may require a pruning saw;
Cut side-shoots off remaining stems.
After pruning all of your fruit bushes, clear weeds from the base of each plant and apply a layer of well-rotted farmyard manure as a mulch, leaving a couple of inches of space around the main stem so the mulch doesn't rot it.