Ribes flower early in the Spring – just after Forsythia.
Ribes do not actually need pruning to flower well, however, if the shrub has been planted in the wrong place and outgrown its position, then you will need to prune the Ribes:
- To get it back into proportion, and;
- Regularly to ensure that it does not again outgrow its position.
When to Prune Flowering Currants
With a large overgrown Ribes shrub, the best course of action may well be to prune it hard – down to ground level or near!
That course of action can be carried out at virtually any time of year, but if you prune it too late, then it will not flower the following spring.
So, pruning earlier is better – around March or April at the latest.
This will give it a full growing season when it can again grow into space – but in a more controlled manner.
Ribes – Flowering Currants, flower early in spring on flower buds that are grown in the previous growing season. It needs a full season to grow these flower stems and buds ready for the following spring.
If the Ribes ‘suffer’ a late pruning, then the flower buds for the next year will be lost.
Pruning Ribes is necessary immediately after they have finished flowering.
Related read: Pruning shrubs calendar
How to Prune Ribes
The pruning can be done in 1 of 2 ways:
- A general trim back to shape – but bear in mind that growth will be quite rapid after pruning, so a light prune might not be enough. Prune right back into the bush.
- Prune back hard – The other way in which to grow a spectacular Ribes shrub, is to cut the Ribes back very hard each year – right after flowering!
Cut out all the previous years flowered branches to a point to suit – 30cms from the ground is great!
If you prune back in this manner every year, it will contain the shrub to a reasonable size, but – more important – the plant will grow long upright cane type branches during the year, which will then be clothed top to bottom in large flower clusters the following spring – quite spectacular!
Very helpful thank you!
A very small Ribes seems to have sowed itself in a garden I have just taken over as a new tenant.
Either that or because of the huge Choisya next to it dominated it.
Anyway, I want to move it so it gets more light, and also it’s current spot is not ideal.
However, I’m not sure when the best time is to move it?
A friend gave me a flowering current two years ago. This is the third year and it has never produced any flowers and doesn’t look like it will this year. I was given one two foot branch with a few leaves. Can I do anything to make it bloom or should I just get rid of it?