Moving currant bushes in summer - help please!

[Serendipity]

Can anyone advise me please. I have a redcurrant, blackcurrant and whitecurrant bush in my garden (planted last year) which are currently full of fruit. Problem is that we are moving house in 2 weeks time and I really want to dig these up and take them with me. Am I going to kill them off by doing this at the moment and are there any other problems I could encounter? Any advice would be gratfully received.

[FB.]

I'd say that if you dig them out, there's a good chance you'll kill one or both of them.
The ease of transplanting depends on the size. If you can scoop up most of the roots into a bucket-sized container (and they must not be out of the ground for more than a few minutes in this warm weather) and then keep them very well watered for the rest of the year, they might be OK.
If the bushes are more than about 4ft, they may not tolerate the stress.

But looking at it from another point of view; will the new owners dig them out anyway and replace them? In which case you may as well try to take them with you.

[Serendipity]

Hi, thanks for the advice, much appreciated. The largest is about 3 feet and the smallest 2 feet. They were only planted last year so aren't too big yet.

Could I dig them out and put them in large pots to transport them, making sure they're well watered? We're only moving about a 20 min drive away so I could plant them again in the ground fairly quickly.

As you say though the new owners may dig them up anyway so it's probably worth the risk.

[burnie]

If you do not disturb the root ball,it will be like planting a container grown plant and should be ok,maybe removing the fruit,so that all energy goes into root establishment will help.

[valmarg]

You don't say whether you have sold the property, or whether it is rented.

If you are selling the property, unless it was stated in the contract that you were taking these plants, you cannot remove them. They are 'fixtures and fittings', and as such, are part of the property.

If this is the case, the only suggestion I can make is to take cuttings.

valmarg