Author Topic: Black currant question  (Read 5024 times)

Digeroo

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Black currant question
« on: February 10, 2016, 22:30:38 »
How far apart should I plant black currants?

I put in some cuttings to roots and as far as I know they have all taken.  So now I have far too many.   

I am thinking about a metre so maybe taking out three out of four.  Though I might leave them another year, most shops sell them 2 years old, 

I have not been so successful with gooseberrys and only two have roots.   They seem to do better by layering.




squeezyjohn

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Re: Black currant question
« Reply #1 on: February 11, 2016, 11:39:12 »
Mine were about a metre apart and frankly they're a bit too close to get in between for picking now!  They bush out a lot.

Obelixx

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Re: Black currant question
« Reply #2 on: February 11, 2016, 12:46:53 »
Ours are about a metre apart.  I find the best way to pick the fruit is to cut out the entire fruited stem and then sit on a chair and pick off the fruit.   No awkward bending or squeezing in between.

Good job for OH to do with his beer or coffee and keeps the shrubs pruned and automatically renewed.   
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Digeroo

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Re: Black currant question
« Reply #3 on: February 11, 2016, 13:49:41 »
Looks like it might be one in six then!!!   Not sure I need to get between.  There is a path down one side.   I am trying to fence in the plot with blackcurrants and gooseberries so making it more difficult for things to go walk about.  Cabbages seem to have legs.

The blackcurrants look so innocent when they are just a twig about six inches high.   

Certainly some of the mother plants are 1.5 metres high.   Though no idea now which are which.   

I also tend to cut off the whole fruiting stem and then after picking put the stem into the ground.  Hence the myriad of new bushes.   Then I feed the mother plants.  That was a tip of the week from Geoffrey Smith on gardeners question time many many moons ago.  Works very well.  Prune, pick, feed, plant.   Great because you do not forget to prune them.  Otherwise the new growth goes on at the top of the plant.   






johhnyco15

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Re: Black currant question
« Reply #4 on: February 11, 2016, 15:32:45 »
mine are a meter and a half i use the clock method of pruning taking a third of old wood each year start at 12 next year 3 next year 6 next year 9 then back to 12 and start again i line 12 oclock up with north on my smart phone so i know where i started then winter prunings i stick in the ground then the spring of the following year they are ready to give away must confess i was so busy last year i did not pick a single black white or red currant from my dozen bushes it was indeed a crime but at least the blackbirds had a good feast
johhnyc015  may the plot be with you

BarriedaleNick

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Re: Black currant question
« Reply #5 on: February 11, 2016, 17:23:19 »
How long did they take to root?  I took some cuttings over winter (maybe not the best time?) and wondering how long they will take to root..
Moved to Portugal - ain't going back!

johhnyco15

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Re: Black currant question
« Reply #6 on: February 11, 2016, 17:31:28 »
How long did they take to root?  I took some cuttings over winter (maybe not the best time?) and wondering how long they will take to root..

upto 18 months the spring of the next year so this autum/winter cuttings will be ready to move april 2017it helps here as ive sandy soil  and a little tip dont plant your cuttings push them into the soil as pushing them in just grazes the stem and roots form easier that tip works for me i get around 95% success but i do have free draining sandy soil hope this helps
johhnyc015  may the plot be with you

BarriedaleNick

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Re: Black currant question
« Reply #7 on: February 12, 2016, 08:11:57 »
Cheers for that - never realised it would take so long.  Luckily my wife bought me a plant for xmas to plant out so I may not have to wait that long!
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Digeroo

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Re: Black currant question
« Reply #8 on: February 12, 2016, 08:31:31 »
Some of the ones I roots last year produced a few fruits, but I am hoping for a few more this year.  I do not expect a really good crop until year 4.  Boughten ones normally are 2 years old and take a couple of years to get going.  Unless they are from Lidl which are only 1.  Gooseberries take longer. 

I have not got so many to thin out at least 2 have disappeared in the last couple of weeks. There are spaces in the row which were not there before.


jennym

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Re: Black currant question
« Reply #9 on: February 12, 2016, 08:48:42 »
I plant mine one and a half metres apart. If you have masses of plants, you can do the ultra quick pruning - after about 3 years, cut 1 in 3 bushes to the ground every year. Sounds like you might end up with masses if you're going to plant all the cuttings!
I find that they root very well if prunings about 12-18" long are left in a bucket of water next to the shed from late summer until early spring, with the water about half way up the stem. Doesn't matter if it ices over. Works ok for jostaberries too, not so well for redcurrants/gooseberries. I do put about 3 inches of odd stones in the bottom of the bucket, don't know if this makes a difference but it weights the bucket down, it's windy here. I've done it with half grit half compost in a long deep pot, fine if you can get to water regularly, but cos I sometimes forget to water, the water only method works best for me.

sparrow

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Re: Black currant question
« Reply #10 on: February 12, 2016, 21:08:35 »
Cheers for that - never realised it would take so long.  Luckily my wife bought me a plant for xmas to plant out so I may not have to wait that long!

If you take some cuttings in June & stick 'em in a glass of water with a few leaves left you will have a cutting with roots for August, ready to pot up or plant out to overwinter. Every single one of mine took.

(I prune twice - once lightly in summer and something more radical in winter. The main one I have is 6ft high and 1.5m wide, but it is nearly as old as me!)
« Last Edit: February 12, 2016, 21:10:18 by sparrow »

sparrow

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Re: Black currant question
« Reply #11 on: February 12, 2016, 21:11:57 »
And now I've properly read Jennym's reply and realised I've just repeated what you said!

D'oh!!

 

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