"Colin Davidson" wrote in
:


"Tim" wrote in message
newsprqlibtpqwxhha1@localhost...

I've never tried cuttings, but can you dig up a few shoots? I did
that
with
redcurrants last and dug up a new shoot late summer-ish, and they are
now doing very well. Tim.

Cheers for that. I'd rather avoid digging shoots out if I can help it,
essentially I'd like to minimise any damage done to the wild plants if
it's possible. All else fails I guess it's a reliable option, though.

Removing a rooty cutting of a redcurrant will not do it any more harm to
the parent than taking an ordinary stem cutting, and does give you a head
start. They usually root from the tips of the stems, so if you take a rooty
tip off for yourself, the remainder will shoot quite happily from the next
bud down.

Raspberries won't mind either, though as they usually spread from the
bottom you may need to be a bit more vigorous with them to get your rooty
cutting out. Look for a stem that has run a bit away from the clump.

I am not sure about blackcurrants and gooseberries, though I doubt you will
kill the blackcurrants whatever you do to them - very robust plants!

To encourage you, I can report that the raspberry plants I disentangled
roughly from my hedge and planted in a well-fertilised row have twice as
much fruit on this year as the plants I bought mail order.

Victoria