Too late to move goosberry and current trees ?

[Marb67]

I have goosberry, white and blackcurrent trees that I want to move to a shady part of the garden so I can use the sunny spot for veg. The blackcurrent is 14 years old, the whitecurrent and gooseberrys are 3 years old.

Can I move them ok ?

[Scarlet]

I think now would be the time to move plants - the dormant season. Although I would have taken cuttings and started off new plants last year. 14 years is a long time for a currant bush.

[Aberdeenplotter]

yups, I'd replace the blackcurrant. Safe to move the others as soon as we get a frost free spell.

[sparrow100]

I know I am going against the flow, but the blackcurrant should move ok. You will need to prune fairly drastically and give up on the idea of fruit this year. And get as big a rootball as you can. If it's 14 you might even be able to split it into a couple of bushes if you have a sharp spade.

Blackcurrants go on for absolutely YEARS. My Mum's 3 are well over 30 years old. Which I know as I gave them to her as Mother's Day gifts. We get bumper crops off them each year, even with the birds having their fill too.

[sparrow100]

PS Am doing the same with Mum's soft fruit next month. Perhaps we can post pics for comparison?

[Marb67]

Ok in a shady part of the garden ?

[rustylady]

As long as it gets some sunlight they should be fine

[sparrow100]

What she says ^.

Mine are going in an east-facing bed and are coming from an east-facing garden. It can take the berries a little longer to ripen, but not that much as long as they get a few hours of sun.

[FB.]

December to February is the best time to move them.
October-November (when their leaves are yellow) is the best time to take cuttings.

[FB.]

Ok in a shady part of the garden ?

They will tolerate three-quarters shade - i.e. they will cope with just several hours direct sunlight per week during the growing season (in winter when they don't have leaves they don't care about lack of sun).

Less direct sun generally causes less crop, smaller fruit, sharper-tasting fruit and the fruit ripening a bit later than usual.

[Scarlet]

Blackcurrants go on for absolutely YEARS. My Mum's 3 are well over 30 years old. Which I know as I gave them to her as Mother's Day gifts. We get bumper crops off them each year, even with the birds having their fill too.

I agree, I have some old plants that produce really well but last year Marbs black current didn't flower so with that in mind I would have taken cuttings last Autumn to start off fresh plants.

[roitelet]

If you are going to prune the black currant shove some of the prunings in the ground they might root. I have taken cuttings and they did, not as successful as autumn cuttings but I got some new plants.

[Marb67]

I am in the process of them up. Gave the roots a soak and covered with loose soil until I decide what I am going to do with them. The space I have taken them from gets most sun so I am using that for veg. Can I still grow them in a pot full of garden soil and compost for now and re-pot when I get some compost ? This way I can move them around and control saw fly better which I have been getting.

Also, looking at the photo, is it ok for me to prune them hard back as the growth has become a bit of a tangle ?

Thanks.




Ps, This photo is the correct way up on my ipad. No idea what the website turns it upside down. Sorry but out of my control. Tried to edit it with equal confusion. Gave up.

[sparrow100]

Yes, I'd definitely prune them back. Mine fell apart a bit on wrestling them out of the ground. Two gooseberry bushes suddenly became 5....I would get their feet in soil as soon as you can, with mature bushes I personally wouldn't chance putting them in pots.

This is what mine looked like in their first home:

And this is what they look like now:

I took about 2/3 of growth off them and took out any crossing branches at the same time. The bush with clear growth from last year is an invicta that I have had in a pot and I thought was overdue putting in the ground. They went in with some lovely manure I have been maturing, a couple of handfuls of fertiliser and some water, even though the ground was pretty sodden.

Just the currants to do now. Fingers crossed...!