Massive Blackcurrant Bush

[clanpowell]

In doing up a friends garden I've uncovered a huge blackcurrant bush (It had a few shrivelled fruit left on it to aid identification) I know how to maintain a well kept bush(nudge nudge !!!!) but have not delt with such a old big one before!! (Can't believe how that reads back!!) Anyone got any ideas when should I prune it and how much to return it to fruiting glory? It's about 5ft high and 6ft across.

[Davie Crockett]

Blackcurrant bushes need constant renewal to ensure heavy crops. Older branches will bear fruit, but quantity and quality decline with age.
For this reason new bushes are planted deeply so that the plant produces vigorous young branches annually from below ground.
These are then used to replace older ones cut out after harvest.
Each year remove about one third of the oldest stems - the bark is very dark to the point of being black - and any that are weak or very low.
Always cut back to ground level or to a strong new shoot.
You can combine pruning with picking the fruit, or wait until winter.

Snipped from the BBC gardening site, (explains it far better than I can)

[boboff]

They do take really well.
The cutting just left in water for a few weeks will root in the warm, pot on and put in green house you will have loads.
I would cut top 1/3 off all branches, and then remove a 1/ 3 of those shoots, replant, and do another 1/3 once its established again where you want it.
Cuttings take 3 - 4 year I reckon to be really good producers, Old bushes seem to produce less and smaller fruit, but if you have the room still worth having.