Blackcurrant cuttings

[Verinda]

I recently took lots of cuttings from some really old blackcurrant bushes and unexpectedly they have all rooted and flourishing. But I wonder if they will produce much fruit as the parent plants are so old? I have a feeling they may not be very good, but on the other hand they all look so healthy.

Any help would be brilliant, thank you

[veggiechicken]

Assuming that the cuttings were from new wood, they should be fine. That's how I do mine and the bushes here are ancient too.

[Scarlet]

thats how I do mine, I don't think it matters how old the parent plant is so long as it's not got any disease.

[TrialAndError]

I agree with the two posts above.

Your cuttings are brand new plants and the age of the parent plant doesn't matter. Be proud of your new young ones!

[Verinda]

Ooh that's great news, thank you all.

The cuttings came from my parents garden (about to be sold as I mentioned before) they loved blackcurrant jam and crumbles, I will treasure my plants. My granny used to have loads of blackcurrant bushes with a path going through the middle and I plan to do the same

[ldsau93]

The cuttings are such a nice way to transplant a memory. We've planted some rhubarb that came from a much-loved Aunty. She's lived in the same farm on Dartmoor for over 50 years (I've moved house an actual 28 times). Similarly, she planted a James Grieve apple as her father liked them and we're about to do the same. Also, we've planning on planting plum trees from which to make our own wine, something Granny used to do.

[BUFFS]

we started with a pound shop "stick" and after trimming and shoving the trimmings into the greenhouse border each year, about 7yrs, we have 11 bushes in the back garden and have recently resited another 4 into a border in the front garden and we had a massive crop this year, loads of ice cream/mousse/sorbets/jam etc...lovely.....

[Verinda]

Yum! I can't wait for them to grow bigger now!

Idsau, that sounds great. I have taken all sorts of cuttings from my parents garden and many of them have rooted, I love having them.

[bramble]

Good luck with the new cuttings Verinda.

[Verinda]

Thank you Bramble

[Invicta]

Black Currant cuttings

Verinda, I would recommend that this winter you cut your cuttings back to leave just a couple of buds on each stem. This will stimulate production of vigorous new wood in the spring. You wont have any fruit next year, but by 2017 the plants should start producing plenty of Berries.

[Verinda]

Thank you Invicta, I will do that as some of them are a bit tall with leaves just at the top, I wouldn't like them to get leggy.

[Bex]

In danger of sounding really thick now but how do I take a cutting from a blackcurrant? I'm moving allotment so a cutting would be a better prospect than having to dig the whole bush up. Thank you

[Verinda]

I cut off about twelve inch or so lengths just below a bud. Some I just stuck in a pot of compost and others I put in a jar of water on a sunny windowsill till they grew lots of roots then I planted them in pots. They are all doing well.

My mum just stuck everything straight into the ground and it always grew. But then she did have very green fingers.

I did (a million years ago) go to Merrist Wood in Surrey, day release doing horticulture but now forgotten most of what I learned. Although I do remember a teacher saying that once a plant gets really old you should stop taking cuttings from it and buy a new plant. That is why I asked my question here because I knew that the experienced gardeners on the Vine would know better

[Bex]

Wow, thanks Verinda. I will give it a go. It will hopefully mean no digging up of bushes and I'll be able to leave the currant bush on my old allotment for the new tenant.