Author Topic: Unexpected blackcurrant cutting success (Read 5346 times)

suziequeue · « **on:** April 08, 2012, 07:09:42 am »

A couple of months ago DH "accidentally" uprooted the blackcurrant bush whilst dismantling the old polytunnel so I took a load of cuttings and stuck them in the ground........well....... shows willing.

Anyway - much to my surprise they are now budding away and have a few leaves on them....... all fifteen of them!!!

Unfortunately they are in the wrong place and need to be moved

I have two questions:

1. Does this (the budding) mean that they have "taken" and are likely to continue to develop and grow?

2. Could I get away with just putting them into pots for now and maybe planting them out next year? or should I move them to their final place now?

Any advice welcome.

Bert · « **Reply #1 on:** April 08, 2012, 08:01:18 am »

As you have so many, I think you could sacrifice one to see if it has the start of roots. ether way I would put them into pots,especially as they are all trying to live

. Putting them in to pots will not bother them at all. I have a blackcurrant in a pot in my Quail run

.

suziequeue · « **Reply #2 on:** April 08, 2012, 08:18:48 am »

Yes - I'll have a look today. You're right - I can sacrifice one....... these are on top of two that I felt compelled to "liberate" from our local garden centre as they were looking so woebegone, and another one that was too nice to pass by at our local agri store.

So going from 18 to 17 won't be too much of a loss

Hermit · « **Reply #3 on:** April 08, 2012, 08:37:46 am »

When I prune my Blackcurrant I just stick all the cuttings in an area where I can let them grow and go mad for the birds to eat . All have taken so far and I have been doing it for years. I do the same with my gooseberry, never waste prunings.

suziequeue · « **Reply #4 on:** April 08, 2012, 08:55:12 am »

It just amazes me that you can cut a twig off and stick it in the ground and up it pops!!

This winter I've planted 150 willow sticks in the same fashion and so far it's looking like a 100% success rate.

Nature - I just love it - that overriding life force.

treluckey · « **Reply #5 on:** April 09, 2012, 07:39:11 pm »

I have found blackcurrant, Ribes nigrum, and its flowering cousin R sanguinium strike very easily when autumn pruinings are stuck into leaf mold. Really good strong roots develop and are easy to transplant. They are also probably the most productive/worthwhile plant imaginable, giving 15lbs of fruit per square yard of ground from mature plant with absolutely no effort at all. Zero trouble with frost/wind/pet damage and, while I do net some bushes to keep the birds off, there are so many 'wild' plants (from cuttings I have put in and from bird droppings) that wildlife isn't deprived. I'd suggest that it is THE starting point for soft fruit growing!

Olly398 · « **Reply #6 on:** April 10, 2012, 10:55:55 am »

My Grandparents lived in a terraced house in Hull, with a very little garden. The one thing they grew year in, year out - blackcurrants. Can still taste them....

suziequeue · « **Reply #7 on:** June 29, 2012, 04:43:33 pm »

Just to say that the blackcurrants have been jogging along in 8 inch pots in the polytunnel for the last ten weeks and we only lost one. We have planted them all out now so

I have to say that the root systems were very well developed

FiB · « **Reply #8 on:** June 29, 2012, 07:00:19 pm »

wow fantastic - will definately be doing this! Thanks

Mammyshaz · « **Reply #9 on:** June 29, 2012, 09:28:34 pm »

That's a good thing to know

Great yours are doing so well

suziequeue · « **Reply #10 on:** June 30, 2012, 06:40:51 am »

I was talking to my husband about this last night and I'm amazed at the number of things that just take root.

I read about taking cuttings in magazines - sealed plastic bags, rooting hormone powder etc etc. It seems that some plants will just crack on without any fanfare.

We have grown rhododendron, blackcurrant, willow and tomatoes from cuttings just stuck in normal soil.... and now Leghorn was saying that you can do the same thing with strawberry suckers.........

Soooo exciting. I'm going to try it with the strawberry suckers today