Dear Friends,
Due to the fantastic responses I have received in the past from you all, I am back again with another question.
I have a small gooseberry bush (about 3 feet tall) which I would like to take cuttings/clones from and make a nice row of gooesberry bushes. Is now an appropriate time of the year to do this? (I'm in Ireland). I was thinking about taking 2 or 3 cuttings later this evening and keeping them inside on a sunny window ledge (using rooting compound to help them along) before transplanting them outside in 3 or 4 weeks time.
The plant has currently got lots of berries growing on it. Is now the right time to take cuttings?
Thank You
Philip
I shall be doing the same as you - propagate in the autumn
"To propagate new bushes from an existing gooseberry bush, take cuttings of healthy shoots in autumn. Choose a section about a foot long and cut with a sharp knife. Remove all but the top four buds from your cutting. Push the bottom six inches of your cutting into well prepared soil and water well
Now all you have to do is wait. The cuttings should be ready for planting out in one or possibly two years.
When they are big enough plant them directly into free draining well-dug and composted soil or a large container (at least 14 inches across at the base and place in sunny or partially shaded position."
I took several hardwood cuttings from my two gooseberry bushes last autumn after the leaves had dropped, they were just stuck in a spare bit of ground and nearly all rooted and are growing on well now.
I'm not sure if you can try softwood cuttings of gooseberries, or if it would be a good idea to prune them while they are fruiting, I've never tried! I'm sure someone else will advise..... :-\
I agree with Deb and RT above
The best time is to take cuttings in Autumn, after the plants have finished fruiting. Take about 8inch cuttings of this season’s new growth, removing the lower leaves / buds leaving 3 to 4 leaves. Even if you are late and the leaves have fallen you can still take cuttings. Plant direct into the ground and leave until next year, when some will have taken and can be moved to their final positions. I would take about twice the cutting as you want new plants.
just to explain philip, the bottom buds are removed because you dont want the new plants to throw up shoots from ground level otherwise it will become an impenetrable forest of spines. try to grow them in an open cup like form to make picking a bit easier!
don't know if it's wierd but our invicta gooseberry had three of it's branches covered with soil last year..this year, 3 new bushes, loads of roots :)
That's a really good way of propagating it, known as layering.
Thanks guys.
Took this photo for you this afternoon....shows how I just stuck the prunings from my gooseberry bushes in a spare bit of ground next to the path last autumn....growing away with no more help than a bit of water every so often! ;D
(http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l47/dlp133/May2007038.jpg)
Quote from: manicscousers on May 16, 2007, 17:34:02
don't know if it's wierd but our invicta gooseberry had three of it's branches covered with soil last year..this year, 3 new bushes, loads of roots :)
When I took on my plot I dug out an old gooseberrybush and found all the lower branches had layered themselves into the soil. I now have plenty of new plants.
I'm so jealous of you all, I've tried for two years to get cuttings from a friends gooseberry to take and not one of them has been successful :'(
Maybe this year!!
Dizzymac