How do i take cuttings from a gooseberry bush?
I have hormone rooting powder, seed compost and containers,
what do i need to do now?
Be greatfull for some advice!
Andy :)
Take cuttings about a foot long next month, plant them good and deep, and leave them to root.
I'm intending to take cuttings from mine in October, about 12" stip off buds except about 4, put the bare half into the soil and have bottom bud about 3" above the soil, come back to it about a year later..
:)
Now here we go with a disagreement. Gooseberry hardwood cuttings need to be about 12 to 15 inches in length abd inserted to about half their length BUT do not remove any of the buds as it is from them that rooting will take place.. Buds are removed when the plants are rooted and ready for moving to their permanent placing. Any buds which will be below ground then, or those on the first few inches of the stem should be rubbed out then.
success often depends on the variety as some are truly vigorous they will root whatever you do to them - I always take off buds and don't usually measure them either, just stick 'em in ;D but bud stripping is said to aid growth especially if wanting to train as a standard or cordon - try both methods and you won't be disappointed
Is it worth using the hormone rooting powder at all?
does this stuff really work?? who knows. I have some that is about 10 years old, sometimes I use it, mostly I don't - if you have some why not try some cuttngs with and some without, just to see what happens :)
I tried it for several years - each batch of cuttings I took I used hormone rooting powder on half of them. Quite frankly I never found that it made any real difference either to the percentage of `take` or the length of time in rooting. I prefer the traditional dribble of very sharp sand into the planting hole.
You could also try layering. Bend down a twig and peg it into the soil. I inheritated an overgrown gooseberry bush on my allotment which had layered itself: several branches touching the ground had grown roots to give me lots of new plants.