replacing berries?

[Garjan]

Hi all

All my white berry, red berry and black currant bushes I inherited. They are in the same place for at least six years now.
I have pruned them almost every year, but they are huge anyhow. Still they give me lots of fruits.

I am rather confused about the advice in books: they are perenials, but not permanent. Which to me means that I need to replace them every now and then.
But why? How long does a berry bush last? And if I need to replace: what is the best time to do it?
Thanks.

[Garjan]

[saddad]

I reckon 10-15 years is a good lifspan... better to take stem cuttings than move a mature bush. Don't plant back in the same place. I presume your berries are our currants... (?)
Propagating new plants isn't hard but check the bushes haven't picked up a reversion virus (it changes the shape of the leaves).
:)

[Garjan]

Hi saddad
Thanks for your reaction.
And yes, my berries are your currants. In Dutch almost everything round that is smaller than a football (soccer ball?) is called a berry. Except when it's a tennis ball ;D

[jennym]

The best time to take cuttings or to put in new fruit bushes is now - in autumn, while the soil is still warm. Bearing in mind that they'll take about 3 years to get to a good fruiting size, it might be a good idea to take some cuttings now.
Out of interest, saddad, I thought that Blackcurrant Reversion Virus didn't affect redcurrants and whitecurrants so much, if at all?