Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: WeavingGryphon on August 10, 2019, 13:54

Title: What do I do with these? Blackcurrants again.
Post by: WeavingGryphon on August 10, 2019, 13:54
Hello,

I planted a cutting of my blackcurrant and it's turned into a lovely, but top heavy plant that's produced lots of side branches half way up each branch and each is now falling over.
Any suggestions what do I do with it?

Do I take cutting now?
Take cuttings later?

Pictures:-
Blackcurrant 1 is the right of the bush.
Blackcurrant 2 is the above the stool/where it comes out of the ground.
Blackcurrant 3 is a branch in front of the bush, I've lifted it up for the picture but it's flopped forward.

I was thinking of cutting all those heavy branches off to stimulate more normal growth from the base but is this the right thing to do?

The local Gardening Club has asked me for plant donations for their sale, so I am after cuttings. Also Eldest is bottomless for fruit so more plants is a good thing.

Thank you.
Title: Re: What do I do with these? Blackcurrants again.
Post by: sunshineband on August 10, 2019, 14:14
Blackcurrant do respond well to pruning, so I would be tempted to take out that top heavy branch. New growth should fruit next year... the wood darkens with age, so eventually, when you have several years' of branches grown, you know which are the oldest and can then cut these out to thin the bush down and keep it more open, as by then they are almost black.

And as you said, they grow really well from cuttings!
Title: Re: What do I do with these? Blackcurrants again.
Post by: WeavingGryphon on August 10, 2019, 14:32
Blackcurrant do respond well to pruning, so I would be tempted to take out that top heavy branch. New growth should fruit next year... the wood darkens with age, so eventually, when you have several years' of branches grown, you know which are the oldest and can then cut these out to thin the bush down and keep it more open, as by then they are almost black.

And as you said, they grow really well from cuttings!

Should I run to my secateurs and trim now (time to produce roots) and feed a lot or trim when it's dormant?
Would it be stupid to cut at the second bud under the 3 side branches in picture 3 and keep the whole top including the 3 side branches intact as the basis of a cutting "mini plant"? Or something else? Suggestions welcome as my epic secateurs prowess caused this problem.
Title: Re: What do I do with these? Blackcurrants again.
Post by: Nobbie on August 10, 2019, 15:05
normal time to take cuttings is in autumn/early winter and leave them to root over winter. Not sure how successful they would be now. You usually cut them down to within a couple of inches of the ground when planting to generate strong growth from below ground level. I'd leave it until they've dropped leaves in autumn before cutting it down. That should ensure strong growth next year.
Title: Re: What do I do with these? Blackcurrants again.
Post by: WeavingGryphon on August 10, 2019, 15:14
Oh they'll grow.
A cat (and I know who you are, so stop looking all innocent at me matey) dive bombed through that plant last month and took off two branches. Wee bit of a shave, some rootgrow and some sprouting medium and both sprouted nicely.
Title: Re: What do I do with these? Blackcurrants again.
Post by: Growster... on August 10, 2019, 18:31
I heard of an old boy who would clip off a few branches of his blackcurrants and use them as row markers.

At the end of the season, he'd have several new plants to pot on, and they cost him nothing!

I'm considering trying to grow them as an espalier 'hedge' next year. Space is limited, and a row with very little side growth may well be the way to go here! (I'll also grow redcurrants the same way, but possibly as a diagonal cordon - but they'll all have to be in the same plane, otherwise I won't be able to pick them)!
Title: Re: What do I do with these? Blackcurrants again.
Post by: WeavingGryphon on August 11, 2019, 07:19
I heard of an old boy who would clip off a few branches of his blackcurrants and use them as row markers.

At the end of the season, he'd have several new plants to pot on, and they cost him nothing!

I'm considering trying to grow them as an espalier 'hedge' next year. Space is limited, and a row with very little side growth may well be the way to go here! (I'll also grow redcurrants the same way, but possibly as a diagonal cordon - but they'll all have to be in the same plane, otherwise I won't be able to pick them)!

Go for it. If you were close to me I'd give you cuttings. You can't buy currants (edit, the fruit in the shop) and your using your space as best you can. If I had any sense and owned that wall I'd be doing it with those plants.

I did cut the branch falling forward since there's another plant there and it was going to get shredded. Trimmed it in half so most of the branch is one cutting, and the side branches is another cutting. Which will hopefully give me a good sized plants. But my logic is probably off and I'll get another mutant shaped plant again.