[threepennies]

I have kindly been given some redcurrant bush cuttings from my allotment neighbour. I am not much of an expert on veggies but know absolutely nothing about fruit so need some much needed help on what to do with them next! They are about 9 inches tall at the moment with lovely green buds appearing. Can they go straight into the allotment or do I need to put them in pots? How far apart do they need to be planted? How big do they get? (thats if I can get them to grow first!!!) Can they be thinned out once the cuttings have taken or do they like to be left alone due to their roots? HELP! x

[John]

If you've got cuttings you need to root them first. I've not done this with redurrants but usually you strip a few of the leaves off the bottom and plunge the stem into some compost. You want it as light as possible for this so add some pearlite or even sand. Pop a plastic bag over to hold the moiture in and with a little luck, the stems will put down roots.
Transplant on into individual pots and plant out when really established.
You need to space at least three feet apart - probably be a couple of years before you get fruit.

[Jake]

I've done it with a blackcurrent bush, don't know if they're like redcurrents but i stuck my blackcurrent cuttings straight into water and I could see them root.

Then I potted them and now I have 3 healthy blackcurrent bushes in the garden.

[Jake]

Thought I would awake this thread. Something is eating all the leaves off my redcurrant bush. Its near my blackcurrent, raspberries and blueberry but they are all fine!

Any ideas what could be doing this.

Rainmans post about his runner beans reminded me because I can't actually SEE anything that is doing this either! My runners are doing badly too.

[Oliver]

Something is eating all the leaves off my redcurrant bush.

I bet you its the dreaded currant sawfly. If they are anything like the goosberry sawfly they are tiny caterpillar-like grubs and they eat EVERYTHING on the plant leaves and fruit, leaving only the branches. They can literally strip a plant.

Look at a leaf - the sawfly grub lies along the edge of its nibble and just keeps eating. They are very small so you may not see them from a standing up position.

[Jake]

Something is eating all the leaves off my redcurrant bush.

I bet you its the dreaded currant sawfly. If they are anything like the goosberry sawfly they are tiny caterpillar-like grubs and they eat EVERYTHING on the plant leaves and fruit, leaving only the branches. They can literally strip a plant.

Look at a leaf - the sawfly grub lies along the edge of its nibble and just keeps eating. They are very small so you may not see them from a standing up position.

Thanks

I'll have a look tonight, if there are any leaves left :?

[Jake]

I had a look. Can't see anything really. It looks like what Oliver describes but I can't see the bugs!!! I didn't take a magnifying glass though.

[Oliver]

I didn't take a magnifying glass though.

You don't need a magnifying glass, but if there are no more leaves on the plant then the caterpillars (about 10mm long, greeny gray) will have moved onto somewhere where there are leaves, or they may be pupating now. She has taken a picture of a goosegog plant with a few leaves stripped - luckily she caught them before they moved on to the others. Will get her to post it. when the alltoment open day is over. She's a bit busy at the moment. Going around muttering a lot .... :roll: