Cuttings from Currant Bushes

[waynebeddall]

Hi I have a red currant and blackcurrant bush in my garden at home. Can I take a cutting of these to transplant on my allotment, as I have received a blackcurrant stem looking thing before. If so how do I do this.

[SimonCole]

The best time to take cuttings is in the dormant season. Take cuttings 8" long and remove all the buds except the 2 or 3 nearest the top. Make a slip trench and plunge them 7" deep at 5" apart. Water them well for the fist year and watch for aphids.

[Hazel at the Hill]

Should the cuttings be this years growth, Simon? I bought a couple of bushes (haha!) from Aldi which are looking surprisingly good, and it would be good to take cuttings in the autumn from them to increase what I have.

[SimonCole]

I was very tempted too when I saw the Aldi offers, but I'm on a bit of a variety hunt. Nothing specific, just a few different types because I'm mad about wine making and want interesting flavours.

Take cuttings from this years growth. You can still take cuttings when the plants are in leaf, but this requires more attention and is best done in pots. I prefer to wait until the leaves have fallen off and things just start to get moving in spring. I don't think it will matter too much... you could do a trial?

[Snadger]

Just use your Autumn prunings! They are very easy to root!

[Palustris]

Red and white currants are taken as suggested by Simon, but blackcurrants are done differently. Take cuttings a bit longer than usual, but do not remove the buds from the stem. Otherwsie treat the same. Red and white ones fruit on older wood whereas black fruit on young wood produced from below soil level, so you need buds in the ground.
If your bushes have branches near the ground, peg them down and they will root.

[Madasafish]

I took cuttings last autumn of white, red and black currents using about 1 year old wood. ALL have taken and look very healthy. Blackcurrants are very nice with strawberries...