Propagating Gooseberries and Currants
Today, I'm focusing on the practical topic of taking semi-hardwood cuttings of soft fruit , specifically gooseberries and black currants. You can do this in the autumn or spring, but I prefer the autumn to give the roots more time to develop before the buds burst and top growth develops for the new season. To ensure you maximise the chance of roots forming and a healthy plant, it is best to take cuttings from this year's growth. Such growth is quite easy to identify when you know what to look for. The bark is lighter in colour and you can see a sort of joint in the wood between this new growth and older growth like in the photo below. I take long cuttings, about 20cm, to ensure they have a good string of buds along their length. About ten is great. At the very base, it is best to cut right below a bud. This encourages root formation. If the cuttings still have leaves, gently pull them off by hand as this creates a clean wound. Removing all but the very top leaves m...