4

Due to a trimmer accident I currently have an entire branch of a red currant bush at my hands.

All sources I could find tell me that currants are best propagated in fall from one-year old wood cuttings. Instead I have "old wood" parts that were fruiting and "very new" soft green growth:

enter image description here (click to enlarge)

Is there a chance that I could get at least a new plant out of the accident and how should I proceed? Where do I cut and should I keep or remove the leaves? How about the tips of the branches? Right now the branch is in a bottle of water (in the shade!) until the community chimes in.

Or should I dump it in the compost and mourn the loss in silence?

Just a quick update:
Out of the five sticks I cut the original branch into, four are growing strong, even without special protection during the winter. They are even so bold as to bloom (which I will remove, to encourage growth not fruiting).

enter image description here

Stephie
  • 17,295
  • 5
  • 34
  • 61

2 Answers2

4

The best way to propagate ribes (currents, gooseberries,jostaberries) is by layering, however cuttings can work, but they work best in the late fall like many fruit trees by overwintering the scion and rooting it as the spring thaw begins.

However, if you put your cutting in some wet sand that is mixed with some ground willow bark, and denude the branch except for a couple of tip leaves (this reduces water loss to respiration) you may induce rooting. I would be reluctant however to put the cutting in the ground until the worst of the summer heat has passed, and wait until september-ish before putting in the ground.

Escoce
  • 6,456
  • 15
  • 21
2

I find that most things that are in the garden will root given time. But it must have the right conditions. Since you have two cuttings if you split it at the fork, you could try rooting one in sand as Escoce says. The other way is just stick it in hydroponic solution, and use a bubbler to keep the water oxygenated. If you had an aquarium once, you probably have one lying around. I find it a useful technique to get things to root without needing to purchase rooting hormones, or making it myself. You do need to cover the glass bottle from sunlight to stop algae forming, and reduce the number of leaves.

Graham Chiu
  • 23,509
  • 6
  • 41
  • 96