Rearranging the fruit in my allotment.

[Rapscallion]

Hi all, i have some blackcurrants, rhubarb and raspberries that i wish to rearrange in my allotment.

The blackcurrants are much to close together, crowding each other and making cropping difficult. There are 6 of them in an are approx 2x3m, they are mature, around 4 foot high. I am considering either removing 2 or 3 of the 6 or moving them to another area. When is a good time to move them, and how deep do i need to dig to remove the roots? Or should i look at taking cuttings or buying new?

Any tips regarding splitting and moving the rhubarb? Some places say this should be done in spring, others say autumn.

The raspberries seem to be popping up here and there through the allotment. Can i carefully move these now to a more suitable location? Most are summer, but there are a few yellowf autumn raspberries that are still fruiting, i assume that i should not move these yet?

PS, there area that i am hoping to move the plants too has been under black plastic sheeting to kill the weeds for 6 months or so. Can i plant immediately after removing the plastic, or should i leave the ground to recover first?

Im hoping to try and get as much done over the next couple of days while i have some spare time (family often gets in the way!)

[ESBkevin]

Best time to move bushes and raspberry canes is when they are dormant i.e. winter. Ensure the roots are pressed into the soil well to avoid air gaps.
But I would take cuttings of the bushes now and try them in a big pot or two to see if they take (a good chance of success). The finish pruning back the bushes so they can be managed when you move them.
The Raspberry canes are treated differently if they are summer or Autumn fruiting. Summer fruiting need the old wood cut vack and this years growth left to fruit next year. Autunm fruiting just get cut to the ground. You might leave 6" on each to locate them come time to move.

[ameno]

The difference in recommended transplanting time for rhubarb is based on how cold your winter is, as with most herbaceous perennials.
Autumn is best as long as your winters are not too cold, as the plant will grow new roots during the milder spells over winter, giving it a head start in the spring. However, if you have very cold winters, it's best to do it in spring, as autumn planted ones won't grow much over winter in those conditions, and may just end up rotting instead, whereas spring planted have a much better chance of survival.
You know your own climate better than I, but given your location, I'd recommend autumn planting.