nice surprise

[dandelion]

I decided to get rid of the gooseberry plant on my new allotment as it was choked by brambles and perennial weeds >:(. As I started chopping it down I noticed several  branches had rooted themselves into the ground. So now I've potted up 7 rooted gooseberry cuttings ;D!

[dandelion]

[Bun]

Jammy!  ;)

[agapanthus]

That's great!!!...freebies! 8)

[Jesse]

That is a nice surprise :D

[grawrc]

Cor ! I wish I could get my gooseberry to really establish. It always looks on the verge of death despite some promising fruit last summer. Don't know what I'm doing wrong. I even talk to it nicely and never presume to call it a goosegog. ;)

[gunnerbee]

ive got a big gooseberry bush, it was here when we moved to our house, also have the same probs with the wild bramble around it, but there is no way im getting rid of it, im going to try and kill the bramble and put some old carpet around the base.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I've got loads of old gooseberries, but they've never done very much. I'm now taking cuttings, as I've discovered the rooted cuttings grow away much better, suggesting that the original plants are past it.

[kenkew]

I've got loads of old gooseberries, but they've never done very much. I'm now taking cuttings, as I've discovered the rooted cuttings grow away much better, suggesting that the original plants are past it.

Good way to go if you do it at the right time. Take lots. Just stick 'em in the ground well away from the parent plant. Leave 'em a year and move them to a permanent site.

[gunnerbee]

Well i have a goosegog which has been here since we moved here 9 years ago, dont know what variety it is but it must be 4 ft high now, i only give it a haircut every other year apart from chopping the parts off which spread and block the path. It never ever fails us and produces lots of fruit year after year, it must love where its situated or it may be a good variety, ill take my mums advice and take some cuttings (shes told me to do this the last 4 years !!) and ill pass some on. but when do you take the cuttings?? anyone know? ill try and take a photo of it for you.

[busy_lizzie]

That is great Dandelion.  We had a similar experience with some redcurrants twigs which we used to mark out  some of our beds.  It was a great surprise to us when we got around to pulling them up to see the majority had taken root.  :o   :) busy_lizzie

[Robert_Brenchley]

They root easily enough, and layering seems to be one of the best ways if you have some low branches you could use. The bushes last about 30 years, but my site is full of decrepit fruit trees, and you never know how old anything is.

[vee]

I was told recently by a gardening expert to take cuttings about 12 inches long and remove the buds on the bottom 2 thirds so that there is a length of stem before the shoots start. He said it was a bit late to do it now but to try it anyway as it might work. I think he said the autumn was the best time. I haven't tried it myself but I'm just passing on what I was told. If you have lots of stems there's nothing to lose.