cab
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Black currant cuttingsI took a few shoots from black currant plants this time last year and put them in a glass of water, with a tiny bit of sugar. My plan was to eat the leaves as they opened (try that, add the young leaves to salads, they're very tasty).
The leaves not only opened, but the shoots flowered, and they formed roots. Rather than a few salad leaves, I had three extra black currant bushes which I gave away as gifts. One of them even fruited, and they all thrived.
So to boost your black currant stocks, take cuttings now (cut last years wood, not the old stuff), cut just below a leaf bud, and put it in a glass of water with a little sugar, somewhere light. Keep it well watered, and when it forms some root pot it up.
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Treacodactyl
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When I prune my blackcurrant bushes and grape vines I go through the trimmings and pick the most healthy wood. Trim to about 25cm, cut under a bud on the bottom, cut a slanting cut above a bud on the top. Then just push them into a row on the veg patch and almost all root and are growing strongly by late summer.
When we moved in we bought 2 blackcurrant plants, I have three more that are big enough now to give a crop this year and I have several more in the rough wild patch at the end of the garden.
Luckily I've not had any problem with viruses yet but if you do it's worth buying in a new plant and taking cuttings from that.
I'll try some blackcurrant leaves this year, I know they can be made into a tea.
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mochyn
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I planted some blackcurrant bushes at the weekend and used the 'trimmings' as cuttings, just trimmed, as above, and shoved in the soil. I put them near the relevant parent bushes so I know what they are when they take. So I should soon have at least 9 plants instead of the 3 I've bought. 
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Bugs
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Blackcurrants being quite different to raspberries I assume the leaves don't have the same effect? (I understand raspberry leaves can affect pregnancy...women near labour might use it, but in early stages it's best avoided?). I'm fairly sure it's fine but it's important enough to bring up.
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Jonnyboy
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The wife drank blackcurrant tea during late pregnancy.
Apart from the absolute agony of giving birth she had really strong contractions and both kids were born very quickly.
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Bugs
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| Jonnyboy wrote: | | Apart from the absolute agony of giving birth she had really strong contractions and both kids were born very quickly. |
Can I just bring that to TD's attention?
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Treacodactyl
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| Bugs wrote: | | Jonnyboy wrote: | | Apart from the absolute agony of giving birth she had really strong contractions and both kids were born very quickly. |
Can I just bring that to TD's attention? |
Don't worry, I'll be able to drink to numb any pain I have.
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sean
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It's quite painless for the bloke. Just remember to only give the woman two of your fingers to squeeze, then there's less risk of broken bones.
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Bugs
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If you haven't got anything helpful to say Sean, don't say anything at all 
Anyway, we can't bring a child in to the world when we're living in sin 
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Northern_Lad
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| Bugs wrote: | | Anyway, we can't bring a child in to the world when we're living in sin |
Well, if you've got to commit a sin, it may as well be a cardinal one.
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sean
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| Bugs wrote: | | If you haven't got anything helpful to say Sean, don't say anything at all |
You're confusing 'helpful' with 'helpful to you'. The thing about fingers is official medical advice, or was when I was a student.
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wellington womble
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| sean wrote: | | It's quite painless for the bloke. |
She's doing it wrong! It can be arranged (for several years!), Bugs!
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mochyn
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It's only painless while he's unconscious. As soon as he wakes up... 
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Lloyd
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Getting back on topic, you can also grow more bushes in springtime by taking a strong branch, and bending it over to touch the ground. Peg it into the soil, and then damage a small area of the tip, say about ten inches from the end. Blokes have an easy measure for this, ladies may need a ruler. Anyway, having partially broken it, bury the damaged bit in the ground, and keep moist for about four weeks. Then hey presto, new bush emerges! 
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Bugs
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| Madman wrote: | | Getting back on topic |
Entirely overrated occupation if you ask me .
Oops, you didn't. No change there then 
"you can also grow more bushes in springtime by taking a strong branch, and bending it over to touch the ground"
Never ever heard of this version, similar to blackberries I suppose. Interesting, thanks for that, investigations to be done there!
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Treacodactyl
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I don't think you need to layer them as they take so easily from cuttings whenever I've stuck them in.
It's also not what length of cuttings you take but how you take 'em that matters.
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moggins
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| Madman wrote: | | and then damage a small area of the tip, say about ten inches from the end. Blokes have an easy measure for this, ladies may need a ruler. |
If you've got ten inches then you must be in demand
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Lloyd
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It will also work with Hazel and Willow. Its a new idea, been done for only two thousand years!
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Lloyd
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| moggins wrote: | | Madman wrote: | | and then damage a small area of the tip, say about ten inches from the end. Blokes have an easy measure for this, ladies may need a ruler. |
If you've got ten inches then you must be in demand |
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Bugs
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| Treacodactyl wrote: | | It's also not what length of cuttings you take but how you take 'em that matters. |
Oh, and obviously it needs to be healthy, not too spindly, and handled with skill.
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Treacodactyl
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I tend to layer plants that can be hard to root, azaleas for example.
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Lloyd
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I think with currant bushes that you should only bruise the outer shell of the stem you select, ie, not down as far as the heartwood, just kind of break up the bark, and maybe a tad deeper, but not much.
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Lloyd
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| Treacodactyl wrote: | | I tend to layer plants that can be hard to root, azaleas for example. |
You two must be on networked broadband!
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Treacodactyl
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Just a 4-port router.
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judyofthewoods
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| Northern_Lad wrote: | | Bugs wrote: | | Anyway, we can't bring a child in to the world when we're living in sin |
Well, if you've got to commit a sin, it may as well be a cardinal one. |
should that be 'carnal' ?
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Northern_Lad
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| judyofthewoods wrote: | | should that be 'carnal' ? |
I was going for the 'Of foremost importance; paramount' definition of the word; kind of 'if you're going to do it, do it properly'.
Of course, carnal sin can be fun too.
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mochyn
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Bugs: it's called 'layering' and works really well with a lot of woody plants (trees, shrubs & climbers). Many plants do it nautrally, and the 'damage' can be as simple as twisting the stem to break the bark. Make sure that's the bit in contact with the soil and either weight it down or peg with a piece of wire bent into a hair-pin shape. Leave it a few months and check: some things take a full growing season, others root faster. An excellent propagation technique, one of the easiest.
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Lloyd
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| mochyn wrote: | | Bugs: it's called 'layering' and works really well with a lot of woody plants (trees, shrubs & climbers). Many plants do it nautrally, and the 'damage' can be as simple as twisting the stem to break the bark. Make sure that's the bit in contact with the soil and either weight it down or peg with a piece of wire bent into a hair-pin shape. Leave it a few months and check: some things take a full growing season, others root faster. An excellent propagation technique, one of the easiest. |
That's what I said!
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mochyn
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Sorry, Lloyd: hadn't sen page 2!
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